🎼 French Fantasies | CBSO Birmingham | 5/9/2024

Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) Program: 🌙 Debussy - Nocturnes 💃 Ravel - Shéhérazade (Scheherazade) 🍇 Debussy - Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune 🎇 Stravinsky - Symphony in Three Movements 🏛️ Venue Thoughts The Birmingham concert hall shocked me—seats practically hug the stage! 😮 Thought I’d picked a central spot, but ended up front-row adjacent. 🔊 Sound quality held up surprisingly well though, no eardrum-blasting despite the proximity. (Still baffled why prime seats were empty during booking...) 🎶 Performance Review 1️⃣ Nocturnes: Orchestra played decently, but harp 🎹 and choir parts were… interesting. Some harp sections got muddy, choir sounded under-rehearsed. 2️⃣ Shéhérazade: Soprano clearly gave her all 💪, but her voice felt a bit tired today. Still, no deal-breaker! 3️⃣ Faune: Woodwinds seemed shaky 🎷—fast passages got messy. Overall, first three pieces were… fine. 4️⃣ Symphony in Three Movements: 🤯 ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. Clear this was the centerpiece they poured heart into ❤️. Orchestra’s precision leveled up hard. After tiring of strings in earlier pieces (maybe my front-row seat?), this one rekindled everything. All three movements were visceral—left me buzzing long after the final note. 👏👏👏 💰 Value for Money £5 student ticket? Might as well be free! 🎟️ And seat selection was unrestricted. Only downside: £4 program notes? 💸 Found the e-version "nowhere online" despite promises. Still, at this price? Can’t. Even. Complain. 🚲 #CBSO #ClassicalMusic #Birmingham #London