Bruch violin concerto, Colorado Symphony

Hallelujah for student tickets! The Colorado Symphony performed the Bruch violin concerto with guest soloist Nicola Benedetti last night (the program will be repeated tonight and Sunday afternoon). I like to say, "it's always cool to hear an orchestra live" rather than hear it on CD or iPod all the time, but I should add at the end, "from front and center!" From there you can hear the concertmaster's violin and vibrato, not just the velvety violin section, you can get the full plumpness of a pizzicato, rather than if you sit in the mezzanine sections (which are good seats for the money, but wow, so much better sitting down front).

Anyhow, Carlos Miguel Prieto of Mexico was the guest conductor. He led Haydn's Symphony No. 60 from memory. When people clapped after the first moment, he gave a funny smile of amusement to the orchestra. They clapped again after the second, although more people were kinda catching on that no, you don't do that. After the third movement, (Presto! it was so lively, and yet no immediate clapping!) Prieto kind of arched his eyebrow and looked back slightly at the audience, some of whom started clapping. Then he actually turned around and said to the audience, "some people are getting absent-minded. Two more!) After the next movement finished, he held up a finger. Then in the final movement, he definitely played up that section where the strings have to tune. And finally, applause applause applause.

Next Nicola came out. Buttery, silky sound in the piano sections, passionate third movement, it was cool being up close to be able to hear a harmonic now and then. You're going to have to hear it yourself.

After the intermission, the orchestra played La Noche de los Mayas by Silvestre Revueltas of Mexico. Music written for a movie which Prieto described as "very bad." The music, he said, was something we would love or hate. But it was interesting ... 13 percussionists. 13! During the section where each is featured, Prieto leaned back and let them keep track of their own time together. It's the hardest I've ever seen a timpanist whale. There was a conch, a piano, a few preHispanic drums (or the modern versions of them). In one part, the percussion section was so loud, I saw the strings moving their bows but couldn't hear it. Overall, a fun fun show and even better because I could afford to sit up front. By the way, if you can get a gig selling tickets for the symphony, you can sit up front all the time for something like $2.