On Saturday, November 15, 2008, I attended the IMEA District 7 Concert at Evanston Township High School featuring the Orchestra, Choir, and Band.

The orchestra only played two pieces. The first was Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, with which I was familiar before thanks to Disney’s Fantasia 2000. Throughout the piece, the images that came to mind were those from the Fantasia animation. The orchestra’s dynamic contrasts really amplified the visions in my mind because they were so effective. I really loved how the music seemed to sneak out of nowhere at times, which also fit well with the animation I saw in my mind. The low brass passage at the beginning (and repeated throughout) really created the image of a powerful and evil dark lord. I also especially liked how the short phrase was passed around the sections of the orchestra, and I thought of the characters interacting with each other every time I heard the phrase. Overall, the orchestra performed this piece in a way that created a very mysterious, dark, and sometimes violent mood.

The second piece performed by the orchestra was almost a complete opposite. We had played the Finale of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony before, so I knew what was supposed to happen in every measure of the piece. Despite the fact that I was expecting an explosive beginning, I was not prepared for the sound that came from the orchestra and it startled me. I was especially impressed with the ensemble of the orchestra during the fast 16th note runs. The balance was great, as I was able to hear every single part that I expected at any given time and also more that I had not picked up on while playing it. In some places, I was fingering along almost unknowingly. I think that knowing this piece so well helped me to further appreciate how well the orchestra performed it.