First PRISE subsidized concert: The Boston Pops EdgeFest with Amanda Palmer from the Desden Dolls
The Pops concert was our first lotteried weekend event, so understandably many people signed up. Unfortunately, my name did not appear on the to-go list, but fortunately, a few lottery winners decided not to go in the last minute and spared some tickets to the eager wait-listed bunch, including me.
I'm so glad I did go, because the concert was fantastic and eye-opening (in more ways than one), not to mention the majestic Symphony Hall itself.
It was raining slightly by the time we started our T-trek into Boston, but it was hardly noticed because we were all deeply engaged in conversations among ourselves on our way there.
Upon arriving to Symphony Hall we were directed to the upper balcony, and the panoramic view from there was breathtaking. I have never been in a concert hall as nice as this (in my opinion, it's much prettier and more elegant that the concert hall at Kennedy Center in D.C.)!
The detail of the architecture was simply awe-inspiring. Modeled after the second Genwandhaus concert hall in Leipzig, the Symphony Hall is adorned with many Greek and Roman statues along the upper side walls. Shining in marble-white, they preside over the concerts and add stateliness to the environment. I thought I could make out Sophocles, Demosthenes, and Aeschines among them. The orchestra was framed by an elaborate proscenium arch, and the three huge chandeliers just made the scene just picture-perfect.
The first third of the concert was a selection of excerpts from The Planets, by Holst, a crowd favorite. Pops played Mars, Venus, Uranus, and Jupiter, complemented by footage and images of the planets projected on a gigantic screen.
This format made me miss Harvard Pops so much - we had so much fun making our own movies and writing our own plots for the concerts last year! Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, is by far my favorite of all. I feel an aching desire to get up and dance every time I listen to it.
After Holst and a brief intermission, punk phenom Amanda Palmer worked her way onto the stage from the audience. She had a very solid, resounding voice and a playful, naughty, and bodacious personality. Not all of the pieces she sang were upbeat though. I thought the most striking songs was the one describing the mental turmoil of the shooter at Virginia Tech before his killing rampage, with the uneasy, eerie melody and dissonant chords intercalated by a recitation of the names of the victims and their injuries. The song ended with Amanda vocalizing the tic-tic-tic-tic-tic of a clock before the outbreak of violence.
After many more playful pieces, the entire concert ended in a bold, defiant note, with a song whose refrain was, "Sing, you mother*&%&$#^&, sing!" A few eyebrows were raised and some giggles were coaxed from among us. Figures.
Anyway, I think this is a good place to finish this post.
I'm so glad I did go, because the concert was fantastic and eye-opening (in more ways than one), not to mention the majestic Symphony Hall itself.
It was raining slightly by the time we started our T-trek into Boston, but it was hardly noticed because we were all deeply engaged in conversations among ourselves on our way there.
Upon arriving to Symphony Hall we were directed to the upper balcony, and the panoramic view from there was breathtaking. I have never been in a concert hall as nice as this (in my opinion, it's much prettier and more elegant that the concert hall at Kennedy Center in D.C.)!
The detail of the architecture was simply awe-inspiring. Modeled after the second Genwandhaus concert hall in Leipzig, the Symphony Hall is adorned with many Greek and Roman statues along the upper side walls. Shining in marble-white, they preside over the concerts and add stateliness to the environment. I thought I could make out Sophocles, Demosthenes, and Aeschines among them. The orchestra was framed by an elaborate proscenium arch, and the three huge chandeliers just made the scene just picture-perfect.The first third of the concert was a selection of excerpts from The Planets, by Holst, a crowd favorite. Pops played Mars, Venus, Uranus, and Jupiter, complemented by footage and images of the planets projected on a gigantic screen.
This format made me miss Harvard Pops so much - we had so much fun making our own movies and writing our own plots for the concerts last year! Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, is by far my favorite of all. I feel an aching desire to get up and dance every time I listen to it.
After Holst and a brief intermission, punk phenom Amanda Palmer worked her way onto the stage from the audience. She had a very solid, resounding voice and a playful, naughty, and bodacious personality. Not all of the pieces she sang were upbeat though. I thought the most striking songs was the one describing the mental turmoil of the shooter at Virginia Tech before his killing rampage, with the uneasy, eerie melody and dissonant chords intercalated by a recitation of the names of the victims and their injuries. The song ended with Amanda vocalizing the tic-tic-tic-tic-tic of a clock before the outbreak of violence.
After many more playful pieces, the entire concert ended in a bold, defiant note, with a song whose refrain was, "Sing, you mother*&%&$#^&, sing!" A few eyebrows were raised and some giggles were coaxed from among us. Figures.
Anyway, I think this is a good place to finish this post.
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