Ray and I are at the Hollywood Bowl getting ready to hear the LA Phil. This is the summer venue for the orchestra and tonight is exactly why. The temperatures have cooled off and we are all sitting outside with hills all around, munching on food everyone has either bought or brought from home. People are drinking wine and other beverages, and I saw a woman in front of me eating a delicious looking gourmet plate with a large piece of salmon. We brought pimento cheese sandwiches, barbecue potato chips, celery and carrots, and fruit juice sweetened animal crackers. Who says we don’t know how to live it up!
We have nosebleed seats, but the price was right. Plus, they have big screens everywhere so you get all the close-ups you want. The music is gorgeous no matter where you sit, so no downside there.
We are now in intermission. The first half was by a Argentinian composer named Ginastera and featured a young pianist named Sergio Tiempo from Venezuela. It was off-beat and frenetic, with the pianist’s hands flying up and down the keyboard with speed and accuracy. Apparently, the 4th movement was played by Emerson, Lake and Palmer on their album, Brain Salad Surgery. And when Emerson played it for the composer, Ginastera responded, “Diabolical!” Emerson left thinking the composer hadn’t liked his version, but Ginastera was saying he had captured the scary aspect of the music.
Next, we will hear Aaron Copeland’s 3rd Symphony, which part is based on Copeland’s Fanfare of the Common Man. Coincidentally, Fanfare was also recorded by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Getting dark…got to go.
Just finished and people are streaming out. The 3rd Symphony was fabulous, especially the Fanfare. Wow. So inspiring and beautiful!
Now we will walk back to our car, which is in St. Thomas’s parking lot. That’s about two miles away. Nothing like a 10 o’clock stroll.
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