Australian Brandenburg Orchestra: Young Romantics

Categories: concerts

Date: 12 May 2007 00:30:36

Unlike the concert back in February, I actually remembered to go this time, and headed off for the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra's second concert of the year: Young Romantics.

Another wonderful concert, with the wondrous orchestra (and the ladies looking stunning in their new stage costumes: a purple dress), and special guest solo violinist Marc Destrubé from Canada who is amazing. I was introduced to child-prodigy Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, who died at the age of 19; I soared, flew and fell with the wondrous contradictions of Beethoven; Schubert had me tapping my toes and moving my head [I'm not a civilised concert attender]; Mendelssohn transported me away; and, while not in the Romantic period, the Orchestra had to include a Mozart which I found very moving.

As I've said previously, I am a musical ignoramus: but I do love music, live music in particular, and, slowly, I'm starting to remember a few names and compositions. The only problem is after each concert I want to go out and buy complete works of all the composers I hear! Here is the programme:

Arriaga - Overture to the opera Los Esclavos Felices
Mozart - Andante from Piano Concerto No 21 in C major, K467
Mendelssohn - Rondo in A major, D 438
Schubert - Sinfonia No 7 in D minor
Beethoven - Symphony No 1 in C major, Op 21

After the concert I caught up with dear friends A & F (who are to be married next Saturday, and who graciously asked me to do the Bible reading) at a café within the historic (for European Australia!) General Post Office at Martin Place. As always, it is wonderful to catch up with friends -- I rarely go to Sydney City, where they now live [the traffic and mass of people put me off, being a suburbanite], but I try and make the effort to catch up with friends, because life is all the better for them: thanks be to God.