Sunday, May 5, 2019

A Return to the Symphony

Today marked my second visit to the Saenger Theatre in Mobile, AL, for an amazing performance entitled Forte presented by the Mobile Symphony Orchestra. The program included Blue Cathedral by Jennifer Higdon, a contemporary classical composer who received a Pulitzer Prize for one of her compositions in 2010. Also on the program was Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique" and Sergi Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto with pianist Vadym Kholodenko, winner of the Gold Medal at the 2013 Van Clyburn International Piano Competition.

I am reluctant to attempt a description of music with words; however, that being said, a secondary or subordinate theme of the "Pathetique" in the first movement is, in my opinion, more lyrical than almost anything else from this composer and the triumphal march of the third movement must be an absolute thrill to conduct.

Each of the above titles contains a link to examples of the music if you are interested. The Piano Concerto is only the third movement and there is no video but is performed by the artist I heard today.

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