List Of Orchestra Concerts

Andrew and I save our concert programs. For both of us, it is somehow inconceivable to toss them out.

When we mailed a few things home in early December (the purpose of the package was to ship Alec’s birthday gift), we included a few compact discs we had borrowed from Andrew’s father as well as the small number of concert programs we had accumulated since moving East.

Now that I have organized and filed our concert programs here in Minnesota, I can easily list the orchestra concerts Andrew and I have heard in the last thirty-four months. It is a larger number than I had realized: twenty-three, by my count. Andrew heard a few additional orchestras over this same period, since he attended a few concerts—such as concerts by the Dallas Symphony and the Houston Symphony—while on business travel.

Over that period, we have heard only two works more than once: Rossini’s “Barber Of Seville” Overture, performed twice, and Brahms’s Fourth Symphony, performed three times.

The best of all concerts we attended was the Leipzig Gewandhaus concert under Riccardo Chailly. While the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra is not the finest of the orchestras we have heard—I would award that honor to the Vienna Philharmonic, I believe—it presented the most deeply-satisfying performance. The very worst performance, and by far the worst orchestra as well, was the San Francisco Symphony.

We happened to encounter far too much music by Mahler in the 2006-2007 season (and we missed yet an additional Mahler performance in early 2007 because of a snowstorm), but we have managed to avoid Mahler since September 2007. Truly, I do not strenuously object to Mahler, but Mahler is programmed far too often in the U.S., and we were doused with far too much Mahler from October 2006 through September 2007.

During the coming school term, we plan to attend two Boston Symphony concerts (Dutoit and Temirkanov), one New York Philharmonic concert (Muti), one concert by Boston’s Handel And Haydn Society (Norrington), and two concerts by visiting orchestras: the London Symphony (Gergiev) and The National Philharmonic Of Russia (Spivakov).

The orchestra concerts we have attended, in order, appear below.

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Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis

James Conlon, Conductor

Mahler: Symphony No. 6

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Orchestra And Chorus Of Saint-Michealis-Kirche
Saint-Michaelis-Kirche
Hamburg

Thomas Schoener, Conductor
Ruth Ziesak, Soprano
Thomas Laske, Baritone

Brahms: A German Requiem

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NDR Orchestra Of Hamburg
Laeiszhalle
Hamburg

Christoph Dohnanyi, Conductor
Emanuel Ax, Pianist

Bartok: Two Portraits
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”)

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Orchestre Des Champs Elysees
Laeiszhalle
Hamburg

Philippe Herreweghe, Conductor

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 (“Scottish”)
Schumann: Symphony No. 3 (“Rhenish”)

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Oslo Philharmonic
Laeiszhalle
Hamburg

Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Conductor
Boris Berezowsky, Pianist

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 (“Elivra Madigan”)
Mahler: Symphony No. 5

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Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul

Roberto Abbado, Conductor

Rossini: “L’Italiana In Algeri” Overture
Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony No. 2
Ligeti: Ramifications
Haydn: Symphony No. 94 (“Surprise”)
Rossini: “The Barber Of Seville” Overture

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Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis

Osmo Vanska, Conductor

Sibelius: Night Ride And Sunrise
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4
Sibelius: Symphony No. 5

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Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis

Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Helena Juntunen, Soprano
Jennifer Larmore, Mezzo Soprano

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”)

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San Francisco Symphony
Royal Albert Hall
London

Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductor

Mahler: Symphony No. 7

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Vienna Philharmonic
Royal Albert Hall
London

Daniel Barenboim, Conductor

Schubert: Symphony No. 5
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 (“Romantic”)

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Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Royal Albert Hall
London

Riccardo Chailly, Conductor
Viviane Hagner, Violinist

Beethoven: Coriolan Overture
Beethoven: Violin Concerto
Brahms: Symphony No. 4

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Boston Symphony Orchestra
Royal Albert Hall
London

James Levine, Conductor

Carter: Three Illusions For Orchestra
Bartok: Concerto For Orchestra
Brahms: Symphony No. 1

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Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis

Osmo Vanska, Conductor

Holst: The Planets

[By design, Andrew and I attended only the second half of this concert one Friday at lunchtime. The first half of the concert featured music by Corigliano and Chopin.]

