We Went to the Symphony!

On the 23rd Dad took Mara, Helena, and me to the Symphony. This was the first time I'd ever gone to the symphony.
They performed "Urban Runway," which was composed by the conductor, Bramwell Tovey. He is British, and he composed this piece for the fourth of July, which he made a bunch of jokes about. I really liked him, and he looked like he really enjoyed what he was doing. He reminded us all of Lawrence Welk. This is a photo of Tovey:

Photo courtesy of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

They also performed Erich Korngold's Violin Concerto in D Major. The concerto is based on the music he wrote for three different movies: Another Dawn, Anthony Adverse, and The Prince and the Pauper. In The Prince and the Pauper, this theme accompanied the hunt for the royal seal, and those of you who have seen this movie know how great the music is. The soloist was Philippe Quint, who was born in Russia and graduated from Juilliard. Helena says he looks like Josh Groban. I hadn't heard of either of them before, so it doesn't really matter to me. This is Quint:

The last piece they performed was Antonin Dvorák's New World Symphony. My favorite part was the part in the third movement that he based off of an Indian dance scene in "Hiawatha," because it took the overriding theme and made it very dynamic and exciting. In the first movement of the symphony, apparently Tovey's baton broke because something white went flying off into the first violins and he conducted the rest of it with a slightly shortened baton.
Personally, I don't think I really know which piece was my favorite. They all were very nice in their own way.

San Diego Master Chorale

Mom was given two tickets to the San Diego Master Chorale, and she took me with her when she went last Saturday. My favorite piece was 'Under the Willow Tree' by Samuel Barber. I was lots of fun and I took my pets with me. I hope I can go again sometime.

Tabby

Laddy

The program

Tabby and Laddy enjoying the program.

Piano Lessons Have Started!

I'm so glad that piano lessons started up again yesterday! I've been looking forward to them ever since we took a break for summer! Helena has stopped taking lessons, so it was just me and Benedick. I think we have the best piano teacher in the whole world! It was great seeing her and her two cute little fluffy white Teacup Malteses again! Their names are Maki and Roni. Roni loves it when you rub her tummy and sometimes she scratches you if she thinks you haven't petted her long enough. When you take Maki for a walk he always runs and drags you by the leash.

I've been assigned some new pieces that are really fun.  Arietta by Reinhold Gliere, Fur Elise by Beethoven, Suite No. 8 in G Major by Handel, Study in C Major by Giuseppe Concone and Etude in A Minor by Dmitri Kabalevsky. Right now I think my favorite is Fur Elise.