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

[Christo]

De jonge Duitse componist en dirigent Oscar Jockel, winnaar van de Herbert von Karajan Prijs 2023, leidt dit concert met een werk dat hij in opdracht van de ZaterdagMatinee componeert. 
Heel bijzonder op dit programma is de zelden gehoorde Muziek der sferen van de Deense componist Langgaard, in 1918 zijn tijd ver vooruit.

My guess would be that you mean to write: The young German composer and conductor Oscar Jockel, winner of the Herbert von Karajan Prize 2023, leads this concert with a work he is commissioned to compose for the Dutch Radio 4 'Saturday Matinee'. Very special on this program is the rarely heard Music of the Spheres by Danish composer Langgaard, in 1918 far ahead of its time. 

[brewski]

On Wednesday night, this great livestream from Musicians from Marlboro, presented by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Especially looking forward to the Lachenmann, which I've never heard.

Lucy Fitz Gibbon, soprano
Claire Bourg & Leonard Fu, violin
Cara Pogossian, viola
Marie Bitlloch, cello
Sahun Sam Hong, piano

Haydn: String Quartet TBA
Lachenmann: Got Lost
Mozart: String Quartet in D Major, K. 575

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Yesterday morning at 11am, Patricia Kopatchinskaja with the New York Philharmonic doing the Stravinsky violin concerto under Jakub Hrusa. Since the Times had given the concert a rave review, I tumbled out of bed, quickly dressed, got a train into the city, and for $22 I picked up a rush ticket in row D center orchestra. I must say she puts on quite a show. Following a negligible opener for string orchestra by one Jessie Montgomery, PatKop emerged in a wild folk-inspired outfit, barefoot, and scratched her way through the Stravinsky - dancing, grimacing, lurching for 22 minutes in a performance more like a dancer in The Rite of Spring than a typical concert artist. Then a brief encore "Crin" by the Venezuelan Jorge Sánchez-Chiong, which combined violin-playing and nonsense syllables. The audience loved it, and her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1TbzPjgbeA

Following intermission, a return to normalcy with a solid Brahms 1 under Hrusa. But good to see the standard staid concert world shaken up a bit by this daring Moldavian artist.

She is one hell of a musician. I'd love to have seen that concert.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Tonight:

Schubert  Die Zauberharfe – Overture, 'Rosamunde'
Prokofiev  Symphony No.2

London Symphony Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda  conductor

One of the "Half Six Fix" events introduced by Simon Rattle when he took over the LSO, where for half the normal ticket price you get an early evening performance, usually of the main work from an upcoming program preceded by an introductory talk from the conductor.  Rattle's own presentation of Shostakovich's 4th Symphony proved to be a revelation in a number of ways, and already this year we had Antonio Pappano with Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony, so I have high expectations of this one.  Noseda may not have the starriest profile but everything I've heard from him has been excellent.

Could this be the making of a RVW cycle from Pappano I wonder? The LSO Live label have already released his performances of Symphonies Nos. 4 & 6, which I haven't heard.

[brewski]

On Wednesday night, this great livestream from Musicians from Marlboro, presented by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Especially looking forward to the Lachenmann, which I've never heard.

Lucy Fitz Gibbon, soprano
Claire Bourg & Leonard Fu, violin
Cara Pogossian, viola
Marie Bitlloch, cello
Sahun Sam Hong, piano

Haydn: String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, "Fifths"
Lachenmann: Got Lost
Mozart: String Quartet in D Major, K. 575

This concert was terrific. I'd never heard the Lachenmann before (from 2008), and it's a virtuoso piece both for the soprano and the pianist (who also vocalizes). It made a great break between the Haydn and Mozart. The Haydn, originally "TBA," turned out to be Op. 76, No. 2, "Fifths," and was wonderful.

The stream is available for 3 more days.

[Christo]

Saturday afternoon, Dom Church, Utrecht, organ transcriptions of two unexpected pieces:
* Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) – Ma Mère l'Oye, 5 pièces enfantines (1911)
* Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) – Le sacre du printemps (1913)
Good old friend Jan Hage, organ, four hands with Adriaan Hoek in the Sacre.
https://domkerk.nl/evenementen/orgeltranscripties

[Wanderer]

Opera and concert-going in May: Die Zauberflöte and Roméo et Juliette in Vienna, La Fanciulla del West in Budapest, Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Iván Fischer, and a Schumann and Mendelssohn concert with András Schiff and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Die Zauberflöte - Adam Fischer conducts the Wiener Staatsoper Orchester & Chor; with Franz-Josef Selig (Sarastro), Cyrille Dubois (Tamino), Maria Nazarova (Pamina), Serena Sáenz (Königin der Nacht), Ludwig Mittelhammer (Papageno), Hannah-Theres Weigl (Papagena), Jörg Schneider (Monostatos), Adrian Autard (Priester) - directed by Barbora Horákova, with sets by Falko Herold, costumes by Eva Butzkies, puppetry by Marius Kob, Eren Karakiş, Christian Pfütze.

