As a 24 year old who is more familiar with the boy bands of the 1990s and Ke$ha's greatest hits, I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived at the Michigan Theatre on Saturday for the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra's Mozart concert.
The lights dimmed and I looked around me. The audience began their polite golf claps, the tuxedo-clad men on stage nodded with their polished instruments gleaming, the women bowed their heads gracefully, and I found myself feeling jittery, eager for the show to start.
It hit me during 'Concerto for Violin No. 3 in G Major, K. 216' (catchy, I know). Without a light show, costume changes, confetti explosions, or coreographed dancing routines, I was completey enthralled with the performance. Yehonatan Berick, the violin soloist, brought this beautifully complex melody back to life. He didn't even have sheet music! The celloists moved their bows in sync. The violas complemented the cellos. If you concentrated hard enough, you could hear each member of the orchestra's contribution to the overall sound.
I found myself even more involved during "Overture to :a Clemenxa di Tito-" the story of Vitellia, a jealous girl who falls for a ruler betrothed to another. My imagination filled in the gaps of the story as the music played. The increasing intensity of the violin backed by the boom of the brass was the soundtrack to Vitellia's jealous rage. Who needs words or music videos when you have imagination?
While I still prefer Miley to Mozart, I would jump at the chance to experience a performance from the A2SO again.
The A2SO's next performance is Friday, March 15 at 8 pm at the Michigan Theatre, 603 E. Liberty St. For more information, call A2SO at 734-994-4801 or visit www.a2so.com.