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Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis

Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Conductor

Mozart: Symphony No. 41 (“Jupiter”)
Skrowaczewski: Fantasy For Flute And Orchestra
Brahms: Symphony No. 2

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Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis

Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Alfred Brendel, Pianist

Webern: Passacaglia
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6

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Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul

Reinbert De Leeuw, Conductor
Dawn Upshaw, Soprano

Stravinsky: Dumbarton Oaks Concerto
Hindemith: Chamber Music No. 1
Schoenberg: Brettl-Lieder
Revueltas: Homage To Federico Garcia Lorca
Berio: Folksongs

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Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis

Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Baiba Skride, Violinist

Rossini: “The Barber Of Seville” Overture
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Hindemith: “Mathis Der Maler” Symphonie

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Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis

Neville Marriner, Conductor
Jorja Fleezanis, Violinist

Elgar: Violin Concerto
Brahms: Symphony No. 4

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Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis

Helmuth Rilling, Conductor

Brahms: Nanie
Brahms: Four Songs For Women’s Voices, Two Horns And Harp
Brahms: Schicksalslied

[By design, Andrew and I attended only the second half of this concert one Friday at lunchtime. The first half of the concert featured music by Schubert.]

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Boston Symphony Orchestra
Symphony Hall
Boston

James Levine, Conductor
Maurizio Pollini, Pianist

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (“Pathetique”)
Kirchner: The Forbidden
Schumann: Piano Concerto

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Dresden Staatskapelle
Symphony Hall
Boston

Fabio Luisi, Conductor
Rudolf Buchbinder, Pianist

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1
Brahms: Symphony No. 4

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Boston Symphony Orchestra
Symphony Hall
Boston

Julian Kuerti, Conductor
Lynn Harrell, Cellist

Brahms/Rubbra: Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Handel
Elgar: Cello Concerto
Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony

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Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis

Yan Pascal Tortelier, Conductor

Mozart: “The Abduction From The Seraglio” Overture
Berlioz: Harold In Italy
Delius: “The Walk To The Paradise Garden” From “A Village Romeo And Juliet”
Elgar: Enigma Variations

Season's Greetings

Casper David Friedrich (1774-1840)
Fir Trees In The Snow
1828
Neue Pinakothek, Munich

Oil On Wood
12 inches by 9 3/4 inches

"Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow"

It is 18 degrees Fahrenheit and snowing in Boston. It is expected to snow through midday tomorrow, with accumulation up to twelve inches.

It is 25 degrees Fahrenheit and snowing in Minneapolis. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect. The snow is expected to continue the rest of the afternoon and into the night.

It is 31 degrees Fahrenheit in Oklahoma, but at least it is not snowing. Temperatures are expected to drop to 20 degrees Fahrenheit later this afternoon, as a Cold Front has moved in and is expected to remain for several days.

Of course, Andrew and I have been keeping our eyes on the weather in Minnesota and Oklahoma, because we will be in those states over the holidays.

Can someone please explain to me why we will not be spending our holidays in Malta?

In Dulci Jubilo

All week, I have been studying for my final exams.

I rise when Andrew rises, and I begin studying as soon as Andrew leaves for his office. It is very quiet at home—much quieter than the law library—and I can study without distraction.

I study in the living room, and the Christmas tree—with its blinking lights—makes a world of difference in adding warmth and cheeriness to the room. I told Andrew we may have to keep the Christmas tree year-round!

Around 1:00 p.m. each day, I take a long walk to the nearest food store. I could drive, but the purpose of my food store walks is to take a break, get some exercise and clear my mind. Picking up a few fresh fruits and vegetables at the store each day is a purely secondary consideration.

When I get back home from that three-mile walk, I eat a quick lunch and get back to the books, and I study again until Andrew gets home.

I get a decent dinner every night, and the couple of hours it takes us to prepare and eat dinner is the best part of the day.

It’s been cold here, and we have been eating foods that are appropriate for cold weather. Tonight we started with tomato-cream soup, which Andrew had made from scratch last night. We ate our soup with sharp cheddar cheese and water crackers. After the soup, we had chicken breasts baked in a cream pepper sauce, along with wild rice, butternut squash, lima beans and a strawberry-pear-walnut salad, which I have liked since the first time I had it in Minnesota. It is one of Andrew’s mother’s specialties. We had our dessert a couple of hours after dinner: fresh gingerbread, still warm from the oven.

I will continue to study every day and most nights until Christmas Eve, when we depart for Oklahoma. I shall even study this weekend during the day, although we have Christmas parties to attend on Saturday night and Sunday night.

We return to Boston on the evening of New Year’s Day, and I shall resume studying the next day because my exams begin the following week.

The Christmas gifts we ordered a week ago Sunday have all arrived at their destinations. We hope no one has been naughty and opened their gifts prematurely—but, if so, we know everyone must be having a ball playing with their new yo-yos!

