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

[MDL]

Just found the video about the piece, including building the set, that I saw on Sunday--they must have just posted it. 

http://www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/die-soldaten/96

--Bruce

Great video, what I've seen of it. (I'm at work and I'd got halfway through when a colleague came over to ask a question so I had to look busy.) Didn't an early, abortive scenario for Soldaten consist of putting the audience on swivel chairs and surrounding them with 12 screens and stages? Maybe I dreamt one up that. Whatever.

I saw ENO's Soldaten back in 1996/7 and loved it. It was a modern-dress affair, unlike the DVD, but it worked fine.

BTW, does anybody know why the original Wergo Soldaten was recorded in mono, even though it was taped in the '60s? If any work cries out for stereo sound, this is it. (Well, my LPs are mono. Perhaps it's been reissued in stereo on CD.)

[bhodges]

And the day after: Christopher Taylor***

Bach – Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
Rzewski – The People United Will Never Be Defeated!

***I'm especially looking forward to this one.

I would be, too.  A couple of years ago he did the complete Ligeti etudes here--all 18 of them--and it was one of the finest, most intense recitals I've ever been to.  You are in for a treat.

--Bruce

[bhodges]

Tonight, a recital by Philippe Entremont (Yes, he's still with us!), part of the International Keyboard Institute & Festival at Mannes College of Music.  The program:

Mozart:  Sonata in A Major, KV 331
Beethoven:  Sonata, Op. 57 "Appassionata"
Debussy:  Images, Book I
Debussy:  Suite pour le piano
Ravel:  Pavane pour une Infante defunte
Ravel:  Alborada del gracioso

And Saturday night at the same festival, Marc-André Hamelin in this one:

Mozart:  Sonata in A minor, K. 310
Chopin:  Two Nocturnes, Op. 27
Scriabin:  Sonata No. 7, Op. 64
Ives:  Concord Sonata

--Bruce

[Solitary Wanderer]

Looking forward to Romeo & Juliet tomorrow.

Here's a review in todays NZ Herald.

[bhodges]

Looking forward to Romeo & Juliet tomorrow.

Here's a review in todays NZ Herald.

What a gorgeous production!  That scene with the edge of the moon, looming huge behind the building, is pretty stunning.  Enjoy and do report back. 

--Bruce

[Solitary Wanderer]

Yes, Bruce it does look special and great review in the Herald.

I will post my thoughts 

[calvin]

tonight i'll be attending the concert of mehta conducting tchaikovsky 6 and picture at an exhibition with Israel Philharmonic at the Sydney Opera House......

[MDL]

My first Prom of the season, Sunday 27th. Three choirs, no less. Should be fairly loud!

Messiaen La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ (98 mins)
There will be no interval

Gerard Bouwhuis piano
Adam Walker flute
Julian Bliss clarinet
Sonia Wieder-Atherton cello
Colin Currie xylophone
Adrian Spillett marimba
Richard Benjafield vibraphone


Philharmonia Voices
BBC Symphony Chorus
BBC National Chorus of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Thierry Fischer conductor

[bhodges]

And Saturday night at the same festival, Marc-André Hamelin in this one:

Mozart:  Sonata in A minor, K. 310
Chopin:  Two Nocturnes, Op. 27
Scriabin:  Sonata No. 7, Op. 64
Ives:  Concord Sonata

Hamelin's recital was absolutely astounding.  Even the works I don't normally enjoy were a delight to listen to--e.g., I am not the biggest fan of Mozart's sonatas, but nevertheless greatly enjoyed his crisp, rhythmically precise reading of this one.  The two Chopin Nocturnes were exquisite, with dynamic shading about as subtle as it gets.  In pretty much the entire concert, Hamelin's soft moments were very impressive. 

The devilish Scriabin was piercing, mysterious, weird, with huge chords that seemed to link it to the Ives that followed.  And for most of us, the Ives was the climax.  Although many fine pianists play this piece today--and play it extremely well--Hamelin really makes sense out of its sprawling structure and holds it together.  Plus, he can do the folksky "hoedown" portions with humor. 

