Symphony no. 2
With Holly being in the service industry our Valentine's Day celebration were going to be muted again this year. She pretended she didn't care that we wouldn't be able to do something special but I knew better. So when a friend offered a pair of tickets Symphony NB's show at the Playhouse the day after Valentine's Day I figured I could make a romantic night of it and jumped at the offer.Because of her schedule we weren't going to have time for dinner and the show so I decided to surprise her with a nice meal when she got home. Risotto is her favourite so I tried my hand. I have made good risotto in the past; this was not one of them. Fortunately, thanks to people with far more talent than me, the show would not match the meal.
We had watched the Symphony's Christmas show at the Delta in December and loved it but were both excited to that full symphony sound in a room that was designed for it. We took our (good) seats a few minutes before showtime. A friend's parents took their seats behind us and were amused to see us there.
The theme of this show was 'Tales' which had me thinking that this was a symphonic version of Storytellers. I was mistaken. The music, from the instruments and, later, vocals, told the stories. And while the vocalist was singing words, they were, of course, in no language that I could understand. No matter, the music did tell a story a moved from hopeful to haunting, joyful to (apparently) enraged. Those were the stories it was telling me anyways.
The first piece, Shubert's 'Overture to Rosamunde', was an instrumental and allowed us to appreciate the difference the sound in the Playhouse provided. Truly a full, rich sound. After that conductor Michael Newnham introduced Sopranno Lynne McMurtry who provided the vocals for the rest of the show. Anytime I have seen a soloist I am amazed at the sound they put out without any amplification. Mrs. McMurtry was no different. Amazing pipes.
Having said that, I think I might prefer the symphony on its own. The vocalist was incredibly talented but I found myself lost in her voice and missing the intracacies of the instruments. And, from my two trips thus far, that is where I get the most enjoyment. I am blown away by the minutiae of the individual players and how they add up to an incredible sum of the parts that allows me to intepret the tales I think they are trying to tell. Another great performance.
I'll try the risotto again soon too.
Pace out.
posted by Vitamin S @ 10:58 p.m.
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