Nothing's perfect I guess.
We arrived half an hour before the concert was to begin and found that our seats were quite a bit better than we thought, almost exactly in the center of the amphitheater. We watched as people slowly filtered in, filling every available seat for the sold out performance.
Slowly the sun went down, and a cool breeze blew in giving us a bit of a reprieve from the almost oppressive heat of the Hollywood summer. We opened the 1999 Rodney Strong Cabernet and the picnic basket that was stuffed to the gills--grapes, suchi, sourdough bread, water crackers, and various spreads (an olive tapenade, a bruschetta spread, and a mixed cream cheese, pesto and sundried tomato spread). It was enough to last the entire show.
Finally, the conductor came on stage and after a brief and entertaining introduction, the music began. First, the easily recognizable Prelude and March of "Sleeping Beauty." It was followed by the Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, a piece I had not been familiar with, but immediately fell in love with; it typified the passion of the Russian composer. Next was the Polonnaise and Waltz from "Eugene Onegin" and finally, the 1812 Overture, arguably Tchaikovsky's most famous work. And the Los Angeles Philharmonic performance of the Overture, complete with cannon fire and an amazing pyrotechnic display in the Hollywood Bowl on a sultry summer nigiht? Could it have been any more perfect?
Well, my laryngitis kicked into high gear such that I couldn't talk by the end of the evening. But other than that, it was a perfect way to spend a Friday night.
Yes, it does sound like a great way to spend a Friday night!!!
Posted by: Roy | July 24, 2005 at 11:14 AM
The hollywood bowl is cool. That's where I had my hollywood high school graduation oh so many years ago.
Posted by: sangroncito | July 24, 2005 at 03:07 PM
What? Nothing from his Queen of Spades, or R&J? I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. :) I'd love to start rattling off little-known facts of the violin concerto, but this isn't the place..
Posted by: culveyhorses | July 24, 2005 at 10:10 PM
It's not summer until you've been to the Hollywood Bowl. Great picture.
Posted by: Patrick | July 26, 2005 at 09:59 PM