Columbus Symphony: The new season, broadcast series on Classical 101, and pre-concert talks--back in the comfortable seats! The Columbus Symphony began a new season last Saturday night with a fantastic performance of Mahler's Second Symphony, the "Resurrection". This is not an orchestra, nor a chorus needing resurrection. It was all there: the colors, the drama, the silly landler rhythms juxtaposed against an angel turning us back from paradise. The chorus' final cry: Auferstehen!" (Arisen!) Kudos and thanks to Jean-Marie Zeitouni, to the Orchestra, the chorus and the soloists, Dominque Labelle and Sacha Cooke. The Mahler was broadcast live last Saturday night. I pushed to do this. It meant giving up including this performance on the broadcast series. I may have been wrong. I thought the Gala Opening with mighty Mahler merited a live show. Who knew there'd be a night game? Still, imaginative listeners could have turned off the sound on TV and turned to Classical 101 so that the glorious final movement with its angels and resurrections and trumpets blare coincided with the Bucks roaring to victory. Two years ago it became clear that live broadcasts of the Columbus Symphony on Saturday nights were not reaching enough people-and were not cost-effective. All of the 2013-2014 CSO classical concerts, excluding the Mahler-will be broadcast on Classical 101 on Sundays at 1 PM beginning in March. So go hear 'em live and next spring hear 'em again. What's not to love? Oh, one more thing. Much as I dislike talking about myself, the pre concert talks return as well. We are back in the theater. No more 4th floor funeral parlor with those horrible plastic seats! Come back to the Southern and Ohio Theaters for pre-concert talks, one hour before all Classical Series concerts. Leave your seat cushions at home.
Christopher Purdy is Classical 101's early morning host, 7-10 a.m. weekdays. He is host and producer of Front Row Center – Classical 101’s weekly celebration of Opera and more – as well as Music in Mid-Ohio, Concerts at Ohio State, and the Columbus Symphony broadcast series. He is the regular pre-concert speaker for Columbus Symphony performances in the Ohio Theater.