Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra new season

Last night I went to the opening performance of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's new season. They played my absolute favorite concerto, the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2. That entire work is sublime, and listening to the second movement is a particularly transcendent experience for me. The soloist was Adam Golka, who is only 20 years old. I heard him play the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 last season. I'd say that he did a better job with the No. 3 than he did with the No. 2. The No. 3 is such a technical feat, and Golka had the youth and intensity to pull it off. The No. 2 is more emotional and passionate, and I thought that he wavered a bit in some of the transitions, particularly in the second movement. I think that he may have missed a few notes about two-thirds of the way through the third movement. But he threw everything he had into his performance, and I respect that. His performance of the No. 2 will likely improve as he ages and learns to appreciate the passion of it as he gains life experience. Last night he was about an 8.5 on a 10 point scale, so I can hardly complain.

The second movement is so emotional that I was moved to tears hearing it performed live. I was overcome by the power of Rachmaninoff's exceedingly beautiful composition plus overwhelmed thinking about how my quest for a husband thus far has been an exercise in futility and wanting John Mo to reciprocate my feelings for him. It was a good emotional release, but one without resolution at this time.

The orchestra also played Barber's First Symphony, which I had not heard before. It was quite beautiful. They concluded with the Beethoven Symphony No. 5, which is certainly one of the great musical accomplishments of all-time. I was particularly struck by the cellos and violas in the third and fourth movements. Each time I hear a work by Beethoven performed, I'm conscious of the fact that the audience is not just applauding that particular performance, but also the composer's genius.