LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC

BY ED BRUCE edbrucevegas@yahoo.com

NO ONE IS PROUDER OF THIS ORCHESTRA THAN I...I CONTINUE TO SALUTE, SUPPORT AND ENDORSE THEIR EVERY MOVE.

TONIGHT A SLIGHT DOWNER !

Conductor David Itkin beginning his fifth season continues to bring class, education and great music to the city.

The last few years Itkin has held a pre show discussion highlighting the nights music and special guest...tonight we got 27 minutes of fun and games with Itkin and solo viola guest Miles Hoffman. These pre shows continue to be as good or better than the concerts...tonight it was a draw...Hoffman and Itkin discussed their history, their humor and the program.

Itkin address's the audience before most pieces and tonight told of his preparation in Little Rock for his upcoming concert 10 years ago...They decided not to postpone and went with the show to a full house...tonight we all stood and sang the National Anthem...as an American, a veteran and a team player...I was touched and I thank Itkin for this as well as all his genius.

4 minutes...totally unacceptable...last month I was at the Sydney Opera House...at 8 o'clock they closed the doors and dropped the puck....no late seating...tonight stragglers petered in with their cell phones on, searching for direction. an irritant I can't seem to overcome...1500 of us arrived on time ready for kickoff.

Mikhail Glinka 1804-1857....Overture to Russian & Ludmilla...8 minutes opening,
acceptable

William Walton 1902-1983....Viola Concerto...I DID NOT LIKE IT...it was the music
which seemed to allow the horns to over
power the viola. Hoffman on stage for
this 28 minute 3 movement piece...he is
6 foot 5 and seemed to tower over the
music which he read...usually soloists
work from memory...with Hoffmans bio
elbowing Bernstein and Rostropovich I
expected more.


This was probably the music, which I have the right to dislike and did..... and everything is to taste...I also dislike rap and have preferences for Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky and have gloated in the past over music I did like...not Walton tonight. I am sure Hoffman was on top of his game but, it did not grab me.

22 minutes of intermission

DA DA DA TUH

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827)...Symphony No. 5 in C minor Op.67
This as good as it gets and while I
am not
Beethovens greatest fan...this remains
among the worlds greatest pieces of
music...perfectly played by our 66 piece orchestra with 47 strings...at my
age I always think this might be the
last time I hear this and I treasured
the moment...29 minutes of heaven.

This, a short program...8 minutes for Glinka...29 for Walton and 29 for Beethoven........you do the math, looks like 66 minutes of music...in the car at 940 and in the shower at 10. Not a full house and I continue to pull for the LVPHIL
to sell tickets in the new Smith Center next fall...Ham Hall remains only perfect in its sound system...it was again tonight...altho it will be a pleasure to get to Hell because it will be cooler than it was in Ham Hall tonight. I continue to be irritated and perplexed at the ignorance of our audiences who applauded after every movement, their education leaves room for improvement.

I continue to love and support the LVPHIL which goes again November 19 here at Ham Hall with Copland, Glazunov and Schumann which I know I will enjoy.

lvpinfo@lvphil.com 702 895 2787

I continue to score all events minus one point for every minute late so thats 96 before kickoff

B+ 89