Date Night at the Philadelphia Orchestra

Powerful! That's the word my wife used to describe Mahler's Third Symphony as performed by the

Modigliani Cello Player
Published before 1923
Public Domain in U.S.

Philadelphia Orchestra. Neither of us had ever gone to a live performance by a professional symphony. So when we received complimentary tickets we decided it was time for a long overdue date night.

This was our first visit to Verizon Hall located inside Philly’s Kimmel Center. The hall is a building within a building, sharing the Kimmel Center with the Lenfest Theater. The hall itself is a beautiful wooden structure, stained in a color that reminded me of a very large cello. Once inside I realized we were in fact stepping into the body of a large cello, complete with side curves reminiscent of C-ribs. The color and shape are appropriate as the acoustics make the building an important instrument in delivering the sound of the city’s top notch orchestra. And though we were in the third tier, this architectural wonder did a fine job of bringing each instrument cleanly to our listening ears.

The orchestra used their wooden home to its full potential, delivering a performance that kept my novice ears fully engaged. Mahler's third symphony is long but the orchestra, under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, made the listening experience fun. I understand why these musicians are invited to travel the world, representing the city of Philadelphia with a sound of which we should be proud. I should have long ago taken advantage of having a world class orchestra nearby. After seeing them in person during their last performance of the 2016-17 season, I will definitely be back for more.

If you live near or are planning a visit to Philly I suggest you consider a trip to Verizon Hall. The orchestra's season runs from September to May and the full calendar can be found at: www.philorch.org. Also the orchestra offers an etiquette page for us newbies, with tips on how to dress (I was overdressed) and when it is okay to applaud (very important).

I am looking forward to future visits to Verizon Hall. This was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon with my wife. I think we both have a new favorite place.