The Power and Finesse of an Orchestra

review by Mike Templeton

3/17

If a person has the privilege of attending a performance of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, (BSO)they will have the honor and pleasure of observing true mastery at its best. The home of the BSO is the great Symphony Hall in Boston, MA. This Orchestra performs with such beauty and flawlessness and it is the equivalent to watching 2 hours of inhuman perfection and master of craft without any room for error.  The evening was comprised of three symphonies by three very unconventionally different composers each in their unique style. The one symphony which stood out from the other two works simply because of the immense power and distinct building of sound in this piece which was different then others. This was Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A. Being familiar with one particular movement of this work it is understood to be a work which tells a story.

This story is carried out over the course of three distinct movements. The first movement is very bright and cheerful and descends into darkness and into more depressing tones which is the feeling of the third movement of the piece which starts relatively quiet and builds in distress and tension to the ultimate climax. Sitting in the audience and watching a piece of music with such tension and emotion made me think that in order to recreate the perfection of a true masterpiece the orchestra needs to be flawless or else the work would not be conveyed in the correct way. The BSO however was perfect because of the incredible number of the musicians on stage. This was in combination with the number of instruments which provided so many beautiful sounds and harmonies which has the ability to deeply impact the audience in the enormous Symphony Hall with some of the best acoustics and sound dynamics. This was another factor which made this performance so perfect.

The feeling which is produced from hearing a symphony in a large space such as the Symphony Hall is so evocative to say the least. This was particularly noticeable in two of the evening's works. In Claude Debussy's  Nocturnes there is a moment which features a Women's choir sharing the stage with the BSO. To hear the dynamic of the voices and the instrumentalists on stage in that space is spectacular and to then see upwards of 150 people on that massive stage creating something of such perfection is just mind boggling. The second moment in which the acoustics of the space had a lasting effect on the music was Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. This piece conveys such a wealthy emotion that can only be noticeable in such a large space such as a large concert hall. The amount of practice and perfection required to perform music at that level so innocently is so admirable and entertaining to experience live and in person.  To have the privilege to watch an evening of true perfection is one thing, but to take time to appreciate the true talent and dedication of some of the greatest unknown musicians in the country is one of the most memorable experiences a person can witness. The power of true beauty.    

Ear Candy at the Boston Symphony Orchestra

review by Mark Bedetti

3/17/17

Everyone’s A Critic

            Bernard Haitink leads an expedition on producing the masterpiece that is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. The combination of the music itself, the musician’s talent, the venue, and the composer’s work at leading hundreds of musicians created a musical piece that truly represents the talent of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. 

            A constant variable in the show as well as all of the show’s that the orchestra performs there is the location of Symphony Hall. Placed within one of the most popular areas of Boston, Symphony Hall attracts people from all around the region to come view the performances. The theater itself opens up into an astounding proscenium stage lined with gold paint trimmed around the edge of the stage. The extensive orchestra seating runs Red velvet lines the railings of the balcony that runs the perimeter of the room up until the stage in a horseshoe shape. Chandeliers hang from the high ceilings that are receded in square-shaped patterns creating an incredible setting for sound to carry all the way through the hall. The stage was raised above the orchestra seating so that even the seats in the back could see what was going on. Although the lights were dimmed in the audience and shined on the stage, there was still a fair amount of light on the audience creating a more immersive experience feeling like you were closer and more apart of the performance. This allowed the audience to be far more aware and involved in what was going on on the stage.

            The musical talent that each of the musicians hold allows for the highest quality possible of the music itself. With hundreds of musicians on stage, it is easy for the performance to sound catastrophic and disorganized. However, the result was the exact opposite with an unbelievable synchronization even in the most complex areas of the piece. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 has an astounding amount of alteration in the volume of the piece. The room could have been anything from near silent to blaring out into the audience turning the hall into an unbelievably powerful environment. This was not only a role played by those playing an instrument, but also a role played by the female singers who added an unbelievable amount to the tone of the music and adding an intense feeling to the performance. The conductor Bernard Haitink was another piece of the puzzle that made up a truly incredible experience. There was not one moment during the show where Haitink was not showing emotion whether it came from his face or body language. It was apparent that this emotion had a strong interconnection with the music and it translated over into how the audience reacted to it as well.

            The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 was a powerful and seemingly perfect example of pure talent and what someone might consider “Candy” to the ears.

Food, Food, and More Food

review by Jack Duggan

            This place has a whole lot more than meatballs. Lucca in the Back Bay of Boston was an incredible restaurant.   The building its-self was beautiful with a spacious seating area.  The staff at Lucca were wonderful.  From the second we entered the building the staff were extremely accommodating.  They rushed over to take our coats and worked to make us conferrable our entire stay.  The service was always quick which was wonderful.  Once we entered the restaurant it was not long before we were seated and given drinks. It was nice to not have to sit and wait to be served.  One of the criticisms I had was the limited menu.  All the options on the menu looked amazing, but the number of dishes was unimpressive. The prices were also very high. This does not take away from the quality of the food, but you certainly aren’t getting a bang for your buck at this restaurant.   Despite this, the night was still a very solid experience.

             The appetizer I got was amazing.  I had never associated calamari with Italian food, but nonetheless the calamari were amazing at this restaurant.  The dish was just the right amount of chewy, it was not tough to bite through, but it was not too soft either.  The tomato sauce that the calamari were in made the dish that much better.  The dish was served with toasted bread that was amazing to dip in the sauce after the calamari were gone.  The portion was more than enough for one person; it could even be shared by two.   My only complaint was that the appetizer was a bit filling.  After eating it I already started to feel full, which is not a good thing for just appetizer. However, from a taste standpoint, this dish was incredible.

            The highlight of the night was of course the entre.  I got the filet, which was very good.  I ordered the dish medium rare, and while it did come red, it was a bit overcooked.  However, the filet was very good.  It came on top of mashed potatoes, and onions and mushrooms.  All of this together tasted amazing.  The sauce from the steak combined with the onions and potatoes made for a great combination.  The steak was full of flavor, and melted in my mouth.  My complaint about this dish is the complete opposite of the appetizer.  The portion was a bit small.  There was more than enough mash potatoes and vegetables, but the steak portion was underwhelming.  While the portion may have been small, again the flavor and taste of the dish was impeccable.

            While the restaurant certainly had flaws, the food was still very good.   The staff were friendly and happy to help their customers.  The appetizer, entre, and dessert were all very high quality. Not one person from the party of twelve I went to the restaurant spoke negatively about their food.  Overall, I would recommend anyone who wants a quality Italian meal to eat at this restaurant, but know, it’s not inexpensive.

The Real Long Distance Relationship

review by Justin Chen

            What is better than watching Netflix during snow day? When it comes to Netflix, you might wonder what movie are you going to watch. The movie Midnight in Paris would be the best option. The story itself is wonderful and the movie’s layout is really wonderful as well. First of all, the story is really fun. The story happened in Paris. The character Gil is taking a time-travel car traveling to different years in Paris. There are three romantic stories happened at the same time in Paris. The shift of the time is really natural. It doesn’t give the viewer like a jolting surprise. Second, the picture is good. When the time change, the quality of the picture changed. This is a good transition for viewer to understand the time is changing. Thirdly, the story is wonderful as well. The story has a lot of plots and the conversation between different character are somehow link to the story that happened in the future. So, after all, the movie is wonderful.