An Orchestra Opens Its Season on Prokofiev and Brahms

An opening night programme tends to declare what an orchestra wants to be for the year, and this pairing sets Prokofiev against Brahms. The Russian writing runs angular and percussive. The Brahms sits denser and slower to unfold. Hearing them in one sitting makes the contrast in orchestration obvious even to a first-time listener. Programme notes are handed out at the door rather than sold. The orchestra draws players from across the Metroplex and rehearses in the same hall it performs in.

The Charles W. Eisemann Center sits on Performance Drive beside the Galatyn Park station, and the main hall seats around fifteen hundred across an orchestra level and two tiers. Wood panelling runs the full height. The room was tuned for unamplified sound, and the strings carry to the back tier without reinforcement. Sightlines from the first tier take in the whole stage. The lobby opens an hour ahead and the bar runs through the interval.

The concert plays Saturday, October 3 at half past seven at 2351 Performance Drive in Richardson. Parking in the adjacent garage is free for ticket holders. The DART Red Line stops at Galatyn Park, a two minute walk from the doors. Latecomers wait for a pause between movements. Anyone hoping for a short evening should know a full symphony plus a concerto runs past two hours with the interval. Dress runs from suits to jeans with no house preference.