Skip to main content

Sibelius, Bernstein and Dvorak

Andrew called me at 5.30 pm asking if I would like to watch the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra tonight at 8 pm because he's got 2 free tickets courtesy of his lovely sister. Whom I have yet to meet, but love already.

Tonight's program is Sibelius (The Oceanides), Bernstein's (Plato's Symposium) and Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, also known as From the New World. Sibelius's piece was.. interesting. It reminded me of the ocean, and rolling tides. Which apparently, according to Andrew, is characteristic of him- long phrasings that takes time to build up to nothing really. Bernstein's piece was actually quite good- it's a violin concerto and the soloist was playing a 300 year old Stradivarius. It started out beautifully but it sort of lost me halfway unfortunately. But I thought the inspiration for the piece was quite interesting- it was based on Plato's Symposium. But the highlight, I have to admit was Dvorak's Symphony.

It was the first time I've heard the Dvorak's entire symphony played in full but I love it. It was beautiful! Perhaps the MSO also did an excellent job, I'm too inexperienced to tell. It made me run home and put on my 100 Best Classics CD! I know I know...I really should educate myself and explore beyond the world of popular classics.

Sigh- and now my all time favourite, Rachmaninov is playing. Guess which one.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

I'm a dork, I am!!

Hahaha.. I just discovered my old photos. Taken in Cherating with Gordie, SK, and Ping- 2004, July. I was...26! I love these photos. We drove overnight to Cherating, stayed up whole night to watch the sunrise and waited for the turtles to nest.... while having beer of course. And up to silly antics as usual.. This was the good ol' days before PhD, babies, girlfriends and boyfriends- when we could all still stay up late, and climb coconut trees. And no matter how hard I try- I just could not look not-dorky. I love you guys!

Adventures of one Mrs. Wong in The Land Down Under

Mrs. Wong on her first (windy) Sunday in St. Kilda, with Gerald and Ginger (GG's). Mrs. Wong's first weekend in Melbourne- getting acquainted to Melbournian lifestyle with a cocktail in the afternoon! Mrs. Wong on the Great Ocean Road- she didn't like the cold wind (which was pretty frightful for Spring, but she thinks it was quite exciting). This trip involved a lot of very cold tiny Asian people scurrying from the People Mover (the car) to the spot of interest, peering out of their hoods/ scarves/ jackets for 30 seconds and mumbling through frozen lips "Ah, very nice" and back again to the comfort of the car. In the background is the 7 and 1/2 Apostles (formerly known as 12 Apostles). Said Mrs. Wong on her first winery tour around the Mornington Peninsula. Despite the rather chilly morning, she still couldn't resist Gelati. Sometimes I wonder who the kid is... (picture taken at Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm, where us being Asians, proceeded to almost wiping ou...