Roméo et Juliette - Marc Leroy-Calatayud conducts the Wiener Staatsoper Orchester & Chor; with Benjamin Bernheim (Roméo), Aida Garifullina (Juliette), Peter Kellner (Frère Laurent), Patricia Nolz (Stéphano), Stephanie Houtzeel (Gertrude), Hiroshi Amako (Tybalt), Juraj Kuchar (Benvolio), Stefan Astakhov (Mercutio), Andrei Maksimov (Paris), Dohoon Lee (Grégorio), Wolfgang Bankl (Capulet), Ivo Stanchev (Le Duc) - directed by Jürgen Flimm, with sets by Patrick Woodroffe and costumes by Birgit Hutter.

La Fanciulla del West - Pier Giorgio Morandi conducts the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus; with Chiara Isotton (Minnie), Gaston Rivero (Dick Johnson), Csaba Szegeti (Jack Rance) - directed by Vasily Barkhatov, chorus director Gábor Csiki, with sets by Zinovy Margolin and costumes by Olga Shaishmelashvili.

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 - Iván Fischer conducts the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Hungarian National Choir, with Anna Lucia Richter (mezzo-soprano) and Christiane Karg (soprano), choirmaster: Csaba Somos - performed at Müpa Budapest's Béla Bartók National Concert Hall.

Schumann & Mendelssohn - Sir András Schiff conducts and performs piano with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment;
Schumann: Introduktion und Allegro appassionato, Op. 92,
Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54,
Mendelssohn: Ouvertüre, Intermezzo, Notturno & Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream (Ein Sommernachtstraum, Opp. 21 &  61) - at the Wiener Musikverein's Grosser Saal.


This will be my first time experiencing Gounod's Roméo et Juliette live at the theatre, my first (and second!) encounter with Mahler's Auferstehungssymphonie in concert, and my inaugural hearing of Schumann's Introduction and Allegro appassionato, Op. 92 in live performance. If only the Op. 134 Konzertstück were also on the program!

[Florestan]

my first (and second!) encounter with Mahler's Auferstehungssymphonie in concert

How can it be both the first and the second? 

[Wanderer]

How can it be both the first and the second? 

Because I'll be going twice!

[Florestan]

Because I'll be going twice!

Got it now. 

[brewski]

Tomorrow night sees the penultimate event in Quatuor Danel's once-in-a-lifetime combined Shostakovich/Weinberg cycle:

Weinberg  String Quartets Nos.14 & 15
Shostakovich  String Quartet No.14

Live stream here:

At the moment, planning to watch tomorrow. Have a great time!

[brewski]

Tomorrow night sees the penultimate event in Quatuor Danel's once-in-a-lifetime combined Shostakovich/Weinberg cycle:

Weinberg  String Quartets Nos.14 & 15
Shostakovich  String Quartet No.14

Live stream here:

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I didn't know those Weinberg quartets — amazing — and the playing was spectacular. Plus, those Prokofiev encores!

[Iota]

It was a remarkable experience - the tension during the Weinbergs was almost unbearable, by the end of the 15th one hardly dared breathe.

This series has been the pinnacle of my concert-going lifetime.  All told, including travelling, it's cost me more than 700 quid and 60 hours of my life, and I can't think of a better way to spend it.  But it does kind of ruin you for more everyday events.  Like, back in the 80s, I heard Rozhdestvensky conduct a Rite of Spring that was so devastating, for the next 10 years I couldn't bear to hear another performance, either live or recorded - for as long as even a trace of the memory persisted, I didn't want anything to overwrite it.  I'll doubt I'll ever bother with another Shostakovich cycle, and I don't suppose I'll get the chance of another Weinberg - but even if I did I would be in two minds about it.  They are extraordinary works, even in comparison with the Shostakovich - it amazes me that none of the concerts was anything like a sellout, people should be beating down the doors to hear these - but I wouldn't want the memory of what I've heard to be tarnished by an indifferent performance in the future.  The Danels may not have the swagger of some outfits but in this material they're pretty well untouchable - if you ever get the chance in concert, don't hesitate.

