Heh heh...I lived in Denver for a year...the Colorado Symphony was quite good...and she did a focus on Brahms for the season. I was so! in heaven....:)
it might be worth noting that the reason i never wanted to be a professional musician in high school was that the colorado symphony under her direction looked like they hated their jobs. far cry from chicago when i finally got to see them junior year of college - they were having so much fun...i personally can't stand the woman and reischl had a few snippy comments the one time she came up - someone had sent her some marin alsop stuff, i guess, and she was not particularly thrilled.
Well, personally I have greatly enjoyed her recordings. I've seen her conduct once, long ago.
I also never go to see Chicago unless I have comps or Dufour is playing a concerto or somesuch. To tell you the truth, the orchestra looks bored to me most of the time and sound fairly boring too. Here I must respectfully disagree with you. I went to see Pittsburgh All. The. Time. in grad school because their wind playing was such a phenomenal thing to see and hear (except for a really bad Bruckner 8 during my first year).
I've seen Chicago a couple of times and was not thrilled. One was Shoenberg's Moses und Aaron, and the singers really brought it whereas the orchestra seemed along for the ride. Then again, Boulez was never much of a rabble-rouser.
For the spirit of playing, St. Louis was really great. Despite not having a good horn section leader, the wind playing was really jelled. The piccolo player was quite good. Susan Slaughter is my second favorite brass player--she comes in just behind a certain red-headed horn player we both know.
I'm sure Chicago can put it together, though. St.Lou had some off nights that you see during the course of two seasons, but oftentimes could simply bring it. It seemed like they felt the stakes were higher sometimes. I bet Chicago is the same way. Find a good soloist to hear or use your connections to see if there is any buzz about a particular concert. But you know these things.
"James Galway, Jean-Pierre Rampal, how many millionaire bassoonists can you name?"
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I also never go to see Chicago unless I have comps or Dufour is playing a concerto or somesuch. To tell you the truth, the orchestra looks bored to me most of the time and sound fairly boring too. Here I must respectfully disagree with you. I went to see Pittsburgh All. The. Time. in grad school because their wind playing was such a phenomenal thing to see and hear (except for a really bad Bruckner 8 during my first year).
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For the spirit of playing, St. Louis was really great. Despite not having a good horn section leader, the wind playing was really jelled. The piccolo player was quite good. Susan Slaughter is my second favorite brass player--she comes in just behind a certain red-headed horn player we both know.
I'm sure Chicago can put it together, though. St.Lou had some off nights that you see during the course of two seasons, but oftentimes could simply bring it. It seemed like they felt the stakes were higher sometimes. I bet Chicago is the same way. Find a good soloist to hear or use your connections to see if there is any buzz about a particular concert. But you know these things.
"James Galway, Jean-Pierre Rampal, how many millionaire bassoonists can you name?"
MT
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