I saw two things for first time tonight. First, I've seen plenty of trumpet mutes, but a mute in a tuba? It reminded my date of a huge earplug sticking out of instrument's flared bell, and it looked to me like a silver beer keg. (I always go out with dames that are classier than I am.) Second, Maestro Diemecke conducted without a baton. Instead, he made very good use of his hands, posture, and facial expressions to get exactly what he wanted from his performers. It was great fun to watch.

The final music on program was signature piece I mentioned earlier, Revueltas' 'La Coronela' ('The Woman Colonel'). I have never heard a musical work more at odds with its program description. The first movement, 'Society Ladies', started out nervous and finished like an intense battle scene from old "Victory at Sea" films! What was in that champagne I drank at intermission? Next, 'Dance of Disinherited' should bring to mind poverty and despair, but music started off serene and gradually became as light and fluffy as a scherzo; it seemed to involve dancing "rurales" and no small amount of cerveza. Third, 'Don Ferruco's Nightmare', sounded peaceful, but at least it grew in intensity as it came to part about The Woman Colonel herself. (Maybe 'Coronela' actually means "battle-axe.") I couldn't even tell where we were in piece until music suddenly hit a big crescendo and told me that we had reached fourth movement, 'Last Judgement'. It started

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Rob LaGrone, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

Seaman is a magician, able to take 200 voices, several dozen strings, and four powerful soloists and make setting feel like an intimate private concert, even like chamber music in some movements. By controlling pace and volume precisely, he leads listener through every delicate step, never forcing music on audience, but rather presenting it as a gift.

Each of soloists seemed personally moved by music, no one more so that soprano Danielle De Niese. The Australian-born singer captured stage visually in a stunning lime green ball gown that set off her green eyes, but what shone most was her deep love of music. Although soloists play prominent roles in performance, no one sings for any length of time or very many movements. By end Ms. deNiese seemed to be enjoying music so thoroughly that it seemed that she'd rather sing in chorus next time around, just to get to participate more.

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Cymber Quinn, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com