RTP-area local music and culture

["Todd Morman" <tmorman AT nc.rr.com>]

So yeah, I've been on this classical kick lately, digging around to find the 
gems that'll thrill me most (and occasionally even finding them), and have 
to give a heads-up since there's another performance tonight: The NC 
Symphony had a great night last night and if you've ever been thrilled by a 
piece of classical music you should scrounge under the couch and get a cheap 
ticket for the 2nd balcony (where the sound is richer and better by far than 
in those Old Money seats in the 3rd row).

It starts with a Bach orchestral suite, and I laughed at how many times I 
read semi-apologetic "these suites aren't Bach's deepest work so don't 
listen to closely and you'll enjoy them" statements online this morning. 
Whatever. The one I heard last night was light and fun and the clarinets and 
oboe should get double pay because that's some amazing breathwork they have 
to do there. I listened closely and liked it just fine.

Shostakovich is rapidly becoming a fave, and the Cello Concerto No.1 last 
night sealed the deal. It's exciting, unusual, modern, edgy and 
*surprising*, with textures and shifts you just don't hear in other 
composers, 20th century or otherwise. Guest Lynn Harrell was so into it he 
carried the crowd along even when he was taking a break and just listening. 
When he tore into the solo sections or quick duets with the horn, etc, the 
emotional connection with the crowd was fantastic. Same goes for his 
connection to the orchestra. One of the best things I've seen in Meymandi, 
and the crowd went nuts - it knew it had heard something special. Of course, 
this primed the musicians for what came next: a tight, thrilling version of 
Brahms' 4th Symphony.

I was worried about Brahms (I'd never gotten into that full-on romantic 
assault stuff and only knew a couple of his awesome chamber things) but last 
night's 4th Symphony opened up a new world. The way Llewellyn wove the 
different sections together made me feel like I was really hearing a 
"classical" symphony for the first time. The writing is fascinating and the 
performance was propulsive, never lagging or losing me. Waves of sound 
combining and receding and all the time building upon themselves to these 
great mini-climaxes on the way to the big ones. Just wow. At the end, before 
the applause exploded, you could see most of the orchestra sitting there 
with broad smiles on their faces. They knew what they'd done.

Anyway, this show is a keeper and you should go tonight. I think the cheap 
tix are ~35 but, you know, bag your lunch for 3 days next week and you'll 
break even on the money. I'm still sad about missing the recent concert with 
the female guest pianist who's apparently poised on the cusp of 
international stardom and pulled off some of the most technically 
astonishing piano music folks who saw her had ever heard and will probably 
never play the hinterlands for another 10 years if ever, but don't be like 
me, then. Go.

todd seriously Harrell shreds that fucking cello like cabbage and carrots 
morman