TSO's Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique

Tonight we went to the TSO's Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique.

The program included:

Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

Poulenc: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra

Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique

The conductor, Stéphane Denève, is a genius! I love how he interprets the music!

The Debussy piece was magical. Even the audience seemed to follow him and mostly kept quiet. (A couple people coughed, but that happens in every concert.) At the end of the piece, it was silent for just a few seconds. Everybody was quiet when the music and the quiet came together... It was amazing.

I have to say Eric Le Sage and Frank Braley are really, really, really talented! I love the way they play piano. It's because of players like them that I keep studying piano. I loved the concerto that they played! I can't even describe how much!
I wish knew the name of the second piece that they played together.

In the second half of the program, during the Symphonie Fanastique, a lot more people were coughing but I didn't let it bother me. 

The 2nd movement was amazing with the 2 harps! My favourite part was the waltz right after the harps.

Another part I really loved was in the 3rd movement where the instruments were calling to each other. There was an oboist behind us on the mezanine level! It's really rare that we are that close to any of the musicians. 

I'm still surprised when the violinists turn their bows over and play with the wood part of the bows instead of the hairs. (Makes me think of the Kronos Quartet.)

By the way, the lady with the blue hair - her hair was still blue for the concert. Pretty cool, I think!

I still don't understand why they set up the musicians the way they did with the bases and cellos on stage right. They seemed like they had a hard time getting to their seats. 

(I wrote this blog post during intermission and on my way home. I was just too excited about this concert to wait until tomorrow.)
Here's a link to the post that I wrote about their open rehearsal for this concert.

They will have another performance of Symphonie Fantastique on Saturday... If you didn't get to see it and you're in the Toronto area you really should go!

You can buy tickets at www.tso.ca