Galway at Wolftrap

Mark and I enjoyed an evening out on the lawn at Wolftrap. The hightlight of the evening, for me, was the National Symphony Orchestra playing Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.” It’s one of my absolute favorites and it was beautifully done. Can anything compare with lying out on a blanket on the grass in the cool night air, sipping a nice Vinho Verde, listening to the New World Symphony? I don’t think so.

Mark also enjoyed himself. So much that he’s already talking about “next time we do this…”

Originally, I bought us tickets on the lawn because it was cheaper than tickets in the pavilion. Now, though, I can’t understand why everyone doesn’t want the lawn! In the pavilion you can’t eat or drink anything other than water. And you’re stuck in a seat crammed in with hundreds of other people. Out on the lawn, though…. Ah! You’ve got your own comfy picnic blanket (and pillows! I’m glad we brought pillows!) and whatever beverage you want (including alcoholic) and a picnic basket full of whatever yummy food you want. Sure, you can’t see the performers as well because you’re further away. Wolftrap’s sound system is excellent, though, and we heard every subtle nuance.

It’s really the superior way to enjoy a concert.

Or, at least, it was last night. We’ve had a break in the very hot and humid weather and last night was as close to a perfect summer night as you can get.

Of course, I can’t end this without talking about James Galway’s performance! I remain convinced the man is actually an alien from outer space. His technique is phenomenal. Wow! How does he double tongue that fast?! (The old joke, from Fritz Kreisler, I think: Young man asking for directions says, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” Kreisler answers, “Practice, son, practice.”) Galway and Lady Jeanne played the Cimarosa Concerto in G for Two Flutes and it was quite nice. As an encore, they played the Monzart Rondo a’la Turk and Galway told the same joke about Mozart’s fax machine that he told earlier this year at the Kennedy Center. Oops! I guess when you tour a lot, you forget which city has heard your jokes before. (Or maybe he just doesn’t care!)

Sir James’ big solo piece was the Mozart Concerto in D Major — a favorite of pretty much every flutist. He played from memory. What a guy. Of course, he’s performed it about a zillion times. I particularly enjoyed his cadenzas in the first and third movements. Very nice. I presume he wrote them himself. The third movement cadenza reminded me a bit of Michel DeBost’s. (Though I may very well be confusing my cadenze composers.)

Of course, Galway is an amazingly good player — but I do have one quibble with how he performed the Mozart. Here it is: TOO MUCH RUBATO. It got to the point where the rubato on the leading notes of 16th-note runs was distracting. You don’t want Mozart to sound like a sewing machine, but jeez… save the rubato for use as an occasional accent. Not so much, Jimmy.