from left to right: Breanna Ellison, Eileen Coyne, Mike Alexander, Alex Henton, Dominic Brancazio
This concert concluded the year-long saga of "Truth to Power" at New England Conservatory. The final concert was RIDICULOUS (in a good way), both in terms of decibels and the terrifying emotional journey (it's Shostakovich, ain't gonna be happy) that only an hour-long, non-stop work depicting the tragic deaths of thousands of Russians revolting against the tsar could. Not to rat myself out, I actually teared up on stage at one point, and I will never forget this moment. (I'm not a total mushball - there was this super-high overtone a couple of octaves above the viola line in the third movement ("You Fell As Heroes") that I could never hear in Jordan Hall. I don't know if anyone else heard it, but it was extremely eerie - sounded like some ethereal, other-worldly whistling of the melody. --> Shivers.) You'd cry if you thought you heard the dead whistling, too.
This was truly a horn section of friends, all amazing players who appropriately went balls-out for this concert.
I will dearly miss them, ALL of whom are graduating and going off to newly-won jobs and graduate school!
This photo was taken after the Beethoven/Prokofiev/Shostakovich concert, April 23, 2014 Symphony Hall with NEC Philharmonia, Hugh Wolff conducting.
The theme "Truth to Power" may be over for the year at NEC, but I have a feeling the theme is only in its infancy in its application to our world...
Listen to the entire concert for free here or watch the Shostakovich here!