VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BY ED BRUCE edbrucevegas@yahoo.com

THIS THE FIRST OF MANY SELECIONS FROM THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AT UNLV.

I LOVE THE ORCHESTRA....

THIS ONE HIGHLIGHTED BY THE CHARM OF WORLD RENOWN CONDUCTOR BRAMWELL TOVEY....(GOD WHAT A NAME).....I HAVE BEEN IN ATTENDANCE FOR TOVEY BEFORE, AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL...THIS  PERSONAL TOUCH OF HIS ...A SUPER DELIGHT.

TOVEY GRABBED THE MICROPHONE AND DID 7 MINUTES OF STANDUP...WARMUP...HUMOR...HISTORY AND SLICES OF THE PROGRAM TO COME.....THIS IDEA IS ONLY SENSATIONAL FOR THE LEARNING CLASSICAL MUSIC CROWD...ME IN  PARTICULAR.

3 MINUTES LATE.....23 MINUTE INTERMISSION....

TOTEM....... BY EDWARD TOP....THE OPENER...18 MINUTES TO DIFFERENT MUSIC GENRE'S....SOUNDS...AND STRANGE COMPOSING....IT WAS REFRESHING....NEW (IN ITS FIRST WEEK) AND REALLY THE HIGHLITE OF THE EVENING.  TOP THE VANCOUVER RESIDENT COMPOSER !

WORLD CLASS PIANIST JON KIMURA PARKER...... AN OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF CANADA...HIS COUNTRYS HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR...HE RAN OVER EDWARD GRIEG'S PIANO CONCERTO IN A MINOR, OP.16...AND HE DID IT WITH GREAT FLARE.  GRIEG COMPOSED THIS IN HIS HOME IN BERGEN NORWAY...A HOME WE VISITED ON OUR NORWAY TOUR....DELIGHTFUL SPOT WITH GRIEG'S HOUSE AND NOW A MUSEUM.  NEEDLESS TO SAY WORLD CLASS MUSIC AND WITH THE WORLD CLASS PIANIST.........I LIKE TO SIT STAGE LEFT FOR PIANO PLAYERS TO WATCH THEIR HANDWORK ON THE KEYS...I WAS ABLE TO ENJOY THIS SATURDAY NIGHT.

DAMN LONG INTERMISSION...

SYMPHONY 5 IN B-FLAT MINOR, OP 100 FROM PROKOFIEV ...33 MINUTES.... FOUR MOVEMENTS....I TRIED TO LIKE IT BUT IT WAS BLASE....ESPECIALLY FOLLOWING THE EVENINGS FIRST TWO NUMBERS.

OFTEN THE CHAMBER MUSIC CONDUCTOR RUDOLFO FERNANDEX SELECTS MUSIC I REALLY REALLY ENJOY....THIS NOT THE CASE HERE ON THIS NIGHT....IT WAS JUST A LEVEL BELOW WHAT I PREFER.

SMALL CROWD IN THE PERFECT AUDIO HAM HALL ON UNLV'S CAMPUS...48 STRINGS WITH PRINCIPAL'S......ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL'S...ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL'S...HELL OF A LINEUP AND CHAIN OF COMMAND HERE..93 MUSICIANS LISTED IN THE PROGRAM....HARD TO BELIEVE THE TICKET SALES ON THIS NIGHT WERE ABLE TO COVER THIS !......THE VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ON THE FOURTH STOP OF THEIR TOUR...TOVEY SAID ...."AMAZINGLY FRIDAY WAS A FREE DAY IN LAS VEGAS".

AN ENDLESS TREAT FOR THIS REVIEWER TO VISIT THIS VENUE AND THIS ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP WITH THEIR DELIGHTFULL STAFF.....GREAT TO BE GREATED PERSONALLY BY A NUMBER OF THEM.......GEE WHAT A NOVEL IDEA ...BEING NICE AND HELPFUL !

NEXT....RUSSIAN BALLET SAME VENU       702 895 2787  
 2 FEBRUARY...SHORTLY AFTER 8...I CAN'T WAIT

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