🇬🇧 2.14 Birmingham CBSO | Mendelssohn + Dvořák's "New World" 🎻🎶

I almost regretted trekking across the city for this concert—jet-lagged from a recent flight home ✈️, then a long train ride 🚂. But Dvořák’s 9th? WOW 🤯. It’s the kind of piece you could listen to forever! And bonus: A friend happened to have tickets too—double the joy! 👯♀️ First Half (Mendelssohn): 🎻 The opening tempo felt slightly slower than usual, but soloist’s high-note vibrato 🎻✨ was stunning! Orchestra felt a bit… autopilot 🤖. The cadenza lacked boldness—dynamic shifts were timid, especially the fortissimos. Third movement 😴: I expect a lightning-fast 💨, airborne feel, but this felt more like an étude. Usually concerts build energy, but this peaked early and fizzled. Not bad, just… meh 😐. Second Half (Dvořák’s 9th): Lowered expectations after the first half = BLOWN AWAY! 1st movement: Strings + percussion 🥁were electrifying! (Though the conductor loves dragging tempos 🐌). 2nd movement: CBSO’s winds SHONE—so crisp! But the violin solo missed the “Goin’ Home” nostalgia for me 😢. 3rd movement: Coda dragged (personal pet peeve!). 4th movement: BRAVO to the 2nd violins + timpani! Never underestimate 2nd violins—their part’s tougher than 1st! 🎻 They elevated the opening brilliance, and the timpanist’s ferocity 🔥 made this a roaring finale. Dvořák 9 = ETERNAL REPLAY . CBSO never disappoints! 🙌 Birmingham keeps surprising me ❤️! #BirminghamConcerts #CBSO #BirminghamLife 🏙️🎻