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

[shirime]

Changing plans present opportunities. Next month -

Anna Clyne: Masquerade
Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B minor
Sibelius: Symphony No 2 in D major

BBC SSO
Pablo Ferrández: cello
Alpesh Chauhan: Conductor

Ive seen the name Anna Clyne a couple of times but I don't recall hearing any of her music. Have you heard any? What's it like?

[Wanderer]

Also, Berlioz at the Wiener Musikverein in November:

Symphonie fantastique
Lélio ou Le retour à la vie

Cyrille Dubois
Florian Sempey
Markus Meyer
Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde
Wiener Symphoniker
Philippe Jordan

This was a superb concert. At first half, the Symphonie fantastique was given an outstanding, idiomatic interpretation. Middle-ground tempi, repeats observed in the first and fourth movements, wonderful dynamic gradations and exquisite playing from the woodwinds.

After the intermission, Lélio. This could have gone terribly wrong. It didn't. In fact, it was enchanting. Apart from the interpretation, the format of the piece being what it is, they also went for extra-musical dramatic effect. As the conductor entered and the applause died down, the chandeliers in the hall dimmed to darkness and a single spotlight shone on the narrator and, afterwards, to Cyrille Dubois, who sang Le pêcheur in a captivating, lied-appropriate, expressive (and thankfully not operatic) manner. Then the chandeliers above the orchestra were lit up to a romantic glow for the Choeur d'ombres, then the other chandeliers slowly began to lit up. Well-judged lighting effects like these continued to the end of the performance not to the distraction of the audience. The orchestra continued being in top form as in the first half of the concert, highlighting Berlioz's exquisite orchestration along with his musical invention, the soloists were enthusiastic in their parts and the choir wonderfully radiant. All in all, a successful evening.

[André]

Very nice post and review, Wanderer.

It's a dream of mine to hear Cyrille Dubois perform/record Les Nuits d'été. Berlioz composed the songs for different voices, including the tenor voice (some of the poems are genred and are supposed to be sung by a male voice). Some transposition would be required but that is standard anyway in the usually heard soprano/mezzo performance. Dubois' voice has an openness, a plangency that are ideal for Berlioz.

[shirime]

Meistersinger was good fun! Final thing I'm seeing in Melbourne this year before flying to Munich. I have a bunch of operas I'm seeing there: Otello, Jenufa, Die Zauberflöte, Die verkaufte Braut and Hansel und Gretel.

And Fidelio on the 7th of December when I'm in Berlin.

[king ubu]

So does Symphonie fantastique get better just because it's performed well? 

coming up next week:

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Lahav Shani Leitung
Lisa Larsson Sopran

Franz Berwald "Traumreise" Lieder für Sopran und Orchester (Konzept: Lisa Larsson, Orchestrierung: Rolf Martinsson) Uraufführung
Gustav Mahler Sinfonie Nr. 4 G-Dur

--

And plenty o'jazz, and also the Serebrennikov "Così fan tutte" at Zurich opera.

[Irons]

Booked up today for a concert next month at the Barbican. Sir Simon Rattle conducting the LSO in the Brahms VC with Leonidas Kavakos, Debussy Images and Enesco Romanian Rhapsody No.1. This rather odd but attractive programme is part of a series of concerts "Roots and Origins".

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

December 8:

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Edward Gardner, conductor
Erin Wall, soprano
Wagner: Overture to Rienzi
Strauss: Four Last Songs
Nielsen: Symphony No. 4 ("The Inextinguishable")

Not going to turn down a chance to hear the "Inextinguishable," certainly not as played by teh most awesomest brass section evah. Also, a conductor new to me (Gardner) - I know of him, but have never heard him.

[Brian]

December 8:

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Edward Gardner, conductor
Erin Wall, soprano
Wagner: Overture to Rienzi
Strauss: Four Last Songs
Nielsen: Symphony No. 4 ("The Inextinguishable")

Not going to turn down a chance to hear the "Inextinguishable," certainly not as played by teh most awesomest brass section evah. Also, a conductor new to me (Gardner) - I know of him, but have never heard him.

That's a sweet program! The Strauss and Nielsen form about as disparate a contrast as an orchestra can offer.

[Judith]

Wonderful performance yesterday evening at Leeds town Hall.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Tchaikovsky. Francesca da Rimini
Korngold Violin Concerto
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition

Soloist. Elena Urioste
Conductor. Vasily Petrenko

[shirime]

Saw the Munich Youth Orchestra play a concert recently. My girlfriend's younger sister plays clarinet in that orchestra, principal clarinet in Brahms Symphony no. 3 (her solo passages were great!) and I think she was in the second clarinet role in the first half, Brahms Tragic Overture and Schumann Piano Concerto.

Last night my girlfriend and I went to the Bavarian State Opera for one of their ballet productions: Alice in Wonderland. The music composed for it (by a modern composer I don't really know anything about) was dull but serviceable, but the actual production, dancing etc. were delightful.

Jenufa at Bavarian State Opera on Tuesday, I shall report back here after that...

[André]

Just bought a ticket to Leif Ove Andsnes' recital in Montreal next January: Schumann, Janacek and Bartok.

[shirime]

Saw Jenufa and said hello to Simone Young at the stage door. The opera has a terrifically dark story that I certainly appreciated. The production sometimes felt a bit timid in that the darkness of the story and the music weren't really reflected so much in the design and direction, but the realistic, contemporary setting brought a poignantly topical perspective to the opera appropriate for the kind of realism it presents. Simone Young was conducting and I think she did a great job, the singers were mostly really excellent as well and the musical performance brought with it a stomach churning sense of anxiety (very good!) especially in the second and third acts.

