Memorial Hall

Saturday
This evening we were out at a Symphony concert at Music Hall. My blip is actually of Memorial Hall which is next door, but was better illuminated!
On the program tonight was Bach’s Brandenburg concerto, and Mahler’s 5th Symphony, which is very popular. In addition to this however, there was also a soccer match at the nearby FCC Cincinnati stadium, a Conference final against the state capital Columbus, which was a sell- out, and started at 6pm, whereas our concert started at 7.30! Fortunately we were aware of this, and left early to find parking. All the street metered parking which would have been cheaper,seemed to have been taken, so we paid a premium for a parking garage, but at least we got there in plenty of time. We went up to the balcony, where we usually sit, and got a drink, but then we realised since this concert as so popular, we had ended up getting tickets in the Orchestra/Stalls, quite near the front. This was a very different experience to our usual experience. It worked well for the Brandenburg, which is a small string orchestra, with three soloists at the front, which we could hear more clearly, and we could see everyone, and see their faces close up, and their expressions. However, the Mahler was quite different, with the stage filled by the orchestra, so we couldn’t really see much beyond the strings, and of course Mahler uses a lot of brass and percussion, which were at the back. However the sound was still amazing, and the performance was first class - the whole audience were on their feet cheering and applauding as soon as the last note faded! It was also another guest conductor, which likely means he is one of a number being considered to replace the current conductor/director, Louis Langrais who has been with us for 10 years and this his last season.
As for the Football/soccer game, Cincinnati went 2-0 up to start with, and then ended up losing it 2-3!
Step count: 10,578