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

[vandermolen]

Sound's like a fun time, the next program also. 

I  agree. All are popular works (American in Paris, Pictures at an Exhibition) plus Nights in the Gardens of Spain but they are all works which I enjoy.

[Ganondorf]

Wagner's Siegfried next week's Thursday. Hopefully no anxiety attacks this time. Great expectations.

[Brian]

Tomorrow at Dallas' symphony hall:

CHRISTIAN SCHMITT organ
(many of you may have heard his work on the CPO label)

BACH Passacaglia and Fugue
ARVO PÄRT Annum per annum (Year by Year)
FRANCK Chorale No. 3
THEO BRANDMÜLLER "Die Kruezigung" (The Crucifixion) & "Pieta" from Sieben Stücke zur Passionszeit (Seven Works for Passiontide)
CHARLES MARIE WIDOR "Moderato" from Symphony No. 10, "Romane"
LISZT Prelude after J. S. Bach "Cantata Weinen Klagen Sorgen Zagen"

This was very interesting. Not the most colorful concert but intellectually interesting because Schmitt assembled a lot of works (at least three) built on repetition: passacaglia, variations, and in Pärt the variations suggested the passage but steadiness of time. There was more for the head than the heart on the program, but a couple of polite nods toward Easter as well. For me, it helped confirm my personal preference for French romantic (really, French pre-Messiaenic) organ repertoire above the other styles.

Lots of big loud powerful endings, which was great. There is nothing, nothing, like the moment when you realize what chord an organ piece is going to end on, and then the satisfaction when it actually gets there and the organist lets that big last chord rumble through the concert hall extra-long. It feels great!

Schmitt was personable and gave little talks before the Pärt, Brandmüller, and Liszt. He praised the organ and the concert hall (he'd come early to catch an orchestral concert), and he also played an encore: Jean Langlais' "Alleluia" study for pedals (feet) only. That was a lot of fun too! It was also a little bit funny/silly, watching the organist essentially moonwalk across the pedals doing glissandi.

[Karl Henning]

Today in Shrewsbury, Maas.
Ensemble Aubade playing Mozart, Bloch & Farrenc.

[Brian]

Unexpected opportunity fell into my lap to see the revived, musician-owned co-op San Antonio Philharmonic at the end of this month:

Brett Mitchell, conductor
William Wolfram, piano

Falla: Suite No. 1 from The Three-Cornered Hat
Liszt: Concerto No. 2
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 "Scottish"

It's not the most exciting program by any means, not one I'd usually go out for. But the orchestra's revival as a self-operated musician-led group is a very nice story. And the ticket price is right 

Tonight!

Today in Shrewsbury, Maas.
Ensemble Aubade playing Mozart, Bloch & Farrenc.

What a good-sounding combination of composers!

[Karl Henning]

Today in Shrewsbury, Maas.
Ensemble Aubade playing Mozart, Bloch & Farrenc.

What a good-sounding combination of composers!

A superb program:

Mozart, "Kegelstatt" Trio, K. 498

Ernest Bloch, Concertino for flute, viola & piano (1950)

Louise Farrenc. Trio, Op. 45 (1856)

Robt Russell Bennett, Seven Postcards to Old Friends (1966)

• To Irving Berlin
• To Jerome Kern
• To Richard Rodgers
• To Vincent Youmans
• To Cole Porter
• To Noël Coward
• To George Gershwin

IIRC, Peter found this in MS. at the Library of Congress, a brilliant set of miniatures.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

A superb program:

Mozart, "Kegelstatt" Trio, K. 498

Ernest Bloch, Concertino for flute, viola & piano (1950)

Louise Farrenc. Trio, Op. 45 (1856)

Robt Russell Bennett, Seven Postcards to Old Friends (1966)

• To Irving Berlin
• To Jerome Kern
• To Richard Rodgers
• To Vincent Youmans
• To Cole Porter
• To Noël Coward
• To George Gershwin

IIRC, Peter found this in MS. at the Library of Congress, a brilliant set of miniatures.

Must admit that I don't know the music of Bloch (heard a bit some time ago) and Ferenc. 

How did the concert go Karl?

PD

[Karl Henning]

Must admit that I don't know the music of Bloch (heard a bit some time ago) and Ferenc. 

How did the concert go Karl?

PD

Superbly done, and a very engaging program, PD!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Superbly done, and a very engaging program, PD!

Good to hear!  Were there many people there in order to experience the pleasure and wonderment of your (meaning trio) performances?  Hopefully....

PD

[Karl Henning]

Good to hear!  Were there many people there in order to experience the pleasure and wonderment of your (meaning trio) performances?  Hopefully....

PD

The audience was small, but well outnumbered the musicians

[Ganondorf]

Reporting right away back from Siegfried. It was awesome, my feelings are pretty much universally positive! I didn't even have that much anxiety.

