What concerts are you looking forward to? (Part II)

[Mirror Image]

Thursday, February 10th at the Festival Hall:


Béla Bartók: Cantata Profana
Béla Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste

Interval

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

Philharmonia Orchestra
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor
Attila Fekete tenor
Michele Kalmandi bass-baritone
Gulbenkian Choir

I would definitely be at this concert for the Bartok.

[bhodges]

Just got back from:

Mendelssohn: Overture, Intermezzo, Nocturne, Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream
Weber: Clarinet Concerto No 1
Beethoven: Symphony No 7

Antony Pay, clarinet
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
David Zinman

And tomorrow night:

Rachmaninov: Isle of the Dead
Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini
Liszt: Totentanz
Dvorak: Symphony No 7

Bernd Glemser, piano
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Osmo Vanska

Quite the two days!!

Quite the two days, for sure! That's a really beefy line-up for tomorrow. Are you writing these up?

Thursday, February 10th at the Festival Hall:


Béla Bartók: Cantata Profana
Béla Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste

Interval

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

Philharmonia Orchestra
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor
Attila Fekete tenor
Michele Kalmandi bass-baritone
Gulbenkian Choir


The first concert in Salonen's Infernal Dance season was excellent; a shame it was so poorly attended. The balcony can't have been any more than a fifth full. I suppose the Rite will pull more people into this concert; it's the only reason my other half is willing to be dragged along.

This looks great! (And hope attendance is better for this one.) I like what Salonen does with the Stravinsky; have heard it several times with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Do report back.

On Saturday night, I'm hearing this, part of the Avant Music Festival, at a venue new to me, Wild Project:

John Cage: Dream and In A Landscape (performed by Vicky Chow)
John Cage: Song Books (Ekmeles)
John Cage: Two5 (Randy Gibson and William Lang)

--Bruce

[Brian]

Quite the two days, for sure! That's a really beefy line-up for tomorrow. Are you writing these up?

I wasn't planning on any write-ups: the OAE concert was just wonderful, wholly enjoyable music-making, David Zinman the consummate professional, a lovely night; the near-hour LPO first half tonight was similar, with Osmo Vanska taking a slow approach to the Isle of the Dead which paid off, and Bernd Glemser taking the Totentanz entirely seriously. A really rock-solid pianist, pleasure to see.

But my no-write-up plan got a jolt in the second half. Vanska's Dvorak 7 was faster than I like it, but the result was surprising: it dragged me out of my comfort zone and set me back to a time 5-6 years ago when the piece left me feeling cold and lonely. You know what the performance made me realize? Dvorak's Seventh is full of a lot of really weird music. There's some stuff in there that's just plain bizarre. It's like being in a foreign landscape, enemy territory in fact, at night, strange shapes looming out in the darkness, footsteps running past. It was terrifying. The scherzo was taken way too quickly, so it just seemed angry, but the finale - god - apocalyptic. It was like Richard III: a symphony hell-bent on its own destruction, no matter what, filled with self-loathing, going down in a blaze not even of glory but of indignation at the fates. I felt like my worldview was being challenged. I was really shaken.

So some writing might happen. I've even decided on the final line already: "Why the major-key ending, then? The man who jumps has no regrets."

[MishaK]

Going to hear Lohengrin (opening night) at the Lyric Opera tonight, thanks to a friend who couldn't use his tickets. Quite excited. haven't seen this in years and it's probably my favorite non-Ring Wagner Opera to see on stage.

Lohengrin
Johan Botha 

Elsa
Emily Magee 

Ortrud
Michaela Schuster 

Telramund
Greer Grimsley 

Conductor
Sir Andrew Davis

[Senta]

I would definitely be at this concert for the Bartok.

That's what I was just thinking! What a wonderful program for that particular set of performers.

I'm also extremely jealous of Brian and that whole Rach/Liszt/Dvorak program there, yum!

Okay, so I have a spring trip coming up, visiting over on the East Coast - Maryland, Baltimore/DC area thereabouts. Never been over there at all, rather excited.

So we're looking at these concerts:

Sunday, March 20

Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 
Zemlinsky - Lyric Symphony

National Symphony
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor & piano
Twyla Robinson, soprano
Matthias Goerne, baritone

Thursday, March 24

Ravel -  Valses nobles et sentimentales
Grieg -  Piano Concerto
Lutoslawski -  Concerto for Orchestra

Baltimore Symphony
Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor
Orion Weiss, piano

Actually planning to fly in a day early to see the Eschenbach concert, though completely a lucky coincidence to have found the Lutoslawski, very thrilled about hearing.

