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

Started by Siedler, April 20, 2007, 05:34:10 PM

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Brian

Wowzers at this: the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra is recreating Beethoven's wild night of premieres.

A Monumental Four-Hour Recreation of the Legendary 1808 Concert!

BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 6 in F major, "Pastoral"
"Ah! perfido" for soprano and orchestra
"Gloria" from Mass in C major
Concerto for Fortepiano No. 4 in G major

Two-hour intermission

Symphony No. 5 in C minor
"Sanctus" from Mass in C minor (this seems to be a typo? - Brian)
Fantasia in C minor, "Choral Fantasy"

Richard Egarr, conductor and fortepiano
Mireille Asselin, soprano
Kelley O'Connor, alto
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Cody Quattlebaum, bass-baritone
David Belkovski, fortepiano
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale
Bruce Lamott, chorale director

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 @ 4PM | Herbst Theatre, San Francisco

Todd

A couple weeks back, I got to hear Dasol Kim play the last three Beethoven sonatas in this Beethoven year, front row and center as usual.  Kim's playing was meticulously well prepared and not particularly spontaneous, taking on a sterile sound at times, but the trade off was perfectly judged dynamics and basically flawless tempo choices throughout.  While there were a few fudges, overall the recital was extremely high grade.  There were some notable aspects.  For instance, while Kim obviously pedaled throughout, he was often quite discreet.  He never relied on stomping on the sustain during fortissimo playing, instead relying on his arms entirely.  (He never really leaned into his playing like Abduraimov does, though he was not as superhumanly poised as Moog when cranking up the volume.)  Op 110 was the comparative highlight, extremely well done, in a museum quality version, complete with a crystal clear fugue and inverted fugue and a massive buildup to the inverted fugue.  Op 111 was fast and strong in the opener, and more efficient than transcendent in the second movement, though some of his left hand playing, especially surrounding the "little stars" music, was unique and novel in my listening experience.   If DG or some other label were to release a live cycle of the 32, I would buy with no little alacrity. 
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Papy Oli

Last night at the Bridgewater Hall with the Hallé Pops (Stephen Bell - cond., Craig Ogden - guitar)

Falla - The Three Cornered Hat: Suite No.1
Rodrigo - Concierto de Arunjuez
Marquez - Danzón No.2
Chabrier - España
Bizet - Carmen (extracts)
Granados - Spanish Dances: Andaluza
Ravel - Boléro

Did enjoy the Aranjuez and the Carmen extracts. The rest of the fillers was quite pleasant but at times I found some intensity and some fire were lacking.

The Bolero, however, was an absolute hoot. Any lingering prejudice of it being an over-familiar warhorse has been blown to smithereens. Rather unexpectedly, i'd actually put that among my top live experiences. Each instrument one after the other, the build ups, the layers, the crescendos, the bombastic ending... It would be a brilliant introduction to live classical music if there ever was one. I'd see that again in a heartbeat.

Olivier

listener

Similar program here last night:
BIZET:  Carmen Suite     DE FALLA 6 Spanish Songs  orch. Berio (and very nicely done)  GRANADOS Intermezzo from Goyescas,  CHABRIER España
and the Three Cornered Hat with live sand painting.    Would it take away from the music - Does the dancing take away the music from Swan Lake (or vice versa)?  Full house, for a change, the sand artist has been on America's Got Talent so a lot of non-regulars attended and the evening was well planned
Vancouver S.O.     Otto Tausk cond.
"Keep your hand on the throttle and your eye on the rail as you walk through life's pathway."

ritter

I and my partner will be spending a long weekend in Bolonia, and we just got tickets for Verdi's Falstaff at the Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti in Modena  for Sunday afternoon . Luca Salsi sings the title rôle, and Jordi Bernàcer conducts.

Seeing this work (a favourite of mine) in a provincial Italian opera house, in a town which is just 80 km away from the composer's birthplace, and which has such strong operatic associations (Pavarotti and the recently deceased Mirella Freni were both Modena natives) is rather appealing to me.  :)

Christo

Quote from: ritter on February 12, 2020, 01:13:22 PM
Bolonia

Errr, could it be (no longer Spanish-occupied it is:) Bologna, perhaps? #nonimperialistspellinghabits  ::)
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

ritter

#5926
Quote from: Christo on February 15, 2020, 12:49:38 PM
Errr, could it be (no longer Spanish-occupied it is:) Bologna, perhaps? #nonimperialistspellinghabits  ::)
AFAIK, the city was never Spanish occupied (as it was part of the Papal States). The closest it ever came to being « Spanish » was when Charles I (or V, depending on one's perspective) was crowned emperor there by the Pope.  ;)

Christo

Quote from: ritter on February 15, 2020, 12:57:44 PM
AFAIK, the city was never Spanish occupied (as it was part of the Papal States). The closest it ever came to being « Spanish » was when Charles I (or V, depending on one's perspective) was crowned emperor there by the Pope.  ;)

The deblorable Charles V - Karel V, you mean - a born & grown Dutchman/Belgian of course. Emperor of the Empire he was though, whether Bologna did like it or not (indeed not). Being crowned - either in Rome, as was Charles 'the Great' No. 1 - or in Milan(o) - as were all normal emperors - didn't matter that much. Either king or emperor: their sphere of influence always fluent, a matter of dealing with all other powers within the Holy Roman Empire. The great free city of Bolonia/Bolognia nothing less / or more / than one among many.  :-X
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

bhodges

Last night at Carnegie:

Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

Beethoven: Symphony No. 2
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3

An impressive evening, which fell in my lap at the last minute, thanks to a pal who couldn't use a ticket.

