Well, I haven't posted for quite a while - I am a Los Angeles resident,
a high-school English teacher, who spent a couple decades ignoring
classical music after liking many warhorses in high school - but now
I listen almost exclusively to classical.

And the big event here in LA is the opening of Disney Hall, which I
attended for the first time Tuesday evening.  Last night our PBS station
offered a 90 minute special highlighting the three gala evenings from
last week.  The show opens with a blazing "Sacre du printemps," so catch
it if you can.  After that, there are excerpts and some movie/pop pieces
from the third evening, a "Hollywood" affair. I recorded the program and
skipped that last half hour.  I can zap through it later.

Tuesday the great Murray Perahia led the ASMF in Mozart to open and close
the program (The short "allegro and fugue" and the Jupiter), and Beethoven
concerto 1 and Brandenburg 5 around intermission.

I wish I could have attended this program after becoming familiar with
the hall - the excitement and even bewilderment of the new building was
somehting of a distraction from the music.  The first piece was not
exactly a "fun" concert opener - Mozart sounding like Bach.  Not a bad
thing, but not thrilling, either.  The Beethoven was the highlight for
me, especially the gorgeous middle movement and the exuberant finale.

The Brandenburg seemed too small for the hall, which is touted for its
intimacy.  It is intimate, as compared to most other halls, but still,
I think this masterpiece would be more impressive in a hall half the
size of the Disney.  The Jupiter went by in what seeemd like minutes,
not because it was rushed, but because it was so effortlessly delivered.
Joyful.

As for the hall - frankly, it is gorgeous in its very modern way, and
frankly, I felt it was cold on the outside and labyrinthine on the inside.
But it was my first night, and I will get used to it.

I am skipping Salonen's Mahler 2nd.  I will be back for Haydn's "Creation"
weekend after this coming one.

Watch for that PBS special.  The Stravinsky is worth it.

C Mullins