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

[SymphonicAddict]

Enescu Festival 2019

September 18

ST. PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

VASSILY SINAISKY conductor
NELSON FREIRE piano

Beethoven Piano Concerto no. 4 in G major op. 58
Mahler Symphony no. 1 in D major

September 19

ST. PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

CHRISTIAN BADEA conductor
ROMANIAN RADIO ACADEMIC CHOIR
CIPRIAN ŢUŢU conductor of the choir
VADIM REPIN violin

Enescu "Isis" Poem (1923, posthumously completed by Pascal Bentoiu)
Shostakovich Violin concerto no. 1 in A minor op. 77
Dvořák Symphony no. 9 in E minor op. 95, "From the New World"

Tonight!

Augusta Read Thomas - Aureole
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No 5
R. Strauss - An Alpine Symphony

Beatrice Rana, piano
Dallas Symphony
Fabio Luisi

Amsterdam Concertgebouw, October 14:

Strauss - Don Juan, Op. 20
Grieg - Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano

Amazing concerts!

[Christo]

And of course this coming Saturday:

The complete Canto Ostinato by composer Simeon ten Holt for organ, done by Toon Hagen at the St. Stephan's Church of Hasselt (the Dutch Hanseatic town of that name; not its namesake in Belgium).

https://www.youtube.com/v/eMgkuYAki_Uhttps://www.youtube.com/v/5UxsWkJErkw&list=RD5UxsWkJErkw&start_radio=1

[Wanderer]

October 11

Bellini: La Sonnambula

Greek National Opera

Conductor
Philippe Auguin

Director, sets, lighting designer
Marco Arturo Marelli

Costumes
Dagmar Niefind

Chorus master
Agathangelos Georgakatos

Count Rodolfo
Tassos Apostolou

Teresa
Anna Agathonos

Amina
Christina Poulitsi

Elvino
Yannis Christopoulos

Lisa
Marilena Striftobola

Alessio
George Mattheakakis

Notary
Thanasis Evangelou


With the GNO Orchestra and Chorus

[Wanderer]

December 15

Verdi: Don Carlo

Greek National Opera

Conductor
Philippe Auguin

Director
Graham Vick

Sets, costumes
Richard Hudson

Chorus master
Agathangelos Georgakatos

Filippo II
Alexander Vinogradov

Don Carlo
Bryan Hymel

Rodrigo
Tassis Christoyannis

The Grand Inquisitor
Rafal Siwek

A monk
Dimitris Kassioumis

Elisabeth of Valois
Barbara Frittoli

Princess Eboli
Ekaterina Gubanova


With the GNO Orchestra, Chorus and Soloists

[listener]

coming on Friday, I added this as an extra to my series subscription
Vancouver S.O.   Otto Tausk, cond.
Daniil Trifonov, piano
Rachmaninoff Isle of the Dead Scriabin Le Poème de l'extase    Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3
and introducing the orchestra's new 9-foot Steinway

"Russian virtuoso Daniil Trifonov takes centre stage, in a highly anticipated performance of one of the world's most challenging piano concertos — Rachmaninoff No.3  — on a brand new, $250,000 Hamburg Steinway Concert Grand piano.
A gift from the the VSO's 100th Anniversary Campaign, the VSO team traveled to Germany this past summer to hand-pick the nine-foot piano. Renowned pianist Sergei Babayan, Trifonov's teacher and mentor who also appears this season with the VSO, helped select the handmade, 3,000-pound instrument."

'Unwrapping a Steinway"  video  https://www.straight.com/arts/1306571/watch-vancouver-symphony-orchestra-unbox-and-test-ride-250000-3000-pound-new-Steinway

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Ravinia is now having concerts even after the "official" end of the season. Couldn't pass up this one, on Saturday:

David Greilsammer, piano

Labyrinth

Janáček:On the Overgrown Path, JW VIII/17 [part 1]
Ligeti: Musica ricercar No. 7
Froberger: Tombeau de Monsieur Blancrocher [part 1]
Mozart: Fantasy in C minor, K. 385f/396 [part 1]
Philip Glass: Metamorphosis No. 2
Janáček: On the Overgrown Path, JW VIII/17 [part 2]
C.P.E. Bach: Fantasy in F-sharp minor, H. 300 [part 1]
Satie: Gnossienne No. 2
Couperin: Les baricades mistérieuses [part 1]
Janáček: On the Overgrown Path, JW VIII/17 [part 3]
Ofer Pelz: Repetition Blindness [part 1]
Rebel: Le chaos from Les élémens
Ofer Pelz: Repetition Blindness [part 2]
Janáček: On the Overgrown Path, JW VIII/17 [part 4]
Couperin: Les baricades mistérieuses [part 2]
Satie: Gnossienne No. 3
C.P.E. Bach: Fantasy in F-sharp minor, H. 300 [part 2]
Janáček: On the Overgrown Path, JW VIII/17 [part 5]
Philip Glass: Metamorphosis No. 3
Mozart: Fantasy in C minor, K. 385f/396 [part 2]
Froberger: Tombeau de Monsieur Blancrocher [part 1]
Ligeti: Musica ricercar No. 8
Janáček: On the Overgrown Path, JW VIII/17 [part 6]

I've long been in favor of (1) pianists playing more early keyboard music, and (2) combining it with modern music on programs. This program does exactly that. Here's a review of a previous performance:

https://www.pianyc.net/2017/09/28/labyrinth-david-greilsammer-at-the-crypt-sessions/

[vandermolen]

I've been invited to the London premiere of James MacMillan's 5th Symphony on the 14th. I know very little of his music but was very impressed by his 4th Symphony.

