I went to my first Cleveland Orchestra concert at Blossom since the pandemic. The family went and had a picnic beforehand. Tiffany made pulled chicken for dinner and rice crispy treats for dessert. My mom made a cucumber salad and brought corn bread. I brought chips for appetizer and chocolate covered almonds, licorice, and cookies for dessert, all bought from Whole Foods. It was tasty. It was a little hot sitting at the picnic table, but a slight breeze helped sometimes.
My parents sat in the pavilion while the rest of us sat on the lawn. I brought both a blanket and a chair. The chair was a bit too tilted forward on the hill, so I didn’t sit on it too long.
The first half of the concert was Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor. It was good. The piano was fast and exciting at times. I recognized the piece. Afterward, though, I realized I had heard it from Electric Light Orchestra playing it on their Flashback compilation, which I have listened to many times. I may have also heard it elsewhere, but mostly there.
Due to continued clapping, the pianist came back out and played a solo piece, which was also interesting, though I don’t remember it.
The second half was Schmidt’s Symphony #4 in C major. This was less interesting than the piano concerto, but still good, and a journey. Some of the parts I felt like I might recognize, especially the solo horn parts in the fourth movement.
Leaving, there was a fair amount of traffic, but it was continuously flowing, luckily.
Overall a good night.