A Fresh Cup of English Tea by Jonathon Coombs

                I know this title is very confusing, as I am not writing about a restaurant. I am talking about the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which I saw on the 19^th of March this year. The reason I have the title that I do is that I don’t drink English tea, I hardly drink tea. So the performance for me… really wasn’t my cup of tea. That doesn’t mean it was poorly performed, it just means I have a hard time extending myself beyond my preferred genre of music. Let me explain, with a bit of history of myself with music and then I’ll get to the performance.

                Until the time I was six (I think, may have been earlier may have been later) I didn’t like music. At least, I didn’t pay it much mind. Then, my father bought the American Idiot album by Green Day. That was the first time I really enjoyed music and wanted to hear it. Later on my brother and I got the video game Rock Band, which showcases songs from, obviously, the rock genre. Then I picked up the viola, a stringed instrument and I played in my school orchestra. That is when I started to listen to a bit of classical music. Then I picked up the trumpet and played in band, while simultaneously playing in the orchestra. This gave me a foundation in big band and jazz pieces. However, through all of this I still prefer rock music, from its punk, alternative, and metal, which caused me to pick up guitar.

                Now that you know where I’m coming from you’ll understand this paragraph. So if you read one sentence of the last paragraph and thought that it had nothing to do with the review you are wrong. Anyway, the music is performed beautifully. I haven’t listened to many Mozart performances but I feel this was a standout performance among them. The conductor kept a lively energy, being constantly engaged and using his whole body to conduct. The musicians played amazingly, understanding the music and using that to their advantage. Through the concert there were many parts where quiet instruments took the melody, so the louder instruments had to reduce their volume quite a bit. That was one downside to where I was seated, during those sections I heard the melody only. However, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I didn’t despise it, nor do I think it was bad. This is just the type of music I would rather hear when I am sitting on a bus doing nothing than go to a concert to listen to.

                So… you are wondering if I recommend it. Otherwise there is no reason to read this review. Unless it’s you mom, in which case hi mom. But the rest of you… or maybe dad to. Hi dad. Anyway, if you enjoy orchestral music to a point where you want to see it live and can tell the difference between different conductors take on pieces, then go see this you will love it. However, to other people, if you do not enjoy Classical music then don’t see it. This is a case that is completely down to personal preference, so don’t let a guy on a blog like me tell you what to think.

                Rating: A clever punchline delivered to people who haven’t heard the first part of the joke. It is enjoyable, but in my case I was the wrong crowd to appreciate it.