Law school is now one-sixth over.

And Christmas is only a week away.

Good Christian Men, Rejoice!

Another List

I like to make lists for my own use.

I have already listed the plays Andrew and I have seen. I have also already listed the opera performances Andrew and I have attended. Sometime I shall have to catalog the orchestra concerts we have heard, as well as the recitals we have attended.

This is a list of the dance performances Andrew and I have attended.

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Miami City Ballet
Northrop Auditorium
Minneapolis

Don Quixote (Leon Minkus/Marius Petipa-Alexander Gorsky)

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New York City Ballet
New York State Theater
New York

Klavier (Ludwig Von Beethoven/Christopher Wheeldon)
Russian Seasons (Leonid Desyatnikov/Alexei Ratmansky)
The Four Temperaments (Paul Hindemith/George Balanchine)

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New York City Ballet
New York State Theater
New York

Serenade (Peter Illich Tchaikovsky/George Balanchine)
Mozartiana (Peter Illich Tchaikovsky/George Balanchine)
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 (Peter Illich Tchaikovsky/George Balanchine)

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The State Ballet Of Georgia (Tbilisi)
Northrop Auditorium
Minneapolis

Giselle (Adolphe Adam/Jean Coralli-Jules Perrot-Marius Petipa)

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San Francisco Ballet
City Center
New York

The Fifth Season (Karl Jenkins/Helgi Tomasson)
Concerto Grosso (Francesco Geminiani/Helgi Tomasson)
Joyride (John Adams/Mark Morris)
The Four Temperaments (Paul Hindemith/George Balanchine)

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Boston Ballet
Boston Opera House
Boston

Cinderella (Sergei Prokofiev/James Kudelka)

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Lar Lubovitch Dance Company
Tsai Performance Center
Boston

Concerto Six Twenty-Two (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/Lar Lubovitch)
Jangle (Bela Bartok/Lar Lubovitch)
Dvorak Serenade (Antonin Dvorak/Lar Lubovitch)

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Obviously, in the world of dance, there is New York City Ballet, and then there is everything else. Nevertheless, I am pleased Andrew and I have had an opportunity to witness a few different companies.

Terpsichore

Friday was my final day of classes for the term, and Andrew and I decided we should do something fun Friday night.

We explored various alternatives, and narrowed our choices down to two: Boston Ballet’s “Nutcracker” and a local performance of Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. We settled upon the latter, largely because we can save Boston Ballet’s “Nutcracker” for another time, while Lar Lubovitch Dance Company was offering only two performances in Boston.

Neither of us is particularly interested in modern dance. Indeed, I am not especially interested even in ballet, while Andrew appreciates ballet primarily for Balanchine and only for Balanchine. However, Andrew’s parents had attended the same Lubovitch program at Northrop Auditorium exactly a week ago, and they had rather liked it. They told us we might enjoy the program.

It was OK. The best dance was the first work on the program, “Concerto Six Twenty-Two”, danced to Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and named after its Koechel listing. The work displayed a wide range of emotion, and held our interest for the entire half hour. I could sit through it again.

Returns diminished from that point forward. The second work, to music of Bartok, did not hold my interest, and the final work, to music of Dvorak, seemed to recycle ideas from the Mozart. The program might as well have ended after the Mozart, because the following works did not contribute anything of sustained interest or pleasure.

Lubovitch is probably not talented enough for his own choreography, and only his own choreography, to hold an audience’s interest for an entire evening. He uses a few stock gestures ceaselessly—dancers running in circles, dancers lifting their arms in circular arcs—and these gestures quickly become tiresome, even clichéd. His vocabulary lacks the invention, richness and sheer imagination of Balanchine. Moreover, his choreography does not spring forth from and illustrate the music, as does the work of Balanchine. Music is background for Lubovitch. His steps and patterns vaguely follow the contours of the music being played, but nothing more. There is no detailed, specific and organic connection between Lubovitch’s choreography and the music he has selected.

The program we attended would have been more successful had “Concerto Six Twenty-Two” been followed by works of other choreographers, such as Paul Taylor, Eliot Feld and Twyla Tharp.

Perhaps we should have gone to Boston Ballet’s “Nutcracker” after all!

Boston is fortunate that it is home to a major ballet company. Andrew and I intend to take advantage of this fact and attend several Boston Ballet performances. We have already attended a performance of its full-length production of “Cinderella”, and next term we plan to catch Balanchine’s “Jewels”, a full-length “Sleeping Beauty”, and a program celebrating the Centennial of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. It is possible we may attend a program devoted to works of Jiri Kylian, too.

