The Mime, the Brahms, and Prokofiev

Tonight's concert, our last orchestral concert, definitely did not disappoint. Up first on the program was Erin Gee performing Mouthpiece XX, accompanied by orchestra, animated film, and her brother the mime. Yes, there was a mime. I didn't know a whole lot about this piece going into the concert other than that Gee likes to experiment with ways to use the human voice without making words, and using the "pure noises" that instruments can make. I'm really not sure at all what to make of the mime/video/music combo. She used two different microphones and made clicks, pops, and other cool vocal effects throughout this piece. There were also lots of glissandos everywhere. Overall it was an interesting piece and I'm really not sure what to make of it.

Concert hall!

Up next was the Prokofiev piano concerto played by Tzimon Barto! He walked out on stage and looked to be about twice the size of everyone else on stage. Well, maybe not twice the size, but he had to duck to get through the door to the stage and looked like he might break the piano sometimes when he got really into the concerto (which was awesome). He absolutely killed it and played an encore of a Chopin nocturne. That was the most sensitively played piano playing I've ever heard. His dynamics were incredible and he milked every last emotion out of that nocturne. After he finished his encore the audience was clapping for so long that he just grabbed the concert master and brought her offstage with him to get everyone to stop! 

Tzimon Barto!

The final piece on the program was Brahms 4 and it was absolutely incredible!!! I love the way Brahms writes for horns and oh man did these guys shred it!!! The entire orchestra was just amazing and I loved every minute of the symphony. Brahms was a great way to end the concert and I would definitely see the Vienna Radio Orchestra again!

 I can't wait to see Boris Godunov tomorrow in the opera house! Stay tuned for more Vienna!