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

[bhodges]

Bloody hell! After four hours of Xenakis (well, take off 50 minutes for intervals and stage reshuffles), my ears begging for mercy. Currently sat at the computer with a beer, listening to some nice, easy-going Ravel via Spotify. It was an amazing day. At 1pm, various young people (Sankorfa and the Guildhall Percussion Ensemble) blasted their way through an hour of visceral percussion music. Special honours should go to Catherine Ring and her heroic, fascinating solo Rebonds, but my fave was the eardrum-shredding Persephassa; the swirling, surging climax of that piece was astounding.

I didn't bother with the various films in the afternoon. Call me a philistine, but I was happy to walk around the City and grab a samosa on Brick Lane.

The main event in the evening lasted almost three hours and was split into three parts. I really liked the symmetry of the event: two large-scale orchestral works (Tracées, Anastenaria), a choral work (Sea-Nymphs) a piano work (Mists), and choral work (Nuits) and two orchestral works (Troorkh, Antikhthon). OK, big-medium-small-medium-big isn't especially sophisticated, but I found it satisfying. Hearing Antikhthon live, the first piece by Xenakis that I got to know and love almost 30 years ago, was a thrilling.

There was a much bigger turn-out for this Total Immersion event than for the Stockhausen not so long ago, which I thought was interesting.

Sorry, somehow missed your report!  Thanks so much...wish I could have been there.  And I have never heard most of these live, including Antikhthon, and I don't know Persephassa at all.  Another one for the "have to fix" pile!

Really sounds like quite an intense day--and also glad to hear that you had lots of company. 

--Bruce

[Solitary Wanderer]

Tonight!

NZSO March 13th

MAHLER Symphony No 3 in D minor

Aptly described as a "cathedral of sound", Mahler takes us all the way from Creation to Heaven, in an attempt to imagine the history of an entire universe in musical terms. Describing his own symphony to conductor Bruno Walter in 1896, Mahler said: "Just imagine a work of such magnitude that it actually mirrors the whole world".
Don't miss this opportunity to hear the NZSO at full strength with chorus on stage, conducted by the NZSO's own Music Director, Pietari Inkinen.

"Hearing Mahler's Third Symphony live is a can't-miss opportunity to discover the heights to which classical music can ascend, emotionally and intellectually." Andrew Druckenbrod, Post-Gazette Classical Music Critic.

Looking forward to this experience  0:)

[bhodges]

Tonight!

Are you getting goosebumps yet?



Have a great time!

--Bruce

[jlaurson]

NZSO March 13th
Aptly described as a "cathedral of sound"...
Andrew Druckenbrod, Post-Gazette Classical Music Critic.

I believe the Press Release of the NZSO is the only source that has _ever_ described the MAHLER 3rd thus.
If that's a cathedral, it's one right out of "The House on the Haunted Hill". 

It's more an orchestral orgasm so powerful, it can't express itself but to add voices to its climax.

[bhodges]

Tonight at Carnegie Hall...looking forward to the Widmann especially (don't know his work at all) but the rest should be good, too.

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Mariss Jansons, Chief Conductor
Emanuel Ax, Piano

Jörg Widmann: Con brio (US Premiere) 
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503 
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4

--Bruce

[jlaurson]

Tonight at Carnegie Hall...looking forward to the Widmann especially (don't know his work at all) but the rest should be good, too.

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Mariss Jansons, Chief Conductor
Emanuel Ax, Piano

Jörg Widmann: Con brio (US Premiere) 
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503 
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4

Yep... the Widmann should be the best piece. Still, I think it's a real shame that it's not coupled with the Beethoven Symphony it was based on.
(Nothing didactic about coupling a work with another for which it was composed to go along with. Any assertion otherwise strikes me as gratuitously asinine.) Aside, Beethoven with Jansons is really, really exciting. Mozart with Jansons is [John Stewartish falsetto voice] booooooooring. Should be a clean sweep with the Tchaik, though.

Salonen, Zemlinsky & Schreker for me, tomorrow.

[karlhenning]

Still, I think it's a real shame that it's not coupled with the Beethoven Symphony it was based on.

Nah, take Ludwig for read.  Don't make the programming too didactic.

[karlhenning]

Talked two officemates into buying under-40 tix for tomorrow's concert, so we are a merry fivesome:

Herbie comes to Boston!

