Opening Night for the Colorado Symphony 2011/12 Season

I am not a music critic, and do not even try to be. All I know is that I love classical music. I leave the technical aspects of music to others. I wish that more people would take an interest in this wonderful art. There is nothing better than live performances of music. Live audiences are what most symphonies were written for.

September 23, 2011 was opening night for the Colorado Symphony. If you live in the Denver area, you may have heard that the Symphony is going through a financial crisis. Like many orchestras and companies in the United States times have been tough. I hope that the city of Denver doesn't let this wonderful organization fade away. Last night showed just how wonderful this orchestra is.

The guest conductor for this first concert of the season was Yan Pascal Tortelier. He was a delight to watch. I don't think I have ever seen such an enthusiastic and exuberant conductor. Maestro Tortelier is the principal conductor of the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra in Brazil. According to the Colorado Symphony's magazine, Soundings, he "enjoys a distinguished career as a guest with the world's most prestigious orchestras." He was certainly awesome on opening night.

One of my favorite pieces of music is Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss. Some of you may remember a 1968 movie called 2001: A Space Odyssey. I am a big science fiction fan and saw this movie when it first came out. Stanley Kubrick couldn't have chosen a more perfect opening for his film than the opening of this exciting piece of music. For me the most memorable parts of this film are the music, and HAL the computer who takes over the space ship. I was so impressed by the music in the film that I purchased the record Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Don Juan with Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. This became one of my favorite pieces of classical music to listen to. This was the ending piece of music for the evening's performance.

The symphony's performance was everything I could have imagined. Justin Bartels, who is the principal trumpet of the Colorado Symphony, led the opening brilliantly. I was mesmerized from the moment the piece began until it ended. I also agree with the Denver Post's fine arts critic, Kyle MacMillan, who recognized both Justin and concertmaster Yumi Hwang-Williams for their standout solos in his review. It's always fun to watch Yumi, but Friday night she was especially wonderful to hear.

The symphony also played Le Corsaire, Op. 21 by Hector Berlioz, and Mozarts Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K.550. I enjoyed all the pieces that were played. It was a perfect combination of music. This concert was also broadcast on public radio.

Symphonies need a lot of support from their communities. If you haven't enjoyed a concert in awhile, why not plan an evening out. Most symphonies play more than just classical music. They have a lot of different kinds of performances throughout the year such as Pops and children's concerts. Next time you want to have a special evening out think about attending a concert. It's guaranteed to make an anniversary or birthday a memorable evening.