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

[bhodges]

Tomorrow night at Carnegie Hall. Though the Glass premiere will be the draw for many, I'm most looking forward to the Shostakovich and the Korngold -- the latter rarely shows up. I do not know the Canadian composer Lizée, whose Hitchcock Études received a good bit of comment in the mid 2000s.

Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra
Alexander Shelley, Conductor
James Ehnes, Violin

Nicole Lizée - Zeiss After Dark
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 9
Korngold - Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
Glass - Symphony No. 13 (US Premiere)

--Bruce

[bhodges]

Tomorrow night at Carnegie Hall. Though the Glass premiere will be the draw for many, I'm most looking forward to the Shostakovich and the Korngold -- the latter rarely shows up. I do not know the Canadian composer Lizée, whose Hitchcock Études received a good bit of comment in the mid 2000s.

Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra
Alexander Shelley, Conductor
James Ehnes, Violin

Nicole Lizée - Zeiss After Dark
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 9
Korngold - Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
Glass - Symphony No. 13 (US Premiere)

--Bruce

This concert was excellent, particularly the Korngold and the Shostakovich, but the rest was good, too. Shelley makes an elegant conductor, perhaps with a little of Boulez's understatement, and the orchestra (with many younger players) must make Canada very proud. They hadn't been to Carnegie since 1990, and I hope it's not another 30+ years before they return.

--Bruce

[André]

This concert was excellent, particularly the Korngold and the Shostakovich, but the rest was good, too. Shelley makes an elegant conductor, perhaps with a little of Boulez's understatement, and the orchestra (with many younger players) must make Canada very proud. They hadn't been to Carnegie since 1990, and I hope it's not another 30+ years before they return.

--Bruce

Very nice, Bruce ! True, the program seems to play perfectly to the NAC's forces. Wise programming, I'd say. How was the Glass symphony by the way ?

I've never heard of Lizée either, which is my loss, I guess. She has quite a pedigree of commissioned works

[bhodges]

Very nice, Bruce ! True, the program seems to play perfectly to the NAC's forces. Wise programming, I'd say. How was the Glass symphony by the way ?

I've never heard of Lizée either, which is my loss, I guess. She has quite a pedigree of commissioned works

Glass wrote the symphony to honor Canadian-born journalist Peter Jennings, and is about 20 minutes long, in three movements, simply titled I, II, and III. It is filled with his typical flowing arpeggios, and other signature moves. As an occasional Glass fan, I liked it, didn't "love" it, and can't really comment on how it fits in with his output. I haven't heard any of the previous symphonies, though I have seen Akhnaten and Satyagraha -- liked both a lot -- and have heard some of his chamber music and piano etudes.

Glass came onstage to take a bow, and man, for 85 he's looking quite good. Moves a bit slower these days, but no walker, no cane. The audience went crazy, applauding him.

I liked the Lizée, too: VERY short, about 2 minutes. Didn't quite grasp any connection between the score and the celebrated Zeiss lenses (which Kubrick used to photograph Barry Lyndon), but it was a pleasant-enough opener.

--Bruce

[Brian]

A couple of Glass' more recent symphonies have been overlong and overambitious so 20 minutes sounds more like it. It's interesting to place his piece at the end of the program, since it's new and since Glass doesn't often build his pieces up to a traditional grand finale.

[bhodges]

A couple of Glass' more recent symphonies have been overlong and overambitious so 20 minutes sounds more like it. It's interesting to place his piece at the end of the program, since it's new and since Glass doesn't often build his pieces up to a traditional grand finale.

Yes, and FWIW, this was definitely not "grand" in terms of "enormous" or "splashy." A rather quietly joyful 20 minutes. And a different programmer might have put the Shostakovich last, but I thought it was interesting coming in the middle.

--Bruce

[bhodges]

Aaaaand, another livestream this Saturday, 9 April, with a most interesting program. I can't recall when I've heard Tchaikovsky's second piano concerto. You can watch it with a BSO Now 7-day pass for $10, or a season pass for $25 -- both very reasonable.

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Anna Rakitina, conductor
Alexandre Kantorow, piano

Ellen Reid: When the World as You've Known it Doesn't Exist
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 2
Sibelius: Symphony No. 7

https://www.bso.org/media/livestream-tchaikovsky-reid-sibelius

--Bruce

[TheGSMoeller]

Tomorrow...
Nashville Symphony | Thomas Wilkins, conductor | Adele Anthony, violin

PROGRAM
Coleridge-Taylor – Hiawatha: Suite from the Ballet
Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto
Coleridge-Taylor – Ballade in A Minor
Debussy – La mer

[Brian]

Wow, I remember Thomas Wilkins from my teenagerhood, when he was a very frequent guest conductor at the Detroit Symphony. He deserves more credit and acclaim than he's gotten; hope that is changing.

[TheGSMoeller]

Wow, I remember Thomas Wilkins from my teenagerhood, when he was a very frequent guest conductor at the Detroit Symphony. He deserves more credit and acclaim than he's gotten; hope that is changing.

That's good to hear, Brian. Had never heard of Wilkins so I looked him up online, has had a long and successful career so far, I'm excited to see him perform!