Saturday, 14 March
8:00pm
Symphony Hall

Nielsen, Helios Overture
Mozart, Pf Cto № 18 in B-flat Major, K.456 (Richard Goode)
Brahms, Symphony № 4 in E Minor
Herbert Blomstedt, guest conductor

The Boston Symphony Orchestra

[Sef]

Don't suppose anyone here is going to this next week?

19-3 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: including world premiere of Van der Aa, Amsterdam
Aanvangstijd: 20:15 Start Time: 20:15
Lokatie: Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, grote zaal Location: The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Great Hall
Kaarten: Concertgebouw Amsterdam Maps: Concertgebouw Amsterdam
Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Ed Spanjaard- dirigent Ed Spanjaard, conductor
Christianne Stotijn - alt-mezzo Christi Stotijn - alt-mezzo


Alban Berg - Lyrische suite (KCO-première) Alban Berg - Lyric Suite (KCO-premiere)
Michel van der Aa - Spaces of Blank (opdrachtwerk, wereldpremière) Michel van der Aa - Spaces of Blank (commissioned work, world premiere)
Karl Amadeus Hartmann - Zesde symfonie Karl Amadeus Hartmann - Sixth Symphony

Only 4000 miles away, but I'd love to see it.

[bhodges]

Alban Berg - Lyrische suite (KCO-première) Alban Berg - Lyric Suite (KCO-premiere)
Michel van der Aa - Spaces of Blank (opdrachtwerk, wereldpremière) Michel van der Aa - Spaces of Blank (commissioned work, world premiere)
Karl Amadeus Hartmann - Zesde symfonie Karl Amadeus Hartmann - Sixth Symphony

Only 4000 miles away, but I'd love to see it.

Ditto.  (I'm a little surprised that the orchestra hasn't done the Lyric Suite before!)  But yes, what an intriguing concert.  That would be a good one to catch more than once.

--Bruce

[Sef]

Ditto.  (I'm a little surprised that the orchestra hasn't done the Lyric Suite before!)  But yes, what an intriguing concert.  That would be a good one to catch more than once.

--Bruce

Well they do it again on the 20th if that helps!

[bhodges]

Well they do it again on the 20th if that helps!

Alas, I am already booked to see some concerts here, so I'll have to hear them another weekend.  But I'm itching to get back to Amsterdam, and that particular concert would be one I'd definitely travel to hear.

--Bruce

[bhodges]

Tonight at Carnegie Hall...looking forward to the Widmann especially (don't know his work at all) but the rest should be good, too.

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Mariss Jansons, Chief Conductor
Emanuel Ax, Piano

Jörg Widmann: Con brio (US Premiere) 
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503 
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4

--Bruce

This concert was quite good (even if the Mozart was slightly underwhelming). 

The Widmann was fantastic; I'd love to hear it again soon.  The final sentence in the program notes are worth quoting: The timpani part has been colorfully (and sympathetically) described as sounding "like a hamster with unclipped nails locked in the dryer."  The thing is, in addition to being hilarious, that is really quite accurate.  (And no, I've never had a hamster, nor have I thrown any of them into a dryer.)



--Bruce

[Christo]

Don't suppose anyone here is going to this next week?

19-3 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: including world premiere of Van der Aa, Amsterdam
Aanvangstijd: 20:15 Start Time: 20:15
Lokatie: Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, grote zaal Location: The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Great Hall
Kaarten: Concertgebouw Amsterdam Maps: Concertgebouw Amsterdam
Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Ed Spanjaard- dirigent Ed Spanjaard, conductor
Christianne Stotijn - alt-mezzo Christi Stotijn - alt-mezzo

Alban Berg - Lyrische suite (KCO-première) Alban Berg - Lyric Suite (KCO-premiere)
Michel van der Aa - Spaces of Blank (opdrachtwerk, wereldpremière) Michel van der Aa - Spaces of Blank (commissioned work, world premiere)
Karl Amadeus Hartmann - Zesde symfonie Karl Amadeus Hartmann - Sixth Symphony

Only 4000 miles away, but I'd love to see it.

Only 30 miles away from my home , but I'm afraid I won't go. What is the most appealing piece for you? Michel van der Aa is still a rather new name, even for us, here.

[jlaurson]

This concert was quite good (even if the Mozart was slightly underwhelming). 

