March 5, 2023

What a pleasure to have Ara Gregorian (an East Lansing High School alum!) and his wife Hye-Jin Kim as soloists with the Lansing Symphony last night. They played Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola.  I think the uniqueness of the musical connections possible in a husband-and-wife duo is a real thing, and these two demonstrated that thing at its finest.

Certainly, the two cadenzas in this work were just a few of the high points. To witness them following each other around through all the twists and turns Mozart writes was truly something to behold and savor. I can still hear it in my head this morning.
 
We had a nice crowd last night....very appreciative. There was a fair amount of applause between movements which I know annoys some people, sadly. To me that is a good sign. It lets me know that those people are new to the classical music experience, and I’m thrilled they are there.
 
I often get questions about that from more seasoned concert goers. Am I offended, or bothered? The short answer is “no.”
 
The long answer is that these people are venturing out and trying a new, deep, challenging and powerful experience. Let’s welcome them to our world with open arms so that they come back and participate in the support and nurturing of the performing arts in our communities.

Besides, it’s not really that big of a deal is it? Audiences did applaud between movements in Mozart’s time and beyond, and the composers and performers appreciated it. These “hold your applause” rules are a construct of some mid-19th century German ideals whose time I think, frankly, can be allowed to expire. True, we don’t want a full-throated, 5-minutes of applause between movements, but a bit of appreciation never hurt anyone.  
 
I’m off to New Orleans next week to conduct Louisiana Philharmonic in the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans’ Piano Concerto Showcase, a program that features winners of MASNO’s International Piano Competition.  The program is Mozart K. 488 (on of my faves of his. It seems a unique style in his piano concerto output), the colorful and jazz-inspired G major concerto of Ravel and Tchaikovsky’s warhorse Concert No. 1. I’m looking forward to seeing and making music with my old friends of the LPO and being back in that uniquely soulful city.
 
NEXT UP
 
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
Rousell Hall
New Orleans, Louisiana
 
Saturday, March 11, 7:30 p.m.
Winners of the New Orleans International Piano Competition
MOZART          Piano concerto in A, K. 488
RAVEL              Piano concerto in G
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano concerto No. 1 in B-flat
 
 #Lansingsymphony #Louisianaphilharmonic #nola #MASNO