[TheGSMoeller]

Tomorrow...
Nashville Symphony | Thomas Wilkins, conductor | Adele Anthony, violin

PROGRAM
Coleridge-Taylor – Hiawatha: Suite from the Ballet
Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto
Coleridge-Taylor – Ballade in A Minor
Debussy – La mer

In the 30+ years of live classical concerts this was my first time seeing La Mer and I'm bummed I waited this long, what a great work to witness in person. Even though I've been familiar with La Mer for decades, seeing it live was a completely fresh experience. Similar to Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe, or Strauss' Till Eulenspiegel my eyes were constantly shifting from one side of the stage to another and my ears were picking up on newly discovered nuances of the score.
This was also my introduction to the music of Coleridge-Taylor, which was exciting. Highly melodious, luscious harmonies, would like to explore more of his works.

[vandermolen]

I'm sorry that I missed this concert, which sounded like a most interesting evening:
https://bachtrack.com/review-vasily-petrenko-pablo-ferrandez-royal-philharmonic-march-2022

[Mirror Image]

I'm sorry that I missed this concert, which sounded like a most interesting evening:
https://bachtrack.com/review-vasily-petrenko-pablo-ferrandez-royal-philharmonic-march-2022

A damn fine program, too: Shostakovich, Britten and Walton. I wish I was there!

[vandermolen]

A damn fine program, too: Shostakovich, Britten and Walton. I wish I was there!

I agree John - but you have a good excuse for not being there - for me it is just an hour on the train to London 

[Rosalba]

At York Early Music Centre, next Wednesday -

quotation from their site:
BUDAPEST CAFE ORCHESTRA
Wednesday 20 April 7.30pm

Christian Garrick violin
Eddie Hessiom accordion
Kelly Cantlon double bass
Adrian Zolotuhin guitar, saz, balalaika, domra

BCO play a blistering barrage of traditional folk and gypsy-flavoured music from across the Balkans and Russia, Klezmer laments, Romanian Doinas, Hungarian Czadas and their own unique re-imaginings of some of the biggest tunes ever written by the classical greats. The Budapest Café Orchestra was established in 2009 by British composer and violinist, Christian Garrick, and led by him have won legions of fans with their magical and infectious performances.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We got there, and enjoyed the evening because the violinist was very funny, but we were disappointed that there was no 'straight' playing of Czardas or Brahms' dances etc - basically, a lot of messing about with genres, especially jazz-and-classical which was clever, but I'm an earnest soul...

[Brian]

Just subscribed to the Dallas Symphony 2022-23 season with the following:

Haydn | Symphony No 44
Ravel | Piano Concerto in G
Ginastera | Variaciones concertantes
Debussy | Iberia

Juanjo Mena + Javier Perianes

-

Coleridge-Taylor | Solemn Prelude
Grieg | Piano Concerto
Sibelius | Symphony No 2

Ryan Bancroft + Paul Lewis

-

Dvorak | The Wood Dove
Tchaikovsky | Violin Concerto
Lutoslawski | Concerto for Orchestra

Karina Canellakis + Randall Goosby

-

Gabriela Ortiz | Antropolis (for timpani and orch)
Gabriela Montero | Piano Concerto
Rimsky-Korsakov | Scheherazade

Marin Alsop + Gabriela Montero

-

the two solo organ recitals, featuring Cherry Rhodes and Christian Schmitt (by annoying tradition, the solo organ recital programs aren't announced in advance)

Was also tempted by the weekend where Stephane Deneve arrives bearing Guillaume Connesson, "Knoxville: Summer of 1915," and Rach Symphonic Dances.

[TheGSMoeller]

Just subscribed to the Dallas Symphony 2022-23 season with the following:

Haydn | Symphony No 44
Ravel | Piano Concerto in G
Ginastera | Variaciones concertantes
Debussy | Iberia

Juanjo Mena + Javier Perianes

Good picks, Brian. The above really intrigues me though, I love the diverseness of this program.

[DavidW]

My local orchestra performs on Monday nights.  That has always been hard on me, but this year since I have a harder year than usual for my work... it is just too much.  I'm just too exhausted to enjoy the concert.  And the last time I was too tired to even drive out.  The time before that I was in too much pain from the car wreck I was in.  I hate that they made a schedule that accommodates the people (which I know are the majority) that are retired and didn't really think about anyone else.  I think I will give them feedback, but I'm done.

I've decided next year to purchase tickets for the SC Philharmonic, which performs on a Saturday.  Longer drive, but way, way easier because they always perform on the weekend.  And if I'm too tired or busy to make it, I can still stream it so I don't miss out (though obviously it is not the same).

[owlice]

Last weekend:
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 13 in C Major
Mahler Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor
Aldo López-Gavilán, piano
National Philharmonic, Piotr Gajewski conducting

It was wonderful to be in a concert hall again!

[ritter]

Off to see the Spanish National Radio & Television Symphony Orchestra ("OSRTVE") conducted by Lio Kuokman, perform William Walton's Viola Concerto (my favourite among his three concertos for string soloist), with soloist Joaquín Arias, and Stravinsky's Firebird Suite (the 1945 one).

The concert is part of the orchestra's "Young Musicians' Series". I never go to concerts of the OSRTVE, even if their concert hall is around the corner from where I live, and tickets are very affordable.