World of Pageantry

We all need a little break from band camps about now....

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, 4th movement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLHj-eekdNU

WOW! Chicago Symphony Orchestra, what an orchestra!

If you aren't amazed by that video, check your pulse. Not an easy part in the entire score, and the CSO swallows it whole.

Awesome job by all the sections, not just the famous brass.

Take 9 minutes out of your day to enjoy this.

My favorite movement of my favorite SYMPHONY!!!! Thank you...

Unbelievably, the CSO's principal trumpet in that video, Bud Herseth, was likely 70+ years old then, and was still a total monster! Their current trumpet 'god' is Chris Martin...who came through the DCI ranks.

Good ol' Daniel Barenboim on the stand. Amazing humanitarian.

One of the best codas in the literature, performed brilliantly, unfortunately there was an adjudicator there who accused the brass of overblowing.

I keep coming back to this. Aside from the technical excellence, I am in love with the approach to the music. Barenboim made them bring their cojones to the performance. As Frank Zappa would have said, they really put "eyebrows" on the music.

Speaking of hairy chested CSO playing, here is a clip from a CSO performance under Solti...some incredible Wagner. If you dig awesome brass, this was the standard back in the 1970s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrDo8KIi ... 1&index=31

OK.... I just found this one on YouTube. The North Central High School Symphony Orchestra from Indianapolis, IN played the Tchaikovsky Sym #4 Finale in 2009, and boy can they play! Wow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKDh2qy1gAc

From their website: "At North Central, 99% of Symphony Orchestra students are enrolled in private lesson." And they have THREE orchestras at their high school!!!!!

Man, Indiana takes care of the fine arts in their schools.