Need some input on seating for Kennedy Center and Meyerhoff Hall, are anywhere seats fine in these halls? Or are some really not worth getting?

[karlhenning]

A Senta sighting!

[jlaurson]

Okay, so I have a spring trip coming up, visiting over on the East Coast - Maryland, Baltimore/DC area thereabouts. Never been over there at all, rather excited.

So we're looking at these concerts:

Sunday, March 20

Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 
Zemlinsky - Lyric Symphony

Thursday, March 24
Ravel -  Valses nobles et sentimentales
Grieg -  Piano Concerto
Lutoslawski -  Concerto for Orchestra


Need some input on seating for Kennedy Center and Meyerhoff Hall, are anywhere seats fine in these halls? Or are some really not worth getting?

Good choices. Perhaps this can help a little, too? March in Music, your monthly selection of particularly mentionable concerts in the [DC] region. http://www.weta.org/fmblog/?p=2750.

As per seating: for the BSO, try to go to Strathmore, not Meyerhoff. Why, you ask? This is why: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2010/11/strathmore-is-one-of-my-favorite-halls.html. You can get to Strathmore very easily with the DC Metro or from DC (or B'more, if necessary) per car. Although Meyerhoff is pretty good, too. Orchestra seating there is better than at the Kennedy Center.

In the KC, orchestra seating should be considered between rows N and AA... not all the way on the outside... but well off-center. Or else balcony. Behind the orchestra was excellent but it's not being made available anymore.

[MishaK]

Thursday, March 24

Ravel -  Valses nobles et sentimentales
Grieg -  Piano Concerto
Lutoslawski -  Concerto for Orchestra

Baltimore Symphony
Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor
Orion Weiss, piano

Senta, do go hear this concert. Apart from the rare opportunity to hear the Lutoslawski, Yan Pascal Tortelier is an excellent conductor. He subbed here in Chicago last season on short notice for I forget whom and conducted a scorcher of a Saint Saens Organ Symphony. Highly recommended. He's the son of the famous French cellist Paul Tortelier.

[Senta]

Hi Karl! Yes, 'tis me!! DavidRoss poked me and cajoled me to rekindle my GMG habit recently, hopefully I'll find a bit of time to hang out here again

As per seating: for the BSO, try to go to Strathmore, not Meyerhoff. Why, you ask?

Sigh...yes, I wish...but I shall be leaving that Sat. afternoon So that narrowed the choices of days. Thanks for the recommends, Jens, I really enjoy reading your blog. Will come in handy as there may be future trips to this area forthcoming, in fact with all the cultural offerings might find it hard to leave!

I'll be there Mar. 19-26, soon as dates were set I began perusing the local concerts, going to be doing a lot of things (the usual touristy stuff too), so decided to sadly forgo chamber things and at least see the big orchestras this go round. Such a shame too...the chamber music offerings were stellar.

I did nearly faint when I saw the Lutoslawski listed during that week, you can't imagine (well, Lutoslawski fans might!) how much I have wanted to hear this piece live, it is a huge favorite of his work. I have a few various recordings by Tortelier, and was pleased to see his name there (esp. w the Ravel!), I can't wait to hear his take on it.

Lyric Symphony I also greatly adore, I was at the concert where the recent Naxos Houston Symphony recording was done and seeing it live is what really did it for me. Twyla Robinson was the soprano for that too, but Goerne I have never seen live, excited to hear him.

I also just realized I didn't have and never heard the Eschenbach/Orch de Paris recording, so just ordered it (w/ Goerne!)

[Brian]

Lyric Symphony I also greatly adore, I was at the concert where the recent Naxos Houston Symphony recording was done and seeing it live is what really did it for me. Twyla Robinson was the soprano for that too, but Goerne I have never seen live, excited to hear him.

I also just realized I didn't have and never heard the Eschenbach/Orch de Paris recording, so just ordered it (w/ Goerne!)

Having just heard Lyric Symphony live myself, I can definitely understand the impulse to travel across time zones* to hear it again! It makes an incredible impression... and that ending, after all the unrest, feels like heaven...

*Yeah, yeah, you have other reasons... but they're secondary! 

[jlaurson]

I did nearly faint when I saw the Lutoslawski listed during that week, you can't imagine (well, Lutoslawski fans might!) how much I have wanted to hear this piece live, it is a huge favorite of his work. I have a few various recordings by Tortelier, and was pleased to see his name there (esp. w the Ravel!), I can't wait to hear his take on it.

