Free Fun at the Philharmonic

On Wednesday morning, the New York Philharmonic put on a free dress rehearsal in preparation for their opening night performance later that evening.

Over 400 people were in attendance, all with their own reason for showing up.

Barbra Paul didn’t have to think about hers. She was the first person on line.

Getting to Lincoln Center at 5:45 a.m after a 10-minute walk from her home in Greenwich Village, Paul waited nearly four hours to get inside. With her blue eyes tired and fighting the sun, her smile hid the exhaustion well.

“I’m not tired. Maybe I might be later,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to hear good music. I didn’t want to miss it.”

Somewhere towards the back of the line, Bob Vitlow was eager to get inside as well.

He wanted to see Wynton Marsalis play the trumpet. Perhaps more than anyone else there.

“I came here all the way from San Francisco to see Wynton Marsalis. I just got it in,” he said, flashing his plane ticket. “I took a bus straight from the airport. I’m not tired though. It’s impossible to be tired when you’re waiting to hear great music.”

Once inside, Paul and Vitlow got what they hoped for. Beginning with the Marsalis Swing Symphony (Symphony No. 3), Marsalis earned rounds of applause after every solo.

In spite of Marsalis being showcased during the symphony, the entire orchestra shined during songs such as “All-American Pep” and “St. Louis to New Orleans.” Using the bass and trumpet to tell their stories, each song had hints of violin, xylophone and other instruments to spice things up.

“Its a fun symphony that’s meant to show a journey around the country,” New York Philharmonic Musical Director and Conductor Allan Gilbert told reporters before the show.

After the upbeat and soulful performance that got the crowd comfortable, Gilbert and company performed R. Strauss’ “Don Juan, Tone Poem after Nikolaus Lenau, Op. 20.” Sounding like a Sci-Fi opera with a side order of Vivaldi, the piece explored the entire orchestra by combining beautiful violin with rich cello and harp.

Following that was Hindemith’s “Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes of Carl Maria von Weber.” Another piece that allowed the orchestra to stretch their musical muscles, the violin duets especially caught the attention of the audience.

Due to these two drastically different pieces and Marsalis’ Jazz Symphony, the range exhibited by the Philharmonic led one to believe this season will be a special one.

The smiling faces and clapping hands in the crowd afterward proved that.

“This is such an innovative opportunity to interest people in the Orchestra,” said Clyde Hicks, who jumped on line at about 8:15 and still managed to snag a ticket for the show. “It’s great for New York too.”