Now That's Music to My Ears

Recently, I took in a concert while living in Rome.  There's a little artist internationally known as Tori Amos who visited our little city while on tour and my little art historian expert is quite fond of her.  Though I prefer a different style of music, it wouldn't be very just VASGO of me to turn down seeing a new venue and hearing some live music.

So we and our friends made our way to the Auditorium Parco Della Musica.  I've learned very little about this concert venue.  Basically I heard it's supposed to be shaped like a cornetto, one of the fabulous crescent pastries I enjoy eating for breakfast.

My favorite ones are filled with Nutella.  Especially with powder sugar sprinkled on top.

So here's where we went. See how it's kind of crescent shaped?  The largest venue of the three, the left-most facility, is where the concert was held.

Source

From the outside, it looked kind of interesting, and yet kind of bland.  Lots of metal.  From a distance, I kind of thought I was going into an airplane hangar.

Then I got inside.  My eyes lit up with satisfaction.  It was as if I were looking at an inverted turtle shell on the ceiling.

Source

An upside down turtle?  Not quite what I had in mind.  Let's try again.

Source

That's better! My eyes feasted on huge panels of beautiful lacquered wood which guaranteed great sound waves to bounce everywhere. And the chairs were wide seats, comfortable red fabric, nice cushion, not too hard, not too soft.  It was just right.

Thank you Goldilocks and the Three Bears for your inspirational words which I have so cleverly borrowed.

Anyway, for a concert I was going to with very few expectations, this was a good start.  Then the music came on.  I learned from my expert that Tori's latest album is not her usual style.  It's different because her usual instrumentalists have been replaced this time by a string quartet from Poland, specifically the Apollon Musagete Quartett.

I can't really speak for the Tori Amos CD itself as I have not listened to it.  But live, the whole crew rocked.  They are all seriously excellent musicians. And they accompanied Tori in a way that made her own songs from previous albums extra inviting to my ears.  Well done Tori and AMQ.  I applaud your efforts!

By the way, one interesting thing of note is that in America people will stand for entire-concert lengths so they can see the stage no matter where you are seated.  This happens even at Tori Amos concerts which I consider a little less wild and crazy than the Snoop Dog and Master P No Limit Soldier rap tour I attended once upon a time 13 years ago.  Here in Rome, Italy... none of that.  It's like I was attending a classical orchestra concert.  Sit down when you get there.  Stand up when you leave.

What? I don't have to compete for a view?  I'm falling in love with Roman culture more and more.