Horseradish Vodka and the SPCO

The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's performance "Treasures of the Italian Baroque" last month was our first time attending an Ordway show. So to celebrate, we treated ourselves to some Russian snacks and vodka at Moscow on the Hill in St. Paul before the show. Although the prices were not exorbitant, we don't make a habit of going out, however our orchestra tickets were so reasonably priced that we could chow down in good conscience. Thanks to the SPCO awesome Club 2030 (which is free and we qualify for, being in our 20's) we were able to get $50 6th row seats for only ten buckaroos. Brilliant idea SPCO!

Moscow on the Hill, which is in the Capitol Hill area of Selby ave. was cozy and warm, with flowered Babushka shawls draped from the hanging lamps, an accordion player who walked around, and a stylish vodka bar. I ordered gravlox, greens, and salmon caviar and Mr. H had borsht. The highlight of the meal though, was their Bloody Russian made with the house's special horseradish vodka- a precocious taste-bud experience!
What a delicious evening. Now, my report on the Treasures of the Italian Baroque, featuring the other four senses.

What I Saw:

The elegant, understated lines of the Ordway Center with its copper and mahogany, and golden lighting. Rice Park twinkling like a winter fairyland from across the street. A relatively full-house of sedate, middle to older aged orchestra patrons, with a sparse smattering of twenty and thirty-somethings, and a few sleepy-eyed children hunkered down in their cozy theater chairs.

What I Heard:

An impressive, conductorless evening of lesser known Italian Baroque composers. Regal, rich, and ornamental, the sounds that typify Baroque music were welcome on that bitter-cold night. The orchestra was precise and vibrant, showcasing some really strong soloists. Concertmaster and Juilliard graduate Steven Copes took the cake with masterful solo violin on the concerto grossi. Italian violinist Ruggero Allifranchini was expressive if not a little melodramatic. But principal Julia Bogorad-Kogan, whom the New York Times calls "a wonderful flutist- her playing is graceful, virtuosic, and always full of interest," felt awkward, nervous, even constipated to me.
The only composer in the line up whose name I was familiar with was Vivaldi, but I ended up liking his concertos least of all. My favorites were the Torelli (who lived in Bologna which always reminds me that I'm hungry for boloney) concerto and Locatelli's warm and generous Introduzione Teatrale in G. You can listen to those pieces at the Youtube links below, by clicking the title. This was the program:

Veracini: Overture No. 6 in G Minor
Torelli: Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 8, No. 9
Avison: Concerto Grosso No. 5 in D Minor
Vivaldi: Flute Concerto in D Il gardellino (The Goldfinch)
Locatelli: Introduzione Teatrale in G, Op. 4, No. 4
Geminiani: Concerto Grosso in D Minor
Vivaldi: Concerto in G for Strings and Harpsichord




What I Smelled:
stale coffee breath from the patron sitting next to me, and plenty of granny-ish perfume ala White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor

What I Felt:

A tad bit nippy. I decided to forego the Minnesotan orchestra-goers' trend of Sorel boots and wool sweaters for something a little spicier; an American Apparel number with a hole cut out of the back. A smarmy chide from one matronly orchestra patron saying " you should put a coat on, dear" further inspired me to gamely commit to wearing something fashionable and irreverent whenever I frequent the orchestra. What better excuse to wear something a little less ordinary, than a lovely evening of chamber music?




*the American Apparel dress that I wore, and the Louis XVI-style chair that I reupholstered in vintage kimono fabric



And that's all for now. I'll be back soon with that Winter playlist as promised. Remember to check my calendar of local performances regularly, here and at the sidebar. This weekend is the kick-off of the SPCO's Stravinsky Festival which will be a treat worth catching! And I leave you with these facts:

* Baroque, which comes from the Italian "barocco" supposedly means both "bizarre" and "misshapen pearl"
* Harpsichord ROCKS!