Music Concert Review

On Saturday, September 24, 2016, at 8 pm, I attended the Bach & Beethoven concert performed by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Jeffrey Kahane, music director. This event took place at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California. The duration of the program was about 1 hour and 30 minutes. This was a very special night for me because it was my first time going to a classical music concert. I have heard music like this at weddings, movies, elevators, Cadillac commercials, or scanning through the radio stations in my car. But never have I been present in an auditorium filled with people gathering together for this reason, classical music. As I entered the theatre, I noticed everyone was formally dressed. The orchestra were all dressed in black. The lights were dim and set the mood for a relaxing night.

The first was Bach’s Cantata No. 51, “Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen” (Exult in God in every Land”), BWV 51, with Joélle Harvey, soprano, and David Washburn with the trumpet. Second was Mozart’s “Alleluja” from Exsultate, jubilate, K. 165 with Ms. Harvey. Third was Tigran Mansurian’s Violin Concerto No. 2, “Four Serious Songs”, with special violinist Movses Pogossian. Last, but not least, was Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, OP.92. The concert was divided into two parts with an intermission of 15 minutes. The instruments used throughout the whole concert was the trumpet, harpsichord, strings, oboes, horns, organ, flutes, clarinets, bassoons, timpani, and the violin. Although all pieces were unique, I will share my opinion and experience of