Picking up my schedule book/mini-diary today, I started to write what I had done on that day and I noticed a little note on top that said "Jon Kimura Parker".
Jon Kimura Parker is “Vancouver’s own” famous concert pianist. He grew up in this city and studied under Lee Kum-Sing (he seems to produce the top pianist here). Reading the notes of the program it also said that he studied with Marek Jablonski, one of the finest pianists I’ve seen in my short lifetime.
The show’s start time was at 8 pm so I checked the bus schedule and took off to downtown Vancouver.
Getting to downtown was a breeze and the Skytrain (Vancouver’s monorail) was working smoothly. I just read the news on my smartphone while occasionally noticing the couple in front of me that was kissing each other a little too much.
Downtown was not busy at all but what do you expect for a Monday night. For this concert I actually brought my camera so I took a few photos on Granville Street (note the kissing couple) and in the Orpheum concert hall.
I walked around the corner of Seymour Street and approached the ticket office. The speaker that allows the woman working to speak was cranked full blast and may have been louder than the percussion section in today’s concert. I asked the friendly lady for the cheapest ticket possible which was... $20! I can’t complain about this price. After coming back to Vancouver after living in Japan for nine years, my main gripe about life here is that things are too bloody expensive. Some will blame it on inflation but at least the VSO tickets are still reasonably priced. Thank you!
The last time to enter this building must have been about ten or eleven years ago or so, so it was nice to visit once again. The lobby hasn’t changed and the interior still feels like a bit of a maze. I’m sure if you left a group of children alone they would have a fun time running around this place.
I walked into the theatre and the attendance tonight was... rather poor. The upper balcony (where I was sitting... cheap ticket, you know) was probably about 10% full. The lower balcony area was probably about 70% full and I didn’t check below on the main level. The Orpheum still looks great but those seats really don’t have enough leg room. Anyone over six-feet tall is probably going to sit in discomfort.
Tonight’s program had three compositions scheduled. The first one was composed by the composer-in-residence, Edward Top who hails from the Netherlands. The name of his three movement piece is called Totem (the world premiere was performed a few night before).
The second piece, Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto featured “Vancouver’s own” Jon Kimura Parker.
And after the intermission, Sergei Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony was performed, followed by an encore (a fast tune by Dvorak... I think it’s was one of the Slavonik Dances).
It was my first time to hear these pieces being performed in a concert hall.
The first composition written by the composer-in-residence was an unusual one.
Before the “dropping” of the baton, the conductor Bramwell Tovey, thanked a sponsor and then brought out Edward Top. They talked a tiny bit about his composition and he seemed quite modest about it... it seems that it’s even hard for the composer to explain everything that he creates. They had a few musicians play various parts... one part was played by the celeste, Linda Lee Thomas.
Edward Top uses the full orchestra in this work and there’s lots of weird stuff going on with the percussion and trombone (lots of glissandos). The oboe sure gets a good work out in the second movement. It’s always nice to hear a contrabassoon... what a bizarre instrument. I couldn’t even notice the celeste part that Linda Lee Thomas played prior to the performance... All of it was quite modern and since the VSO is going on tour in the States for the next two weeks, I’m curious how the audiences down south will react to this piece.
Edvard Grieg’s piano concert was up next. I have to admit Jon Kimura Parker is... a really good pianist. It’s pretty amazing how he gets around that piano and his tone carried very well up to the upper balcony. After the first few notes were played by Jon Kimura Parker, the old ladies in front of me seemed very pleased since this opening is quite famous.
This piece must be a pain in the ass for the principle french horn player since there are a couple of exposed solos has to be played very very quietly. I was wondering if he and Bramwell Tovey were on the same wave length?
As an encore after the performance, JK Parker played a quick song... the opening theme of The Simpsons.
During the intermission, I went to the washroom and walked around the place. I was going to get a beer but since the bar only accepts cash (I had only a few coins in my wallet), I had no choice but to be sober. Well, the VSO lost a bit of money from me but I guess during a busy concert, you probably don’t want to have the line-ups too long.
The second half was Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5. The program notes say that this and his 8th Sonata were his “most serious” compositions so far! Who writes these notes? I just can’t stand there kind of superlatives... unless Prokofiev said so himself. I like Prokofiev’s music quite a bit. It’s quirky, exciting and not quite as scary as Shostakovich’s music. This composition has lots of “loud” moments which satisfied me.
I’m assuming the VSO probably wanted to get a bit more practice in preparation for their tour of the States so they played a quick tune by Drovak to end the night.
Going home I had to walk by the usual junkies that try talking to you and a door man for the Skytrain station (I chose the other door to avoid him... am I supposed to tip him for his hard work?).
For $20, I think tonight’s concert has got to be one of the better deals in town. I’ll be going again when there’s a half decent program.
