Symphony update ... I took Callie (our friend Dean's daughter) with me to the symphony, and we had an enjoyable evening. Brief review - the piano soloist was OK. Sort of a mixed bag, honestly. I really loved some things he did: exquisite pianissimos, delicate fast passage work, and attention to fine details of phrasing. However, I thought his forte passages had a harsh, banging quality, and his interpretation of the piece was overly romanticized, to the point that I found myself rolling my eyes over it. He also had a somewhat irritating habit of conducting himself, and he tended to sing along rather loudly at times. But his performance had lots of energy and enthusiasm, and the audience ate it up, even if I wasn't quite as excited about it. I still love the Tchaikovsky concerto, and it was a pleasure to hear it live. After intermission, the orchestra played Brahms' Symphony #1, and though the interpretation was a bit pedantic at times, I enjoyed it quite a lot and truly appreciated the beauty of the 2nd movement and the drama of the 4th. I'm glad I got to hear both of these terrific pieces up close and personal.
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