FRIDAY, NOV. 15
OK, stick with us on this one.
On Saturday, tomorrow, the Long Beach Symphony performs its celebration of French music with French Fantastique.
Now, if you were really paying attention to the beginning of that sentence, you noticed that Fantastique is tomorrow, Saturday, whereas this article is expressly written about what to do today, Friday. Look, we meant to put Fantastique in “The 7,” our weekly roundup of what to do over the weekend, but somehow we, oh, what’s the phrase, completely screwed up and didn’t.
Since we didn’t want you making plans Friday, today, for Saturday, tomorrow, and then we come out with this Fantastique piece on Saturday, tomorrow, and you’re all, “Why didn’t you tell me Friday, today, about Saturday, tomorrow’s French Fantastique before I made plans to play cribbage with the Fishnagles? I don’t even like cribbage. Or the Fishnagles. What is my life?”
So, that’s why we’re doing something to do on Saturday, tomorrow, on Friday, today. OK? Word to the Fishnagles.
We’re going to all this bother because it figures to be a lovely program, led by, of course, the music of Claude Debussy and Camille Saint-Saens. And the moment you read Debussy you were wondering, “Will they perform ‘Claire de Lune?'” Uh, I don’t know, are they human beings? Of course they’re going to perform “Clair de Lune.”
Here’s a little playlist of what’s in store.
If you clicked on a few of the above, you no doubt picked up that this is pretty wonderful, lush stuff. Even the people who wrote it thought so. Saint-Saens was so fond of his Symphony No. 3 (the Organ Symphony) that he once said: “I gave everything to it I was able to give. What I have here accomplished, I will never achieve again.” If you think that’s hyperbole, just know that it is not unusual to see people dabbing their eyes with handkerchiefs when it’s played.
Another great thing: The symphony will also perform Cesar Franck’s awesomely titled “Le Chasseur Maudit” or “The Accursed Huntsman,” because, you know, French.
Giving us a moment’s pause: What day is this?
Long Beach Symphony performs French Fantastique, Saturday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m. at the Terrace Theater located at 300 E. Ocean Blvd. For more information or tickets, click here.