Czech National Symphony Orchestra

Last Friday evening I looked at my tickets for the concert I was going to Sunday and got a shock that it was at 3pm and not 7:30pm as I was expecting.

The concert was the Czech National Symphony Orchestra with Violinist Jennifer Pike  (a former BBC young musician of the year)

The programme was:

• Smetana - Comedy Overture
• Bruch -Violin Concerto
• Piazzolla - Libertango
• Dvorak - Symphony No 8 

I haven't written my thoughts before as I wanted to cogitate and consider my thoughts.

Now it's NOT that I didn't enjoy it, I did, but the pervading thought was pleasant and I expected more. The Bruch is a very popular piece and won I liked but it didn't WOW me. It seem a bit restrained.... I wonder if they didn't want to overpower the violin but I it almost felt like it was at 80%....

The Piazzolla, for me, didn't really work. It's a piece that I think would work with a smaller ensemble...

For me the best piece was the Dvorak it didn't sound as restrained as the Bruch and it was more engrossing.

It was pleasant (that word again) but not more.