[Judith]

Last weekend at Leeds Town Hall

Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Yuri Simonov
Soloist. Alexandra Dariescu

Performing
Tchaikovsky. Marche Slav
Rachmaninov. Piano Concerto no 2
Tchaikovsky. Excerpts from Swan Lake
Khachaturian. Excerpts from Gayeneh

Wonderful concert from all🎹🎹🎼🎼

[Christo]

I've been invited to the London premiere of James MacMillan's 5th Symphony on the 14th. I know very little of his music but was very impressed by his 4th Symphony.

Ah, just in time! (Scottish composers won't be available anymore after October 31th, I'm afraid). 

[DaveF]

Couldn't resist the Pavel Haas Quartet at Malvern on 31st October:

Ľubica Čekovska The Midsummer Quartet
Schulhoff String Quartet No.1
Smetana String Quartet No.2 in D minor
Janáček String Quartet No.2, Intimate Letters

Don't know much about the token Slovak, Čekovska - apparently she used to play in a jazz band and was on the jury that selected Slovakia's Eurovision entry.  Promising!

[Brian]

Couldn't resist the Pavel Haas Quartet at Malvern on 31st October:

Ľubica Čekovska The Midsummer Quartet
Schulhoff String Quartet No.1
Smetana String Quartet No.2 in D minor
Janáček String Quartet No.2, Intimate Letters

Don't know much about the token Slovak, Čekovska - apparently she used to play in a jazz band and was on the jury that selected Slovakia's Eurovision entry.  Promising!

Oh goodness, enjoy that!!!! My all-time favorite quartet to see live and in a very intriguing program!

[SymphonicAddict]

Oh goodness, enjoy that!!!! My all-time favorite quartet to see live and in a very intriguing program!

Are you referring to the Janacek? If so, I agree. It's superb beyond words.

[Brian]

Are you referring to the Janacek? If so, I agree. It's superb beyond words.

No - the performers.

[DaveF]

Oh goodness, enjoy that!!!! My all-time favorite quartet to see live and in a very intriguing program!

I'm only wondering about audience reaction to the Smetana followed by the Janáček (if they do follow that running-order): two wildly experimental quartets, with little distinguishing their individual movements in terms of tempo.  Perhaps they'll separate them with the safe, traditional Schulhoff .  Apparently in the 100+ years that the Malvern Concert Club has been running (founded by a local resident, one E. Elgar) the Smetana E minor has been programmed many times, the D minor never.  It's about time!

[vandermolen]

Ah, just in time! (Scottish composers won't be available anymore after October 31th, I'm afraid). 

Hahaha. You're absolutely right and following Cornish Separatism they'll be no more George Lloyd concerts 

How was 'Canto Ostinato' - or are you still at the concert?

[Wanderer]

October 11

Bellini: La Sonnambula

Greek National Opera

Conductor
Philippe Auguin

Director, sets, lighting designer
Marco Arturo Marelli

Costumes
Dagmar Niefind

Chorus master
Agathangelos Georgakatos

Count Rodolfo
Tassos Apostolou

Teresa
Anna Agathonos

Amina
Christina Poulitsi

Elvino
Yannis Christopoulos

Lisa
Marilena Striftobola

Alessio
George Mattheakakis

Notary
Thanasis Evangelou


With the GNO Orchestra and Chorus

The premiere was a roaring success. Superb production, sensational singing. I'm going again on the 25th, as well as on the 29th to listen to the alternate cast:

Count Rodolfo
Christophoros Stamboglis

Teresa
Elena Marangou

Amina
Vassiliki Karayanni

Elvino
Vassilis Kavayas

Lisa
Maria Palaska

Alessio
George Papadimitriou

Notary
Philippos Dellatolas

[Wanderer]

Tomorrow at the Byzantine Museum:


PAVLOS CARRER
(1826–1896)
Gero-Dimos, for string quartet, transcription by Nikos Skalkottas

NIKOS SKALKOTTAS
(1904–1949)
String Quartet No. 3

SIMOS PAPANAS
b.1979
La Folia (variations for string quartet)

MIKIS THEODORAKIS
b.1925
String Quartet No. 4, "Μάζα" ("Mass")

NIKOS SKALKOTTAS
(1904–1949)
Five Greek Dances for string quartet



Athens String Quartet
Apollon Grammatikopoulos, violin
Panagiotis Tziotis, violin
Paris Anastasiadis, viola
Isidoros Sideris, cello