The Widmann was fantastic; I'd love to hear it again soon.  The final sentence in the program notes are worth quoting: The timpani part has been colorfully (and sympathetically) described as sounding "like a hamster with unclipped nails locked in the dryer."  The thing is, in addition to being hilarious, that is really quite accurate.  (And no, I've never had a hamster, nor have I thrown any of them into a dryer.)
--Bruce

May I say: "Told 'ya so" ? 

And they seriously quoted my Hamster-description in the program notes? That is hilarious.

I'm afraid that my Zemlinsky/Schoenberg Philharmonia/Salonen concert at the Konzerthaus here was not really that great. More loud than lovely.

[Sef]

Only 30 miles away from my home , but I'm afraid I won't go. What is the most appealing piece for you? Michel van der Aa is still a rather new name, even for us, here.

It would have to be the Hartmann, though the Lyric Suite would be good to hear. The Hartmann in particular is a favorite of mine (especially the sixth, which many consider his best), who is virtually unplayed (and unheard of) in English speaking countries except for the odd performance of his Concerto Funebre. Not likely to see anything like that this side of the pond.

[Christo]

It would have to be the Hartmann, though the Lyric Suite would be good to hear. The Hartmann in particular is a favorite of mine (especially the sixth, which many consider his best), who is virtually unplayed (and unheard of) in English speaking countries except for the odd performance of his Concerto Funebre. Not likely to see anything like that this side of the pond.

Reason enough for me to be playing Karl Amadeus Hartmann's Sixth from 1953 at this moment - as I happen to own the Berlin Classics cd with his symphonies nos. 5, 6 and 8. The Sixth is done by the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester under Günther Herbig, in this recording from 1979. I cannot recall I played this one before, so this must be a first listening experience. 

Edit: this one, I mean:


Well, the Symphony sounds rather austere and indeed 'Central-European', not totally unlike 'our' Matthijs Vermeulen but much more structured. I'll certainly return to it in order to find out what qualities make it Hartmann's best.  Thanks for you info!

[Sef]

Reason enough for me to be playing Karl Amadeus Hartmann's Sixth from 1953 at this moment - as I happen to own the Berlin Classics cd with his symphonies nos. 5, 6 and 8. The Sixth is done by the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester under Günther Herbig, in this recording from 1979. I cannot recall I played this one before, so this must be a first listening experience. 

Edit: this one, I mean:


Well, the Symphony sounds rather austere and indeed 'Central-European', not totally unlike 'our' Matthijs Vermeulen but much more structured. I'll certainly return to it in order to find out what qualities make it Hartmann's best.  Thanks for you info!

Straying a little off topic, but my introduction to Hartmann came via the Hartmann composer thread and this CD:

Described as a "barnstormer" - and I agree.

[jlaurson]

Off topic continuation:



Amazon.com

If you like Hartmann, I highly recommend the three single discs (available individually?!) that can be found in this box:

...and most importantly a whole series of MUSICA VIVA recordings of the strand of tonal modernism that has been pretty much lost, since:

Karl Amadeus Hartmann's 6th Symphony and two movements of his 4th with Fricsay
(also the fourth movement of Wolfgang Fortner's 4th Symphony)

Boris Blacher's Paganini Variations (LOVE that work) with Fricsay

Karl Holler's Symphonic Fantasie on a Theme by Frescobaldi and Sweelinck Variations for orchestra conducted by Jochum

--------------------
I recently, finally, plugged many of my Hartmann holes when I got me my own set of his symphonies:


K.A.Hartmann, Symphonies 1-8, Kubelik (mostly), Wergo

(Which won out, narrowly, over Metzmacher's alternative on EMI.)

If you like this style of music (which I call

"music that would have been"—that is: classical music as it might have developed naturally from the sounds of Stravinsky and Schoenberg, had it not been for World War II to wreak havoc, physically and ideologically, on the modern music scene. A whole style—tonal but angular and craggy—got wiped out in favor of the hard-nosed ideologues of the avant-garde.

, you might find this tiny appreciation of one of the last living composers of that non-school--Harald Genzmer--interesting:
http://www.weta.org/fmblog/?p=495


Thread duty:


TODAY:

Konzerthaus, Vienna

Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor
Mitsuko Uchida piano

Schoenberg   Piano Concerto
Mahler   Symphony No. 9

Bruce: How did you like the Shchedrin?

[Häuschen]

The Mahler/Schoenberg with Uchida and Salonen sounds excellent!  I missed the Vienna Philharmonic w/ Mehta two weeks ago in LA because of my work schedule.

I'm attending the last performance of Das Rheingold at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion today.