Two encores, including one he wrote himself: Little Nocturne (2007), a dreamy miniature in a fairly conservative style--it actually didn't sound too unlike the Scriabin.  And then, "the Diabelli Variation that Beethoven never wrote," a 30-second riff on "Chopsticks" that was totally hilarious. 

--Bruce

[MDL]

My first Prom of the season, Sunday 27th. Three choirs, no less. Should be fairly loud!

Messiaen La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ (98 mins)
There will be no interval

Gerard Bouwhuis piano
Adam Walker flute
Julian Bliss clarinet
Sonia Wieder-Atherton cello
Colin Currie xylophone
Adrian Spillett marimba
Richard Benjafield vibraphone

Philharmonia Voices
BBC Symphony Chorus
BBC National Chorus of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Thierry Fischer conductor

This was amazing! If not quite in the Mahler 8/Gurrelieder league, the forces on stage were nevertheless enormous. I liked the way the metal percussion was spread around the stage; seven gongs to the left, three tam-tams to the right and bells at the back. It added a bit of theatre to the ritualistic chiming that recurs throughout the piece. Obviously, the big climaxes were mindblowing, but I was really impressed by some of the quieter passages that, experienced live, had a weight and mystery that I've not tuned into when listening to recordings. Obviously, listening to a gargantuan piece live is always a revelation, but I've been listening to various recordings of Transfiguration on and off for almost three decades and I was still bowled over by how it sounded in the flesh.

And I'm going to hear/see it again in the Festival Hall in the autumn under Nagano. Can't wait.

[bhodges]

This was amazing! If not quite in the Mahler 8/Gurrelieder league, the forces on stage were nevertheless enormous. I liked the way the metal percussion was spread around the stage; seven gongs to the left, three tam-tams to the right and bells at the back. It added a bit of theatre to the ritualistic chiming that recurs throughout the piece. Obviously, the big climaxes were mindblowing, but I was really impressed by some of the quieter passages that, experienced live, had a weight and mystery that I've not tuned into when listening to recordings. Obviously, listening to a gargantuan piece live is always a revelation, but I've been listening to various recordings of Transfiguration on and off for almost three decades and I was still bowled over by how it sounded in the flesh.

And I'm going to hear/see it again in the Festival Hall in the autumn under Nagano. Can't wait.

Thanks for this interesting report, on what must have been an overwhelming experience.  Huge Messiaen works definitely need to be experienced in person, and I can't believe you're going to hear it twice, live, within just a few months!  (I still have not heard it on recordings.)  So did you mention your favorite?  If not, please feel free to recommend one. 

--Bruce

[MDL]

Thanks for this interesting report, on what must have been an overwhelming experience.  Huge Messiaen works definitely need to be experienced in person, and I can't believe you're going to hear it twice, live, within just a few months!  (I still have not heard it on recordings.)  So did you mention your favorite?  If not, please feel free to recommend one. 

--Bruce

La Transfiguration is by some distance my favourite Messiaen piece. I only found out at the Prom that it was one of Messiaen's favourites, too. I've got all five recordings.  I didn't mean to collect them all; I just kept on stumbling over them in sales. (The most recent I picked up in either Boston or New York in 2003.) I got to know the piece via Antal Dorati's Washington performance on Decca Headline, so inevitably, perhaps, that's probably my favourite. In the review of recordings in the Proms brochure, Dorati's performance was singled out for its intensity. It's due for reissue soon, so snap it up.

I was listening to Chung again last night. It's beautifully recorded and gorgeously played, but occasionally lacks bite and impact. If you're in the mood for a softer-grained Messiaen, it's well worth a listen. De Leeuw's recording is very attractive and was highy regarded by the composer, apparently, although I think both Rickenbacker and Camberling provide bigger-boned, more appropriately monumental readings.

