Bartok: Romanian Folk DancesIt was delightful, as always, although the "traurig" piece didn't seem much more mournful than the Glière pieces that Mr. Neubauer described as "sunny"...
Hindemith: Trauermusik
Glière: Two Concert Pieces for Viola and String Orchestra (New York Premiere)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral"
After the intermission, Mr. Yates took us on a quick preview tour of Beethoven's 6th. He wanted to rehabilitate it vis a vis the 5th, and I thought for a few moments that he was going to give us new horizons in music appreciation (as Peter Schickele did for the 5th).
Instead, Mr. Yates gave us some "hear and tell" -- he had the musicians play short excerpts as he explained what to listen for (e.g., abstract tuneless motifs that build in power much like the 5th). It was pretty cool for us laypersons.
Then, without further ado, they launched into the symphony itself. I think this was the most passionately played version of the Pastoral Symphony I've heard so far - or at least, much livelier than I'd remembered.
(The last time I'd seen it performed was with a friend who found that the piece induced intense drowsiness; ironically, he'd selected the concert because he figured Beethoven would be sufficiently dramatic to keep him awake.)
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