Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems).
“Making memories” is one of those cheeseball phrases, but it has a solid core: You can often detect, in real time, events that will stick with someone for a lifetime.
That’s easy to see in my kids, who are constantly trying something for the first time, be it a scary movie, a rock concert, or an unfamiliar food. That includes a recent Colorado Symphony performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” itself part of a program of early 20th-century American music at Boettcher Concert Hall in late April (and also featuring Britten’s Peter Grimes: Four Sea Interludes and Debussy’s sublime La Mer).
My wife propelled us there on opening night, having long ago linked the song with the romantic days of mid-20th century aviation (the 102-year-old “Rhapsody” is ). It seemed like the right play to introduce my kids to the world of feel-it-in-your-chest orchestral beauty, provided they wanted to go there. Symphonies and the fine arts in general can seem intimidating, but people who embrace them often have a formative, positive experience they can point to.
We had seats more or less behind the soundboard at Boettcher, which ensured a balanced mix in a venue that has occasionally been knocked for its acoustics. The energy in the room crackled compared with some other, also-great early-20th century showcases I’ve seen there (hello, Rite of Spring!) as conductor Peter Oundjian shared his infectious joy in revisiting and leading these iconic pieces.
Grammy-winning pianist Michelle Cann tore up the keys with equal parts passion and precision, tackling Rhapsody’s twisting piano lines like roller coaster turns: fleet and firmly on track. I’d steal looks at my kids and delight in the fact that their faces hadn’t turned to stone; if anything, they were pitched forward, their eyes scanning the dozens of expert players on stage.
“I loved it!” my daughter said afterward. “It was cool,” my son reported, which is about as close to a ringing endorsement as he gives.
Success?
We’ll see. It often feels smug to me when I hear parents crow about introducing their kids to high-level activities (i.e., ones with knowledgeable and refined audiences, be they fine-arts or fitness-related). And certainly, my goal was not to pat myself on the back.
But I also try not to take anything for granted, and I’m thrilled with how engaged the kids were, potentially setting them up for a lifetime of supporting and benefiting from live performing arts.
It’s easy with the Colorado Symphony. The orchestra’s range, enthusiasm, skill and good taste all combined during the “Rhapsody” show to remind me how stage performances can cut through the clutter and connect directly with one’s soul — however young and new to the experience it may be.
