A Night at The Austin Symphony - The New World

So, back during covid lockdown, I spent a lot of time watching YouTube.  And, as some may remember, during the first days of lockdown in March of 2020, famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma offered up a song of comfort with Dvořák's "Coming Home".  

At the time, this was the thing that wrecked me as I realized how we were all in this together, for a long time to come.  But, I also realized I didn't really know anything about Dvořák, or this song, which we've all heard out there somewhere.  But if Ma picked Dvořák, I thought it was worth looking into.  

There's a pretty great explainer here from 2020 (hopefully the link doesn't die).  And one from NPR on the full symphony.  

I learned it's the second movement of Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, "From The New World", written circa 1893.  You will know this symphony - it's been used in movies, television, etc... in bits and pieces. 

Anyway, I am by no means well-versed in classical music, Dvořák, or going to the symphony.  I think this was our third trip to the symphony in a decade, and one of those was "Looney Tunes at the Symphony".  But, when I saw Austin Symphony was performing "From the New World", we went ahead and picked up tickets for the performance on January 10th.  

Saving a few bucks (I love a deal) we picked up tickets in the balcony, and I was a bit embarrassed by this fact until NathanC, who knows these things, pointed out that The Long Center's acoustics *should* mean we had ideal seats.  And - he was right.  That place absolutely funnels the sound right to those seats.

Plus, my seatmate was ideal.  

Jamie in her eternal patience with my nonsense

We'd also be treated to a performance by violinist/ concertmaster, Jessica Mathaes.  And, while Austin Symphony has a regular conductor, this performance was led by visiting conductor José-Luis Novo of the Annapolis Symphony. 

And here's where I slightly messed up.  I forgot to look at the program before we started.  

My assumption was we'd hear From the New World and then maybe some other selections by Dvořák.  But the program started and I had no idea what I was listening to until Novo addressed the audience after the first portion.  And it explained quite a bit of why, while I thoroughly enjoyed what I heard, Revueltas was clearly not Dvořák.

Here's the run-down:

Silvestre Revueltas - Redes: Suite

Samuel Barber - Violin Concerto, Op. 14 (in three movements)

after an intermission

Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95, From the New World (in four movements)

There was a theme!  "The New World".  Revueltas was a Mexican violinist and composer, and moved between Mexico and Texas quite a bit.  And Barber is an American composer.  And, of course, Dvořák's portion was written in and about the U.S. of A.

Look, I don't know one symphony from another, and this isn't our usual thing.  I feel like a jerk even trying to talk about it, but Mathaes' performance of Barber's violin concerto was amazing, and the orchestra absolutely delivered.  

We happened to be there on the same night the new Mexican Consulate was in attendance, and that felt special.  That said, I have no idea where he was in the room.  

I got the feeling Jamie wants to do this more, so I'll be looking.  It used to be that I felt tickets to the symphony were out of range for our price point, but given the price of a concert here in 2025, it's comparable and with maybe less hassle.  

Oh, and the ice rink was still open at the plaza at the Long Center.

the now sci-fi skyline of Austin there in the background