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

[KevinP]

Three consecutive nights of opera for me.

Friday night: Joyce DiDonato Master Class.
The two men were especially great, but I thought this exceeded most master classes I've seen (though they've always been on YouTube, which could colour my perception).

Saturday night: Joyce DiDonato in concert.
She only did the music up to the intermission, and while most people stayed, quite a few did leave after her part.

On the programme she did Berlioz' Les Nuits d'été. After that she did, off the programme, Carmen's Habanera and Over the Rainbow.

The Carmen was especially amazing. In the opera, it has a chorus, of course, which is usually omitted in concert. However, several people in the audience clearly had experience in Carmen and contributed the chorus parts with professional confidence (and volume). The orchestra reacted with ear-to-ear grins and DiDonato voiced her praise.

(Carmen at around 46:30)

And Sunday night: TANOZ (The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio) gave a small concert, which featured the four people from the Master Class and a few others.

[brewski]

On Friday at 2 pm (ET), this concert, live from Munich. Have to say, the ARD Klassik channel on YouTube is a goldmine for livestream aficionados.

Carlos Simon: Four Black American Dances
B. A. Zimmermann: Trumpet Concerto, "Nobody knows de trouble I see"
R. Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche
Ravel: La valse

Håkan Hardenberger, trumpet
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Andris Nelsons, conductor

[(poco) Sforzando]

My first encounter with Rana, and I liked what I heard, especially the Debussy and the Prokofiev sonata. (The other Prokofiev and the Tchaikovsky were fine, but not a real fan of either.) Overall, enjoyed the concert very much but wasn't knocked out — perhaps would be different actually being in the hall, of course. But I'd hear her again.

Yes, I thought some of her programming choices were wasted, and I could have done without the Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky arrangements. The highlight for me was the Debussy group, where she proved herself an exceptional colorist and technician. (BTW and FWIW, "rana" in Italian means "frog.")

I was impressed by Hayato Sumino as a pianist, but not by his programming his own new-age compositions or the phony-jazz etudes by Nikolai Kapustin. I learned only too late that Bavouzet was playing a (sold-out) all-Ravel program at Alice Tully the same night, and had I known that certainly would have been the more musically exciting way to spend the evening.

But next Wednesday December 10 I've got the great Benjamin Grosvenor at Carnegie-Zankel, doing Chopin 2, Gaspard, and Pictures. That will be something to hear!

[brewski]

Tonight at 7:30 (ET), the Juilliard String Quartet with its newest member, violinist Leonard Fu, plus guests Catherine Cho and Marcy Rosen in the program below. The concert will be livestreamed here and here.

Juilliard String Quartet
Catherine Cho, Viola
Marcy Rosen, Cello

Brahms: String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2
Leonard Fu: Popular Dances
Kurtág: Six Moments Musicaux
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht

[brewski]

And if the previous livestream doesn't pique your interest, here's another one, also at 7:30 (ET). Interesting programming, with three consecutive opus numbers in order.

That said, this stream will be available for 3 days after, and the Juilliard is a one-off that apparently won't be archived.

Joseph Lin, violin
Claire Bourg, violin
Natalie Loughran, viola
Raman Ramakrishnan, cello
Helen Huang, piano

Beethoven: String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95, Serioso
Beethoven: Violin Sonata in G Major, Op. 96
Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97, Archduke

[brewski]

Tonight at 7:30 (ET), the Juilliard String Quartet with its newest member, violinist Leonard Fu, plus guests Catherine Cho and Marcy Rosen in the program below. The concert will be livestreamed here and here.

Juilliard String Quartet
Catherine Cho, Viola
Marcy Rosen, Cello

Brahms: String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2
Leonard Fu: Popular Dances
Kurtág: Six Moments Musicaux
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht

Halftime at this wonderful concert, with Leonard Fu making a great addition to this celebrated quartet. Loved the Brahms and Fu's piece (about 8 minutes), and now REALLY looking forward to the second half, especially the Schoenberg.

[brewski]

Tonight:

The Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Veronika Eberle, violin
Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello

Brahms: Tragic Overture
Brahms: Double Concerto
Brahms: Symphony No. 1

[Wanderer]

Tomorrow and Friday in Rome:


Beethoven Fantasia Corale
Bruckner Sinfonia n. 3 "Wagner-Symphonie"


Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
direttore Tugan Sokhiev
pianoforte Jean-Frédéric Neuburger
maestro del coro Andrea Secchi
soprani Valentina Varriale, Marta Vulpi
contralto Eleonora Cipolla
tenori Alfio Vacanti, Francesco Toma
basso Patrizio La Placa

[(poco) Sforzando]

Benjamin Grosvenor tonight in New York, Daniel Trifonov this coming Saturday. For Danny, they're selling stage seats even though the concert is not sold out.

[Wanderer]

Today at the Villa Medici:

Satie: Vexations.

Carlo Benedetti & Isenarda De Napoli, piano.

The whole piece will be performed (16 measures repeated 840 times), lasting 12 hours. I will not be staying for the whole duration.