new season: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

Last night was my first Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concert of the season. It was a sublime evening with the Brahms Symphony No. 3, a favorite of mine. The highlight was Andre Watts playing the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" under the direction of Andreas Delfs. Delfs knows both both Brahms and Beethoven the same way that you or I know our own name, which makes for an excellent performance. Even I could tell that Watts hit one or two sour notes, but his performance of the Beethoven was terrific.

The opening number was a new piece called "Festival Fifty" written by Maurice Winisky, one of the MSO's bassists. The piece was a melodic, exciting, and fun way to commemorate the MSO's 50th anniversary this season. Winisky's composition seemed like a homage to John Williams, which no one, including me, seemed to mind.