… Symphony Silicon Valley will be giving our last concert of the season. We are playing Rossini’s Overture to Barber of Seville, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2.

Ahhhh, the Brahms! What wonderful music. There are times when I just want to stop playing and listen. I want to melt. It really is beautiful.

While the demise of the San Jose Symphony (RIP) was heartbreaking (to say the least — and of course it was also “incomebreaking” for many of us, a fact that the new “SSV” can’t completely repair for us), its death did me one favor: I now get to play works I never would have played. Because I sat in the English horn chair for San Jose Symphony I missed Brahms. I missed a lot of Beethoven (although I sometimes sad assistant principal for those). I missed a massive amount of repertoire because composers don’t always include an English horn part (fools that they sometimes are!). I heard it of course; I was librarian for some years so I had to be there, and other times I might play one or two works on the program and I’d stick around to hear the rest. But playing some of this music is new to me and I’m loving it, even while I sometimes want to ask if I can “sit it out” just so I can be wrapped in music and not be distracted by my own part. 🙂

Anyway, the Brahms is a great work. The Rossini is … well … Rossini … fun, full of energy, easy to listen to. The Rachmaninoff appeals to nearly everyone and a Barry Manilow fan might perk up during the second movement. So I’m guessing this is a good concert for TAFTO month.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about when I write TAFTO you haven’t been reading Drew McManus’ site so you might want to check that out. Now.
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