Back-to-Back RPO & BPO

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

To me, the real reason to sit through the ballet Romeo and Juliet is for the sumptuous score by Prokofiev. So I was delighted to see selections from this work on the schedule for the RPO, and that Ward Stare would conduct was an added bonus. There was a good crowd for a Thursday night, and the first two pieces, featuring the Eastman-Rochester Chorus, were unremarkable (and it took too long for the large group to exit the stage). But the wonderful Barber Violin Concerto, Op. 14 made up for that. Even though I’ve seen the Peter Martins ballet set to this piece five times (because it’s one of my favorite New York City Ballet dances), it was almost as if I were hearing this music for the first time. Simone Porter, the violin soloist, was extremely engaging and talented beyond her 18 years. Finally, came the Prokofiev, which began with my all-time favorite movement: Montagues and Capulets. I’m used to applauding after each movement at the ballet, and it felt unsatisfying having to restrain myself. Since they weren’t playing the movements in order, my only wish would have been for them to end the way they began…

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

Friday morning, my friend Linda, a native of Buffalo, and I shuffled off to the 10:30 a.m. “coffee concert” in the 2500-seat Kleinhans Music Hall. Designed by Eliel and Eero Saarinen, it has excellent acoustics, and several spaces that lend themselves to audience gathering.  I guess to entice audience, they offer free coffee and donuts/pastries, and we were warned to get there early to get a decent parking spot (since they’re located in a semi-residential area, they have their own parking lots – parking is $10!). The third-full house consisted of the usual suspects, but conductor JoAnn Falletta took it in stride as she welcomed the audience and told us it “makes the rest of (the musicians’) day very happy to come and play beautiful music in the morning,” wished us a happy Thanksgiving, and reminded people to wear red and green for the upcoming holiday concerts. I liked the more casual atmosphere of a morning concert, with the conductor chatting to the audience, and the male musicians in black suits, rather than tuxedos.

The first piece, by Sir Arnold Bax, was…unremarkable (do you sense a recurring program format?). Next, however, came the Concerto for Violin, Op. 33, by Carl Nielsen, with violin soloist Jennifer Koh. She was absolutely riveting to watch – she played mostly with eyes shut, her whole body moved with the music, and her head bobbed feverishly in the presto passages. The audience threw caution to the wind and applauded after the second movement, which Linda observed “had a finale sound.” Koh smiled to acknowledge our outburst as she plucked a few broken hairs from her bow. At intermission, I bought a CD for her to sign, and she was so gracious as she accepted my praise of her performance. The final piece, Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Opus 36, was beautifully played as well.

It was refreshing to go to a morning concert, and I felt more alert than after a heavy dinner and a glass (or two…) of wine. And it was a pleasant experience to emerge to daylight and most of the day ahead of me, with music echoing in my brain. I learned from a friend, when I participated briefly on the RPO’s Marketing Committee, that the reason Thursday nights were chosen for performances was that, back in the day, that was the night off for “the help.” Times have changed, but the performance schedule has not. Interestingly, the BPO performs their programs not two nights a week, but Saturday night, and either Friday morning (initiated in 2007) or Sunday afternoon. I thought the Friday morning concept was brilliant (except for this concert’s low turnout), since it captures mostly the same audience as a Thursday night, and there’s not much else to do on a Friday morning, anyway. It would be interesting if the RPO experimented with different times for their concerts, although weekday parking might be an issue. In the meanwhile, Buffalo is a short 80-minute drive away (except for blizzards, accidents, and construction!), so I’m definitely going to keep an eye on their Friday morning schedule from now on.