Boston Symphony Orchestra

It was another night of culture for me on Saturday. My neighbor Molly and I took in a concert of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall. It's a short walk and a few stops down the Green Line to get there, and we were early enough for me to study the hall before things got started. It's a very nice hall, but it's got nothing on the Washington Pavilion. There is gold painted wood everywhere and Greek statues in sconces above the balconies, so it's fancy enough, but it doesn't have nearly the same feel.





The Pavilion doesn't have a bad seat in the house, but apparently this hall does. At least, I would rather blame the hall than the orchestra. During the concert I had the feeling that the music was all far away, only on the stage. When the music was soft, I could hear the air in the vents and the creaking floor as the usher got bored and went in and out of the door nearby. After the intermission the music was more powerful and reached our seats better. And speaking of the seats--they weren't very comfortable.

I don't mean any disrespect to the BSO--they're a fantastic orchestra. And the hall was certainly marvelous when it was built in 1900. I guess I've just been spoiled by the quality of the Pavilion and our own amazing SDSO.

The concert itself was quite good. First was Ravel's "Mother Goose Suite," then a violin concerto by Prokofiev. The soloist was amazing. She's barely older than me, and she's performed all over the world, with top orchestras. Have you ever seen a really impressive violinist perform? They always appear to be moving at faster than normal speed, as if they are a recording that has been sped up ever so slightly from the rest of the world. Her movements would seem jerky, but for the flowing music that accompany them. She also had incredible long bangs that flew about her face as she bobbed her whole body along with the music.

The best part of the concert was after the intermission, when they played Stravinsky's "Petrushka." It's a ballet about wooden puppets, and it's a shame there were no dancers to watch bring the story to life. But I could picture it on my own. I was helped by both the program notes and an episode of Nodame Cantabile, which had explained and animated part of the story.

After the concert we walked back to campus through the mist. A block away from the dorm, waiting for a walk signal, we spotted the most unusual vehicle. I'm only sorry I couldn't get my camera out in time. It was The Original Party Trolley, which apparently can be rented out like a limo for parties and the like. Follow the link to see what it looks like--it's a very strange contraption.

-Kim