What a superb concert by The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at The Schuster Center for the Performing Arts. Marvelous!

The concert opened with Grazyna Bacewicz’s, “Overture.” I was not familiar with the composer or his work but found it delightful.

Ahhh. Chopin! Spencer Myer at the piano for Frederic Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Opus 21. “Larghetto” was my favorite and I was smitten with the luscious voice colorings with the winds.

There was no mention in the program that before intermission, Mr. Myer would return for an encore of Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu. In 1917, Joseph McCarthy penned lyrics to the haunting Chopin melody and the song, “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” was popularized by many artists. The piano concerto ended and the usher opened the doors beside me. I was in the upper lobby waiting for the crowds to sweep the Johnsons out when I thought I heard recorded music. It was still quite nice to hear “Fantaisie-Impromptu” from outside.

Intermission was spent in the company of Chuck and Teresa Johnson, and I would have preferred a much longer amount of time, even knowing I’d be hearing Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 3 in D Major, Op. 29 – Polish” for the first time.

I was hoping I’d heard this symphony years ago, but I didn’t recall it. Now, I’m fascinated with it. The bassoon was a nice presence throughout the evening and ever more so in this work. I also was happy to hear favorite orchestra musicians, Aaron Brant on French horn and John Kurokawa on clarinet, and at least three members of Carillon Brass. Fine work!

I’m within a few blocks of home and I’m sure the bus’s beeping will alert The Fab Five that I am about to walk in the door. This is the longest amount of time I’ve been away from Col. Deeds.

What a great evening! Tomorrow? More music!