I’m not a big symphony person, but after all the buzz about Jaap van Zweden, I thought it would be worth the relatively cheap ticket price ($26–hard to beat, unless you want to sit behind the orchestra for $17) and figured I could use a little culture in my life.
Last night, van Zweden and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra put on an amazing concert, beginning with the romantic In Sommerwind by Webern, followed by Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major by Mozart. The big draw was the last piece, Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E-minor (the first movement was perfection), but van Zweden stunned the crowd with an encore featuring Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5. Van Zweden poured his heart into the concert, and the audience was in awe. Do yourself a favor: go. Applaud like crazy, and see what all the fuss is about.