[Brian]

Last night:

Michael Ippolito: Nocturne
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No 1
Rachmaninov: Symphony No 3

Joyce Yang, piano
Dallas Symphony
Edo de Waart

It was fun to finally see the crazily underrated Edo de Waart making his Dallas debut at age 78! He led the orchestra through the Dallas premiere of Ippolito's nice-enough Nocturne (which briefly evokes sleeplessness and nightmare before settling into a peaceful Chopin homage) and also brought Rachmaninov's Third to town - the DSO's first performance of that work since 1995! de Waart took the first movement pretty briskly and wasn't at all sentimental about the Big Tune; the work as a whole is still one that I'm having trouble getting to terms with. It feels a lot like the Symphonic Dances, but more densely orchestrated and vastly more ambivalent. My girlfriend, who had never heard the piece before, commented that it was very difficult in the symphony to follow the main idea vs. the very complicated accompaniment - wonder if that was maybe de Waart's fault or if it's Rachmaninov's.

It takes a lot to make the famous Tchaikovsky warhorse interesting. Luckily Joyce Yang is a lot. She's a future superstar, no doubt about it; she has that touch which, live, means you can't take your ears away for a second. And, just to seal the deal, she whipped out a divine encore: Earl Wild's etude on "The Man I Love," played to the hilt, with the same improvisatory insouciance which made her Tchaikovsky cadenza sound, for once, like an actual cadenza and not something that's been studied and drilled for months. One of the future greats. Last time I saw a pianist this good live was Daniil Trifonov.

[Wanderer]

Tomorrow at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens:


Ernest Chausson: Chanson perpétuelle, Op. 37                                                 
Igor Stravinsky: Three Songs from William Shakespeare
Richard Strauss: Drei Lieder der Ophelia aus Shakespeares Hamlet, Op. 67
Maurice Ravel: Chansons madécasses
Johannes Brahms: Fünf Ophelia-Lieder, WoO 22
Johannes Brahms: 2 Gesänge, Οp. 91
Leoš Janáček: «Říkadla» (Nursery Rhymes)
Antonín Dvořák: Gypsy Songs, Οp. 55 (selection), orchestrated by Duncan Ward

    «Má píseň zas mi láskou zní» (Mein Lied ertönt, ein Liebespsalm / My song of love rings through the dusk)
    «Široké rukávy» (In dem weiten, breiten, luf'tgen Leinenkleide)
    «Mé srdce často v bolesti» (My heart often broods in pain) from Cypresses, B. 11: No. 11
    «Žalo dievča, žalo trávu» (When a maiden was a-mowing) from Volkslieder, Op. 73 No. 2
    «Když mne stará matka» (Als die alte Mutter / Songs my mother taught me)
    «Struna naladěna» (Reingestimmt die Saiten / Come and join the dancing)
    ​​​​​​​


Magdalena Kožená, mezzo-soprano
Sir Simon Rattle, piano
Giovanni Guzzo, violin
Rahel Rilling, violin
Amihai Grosz, viola
Dávid Adorján, cello
Kaspar Zehnder, flute
Andrew Marriner, clarinet

[ritter]

Tomorrow at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens:


Ernest Chausson: Chanson perpétuelle, Op. 37                                                 
Igor Stravinsky: Three Songs from William Shakespeare
Richard Strauss: Drei Lieder der Ophelia aus Shakespeares Hamlet, Op. 67
Maurice Ravel: Chansons madécasses
Johannes Brahms: Fünf Ophelia-Lieder, WoO 22
Johannes Brahms: 2 Gesänge, Οp. 91
Leoš Janáček: «Říkadla» (Nursery Rhymes)
Antonín Dvořák: Gypsy Songs, Οp. 55 (selection), orchestrated by Duncan Ward

    «Má píseň zas mi láskou zní» (Mein Lied ertönt, ein Liebespsalm / My song of love rings through the dusk)
    «Široké rukávy» (In dem weiten, breiten, luf'tgen Leinenkleide)
    «Mé srdce často v bolesti» (My heart often broods in pain) from Cypresses, B. 11: No. 11
    «Žalo dievča, žalo trávu» (When a maiden was a-mowing) from Volkslieder, Op. 73 No. 2
    «Když mne stará matka» (Als die alte Mutter / Songs my mother taught me)
    «Struna naladěna» (Reingestimmt die Saiten / Come and join the dancing)
    ​​​​​​​


Magdalena Kožená, mezzo-soprano
Sir Simon Rattle, piano
Giovanni Guzzo, violin
Rahel Rilling, violin
Amihai Grosz, viola
Dávid Adorján, cello
Kaspar Zehnder, flute
Andrew Marriner, clarinet

That looks like a very intelligent and interesting program (for me, particularly the first half or so). Kožena, Rattle & friends were supposed to give the same (or a very similar) concert in Barcelona last Saturday, but the events in the city led them to cancel  .

Enjoy!