One of the things that continues to keep me in Knoxville is its unique ability to combine small town values and hospitality with big city culture and services. This is never more obvious than when you take a trip downtown for an event at the Tennessee Theater. On the evening of Thursday, January 15th the girl and I were special guests of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra for their performance of Mozart & Mendelssohn. It was a fantastic evening— a nearly flawless performance by the symphony orchestra set in the beautiful Tennessee Theater.
The performance was lead by Maestro Lucas Richman, who is ever the scholar, diplomat, and gentleman for the performing arts. The featured piano soloist was Navah Perlman, the talented daughter of the famous violinist Itzhak Perlman. Her performance was full of emotion and flawless to my ear. In addition, a number of the KSO members visited with us during a private reception following the performance. They were so personable and friendly. If you’re looking for a night out, give the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra a try. You won’t regret it.
Our seats were provided as a part of a Knoxville blogger event, so thank you and kudos to Stepahnie at the KSO! The local KSO blogger and principal violinst, Katy Gawne, has more details.
The performance schedule was as follows:
Bach; Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major for Strings and Continuo, BWM 1048
- I. [Allegro]
- II. Adagio
- III. Allegro
Note: This was an excellent start and gave the audience an opportunity to use these pieces by Back as a comparison for Mozart and, ultimately, Medellsohn. The concert master, Mark Zelmonovich, too the lead and demonstrated his talent and passion all through the evening. This opening set is signifigant since Mendelssohn and Bach are considered cut from the same cloth.
Mozart; Concert No. 24 in C Minor for Piano and Orchestra, K. 491
- I. Allegro
- II. Larghetto
- III. Allegretto
Note: This set featured Navah Perlman on an amazing piano that seemeed to stretch for a third of the stage. Her performance was flawless to my ears, and the orchestra did a wonderful job of supporting her. Beyond hearing her music, the passion demonstrated in her face and movement was awesome and helped to pull the listener into the piece.
Mendellsohn; Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90 (“Italian”)
- I. Allegro vivace
- II. Andante con moto
- III. Con moto moderato
- IV. Saltarello: Presto
Note: An excellent close to the evening. Very powerful pieces.
