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

[brewski]

Tonight at 9 pm (ET), conductor Thomas Søndergård, the Minnesota Orchestra, and violinist Benjamin Beilman in this livestream:

Takemitsu: Night Signal
Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique

[hopefullytrusting]

Going digitally to Azara Ballet's Opening on the 15:

Lost & Found | Choreographed by Martin Flowers
Is This What Love Is? | Choreographed by Olivia Huseonica
Divine Serenity | Choreographed by Leiland Charles
Symphony | Choreographed by Joshua Stayton
Kodumaa | Choreographed by Martin Flowers

https://www.azaraballet.org/performances?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnqXuPYl7Sag3YYa1fLhuuxHVDoCSJjMaylnM8FawrVU1WALx3pmjBvIAYG10_aem_4bU8oZNYrFBwtHClkflQVg

This was amazing!

I wish I could have seen this in person!

[ritter]

Just bought tickets for the Spanish National Orchestra and Chorus (reinforced by the Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid) and vocal soloists, under the baton of Fabio Luisi, performing next Sunday 16 November Franz Schmidt's oratorio The Book with Seven Seals at the National Music Auditorium here in Madrid. Very much looking forward to this rare opportunity of experiencing this magnificent oratorio live.

Back home from the matinée concert and the subsequent lunch. I rather enjoyed it. Fabio Luisi obvouisly has a high regard for Schmitdt's music and for The Book with Seven Seals in particular, as he conducts the oratorio often, and a recording led by him —from Dresden— was issued some years ago (YouTube has performances led by him in Copenhagen and Dallas).

The work is just under two hours long, and was played without an intermission. It makes a strong impact live, and the triumphant conclusion (reprising the four-note theme of the opening) is gripping and moving. It has its longuers (as many oratorios do), but following the text (the original German and Spanish translation were projected on a screen above the orchestra) prevents thoughts to wander (at least most of the time). The orchestration is superb, with some beautiful oboe solos in the more lyrcal moments. On the other hand, in some passages the setting of the words appeared awkward (not too say downright clumsy), with snippets of phrases repeated several times to adapt to the melodic lines, but with no apparent logic or expressive effect.

Tenor Michael Lorenz as John the Divine started out tentatively, but at the end made a postive impression in his demanding role. The only other important vocal soloist is the Voice of the Lord, well performed by bass Christof Fischesser. The remaining vocal soloists were all fine. Daniel Oyarzabal was convincing in the organ intermezzi that link the sections of the oratorio.

Warm (but not rapturpous) applause at the end, directed mainly at the chorus (who did a  splendid job, but need a better diction coach IMHO)..

Great to have seen this piece live. 

[(poco) Sforzando]

Listening online via WQXR.

And?

[(poco) Sforzando]

Tomorrow night, Nov 18, the interesting Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino at Carnegie.

[brewski]

And?

My first encounter with Rana, and I liked what I heard, especially the Debussy and the Prokofiev sonata. (The other Prokofiev and the Tchaikovsky were fine, but not a real fan of either.) Overall, enjoyed the concert very much but wasn't knocked out — perhaps would be different actually being in the hall, of course. But I'd hear her again.

[Karl Henning]

Reviewing tomorrow's BSO concert, basically at the request of my publisher. The guest soloist is Joshua Bell. I admit to laboring to suppress the gag reflex on seeing "superstar violinist" on the BSO website. First-world problem? Sure. Many Americans are scrambling because of Trump interfering with their SNAP benefits, so no, my complaint is immaterial.

[brewski]

On Friday, once again there are two competing livestreams, both at the same time (2 pm ET). At the moment, I'm having a friend over to watch the Lachenmann, but we might switch at intermission to catch the Shostakovich from Frankfurt.

Lachenmann: Ausklang, Music for Piano and Orchestra (1984)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7

SWR Symphonieorchester
Jean-Frédéric Neuburger, piano
François-Xavier Roth, conductor

Unsuk Chin: Alaraph (Ritus des Herzschlags)
Korngold: Violin Concerto
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11

Frankfurt Radio Symphony
Renaud Capuçon, violin
Alain Altinoglu, conductor

[Judith]

Well,  another wonderful concert yesterday evening.
This time with
Leeds Symphony Orchestra

Performing

Helena Munktell  Bränningar
Grieg  Piano Concerto in A minor
Nielsen  Symphony no 4  The Extingishable

Soloist  William Green
Conductor  John Lyon

[brewski]

Well,  another wonderful concert yesterday evening.
This time with
Leeds Symphony Orchestra

Performing

Helena Munktell  Bränningar
Grieg  Piano Concerto in A minor
Nielsen  Symphony no 4  The Extingishable

Soloist  William Green
Conductor  John Lyon

That's a really great program. You don't see the Nielsen that often, at least in the U.S. What did you think of the Munktell piece? I didn't know her work at all until your post. Then I went down the YouTube rabbit hole, where lo and behold, there are a few performances of it, like this one with the Aurora Ensemble from Edinburgh.

