The Center Theatre at Del Mar Fairgrounds

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 5 by Johannes Brams brought the October 2022 Mainly Mozart Festival to a close with a flourish. The festival started on Wednesday, October 12, with an explanation of the new venue in which the festival orchestra performed.

The Center Theatre at the Del Mar Fairgrounds is a part of the renowned Belly Up in Solana Beach. The venue doesn’t officially open until February but when the Belly Up management was approached by Mainly Mozart, they jumped at the chance to collaborate.

I’m not sure of all the details but the theatre itself appeared to be in a finished state when the concerts started. The acoustic of the space might not be ideal for classical music but the orchestra sounded good in the space and it was indoors with no microphones. The lobby area was expansive with more than enough space for patron receptions, product displays, a step-and-repeat photo area, and refreshments. Mainly Mozart took advantage of all these options over the course of their three concerts.

For the concerts, I made sure I positioned myself on the second level of the theatre. I felt as though that was probably the best spot for optimal orchestral sound.

The highlight of the first concert was Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Music Director Michael Francis explained that this concert was being held on the 150th birthday of Vaughan Williams. The performance was so precisely tuned that I could hear the harmonic overtones of the strings from my perch at the back of the hall.

Sometimes there are moments when the actual sound of the music floods over one’s consciousness in a way that is exponentially greater than it should be. I found this performance of Vaughan Williams to be such a moment. It wasn’t just the notes that were being played but the manner in which they were played that washed the crusty bits of a hot and dusty summer out of my mind.

Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time to review each concert. I would, however, like to emphasize the performance of Antonin Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances Op 72. As I listened to the orchestra rip through this music I realized just how easy it is to fall in love with Dvorak when his music is performed by an orchestra that is second to none.

I can make the claim that this orchestra is second to none because I have spent several days trying to find a recording that can compare to the performance I heard, and I’m still looking. The final dance, No. 8, is more of a contemplation than a traditional finale. Michael Francis performed a bit of fan service by providing an encore of the aforementioned Brahms Hungarian Rhapsody No. 5. The fans responded.