Three of my girlfriends and I had a marvelous time at the very opulent, Art-Deco Severance Hall last night. We heard Beethoven's 2nd Symphony in D Major, the Mendelssohn E Minor Violin Concerto, and Respighi's Church Windows. I thought it was a good program, if a bit tired at times, but maybe that's just because it was a Tuesday night.

I have to say that I enjoyed the Respighi the most. I have a more contemporary taste in classical music. I love the late-Romantic, neo-Classical music that was written at the turn of the last century and in the early 1900's, as well as even more recent music (i.e. Lauridsen and Corigliano). Musically I think it's because it's less "organized" than earlier music. In music from the Classical period, everything is so clearly defined....first you have the introduction, the main theme, the secondary theme, maybe even a tertiary theme. All the rhythmic motives are established. Then there's the development, the recapitulation, maybe a coda. Everything is so strict tonally and rhythmically. What I like about more contemporary music is that it's less rigid. I can focus more on the soundscape of it and not get distracted by its structural form.

And there's your theory lesson for the day...