It was Mozart's Serenade No. 10 in B Flat Major. This work is comprised of seven movements and was played by a virtuosic ensemble of woodwinds, horns, and a double bass.
Watching Ms. Glover shape each musical phrase and hearing this amazing ensemble fulfill each measure following her amazing leadership is a joy! She reminds me of what was once said when a critic was asked what made Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler such an unbelievable pianist. He replied 'She's a witch!'
And a good one!
My piano teacher, Carolyn Willard, studied with Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler.
The way Mozart uses the various instruments in different groupings and the brilliance of the writing is witchlike, as well. One's ear is drawn right into the work and one experiences incredible delight.
In other words I loved every moment!
It's a hard act to follow and the Piano Concerto No. 27 in B Flat Major as performed by Angela Hewitt didn't quite make it. It's not my favorite concerto and Ms. Hewitt will never be my favorite pianist. She plays with a dry sort of sound that sometimes is lost in the orchestration. Her fingers work fine; good runs and the occasional burst of sound, but, to my taste, not world class playing.
But the Serenade was worth braving the icy cold.
On our drive home on Lake Shore Drive, a car in front of us did a 180 on the ice and wound up facing us. A large truck that was sanding the road did a similar maneuver, both of them crashing into the wall at the side of the road. Somehow we got around them and arrived home safely.
