last weekend i was taken to dinner and the symphony.  it was a regal evening, both of us dressed nicely, he in a pinstripe suit and i in a classic black dress and red suede pumps.  the atlanta symphony orchestra put on a lovely show that made my heart smile.

my date and i quickly stopped at table 1280 for some sustenance.  the drink menu was small, but the full bar left us with plenty of options from which to choose.  we shared the cheese and fruit plate, paid the check, and quickly made our way over to symphony hall.

this evening was my first time seeing the atlanta symphony orchestra.  the venue was clean and pleasant, just as i would have expected.  we settled into our seats in the orchestra level and reviewed our programs as we awaited the performance.

the program we were audience to that evening was titled purely russian drama and was featuring two special guests, conductor roberto abbado and violinist nadja salerno-sonnenberg.  the first piece performed was ‘prelude to khovanshchina‘ by composer petrovich mussorgsky.  mussorgsky’s opera khovanshchina “chronicles the turbulent years in russia leading to the rise to power of tsar peter the great.”  it was quite an exciting piece, and i especially enjoyed the second movement.

the second piece featured violinist nadja salerno-sonnenberg in dmitri shostakovich’s ‘violin concerto no. 1’.  the orchestra played beautifully and in the most wonderful way so that nadja’s talent could literally take center stage throughout.  her energy and passion were contagious, and after the final movement, we were in awe.  she was the highlight of the evening and was quite deserving of the applause she received.

the final piece was ‘symphonic dances’ by composer sergei rachmaninov.  this composition was actual the last from rachmaninov.  the power of the entire orchestra was invigorating.  and although, i could not see the solo saxophonist on stage, his music was impossible to ignore.  as the composer dropped his hands at the end of the final movement, i applauded but with the tiniest hesitation; i did not want the performance to end!

enjoying an evening at the symphony was quite a special treat.  the discipline and dedication of the musicians are evident in their performance, and i find myself thankful that i am lucky to attend and enjoy this kind of performance art.