French Fantasies - City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) 5/9 🏟

May 9, 2024 City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) French Fantasies Performances: Debussy: Nocturnes 🌙🎶 Ravel: Shéhérazade (?) 🧜‍♀️🎻 Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements 🎻🎶 The concert hall in Birmingham was totally different from what I had imagined 🤯🏟. The seats and the stage were so close together with no gap in between. When I booked the ticket, I thought my seat was in the middle, but when I arrived, I found it was a bit towards the front. 💖 However, the acoustic effect throughout the concert was actually quite good, and I didn't feel like the music was too overwhelming just because I was sitting so close (I was still wondering why no one chose the good seats in the middle when booking). For the first piece, Debussy's Nocturnes, the orchestra's performance was okay 👌🎻. But the level of the harp and the choir was a bit tricky. 🎧💖Some parts of the harp were a bit muddy, and the choir's performance was also rather average. During the second piece, Ravel's Shéhérazade, I could feel that the soprano was really putting in a lot of effort to sing 💪🎤. It was obvious that she wasn't in her best form today, but overall, it didn't really affect the performance much. For the third piece, Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, I felt like the wind instruments section wasn't very proficient 😕🎺. The fast - paced parts were a bit muddy and chaotic. But on the whole, the first three pieces were still passable 🤷‍♂️🎶. The fourth piece, Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements, was truly amazing 😍🎻. It was clear that the orchestra had put a lot of effort into rehearsing this most complex piece, and the proficiency of the whole orchestra had risen to a whole new level. 🦌🎻After listening to the first three pieces, I was starting to feel a bit tired of the strings, probably because I was sitting too close to the front. But this piece changed everything. Listening to the three movements was truly not just perfect but extremely awe-inspiring. Even after the performance ended, I couldn't calm down my excitement. It got a big thumbs - up from me 👍🎉. All in all, what's the difference between a 5 - pound student ticket and getting it for free? You can even choose your seat freely 😲🎫. The only downside was that the program note had to be bought separately for 4 pounds. I heard online that there was an electronic version, but I just couldn't find it no matter what. However, at this price, it's already a great deal. What more could I ask for? 😜 It sounds great, I love listening to it, and I want to listen to more 🎧💖. P.S. The conductor with a center - parted hairstyle looked really handsome 😍🎩. #CBSO #ClassicalMusic #Birmingham