The Concert

Well, Yuja Wang did not disappoint. How she can play that fast that brilliantly is beyond me. And I think she enjoys playing with the NSO, which is fine by me!  The 2nd movement from Dvořák's New World Symphony, takes its theme from the folk tune "Goin' Home". Maestro Noseda had the opening of the movement, which is simply the tune "Goin' Home" played by a solo oboe. That melody is so beautiful and always pulls at my heart strings; played on the oboe it is hauntingly beautiful, and I nearly had to hold back tears.

 

In other news, they finally took down the huge Chinese paper cut-outs that had been occupying the interior windows of the two entrance halls for far too long. That served to restore the vista out to the other side of the Potomac that the architect clearly wanted and the cut-outs blocked. Even better, they are getting ready to redo the columns on the outside of the building that got painted a warm beige the last time around. Did NOTHING for the building. They are trying out various samples; two are actually cladding that imitates polished brass. I do hope they do that; I think polished brass was what the architect originally wanted, but budget constraints nixed the idea. 

on the terrace before the concert

we weren't the only ones who eschewed the tuxedo

vast improvement on the way...