So I'd say wait until Dorati's recording resurfaces. If you can't wait, Rickenbacker on Koch is impressive. Perhaps you can pick up Chung as well for a fascinating comparison. Have you never heard this piece at all? If not, you need to wrap your ears around it pronto, and prepare to be amazed.

[bhodges]

So I'd say wait until Dorati's recording resurfaces. If you can't wait, Rickenbacker on Koch is impressive. Perhaps you can pick up Chung as well for a fascinating comparison. Have you never heard this piece at all? If not, you need to wrap your ears around it pronto, and prepare to be amazed.

Thanks much for the comments!  No, I've never heard the piece--not for any particular reason, just the usual "too much music and not enough time to get to it all."  (E.g., I only heard Des canyons aux étoiles for the first time last February.)

Anyway, I'll keep an eye out for the Dorati, but may get one of the others.  I have some of the other Chung Messiaen recordings and like them a lot.

--Bruce

[Bogey]

Attended this a couple days ago:

Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado

Corelli,    Sonata in D Major for violin and continuo, opus 5 no. 1 (1700)     
Handel,    Chaconne in G Major for solo harpsichord
Marais,     Piece en Trio no. 5 in E minor (1692)
Muffat,     Sonata in D Major for Violin and Continuo (1677)    
Telemann, Trio in D Minor     

[Solitary Wanderer]

Looking forward to Romeo & Juliet tomorrow.

Here's a review in todays NZ Herald.

Well, it was an excellent performance but, sadly, attending a Saturday afternoon ballet matinee isn't a good idea if you want to really commit yourselve to the performance. The young Mums and kids were there in force and we ended up with a pre-schooler behind us who was never going to sit still and quiet for 3 hours. I found the constant chat, whispering and fidgeting very distracting. [the Mums as well as the kids]  I'm used to attending symphony orchestra concerts where the audience is made up of mature, serious music lovers who are there to focus exclusively on the performance. So, while I was able to enjoy the wonderful ballet as best I could it was a bit of a chore at times.

No more Saturday ballet mattinee's for me. 

Edit: BTW we're not shy to shush people, but it was a tricky situation with such a young kid and a majority of families in attandance. 

[Solitary Wanderer]

This Fridays NZSO concert:

HAYDN Cello Concerto No 2
SCHUMANN Symphony No 4
LODGE Winterlight for Bassoon and Orchestra (World Premiere)

JULIA JONES Conductor
ALBAN GERHARDT Cello
PREMAN TILSON Bassoon

Energy, subdued intimacy, and even menace interweave in Schumann's Fourth Symphony, ostensibly in a sombre minor key, only for a major key conquest to prevail. Haydn's Second Cello Concerto, with its once disputed authenticity, achieves symphonic proportions. Undoubtedly easier on audience ears than a performer's technique, it is amiable yet demanding, undeniably a major contribution to the 18th century cello repertoire.

Should be good 

[Florestan]

Well, it was an excellent performance but, sadly, attending a Saturday afternoon ballet matinee isn't a good idea if you want to really commit yourselve to the performance. The young Mums and kids were there in force and we ended up with a pre-schooler behind us who was never going to sit still and quiet for 3 hours. I found the constant chat, whispering and fidgeting very distracting. [the Mums as well as the kids]  I'm used to attending symphony orchestra concerts where the audience is made up of mature, serious music lovers who are there to focus exclusively on the performance. So, while I was able to enjoy the wonderful ballet as best I could it was a bit of a chore at times.

No more Saturday ballet mattinee's for me. 

Edit: BTW we're not shy to shush people, but it was a tricky situation with such a young kid and a majority of families in attandance. 

Yes, this is a very embarrassing situation and it frequently happens at Bucharest National Opera as well. There is also something that I hate: in the first intermission people go to the bar and buy candy bars or chocolate or whatever. They then come back to their seats and chat all the time. Right after the second act begins, it also begins a "chorus" of unwrapping chocolates and candy bars and whatever. For God's sake, why don't they do it before, not after? Stupidity rules!

