Behold the music!

Friday night, Dan and I went to the symphony to see the US premiere of Magnus Lindberg's Seht die Sonne. It was freaking amazing, I enjoyed it so much that I tried to go again yesterday (the cheap tickets were all sold out though, so I didn't). Also on the program was an orchestration of Debussy's Songs of Youth and Beethoven 7, both of which I could care less about. The orchestrations did not impress me, and it's no secret I don't much care to listen to Beethoven. But the Lindberg was totally worth it, I just wish it had been last and not first, so I could have left with him in my ear and not Beethoven. I have determined from this concert that I need to get my hands on more recordings of Lindberg and some scores so I can begin to figure out some of his tricks (especially interested in the treatment of brass and bass voices, and he seems to treat them quite specially). One thing I've learned from the piece I heard Friday: Bass clarinet is freaking awesome and can be heard as a distinct soloistic voice in the midst of the orchestra. I would have pegged it to be easily overpowered (though I'm sure if one is stupid about orchestrating, it would be). Lindberg was there too, and apparently gave a pre-concert talk (had I known, I would have gone to it too, I figured they were just going to talk about Beethoven. Again. And they wouldn't let me just go to the pre-concert talk and not the performance yesterday. bastards).

I was impressed that it was so well received by the audience, further proof that new music is enjoyable to the masses (albeit the masses that attend classical concerts) and there should be significantly more of it in the programming of major symphony orchestras. I went to 1 symphony performance this season, only 1, because I don't feel a need to hear the same old tunes being rehashed again and again. I want some new stuff. Though, as much as I dislike Beethoven, I think it was awfully smart programming, because it introduced a new living composer to people who probably attended just for the Beethoven. As for the Debussy, eh, whatever, I'm convinced Ravel wrote better songs, though that may just be that I don't like sopranos other than Dawn Upshaw, who I have singing Ravel's Mallarme settings.

In other news, I was accepted and received a scholarship to the CSU Summer Arts program in Fresno, where I will be spending two incredibly hot weeks of July. I'm excited, I just hope I can write fast enough and keep up, and don't get burnt out.