Whereas Das Rheingold production was set in mythical times and Die Walküre in WWII, this was set in modern times. Daniel Brenna as our favorite steroid-puming alpha male Siegfried was wonderful and stayed focused during this entire opera in one of the most taxing roles in opera history. In this version Siegfried threatens Mime with a teddy bear instead of real one! Dan Karlström was a hilarious Mime whose playful plottings are brought out masterfully. Interestingly Mime's singer didn't take his curtain call until act three (the act he doesn't even appear in!), likely because his role is one of the longest ones in this opera and Mime often seems to steal the show in Siegfried, especially if one goes for in-your-face style hilariousness that Gerhard Stolze was for example well known. Tommi Hakala once again sung Wotan/Wanderer and was perfectly cast as always. Jukka Rasilainen returned as Alberich and he is a magnificent imposing presence throughout while still retaining his pre-robbery-of-Rhinegold-awkwardness and other adorable comical traits. Matti Turunen is capable Fafner and Siegfried's fight against dragon form has breathtaking visuals and Turunen's bass rolls like thunder. From minor roles such as Fafner, Erda and Woodbird, clearly the best one was Krista Kujala as Woodbird. She is very childishly playful and youthful presence (very fitting, considering the role was in draft stages meant for boy soprano instead of adult female one), throwing pebbles at Siegfried and teasing him a lot. Absolutely adorable. The only relatively minor link in the cast was Sari Nordqvist as Erda, kind of feeble presence. And Brünnhilde is once again magnificent Johanna Rusanen.

Notes about Siegfried opera in general: I never understood Siegfried's lack of popularity in Wagner's oeuvre. Many (including myself!) find Siegfried's treatment of Mime abysmal. I won't deny it but I think Wagner is the king of objectivity. Like Thomas Mann who is sympathetic to all his characters and never passing judgment himself, Wagner does the same. He allows each character to be right in his/her own way whenever that person is speaking, warts and all. We're all imperfect creatures.

Now I am going to say something really controversial: I don't care as much about the latter half of Siegfried's act 3 (the part with Siegfried and Brünnhilde on stage) as I do about the rest of the opera. In fact, (even more outrageous statement) after Die Walküre's act 1 it is my least favorite part of the Ring. Not bad by any means but longueurs are there. And yes, I am well aware that these two sections are often mentioned among the very highest peaks of Wagner's works. Walküre's act 1 is part of the reason it is my least favorite Ring opera. However Siegfried is my 2nd favorite Wagner opera of all time, despite sometimes boring finale. That's because the first two acts and the first half of act 3 are totally awesome and the standards are so extremely high.

Hannu Lintu conducted his orchestra extremely well and I noticed a lot of nuances in the score I hadn't earlier taken note of. It seems Wagner is his forte unlike Turandot where he messed a lot of parts.

Set design was once again by Mikki Kunttu, in fact the set is technically always the same in this Ring, they are just used in different and varied ways to give a perfect meaningful whole.

Costumes by Erika Turunen served their purpose mostly perfectly well, only Erda's rather annoying costume probably contributed to my slight disappointment with Erda in this production.

I have to give props to Anna Kelo's director work. It really is top-notch.

Unfortunately it will take until next year's May until the last part, Götterdämmerung, comes out. Before that it may be Götterdämmerung IRL as well. Hopefully not.

[lordlance]

Is anybody going to attend Michael Tilson Thomas' performance of Mahler Sixth with the SFS?

[brewski]

Is anybody going to attend Michael Tilson Thomas' performance of Mahler Sixth with the SFS?

I'm not, but certainly wish I were! Given his recent health issues, anything he does right now is to be treasured, and I can only imagine what will result when he does No. 6.

But I am going to this tonight, the world premiere of a new piece by John Luther Adams.

Philadelphia Orchestra
Donald Nally, Conductor (Adams)
Marin Alsop, Conductor (Stravinsky)
Charlotte Blake Alston, Speaker
Meigui Zhang, Soprano
The Crossing
Donald Nally, Artistic Director

J.L. Adams Vespers of the Blessed Earth (world premiere—Philadelphia Orchestra commission)
Stravinsky The Rite of Spring

-Bruce

[Brahmsian]

Daniel Hogan - Mahler's 9th

For those who live in London, England, here is a concert of interest featuring GMG's own @madaboutmahler Daniel Hogan, conducting the Musicians of the Royal College of Music in a performance of Mahler's 9th Symphony. 

I'm very excited for Daniel!

Date:  Saturday, April 22nd - 19:30
Performance venue:  St. Stephens Church, Gloucester Road, London

Funds raised from the concert will go to the Red Cross for the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal.

[Judith]

Two wonderful concerts recently performed by two amazing local orchestras

Leeds Haydn Players
Haydn arr H Perry Divertimento in Bb for Wind Quintet
R Strauss Concerto for Oboe & Small Orchestra
Brahms Serenade no 1 in D

Soloist Elizabeth Kenwood
Conductor Melvyn Tay

Sinfonia of Leeds
Copland Down a Country Lane
Copland Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson
Mahler Symphony no 4

Soloist Mary Plazas
Conductor Anthony Kraus

[Karl Henning]

Looking back at, now (concert's just finished: Ensemble Chaconne in Boston's King's Chapel.

[brewski]

Tonight live online (audio only), conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto, soprano Emily Magee, and the Minnesota Orchestra:

Tarkiainen: The Ring of Fire and Love
Wagner/Mottl: Wesendonck Lieder
Turina: Danzas Fantásticas
Debussy: La Mer

https://www.yourclassical.org/mpr

-Bruce

[Brian]

Can't tell if that first piece has a really cool title, or just sounds like a sequel to Johnny Cash. 

[brewski]

*nods sagely*

Both can be true.

 

-Bruce

[vers la flamme]

Going to see a program of Schubert chamber music at a church tomorrow, the Arpeggione Sonata, one of the Violin Sonatas (which I do not know at all), and the B-flat Piano Trio.