Attending the UNC University Symphony Orchestra concert at Union Colony Civic Center was a great experience. This was a far cry from the high school orchestra I was a part of. I loved the full orchestral sound made up by all the string and brass instruments which was something we didn’t get to do at that level. I was excited to see so many string basses on-stage, though I didn’t see any girls, since that was my instrument. When I’m just listening to orchestra music, it is difficult for me to pinpoint technical aspects to judge. Theory was never my strong point. But apart from one or two violins making the ‘oops’ face it seemed like every instrument was on point throughout the performance.
I liked that the pieces chosen were all from conductors who had very different styles. It gave me the feeling of well rounded sounds and giving the audience a full of experience.
The Mozart piece was much more of what I expect to hear when attending an orchestral performance. It was neat to learn about and then to hear the three beats repeated on the horns as a hint towards Mozart’s involvement with the Freemasons. After that they played the Overture to ‘The Wasps’. I was impressed by how quick the music could get and how seamlessly they transitioned into softer tones from this momentum. Then the tone switched to an overture by a much more modern composer, Bernstein. His composition was focused around more peppy, joyous sounds and seemed to capture the audience the most out of the four. When the red headed composer strolled awkwardly onstage, me and the friend I brought with let out a collective coo. He was adorable and his flowing locks captured my heart. But really, I enjoyed his style of conducting more than the older conductor, I mean compare those pictures and tell me who you’d rather hang out with. He seemed to really have a youthful exuberance for the music and his lanky build actually looked quite graceful in its execution of the movement.
The players themselves were remarkable. Watching that many people all come together to create this flawless sound as a single organism is awe inspiring. The replication of the wasp sound was very impressive and eerily realistic. I believe it was a piccolo that I kept hearing, and every time it played it just captured my attention. The brisk, high pitched tones dancing over the strings were great.
When it comes to drawing meaning from classical music while listening, I’m slightly ADD and the sound sweeps me into a frenzy of images and thoughts that probably have no resemblance to what was intended. Classical music, for me, is the perfect background to whatever is going on in my own life. The tone of the music matches something inside me and that’s where my mind goes, then it changes and my thoughts change with it. It’s hard for me to focus on just the music. But that’s why I love classical music so much. I agree with every sentiment stated about it being pure emotion and beyond what words can describe.
It was a treat to see these very talented players playing a great mix of music and I enjoyed it all.
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