there's a caveat, and that is that i tend to be disappointed by american interpretations of rachmaninov, as i tend to find that they strip the music of it's idiosyncratically dour russian existential dread, and replace it with a sort of upbeat american exceptionalism. passages that should make you want to yell, or cry, or otherwise break down into some kind of terrible fit of discomfort tend to be replaced with much lighter emotions that you're more likely to just kind of shrug off. i know that rachmaninov spent some of his life here, but i do insist that americans do not get this guy.
the pianist set to perform the piece has a russian-looking name, but who knows what i was going to get.
i discuss this a little bit more here:
https://dsdfghghfsdflgkfgkja.blogspot.com/2017/01/mar-27-2014-you-want-to-know-why-we_4.html
the above performance was the one i pulled out as most acceptable, in the end. if you've never heard this, i suggest you sit down, first.
i am not familiar with the other two pieces on the bill and haven't spent any time with them, but may do so over the next few days. neither seems to be particularly compelling on first listen, but i'll let you know if i change my mind over the next few days.
if i had gone on the friday, this show would not have been done late and i would have been close enough to the tunnel to walk, so i would have had to make that choice. was there some reason to stay later? or, might i have scheduled the show on the saturday or sunday to line up a double bill, instead? i don't see anything obvious on the friday night or the saturday night.
however, i very well might have waited until the sunday matinee, in order to attend the glitch mob show (across the street) in the evening.
this has not been rescheduled at this time, but i hope it is included in next year's program.