[MDL]

There were a few irritants at the Messiaen Prom, too. I suspect (without anything like proof to back it up!!) that they were tourists who had come to the Proms because that's the sort of thing you do when you visit London, not realising that they were in for 100 minutes of hard-core modernism. Two young men left after about half an hour, and one of them made a really strange dismissive yelp as he reached the door, which was bloody rude. An Oriental family in the row behind me left after about 70 minutes; their children either wriggled or snored through most of the concert. And in front of me, two girls sniggered at some of the more unusual sections of the score; the string glissandi in Part 8 had them in stitches. They were silent, which was something, but they were still annoying.

Still, it was an amazing concert and I'd actually forgotten all about the tossers surrounding me until this thread reminded me.

[Solitary Wanderer]

Yes, this is a very embarrassing situation and it frequently happens at Bucharest National Opera as well. There is also something that I hate: in the first intermission people go to the bar and buy candy bars or chocolate or whatever. They then come back to their seats and chat all the time. Right after the second act begins, it also begins a "chorus" of unwrapping chocolates and candy bars and whatever. For God's sake, why don't they do it before, not after? Stupidity rules!

Agreed! Yes, my wife and I always marvel at all the people eating ice cream on a stick at intermission; some of them look like their starving! And the noisey sweet packets can be distracting. The last thing I want to do at a concert is eat  This is one of the reasons I seldom go to the movie theatre anyone; sitting there surrounded by people stuffing their faces is quite unpleasent.

There were a few irritants at the Messiaen Prom, too. I suspect (without anything like proof to back it up!!) that they were tourists who had come to the Proms because that's the sort of thing you do when you visit London, not realising that they were in for 100 minutes of hard-core modernism. Two young men left after about half an hour, and one of them made a really strange dismissive yelp as he reached the door, which was bloody rude. An Oriental family in the row behind me left after about 70 minutes; their children either wriggled or snored through most of the concert. And in front of me, two girls sniggered at some of the more unusual sections of the score; the string glissandi in Part 8 had them in stitches. They were silent, which was something, but they were still annoying.

Still, it was an amazing concert and I'd actually forgotten all about the tossers surrounding me until this thread reminded me.

Yes, I notice that problem at Opera's and the Ballet and even at Handels Messiah last year. People come along as a 'one-off' with little or no understanding of the event and treat the experience like they're at the movies and chat and eat and text etc. Even at the NZSO concerts you can spot the people who have come along as a one-off 'cause they start fidgeting half way through the symphony in the second half. 

[MDL]

August 2nd is Stockhausen Day at the Proms. I normally sit in the stalls to the side, but because several pieces in the first concert are in surround sound, I've got a seat in the middle of the stalls. The acoustics are too distant and unfocused for a standard concert, but should be OK for Gruppen and Kontakte.
I'm not sure if I'll make it to any of the films or talks. I might need to save my energy for the two concerts.

1.00pm: Film Music Masters: Stockhausen (48'), and In absentia (23').
4.15pm - 5.00pm: Proms Intro Discussion around pieces by Stockhausen, with Paul Hillier, Morag Grant and Robin Rimbaud.
Prom 20: Stockhausen Day 1 - BBC Symphony Orchestra

Time 6.00pm - c9.10pm

Stockhausen
Gruppen (24 mins)
Stockhausen
Klang, 13th hour – Cosmic Pulses (for electronics) (UK premiere) (32 mins)
Stockhausen
Klang, 5th hour – Harmonien for solo trumpet (BBC commission: world premiere) (c15 mins)

Interval


Stockhausen
Kontakte (35 mins)
Stockhausen
Gruppen (repeat performance) (24 mins)

Marco Blaauw trumpet
Nicolas Hodges piano
Colin Currie percussion

BBC Symphony Orchestra
David Robertson conductor
Pascal Rophé conductor
Ludovic Morlot conductor


Prom 21: Stockhausen Day 2 - Theatre of Voices

Time 10.15pm - c11.35pm

Stockhausen
Stimmung (70 mins)