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Meeting ravenlaughing in about an hour and a half to head to Benaroya Hall to hear the Seattle Symphony.

In other musical news, Great Big Sea will be in town on 11 February, playing at the Moore Theatre. Who's in?

Symphonic Summations

Opening: Four selections from Slavonic Dances by Antonín Dvořak (Specifically, Op. 46 No. 1 in C major, Presto; Op. 46 No. 2 in E minor, Allegretto scherzando; Op. 72 No. 2 in E minor, Allegretto grazioso and Op. 46, No. 8 in G minor, Presto).

Love Dvořak in general, and specifically Slavonic Dances. Very nice selection, and well executed.

This was followed by four movements from Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta by Béla Bartók. This was well executed, but the theme around which this piece is built, and to which it returns canonically is unsettling at best; making the whole something less than enjoyable. It's very typical of Bartók's work, at least that to which i've been exposed, and a bit more discordant that i care to hear.

Following intermission was the key performance of the evening- Ludwig Van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 "Emperor." This was majestic and moving. Stunningly, guest artist John Lill played the entire concerto on piano without the score.

All in all, an excellent evening with wonderful company. Oh— and for some reason, wearing Highland day attire to the Symphony seems to be a sure way to get attention, whether wanted, merited or not.