Minneapolis does not have a major ballet company, the one thing the Twin Cities lacks, so Andrew and I must take advantage of Boston Ballet while we may.

Apparently everyone in Minnesota has given up attempting to establish and sustain an important ballet company in the Twin Cities. The effort has been made, over and over, always without long-term success. Metropolitan Ballet, the most recent Minneapolis company to attempt major status, quietly scaled back its operations a year or so ago, even before Andrew and I had an opportunity to attend one of its performances. Perhaps as a result, Northrop Auditorium has substantially expanded its dance presentations this season, offering a larger number of performances by a larger number of visiting companies than it offered the previous season. However, this does not do much for Andrew and me, since we no longer live in the Twin Cities.

The first ballet performance I ever attended was a performance of “The Nutcracker” by Tulsa Ballet. My grandmother took me to that performance. I was seven years old at the time. It was the color of the costumes that made the greatest impression upon me.

I always thought it was interesting that Tulsa has a major ballet company. The city of Tulsa does not seem large enough to support a major performing arts institution. Tulsa Philharmonic and Tulsa Opera, for instance, have always been comparatively minor operations, perfectly in scale for a city of Tulsa’s size. Tulsa Ballet, however, has been a major ballet company, by any standard, for fifty years, a company worthy of a city many times the size of Tulsa. In fact, Tulsa Ballet is the only performing arts organization of note in the entire State Of Oklahoma. Nevertheless, it is pretty remarkable, I’d say, that Oklahoma—given its small and widely-scattered population—has ANY important performing arts institution.

In contrast, Minneapolis has no major resident ballet company. It is puzzling that Minneapolis, a city of vast wealth, which handsomely supports numerous museums, two full-time orchestras, an opera company, and more full-time professional theater companies than any other city in America, cannot sustain a ballet company.

It is said that ballet has always thrived in cold, Northern climes. Minneapolis certainly satisfies that requirement!

It is also said that ballet requires a well-educated, sophisticated and musical audience. Minneapolis easily meets that standard as well.

It is puzzling, therefore, that the large music and theater audience in the Twin Cities is seemingly indifferent to ballet.

Such indifference can have nothing to do with the Scandinavian heritage of the Minnesota populace. Copenhagen and Stockholm have long supported major ballet companies.

It is my prediction that, at some point in the future, Minneapolis will become home to a significant ballet company.

"New Girl In Town"

There’s a new girl in town!

(Well, at least in Minneapolis.)

She arrived a few days behind schedule, she chose the middle of the night for her arrival, and she weighs only 7 pounds 3 ounces, but she’s definitely here!

Of course, we haven’t seen her yet, but we already know she’s a keeper!

On Edge

As threatened, Andrew and I put up a Christmas tree today.

We don’t have much room, so we erected it in the only possible place: right inside the front door, next to the wall divider that separates our living room from our kitchen. We can see the tree from anywhere in the living room or kitchen, but we have to be cautious when opening the front door!

We went out and selected the tree this morning, and brought it home. Then we immediately went out again to buy a tree stand, as well as a set of twinkling lights, Christmas bulbs and tinsel.

We spent all afternoon decorating the tree—and vacuuming needles that had disbursed themselves all over the living room.

The project was worth our time and trouble. The tree is very cheerful. It lends a glow to our tiny apartment. It also puts us in a proper frame of mind for the holidays.

The evergreen smell is welcome, too.

Next Friday is my last day of classes. I shall be home for the twelve days between end of classes and our departure for the holidays, so I will be able to enjoy the tree during the day while Andrew is at work. I shall use that time to study for my exams, which get under way in January.

Late this afternoon and this evening, Andrew and I did something silly: we stuffed and baked a small turkey. Somehow it seemed an appropriate way to celebrate the tree and the onset of the holidays. We didn’t get carried away with all sorts of other holiday foods, but we DID prepare mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, fresh carrots and white corn, along with cranberries. For dessert, we ate Christmas cookies we bought at a bakery. Perhaps we should have picked up some eggnog, too.

Tomorrow we plan to do our Christmas shopping, and we plan to do it from home. It may take us all day, but by tomorrow night we hope to have gifts picked out and purchased for everyone, with all shipping arrangements negotiated. This will save us from having to trek gifts with us to Oklahoma and Minnesota.

We hope everyone is looking forward to a new pair of socks!

Still no new baby—it’s now past due, and everyone is on edge.