Kiev Chamber Orchestra

Attended last night's concert, part of their summer music series:

Shubert-Mahler, Death and the Maiden

Silvestrov, Serenade

Bibik, Seven Miniatures

The orchestra had a very warm sound, played precisely and nimbly, It was great to hear all the 'new' music from the second half of the program. Not genuinely new, of course, but from living composers, at least, and ones that I'm not

accustomed to hearing, not even in Berlin. I particularly liked the Silvestrov, a very delicate and poignant work in a post-modern context.

Mostly, it was great being back in a concert hall. The Philharmonic is surprisingly small, and so was the audience. Perhaps there is a greater appetitive for classical music even in St. Paul these days, than in Eastern Europe. Maybe it was mostly holiday-goers. The audience applauded between movements, and clapped in unison at the end of the program. I remembered that from East Berlin. Still disconcerting.

I also enjoyed having a Butterbrot mit Wurst before the concert, and a nice glass of Ukranian cognac during intermission.

Afterwards, we went to an Italian/Japanese restaurant nearby (not fusion, two menus) for a pizza and salad and a bottle of Georgian red, which whetted my appetite for my trip to Tbilisi next month.

Tonight it's back to the Philharmonic for the Symphony Orchestra, and a program of Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. I need to tank up before my return to Yangon.