Friday, February 8, 2008

Freedom, My Immense Song -- Ainadamar

my wife, mrs bored, and i attended the chicago symphony orchestra's performance of ainadamar: fountain of tears, and all i can say is, wow. a big wow.

first of all, let me say that i was disappointed when my wife said it was an opera. and i was wrong. i must have an inclination towards the cso's modern offerings, because those have been the most memorable for me. but i am also a huge fan of al di meola, so i was familiar with the rhythms and syncopations used in ainadamar. plus, any time the symphony plays with two guitarists, i'd want to see it.

you should want to see it, as well! this is a totally impressive, very memorable performance which will leave you humming the themes throughout the rest of the night. it's no surprise that the opera was recorded, nor that it won two grammy awards: best opera recording of 2006, and best classical contemporary composition.

ainadamar was written by osvaldo golijov, the cso's mead composer-in-residence, who has been called "today’s hottest composer – young, innovative, creatively versatile, and rooted in different cultures and styles."

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