Spring Break Redux: Seattle Symphony @ Benaroya Hall

First evening in Seattle and tickets to the Seattle Symphony at the Benaroya Hall just two blocks from my hotel.  It was a lovely evening, too!

 The features a large illuminated glass sculpture by hometown fave, Dale Chihuly.  His glass are is everywhere!

 The interior of the concert hall is also amazing.  The acoustics, first rate--and trains run directly underneath it without so much as a teeny tiny rumble.

 A short tale (tail) of the city: Right after I found my seat and sat down, a young couple (like in their late teens to maybe 21) took the two seats directly in front of me. She was very pretty with dyed hair and a Gothish outfit including a skirt with a black lace outer layer and a cute little over jacket. He was boyishly handsome, perhaps Hispanic or Native American with carefully groomed jet-black hair, tight white jeans and a brown leather jacket. No sooner had they sat down than they took a selfie. They kissed a couple of times and he wrapped his arm around her as they settle in. I was tempted to jokingly tell them that the movie theater was up the block! Well, as it turned out they were in the wrong seats... As they got up to leave, his tight little white jeans stuck to the seat or something and came a good three inches off his butt! I can report that he was also going commando to the concert.  I guess you could say, that even when it rains in Seattle, sometimes the moon still comes out?)

The concert itself was amazing.  The featured work was Scheherazade, Opus 35 by Rimsky-Korsakov.  The concert began with Summer Night in Madrid (Spanish Overture #2) by Glinka.  But the middle number and its featured soloist brought the house down!  A Seattle golden boy, Augustin Hadelich performed the Violin Concerto in D Major, Opus 35 by Tchaikovsky.  Hadelich had just won the 2016 grammy for best solo performance for his CD Dutilleux which he recorded with the Seattle Symphony.  The audience flew to its feet in a standing ovation and Hadelich performed an encore of a piece by Musorsky--and again another rousing standing ovation and he obliged with a second encore of a Partita by Bach solo.  When it was announced that he would be signing the grammy winning CD's at intermission--I knew I had to get one!

At intermission, I ended up buying two of the CD's, and got them signed as I know a certain violinist who I hope will enjoy one of them. The line to purchase was separate from the line to get them signed, and it was very confusing where it started in the crowded foyer. A man in front of me took it upon himself to gently point out to people who cut in front of others where the line actually started. As we approached the counter to buy, another couple stepped up between myself and the friendly enforcer. I waited for one of them to look around and realize their mistake, but they seemed completely incurious about the world around them--in particular, the line stretching behind them. So I said, "Excuse me, sir." He turned around sharply and said, "What? I'm just looking! Is it a crime to just look?" Well! I didn't have time to even think of what to say, when the original enforcer turned around and stepped up to my defense. He said, "He didn't mean anything, it's just confusing where the line is...." and the guy cut him off--"I'm NOT cutting! I'm not the kind of person who would cut, you asshole! Ah shit, why don't you BOTH just go to HELL!" and he stormed away.

That's when I introduced myself to Lou, the man who was standing in front of me. And I did get to make it through the second line and get my CD's signed by the artist as well as express my sincerely appreciation of his brilliant performances--he projected an unaffected sincerity in our brief encounter.

As to the second half the Rimsky-Korsakov's "scheherazade" Opus 35 was also marvelous. All the buzz before the concert in the lobby was centered around the principle violinist, and she was exceptional--but the first Clarinetist's solo's stole my heart. Again, at the end a massive ovation. Seattle loves it's symphony and I am so glad that I got to experience it first hand. The audience was quite a mixed bag of older people and younger--even a fare sprinkling of the stereo-typically Seattle Goth crowd.

In spite of the "he-doth-protest-too-much" I'm not a cutter guy, it was an amazing evening.