Great review, it sounds extraordinary! Such intense live experiences are surely one of life's greatest treasures, and it's really good to hear of yours!
The Wigmore Hall is probably my favourite venue for chamber music and recitals. Indeed, the most life-changing piano recital I've ever attended took place there in the 80s with Peter Serkin . Such a great acoustic too.

[Cato]

Later this month, Verdi's Requiem and then a Renee Fleming recital of orchestral songs with the Cincinnati Symphony.


https://mayfestival.com/concerts-and-events/buy-tickets/2025-season/verdi-requiem/


https://mayfestival.com/concerts-and-events/buy-tickets/2025-season/voice-of-nature-the-anthropocene/

[brewski]

It was a remarkable experience - the tension during the Weinbergs was almost unbearable, by the end of the 15th one hardly dared breathe.

This series has been the pinnacle of my concert-going lifetime.  All told, including travelling, it's cost me more than 700 quid and 60 hours of my life, and I can't think of a better way to spend it.  But it does kind of ruin you for more everyday events.  Like, back in the 80s, I heard Rozhdestvensky conduct a Rite of Spring that was so devastating, for the next 10 years I couldn't bear to hear another performance, either live or recorded - for as long as even a trace of the memory persisted, I didn't want anything to overwrite it.  I'll doubt I'll ever bother with another Shostakovich cycle, and I don't suppose I'll get the chance of another Weinberg - but even if I did I would be in two minds about it.  They are extraordinary works, even in comparison with the Shostakovich - it amazes me that none of the concerts was anything like a sellout, people should be beating down the doors to hear these - but I wouldn't want the memory of what I've heard to be tarnished by an indifferent performance in the future.  The Danels may not have the swagger of some outfits but in this material they're pretty well untouchable - if you ever get the chance in concert, don't hesitate.

Thank you for this beautiful write-up. This is the kind of experience that explains "why we listen." I was not familiar with these two Weinberg quartets, and how amazing they are. Even placed next to the great Shostakovich 14th, they hold their own, and I wouldn't be surprised if some listeners were more moved by the first part of the program.

In any case, a great concert, which I'm glad to see is still up for repeat viewing. And PS, totally agree with your comments on John Gilhooly. His energy and dedication are a wonder.

[Brian]

Thirding (at least) the people on this page who have a life-changing concert memory from Wigmore Hall. It really is a special place.

[ritter]

Even I, who have very little affinity with the music of Shostakovich or Weinberg, was moved by how @ultralinear described what was clearly a unique experience.

[Florestan]

Couldn't agree more.

The real miracle of Wigmore Hall is the Director, John Gilhooly.  I really don't know how he does it - day after day, one world-class performer after another - 600 events a year, most with a top ticket price of only £40.  And still he finds time to mingle with the audiences, many of whom are greeted like old friends.  Recently he gave a newspaper interview to celebrate having raised enough money privately to be able finally to forgo government funding and all that that entailed.  It was followed a couple of days later in the same paper by a remarkably ungenerous letter from Arts Council England, pouring scorn on Wigmore Hall for its "millionaire supporters."  Yeah right.

What's wrong with millionaires supporting arts, I wonder?

[brewski]

Saturday night, the second of two concerts devoted to Lucia Dlugoszewski, with a raft of excellent performers. I have never heard any of these, and haven't seen the Erick Hawkins Dance Company in probably 30 years. More info from Bowerbird, the presenting organization, here.

Lords of Persia (1965)
Either/Or

Space is a Diamond (1970)
Peter Evans, trumpet

Excerpts from Black Lake (1969)
Arcana New Music Ensemble

Exacerbated Subtlety Concert (Why Does a Woman Love a Man?) (1997/2000)
Agnese Toniutti, timbre piano

Disparate Stairway Radical Other (1995)
For string quartet with five dancers; choreography *Elusive Pierce* by Katherine Duke
Daedalus Quartet
Erick Hawkins Dance Company

[Christo]

Sunday, May 25, Sala São Paulo, Brazil's major concert hall:
Orquestra Guarany under Natália Larangeira, Fabio Martino, piano

• Arturo Márquez, Danzon No. 2
• George Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue
• Nikolaj Rimsky-Korsakov, Capriccio Espagnol