Concert Report
Lindsay Kidos
The IUP Symphony Orchestra
On October 16th, I attended IUP’s Symphonic Orchestra. For seven years, I myself played the violin and performed in our school’s orchestra concerts twice a year. Attending this performance was a blast from the past- kind of. Although lovely, it caught me off guard. In all my years, the strings were always the center of attention and usually not accompanied by other instruments. It was a pleasant surprise.
The concert overall was a very enjoyable experience. The only downfall was how long it lasted; my attention span was not exactly composed by Mozart, or Bach, or even the kid in the back of my middle school’s second violin section. Beethoven’s pieces were played marvelously; I was quite impressed. My favorite thing about Beethoven is that he knew his audience. He knew exactly when elegance got boring, he made sure his intensity was appreciated and not overdone; he knew exactly how to keep people listening and interested. The opener “Carnival of the Animals” was so fun to listen to, too. It was hard to resist, but do not fret! I withheld the urge to send that “I told you so” text everyone loves sending until the end of the concert. Earlier, I had told a friend to join us, and he very well should have. Anything that puts an ADHD kid on the edge of their seat is worth seeing. The story reminded me of Dr. Suess. The humor and theme were adorable; it had my imagination running as if I were a child who had just read “Oh the Places You’ll Go” for the first time. The “Aquarium” movement was my favorite part of it; the ascending scales brought me back to the water’s sunlit surface after the descending scales dragged me down into the dark trenches of the sea. The flutes acting as bubbles were the cutest touch, too.
Overall, the experience was very uplifting. I just wish it did not make me miss my violin so much. I am excited to attend another orchestra for my next concert report. I forgot how much I appreciated classical music.
The IUP Symphony Orchestra
On October 16th, I attended IUP’s Symphonic Orchestra. For seven years, I myself played the violin and performed in our school’s orchestra concerts twice a year. Attending this performance was a blast from the past- kind of. Although lovely, it caught me off guard. In all my years, the strings were always the center of attention and usually not accompanied by other instruments. It was a pleasant surprise.
The concert overall was a very enjoyable experience. The only downfall was how long it lasted; my attention span was not exactly composed by Mozart, or Bach, or even the kid in the back of my middle school’s second violin section. Beethoven’s pieces were played marvelously; I was quite impressed. My favorite thing about Beethoven is that he knew his audience. He knew exactly when elegance got boring, he made sure his intensity was appreciated and not overdone; he knew exactly how to keep people listening and interested. The opener “Carnival of the Animals” was so fun to listen to, too. It was hard to resist, but do not fret! I withheld the urge to send that “I told you so” text everyone loves sending until the end of the concert. Earlier, I had told a friend to join us, and he very well should have. Anything that puts an ADHD kid on the edge of their seat is worth seeing. The story reminded me of Dr. Suess. The humor and theme were adorable; it had my imagination running as if I were a child who had just read “Oh the Places You’ll Go” for the first time. The “Aquarium” movement was my favorite part of it; the ascending scales brought me back to the water’s sunlit surface after the descending scales dragged me down into the dark trenches of the sea. The flutes acting as bubbles were the cutest touch, too.
Overall, the experience was very uplifting. I just wish it did not make me miss my violin so much. I am excited to attend another orchestra for my next concert report. I forgot how much I appreciated classical music.