Before that I saw András Schiff give a masterclass at the Musikhochschule, but to be honest I thought it was slightly disappointing in that he often just stared the obvious rather than bringing out any great sense of musicality. To tell you the truth, I'm extremely unfamiliar with Schiff until coming across his name for the first time this year and I felt the masterclass unfortunately didn't reveal much of his musical thought processes regarding the repertoire that the students were playing. I'm tempted to listen to some recordings to get a better sense of his approach to tempo modification, rubato, pedalling, phrasing, touch and textural balance. I'm gradually becoming more familiar with pianists outside of the contemporary repertoire I am more familiar with, and so far my favourites are Hofmann and Cortot.

On Thursday I'm seeing a concert featuring a new work by a composer I met this year, Henrik Ajax (I am going to meet him for coffee next week as well), and some other recent works are on the programme too. As for older repertoire, I'm looking forward to Ligeti's Mysteries of the Macabre. On Saturday I'm seeing a concert of Lachenmann......I will report back later.

[Mahlerian]

Singing in a concert this upcoming Wednesday with music by Jacob Obrecht!

http://www.umass.edu/music/event/five-college-early-music-collegium-orphic-jacob

[shirime]

Last night:

PROGRAMM
Ivan Fedele (*1953): Immagini da Escher (2005) für Ensemble
Ensemble BlauerReiter | Leitung: Armando Merino

Francesco Filidei (*1973): Finito ogni gesto (2010) für Ensemble
Ensemble Zeitsprung | Leitung: Markus Elsner

György Ligeti (1923-2006): Mysteries of the Macabre (1973) für Koloratur-Sopran und Kammerorchester
ensemble oktopus | Anna-Lena Elbert, Sopran | Leitung: Konstantia Gourzi

PAUSE

Henrik Ajax (*1980): Gesänge des Typhon (2018, UA) für 3 Ensembles, 3 Dirigenten
Kompositionsauftrag des Ensemble BlauerReiter, des Ensemble Zeitsprung und des ensemble oktopus
Leitung: Konstantia Gourzi, Armando Merino, Markus Elsner


I saw this particularly for Henrik's premiere, which was a wonderful piece of heightened dramatic energy bookending richly harmonic central sections. Originally it was meant for three conductors and three ensembles, but due to some rehearsal complications it was revised for one conductor in front of the three ensembles combined. I spoke to Henrik a little bit before and after the concert; lovely chap, looking forward to a proper catch up next week. The first half of the concert was terrific as well; my girlfriend and I were already familiar with the Ligeti (which we love) and I think we both agreed that Francesco Filidei's piece Finito ogni gesto was especially good.

Lachenmann tomorrow night and I really can't wait for that! In a week's time we are also seeing Otello at Bayerische Staatsoper and then Fidelio the next day at Staatsoper unter den Linden, Berlin.


Also, by the time I'm back in home in Melbourne I look forward to Melbourne Opera's new production of Der fliegende Holländer and Victorian Opera's Parsifal, both in February.

[shirime]

Last night: Lachenmann. Great concert.

[GioCar]

Nice picture, Jessop.
The maestro always looks like the same. You look like a bit...fatter? 

[shirime]

Nice picture, Jessop.
The maestro always looks like the same. You look like a bit...fatter? 

my face has puffed up a bit, that is true! (I think the Christmas cookies I've been making—and eating—have found a home for themselves in another chin!)

[Papy Oli]

The absolute favourite for the first time In May next year :

Mahler -  'Resurrection' Symphony No.2
The Hallé - Sir Mark Elder - Anne Schwanewilms soprano - Alice Coote mezzo-soprano - Hallé Choir


The least favourite for the first time In July next year :

Mahler - Symphony No.8

Chetham's Symphony Orchestra - Stephen Threlfall conductor | Ailish Tynan soprano | Gweneth-Ann Jeffers soprano | Daniel Norman tenor | David Platt  bass | Ruby Hughes  soprano | Kitty Whately  mezzo soprano | Margaret McDonald soprano
Chetham's Symphony Orchestra
With special guests: Chetham's Chorus | Leeds Festival Chorus | St George's Singers | Greater Manchester Hub Youth Choir | Manchester Cathedral Choristers | Hereford Cathedral School Children's Choir

Very excited by both as i hope seeing the M8 live will unlock it for me.

That leaves the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th to see live to complete my bucket list live Mahler cycle.

[Sergeant Rock]

That leaves the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th to see live to complete my bucket list live Mahler cycle.

I completed my Mahler bucket list in 2007 with the Eighth and Tenth 

1. Louis Lane/Cleveland 1972
   Maazel/Vienna Phil 1995

2. Ormandy/Cleveland 1972
    Unknown/Unknown 1975 (First date with the future Mrs. Rock. No memory of who conducted)
    P.Järvi/Frankfurt RSO 2010

3. Chailly/Gewandhaus 2006

4. Maazel/Cleveland (with Von Stade) 1979

5. Bamert/Cleveland 1977
    Barenboim/Staatskapelle Berlin 2007
    Welser-Möst/Cleveland 2009
   
6. Szell/Cleveland 1967
    Abbado/Cleveland 1972
    Segerstam/Rheinland-Pfalz 1994

7. Tennstedt/Cleveland 1978
    Barenboim/Staatskapelle Berlin 2007

8. Boulez/Staatskapelle Berlin 2007

9. Haitink/Cleveland 1973
    Pesek/Royal Liverpool 1990

10. Harding/Vienna Phil 2007

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I completed my Mahler bucket list in 2007 with the Eighth and Tenth 

I've heard every Mahler symphony, most of them multiple times, including the 10th - except the 4th. Which is weird, because it's always been one of the most popular.