“Orchestral fireworks”

Friday
This was the name given to this weekends Cincinnati Symphony concerts. As a part of their Friday Orange series, where they have some extra artistic event planned before the concert, the Symphony had commissioned artist Samantha Parker Salazar to create an art installation for the lobby for the weekend. The installation was all painted and cut paper, suspended from the ceiling and the balcony. As you can see from my collage, she was present in the lobby and you could see her at work. It was very impressive and intricate work, and especially with the aid of the lighting, looked amazing! The Concert was wonderful too, and quite unusual in that it wasn’t “anchored” by a major symphony by a big name composer. It started with a piece I wasn’t familiar with, Dvorak The Midday Witch, programme music, i.e. telling a story, using as his inspiration poems, based on ancient Czech legends, written by Karel Jaromír Erben (1811–70). This was followed by Stravinsky Concerto for Piano and Wind instruments. The second half featured Josef Suk Scherzo fantastique, again unfamiliar, but very enjoyable, and finally the piece I was really looking forward to, Janacek Sinfonietta, which features 12 trumpets, and a remarkable composition for a Seventy year old! I. Have this piece at home, but had never heard it in concert before, and it was every bit as thrilling as I thought it would be! The conductor was a guest conductor, Sir Mark Elder, music director of the Manchester-based Halle Orchestra, so of special interest to me, since it was the Halle Orchestra that I would hear growing up, going with Mum and Dad to concerts at the City Hall in Sheffield.