I really wish I knew German! I spent the concert (maybe obsessively) trying to follow along with the lyrics. I really wanted to hear how Brahms used music to convey the emotions of the words, but I ended up getting lost a lot of the time and wish I had spent more of the time just enjoying the music.

I thought this was a fabulous performance! The behind the scenes with Nadine Sierra and the Hill Auditorium tour made the experience that much better for me. Realizing that the UMS Choral Union was unpaid was also amazing to me. I wish I could comment more on the musicality of the performance but that’s not really my forte. I would definitely go to a performance like this again though.

I was also slightly confused when the choir sat down. At first I thought they might have had a really long break, but then they were still singing after they sat down. I agree that this was a move to bring contrast to the movement. I also thought that this was done to put even more focus on Nadine’s voice.

In response to the soloists holding music, I think it’s a very common thing for a performance like this, in my experience at least. Opera music is very complicated and difficult with a LOT of notes as you could hear. It’s different from pop singing that usually has simpler, memorable melodies. I think of an opera singer as using their voice as an instrument and compare it with a violinist needing music during a performance.

You bring up a really interesting point about how jazz is a conversation but the performances were too overwhelming. I felt this way especially about the second half. The small bit of the recording I heard of the group prior to the performance seemed alright, but in person the amplifications were off and I ended up with a really bad headache.

I agree that the first half could have had more melodies and could have slowed down sometimes, but I personally still enjoyed the Trio a lot, even if it was a bit fast “loud”.

I was a bit surprised to see all the comments about how people found the Rodriguez Trio’s music to be not engaging; their group has been one of my favorite performances this year. Perhaps it’s my fascination with the piano, but I was very much along for the ride and didn’t have a dull moment throughout the performance. I was sad to see them finish their last planned piece of the night. When they returned to the stage for an encore, I and the audience members around me were more than excited.

Speaking of which, the people around me kind of made the show for me as well. The man who shouted out “yeah!” when particularly strucken by a musical run and the lady in front of me who was bobbing her head to the music the entire time made me smile. As I listened to the music, I couldn’t help but appreciate the culture that UMS brings to their seasons.

Though all three musicians were very talented, I do agree that Alfredo Rodriguez is early in his career and could become more of a nuanced player with more experience. His talent was obvious and awe inspiring (I couldn’t help thinking he needed more keys on his piano), but at times the runs became overly ornamental. I came to enjoy his rare, simpler melodies a lot more as a result. But overall, I was more than impressed with the Rodriguez Trio.

I stumbled out of the Kronos performance Saturday night amazed yet exhausted. The four players’ talent was evident from the first explosive piece, but some parts of the night the air filled with sustained dissonance, blaring speakers, and dancing red lights and it was altogether a bit much. I distinctly remember shifting uncomfortably in my seat and glancing around the performance hall. Causing the audience that much discomfort has got to be a sort of talent too though right? “Sing, Sing J. Edgar Hoover” was intensely disturbing but equally thought provoking. The message behind the piece was chilling.

I am very intrigued by how Kronos brings political climate into music, daringly intersecting two disjoint cultures. Overall, this was a fantastic performance.