Lyric Symphony I also greatly adore, I was at the concert where the recent Naxos Houston Symphony recording was done and seeing it live is what really did it for me. Twyla Robinson was the soprano for that too, but Goerne I have never seen live, excited to hear him.

I also just realized I didn't have and never heard the Eschenbach/Orch de Paris recording, so just ordered it (w/ Goerne!)

The Lutoslawski is a fantastic piece, of course... and a real specialty of Tortelier, as is Ravel. Which is good, because unlike Mensch, I think Tortelier is a rather modest and average conductor (with an awful technique and incapable of not mentioning his father at least every 30 minutes). But when he's into something (Florent Schmit, Ravel, Lutos' Concerto for Orchestra) he does good stuff. Wisely enough, he usually sticks to these pieces now. And the BSO knows him, so they won't be thrown off if he suddenly beats two bars ahead.

And yes... what an opportunity to hear the Lyric Symphony, huh?! If, by chance, I managed to have a hand in bringing the Eschenbach / Paris recording to your attention, all the better.

[Brian]

Tonight!

Ravel | Ma mere l'oye (Mother Goose)
Berlioz | La mort de Cleopatre
Berlioz | Symphonie fantastique

Anna Catarina Antonacci, mezzo
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Yannick Nezet-Seguin

Nezet-Seguin and Antonacci just teamed up for a BIS CD of the two Berlioz works.

This will be my second chance to see Yannick Nezet-Seguin in action. The first time I was impressed by his clever programming but not really by his conducting. This time I'm three rows from the podium, and he's conducting two of my very favorite works (the Ravel and the Symphonie). I love the Ravel especially dearly and this will be a major pleasure to hear in concert. ... Or, if it's not a major pleasure, expect a blog post savaging poor Yannick!

[jlaurson]

Yannick NS Interview: http://bit.ly/fRccE7. Overstretched... but very fine. Heard him in Salzburg a few weeks ago and he & CEO were stupendous again.




LSO Lunchtime Concert: Mozart at St.Luke's

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/02/ionarts-at-large-mozart-at-stlukes.html

Tomorrow night: Haitink, Mahler 7, BRSO

[Shrunk]

Seeing John Adams' Nixon in China at the Canadian Opera Company this Saturday.

And we'll be in NYC for March break, so snagged tickets to see Lucia di Lammermoor at the Met, w/ Natalie Dessay.

[bhodges]

Seeing John Adams' Nixon in China at the Canadian Opera Company this Saturday.

Would be interested in your comments. I saw the production at the Met a few weeks ago: loved the libretto, liked the music, but the production (by Peter Sellars) just left me wanting more, somehow. I would like to see a different director's take on the piece.

Tonight, the Talea Ensemble in this fascinating concert, with Ms. Chin interviewed at intermission:

Unsuk Chin: Allegro ma non troppo (1994/1998)
Unsuk Chin: Fantasie Mecanique (1997)
Unsuk Chin: Etudes for Piano (2003)
Unsuk Chin: ParaMetaString (1996)

--Bruce

[jlaurson]

Ionarts-at-Large: Thielemann's Last Round of Munich Brahms
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/02/ionarts-at-large-thielemanns-last-round.html

[Brahmsian]

Tomorrow night:

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major

Bruckner - Symphony No. 7 in E major

Anton Kuerti - piano

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor

REALLY looking forward to the concert, particular for the Bruckner, as it will be my first time attending a live performance for a Bruckner symphony.   

[bhodges]

REALLY looking forward to the concert, particular for the Bruckner, as it will be my first time attending a live performance for a Bruckner symphony.   

And what a great Bruckner symphony to start with! That opening cello line has to be one of the most beautiful sequences he wrote.

--Bruce

[Opus106]

Finally: my first orchestral concert!


The Symphony Orchestra of India are finally coming out of Bombay. So far, apart from a tour to Russia, I don't think they have toured anywhere.


Here's the programme:

Sunday, February 27 at 7.00 pm Chennai

Mikhail Glinka: Russlan and Ludmilla Overture
Isaac Albeniz: Asturias from the Suite Española
Tommaso Vitali: Chaconne
Georges Bizet: Carmen Suites (No.1 and 2)
Maurice Ravel: Bolero

Marat Bisengaliev – Violin (he's also the MD of the SOI)
Conductor – Zane Dalal

[MishaK]

Marat Bisengaliev – Violin (he's also the MD of the SOI)

MD (music director), or rather the concertmaster?