[KevinP]

Three consecutive nights of opera for me.

Friday night: Joyce DiDonato Master Class.
The two men were especially great, but I thought this exceeded most master classes I've seen (though they've always been on YouTube, which could colour my perception).

Saturday night: Joyce DiDonato in concert.
She only did the music up to the intermission, and while most people stayed, quite a few did leave after her part.

On the programme she did Berlioz' Les Nuits d'été. After that she did, off the programme, Carmen's Habanera and Over the Rainbow.

The Carmen was especially amazing. In the opera, it has a chorus, of course, which is usually omitted in concert. However, several people in the audience clearly had experience in Carmen and contributed the chorus parts with professional confidence (and volume). The orchestra reacted with ear-to-ear grins and DiDonato voiced her praise.

(Carmen at around 46:30)

And Sunday night: TANOZ (The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio) gave a small concert, which featured the four people from the Master Class and a few others.

[brewski]

On Friday at 2 pm (ET), this concert, live from Munich. Have to say, the ARD Klassik channel on YouTube is a goldmine for livestream aficionados.

Carlos Simon: Four Black American Dances
B. A. Zimmermann: Trumpet Concerto, "Nobody knows de trouble I see"
R. Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche
Ravel: La valse

Håkan Hardenberger, trumpet
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Andris Nelsons, conductor

[(poco) Sforzando]

My first encounter with Rana, and I liked what I heard, especially the Debussy and the Prokofiev sonata. (The other Prokofiev and the Tchaikovsky were fine, but not a real fan of either.) Overall, enjoyed the concert very much but wasn't knocked out — perhaps would be different actually being in the hall, of course. But I'd hear her again.

Yes, I thought some of her programming choices were wasted, and I could have done without the Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky arrangements. The highlight for me was the Debussy group, where she proved herself an exceptional colorist and technician. (BTW and FWIW, "rana" in Italian means "frog.")

I was impressed by Hayato Sumino as a pianist, but not by his programming his own new-age compositions or the phony-jazz etudes by Nikolai Kapustin. I learned only too late that Bavouzet was playing a (sold-out) all-Ravel program at Alice Tully the same night, and had I known that certainly would have been the more musically exciting way to spend the evening.

But next Wednesday December 10 I've got the great Benjamin Grosvenor at Carnegie-Zankel, doing Chopin 2, Gaspard, and Pictures. That will be something to hear!

[brewski]

Tonight at 7:30 (ET), the Juilliard String Quartet with its newest member, violinist Leonard Fu, plus guests Catherine Cho and Marcy Rosen in the program below. The concert will be livestreamed here and here.

Juilliard String Quartet
Catherine Cho, Viola
Marcy Rosen, Cello

Brahms: String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2
Leonard Fu: Popular Dances
Kurtág: Six Moments Musicaux
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht

[brewski]

And if the previous livestream doesn't pique your interest, here's another one, also at 7:30 (ET). Interesting programming, with three consecutive opus numbers in order.

That said, this stream will be available for 3 days after, and the Juilliard is a one-off that apparently won't be archived.

Joseph Lin, violin
Claire Bourg, violin
Natalie Loughran, viola
Raman Ramakrishnan, cello
Helen Huang, piano

Beethoven: String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95, Serioso
Beethoven: Violin Sonata in G Major, Op. 96
Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97, Archduke

[brewski]

Tonight at 7:30 (ET), the Juilliard String Quartet with its newest member, violinist Leonard Fu, plus guests Catherine Cho and Marcy Rosen in the program below. The concert will be livestreamed here and here.

Juilliard String Quartet
Catherine Cho, Viola
Marcy Rosen, Cello

Brahms: String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2
Leonard Fu: Popular Dances
Kurtág: Six Moments Musicaux
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht

Halftime at this wonderful concert, with Leonard Fu making a great addition to this celebrated quartet. Loved the Brahms and Fu's piece (about 8 minutes), and now REALLY looking forward to the second half, especially the Schoenberg.

[brewski]

Tonight:

The Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Veronika Eberle, violin
Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello

Brahms: Tragic Overture
Brahms: Double Concerto
Brahms: Symphony No. 1

[Wanderer]

Tomorrow and Friday in Rome:


Beethoven Fantasia Corale
Bruckner Sinfonia n. 3 "Wagner-Symphonie"


Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
direttore Tugan Sokhiev
pianoforte Jean-Frédéric Neuburger
maestro del coro Andrea Secchi
soprani Valentina Varriale, Marta Vulpi
contralto Eleonora Cipolla
tenori Alfio Vacanti, Francesco Toma
basso Patrizio La Placa

[(poco) Sforzando]

Benjamin Grosvenor tonight in New York, Daniel Trifonov this coming Saturday. For Danny, they're selling stage seats even though the concert is not sold out.

[Wanderer]

Today at the Villa Medici:

Satie: Vexations.

Carlo Benedetti & Isenarda De Napoli, piano.

The whole piece will be performed (16 measures repeated 840 times), lasting 12 hours. I will not be staying for the whole duration.