Just returned from a great concert at the one year old Strathmore Concert Hall in Bethesda, MD. This evening was special because it was the debut of the newly appointed BSO conductor Marin Alsop. I've bought a number of Ms. Alsops CDs on the German Naxos label. I have been impressed with the wide range of her repertoire. She has performed many modern composer works such as Phillip Glass and John Adams. Tonight she performed the 1st symphony of Baltimore born composer Christopher Rouse. It was the hightlight of the evening for me.
This was my first concert at Strathmore. The facility is gorgeous and the concert hall seems pretty near perfect acoustically. I had a second row orchestra seat and the sound was extremely balanced and clear. I had no trouble hearing all of the sections of the orchestra even though I was far off to the right side.
Here's a shot of the concert hall. All wood construction. Seats are very comfortable with plenty of leg room.
There was a Q&A session at the conclusion of the concert. I got to ask Marin if she would consider playing some Frank Zappa orchestral music. She said that she already does perform some pieces. I will be excited to see if this comes true in the future! I think it would be a great thing if the BSO with Marin Alsop performed Zappa considering that he was born in Baltimore.