I had never heard this group live, and they are as suave and accomplished in person as they are on recordings. In both works, details I had never noticed emerged, thanks to the clarity and balance. Fantastic wind section.

In the Eroica, the violins and violas performed standing, perhaps adding an extra frisson of energy. Tempos, phrasing, accents, and dynamic levels were all superbly judged.

I confess to being a little weary of the 250th birthday party already (it's not as if his music is never played), but this concert revived me.

Gardiner and the group are completing the symphonic cycle over the next few days, and all concerts are essentially sold out. No time to catch any of the others, but glad I got to hear one of them.

--Bruce

bhodges

Tonight, a terrific immersion in works by Dai Fujikura, part of Miller Theatre's long-running Composer Portraits series, with the peerless International Contemporary Ensemble.

I would eagerly hear anything on this program again.

Alice Teyssier, soprano
Daniel Lippel, guitar
International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)
Daniela Candillari, conductor

Minina (2013)
silence seeking solace (2013)
Gliding Wings (2019) world premiere
abandoned time (2004, rev. 2006)
secret forest (2008)

--Bruce

bhodges

Tonight, what looks like a terrific concert with two short operas. I have seen the Benjamin twice, and it is creepy as hell -- his take on the Pied Piper story.

George Benjamin: Into the Little Hill
Toshio Hosokawa: Futari Shizuka (US Premiere)

https://www.92y.org/event/talea-ensemble

--Bruce

bhodges

Assuming it happens (since things are changing daily due to coronavirus), looking forward to MTT and San Francisco Symphony in his final Carnegie concert as music director: Mahler 6. Heard him with the Los Angeles Philharmonic a decade ago in the same piece, which was quite an experience.

https://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2020/03/18/San-Francisco-Symphony-0800PM

--Bruce

André

All concerts cancelled, concert venues closed in Montreal  :-X

bhodges

Quote from: André on March 12, 2020, 12:57:22 PM
All concerts cancelled, concert venues closed in Montreal  :-X

Yes, same in NYC, as well as Philadelphia, Detroit, Seattle. I think it's 100% the right call. Was at MoMA yesterday, emptier than I have ever seen it. Will likely be shuttered for a few weeks as well.

--Bruce

André

All municipal venues (libraries, museums etc), and possibly the whole school system too (we'll know Friday pm).

Yes, it's the right call. Breaking the transmission chain of the virus will lower the number of cases on a daily basis. It's the only way to make sure the health system isn't overwhelmed.

I just received the 2020-21 season program from the Orchestre métropolitain. Yummy stuff. Hopefully the epidemic will be a thing of the past come September  :).

André

All concerts being cancelled, I'm turning my attention to the next season, starting in September 2020. Hopefully by then things will have returned to a semblance of normalcy.

I've booked 4 concerts with the Orchestre métropolitain. 3 are conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, one by Jo Ann Falletta:

- Wagner, prelude to the 3rd act of Lohengrin.
- Clara Schumann, piano concerto.
- Mahler, symphony no 6


- Sibelius, En Saga
- Mathieu, Concerto de Québec
- Sibelius, symphony no 5.


- Barber, violin concerto
- Shostakovich, symphony no 8

All of the above will be conducted by YNS.

Jo Ann Falletta will conduct these works:

- Kodály, Dances of Galanta
- Rodrigo, Concierto de Aranjuez
- Zemlinsky, Die Seejungfrau (The Little Mermaid) . Yeah !!  :)

SimonNZ

non classical:

Saw Amanda Palmer last night, third time seeing her and it was quite a special show.

Wasn't certain if it would go ahead and her time before the show was spent making sure her husband (author Neil Gaiman) and her son got out of Australia before the travel restrictions were put in place. It may have been the last show of her tour as the Wellington gig may be cancelled, and she said she couldn't do he regular 4-hour (!!) set list, but wanted to just talk to the crowd and take requests (it being a small venue usually used for string quartets or piano recitals.

Intimate, engaging and emotional. She sang everything brilliantly, some the best versions I've heard and sang the two songs I would have yelled for without my having to yell.

I'm looking forward to reading reviews and especially her own comments.

Todd

Somewhat unexpectedly, I received a brochure from Portland Piano International detailing the 2020/21 recital season.  The guest curator is Vladimir Feltsman, who selected all the pianists who will perform, including himself.  I am not especially keen on attending live performances any time soon, and much less so in the fall and winter.  As luck would have it, Feltsman selected pianists I'm either not keen on or am not familiar with, and the programs slated for presentation are mostly not my thing.  The one exception is Jeremy Denk, who will be performing a complete first 24 from the 48.  I'm still not completely sold on attending recitals until 2023 or later, though.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Brian

That is quite unexpected. The Dallas Opera just canceled everything in the fall lineup, and ambitiously plans to stage four different operas in spring 2021 to make up for it. I'm not sure about our symphony yet but I don't expect to buy tickets for anything in this calendar year. (Among this fall's probably doomed symphony offerings: Ginastera harp concerto, Mussorgsky Pictures orchestrated by someone named Gorchakov, a premiere trombone concerto by rock musician Bryce Dessner, Abduraimov + Saraste Beethoven, Bruckner 9, and a ladies' night of Alsop conducting Hahn.)

Todd

Quote from: Brian on June 07, 2020, 06:28:03 AMAbduraimov + Saraste Beethoven

Which concerto?  Actually, doesn't matter.  That's a big loss.

I'm thinking I pass on live musical events until after I receive a vaccine, or have been infected and survived the virus.  I would prefer the former.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya