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

[bhodges]

Tonight at Carnegie Hall...hoooo-boy! 

Staatskapelle Berlin
Pierre Boulez, Conductor
Eberhard Friedrich, Chorus Director
Christine Brewer, Soprano (Magna Peccatrix)
Adrianne Pieczonka, Soprano (Un poenitentium)
Sylvia Schwartz, Soprano (Mater gloriosa)
Michelle DeYoung, Mezzo-Soprano (Mulier Samaritana)
Jane Henschel, Mezzo-Soprano (Maria Aegyptiaca)
Stephen Gould, Tenor (Doctor Marianus)
Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Bass-Baritone (Pater ecstaticus)
Robert Holl, Bass (Pater profundus)
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, Conductor
The American Boychoir
Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Music Director

Mahler: Symphony No. 8, "Symphony of a Thousand"

--Bruce

[karlhenning]

Oh, you love it, Bruce, and you know it 

[ChamberNut]

Tonight at Carnegie Hall...hoooo-boy! 

Staatskapelle Berlin
Pierre Boulez, Conductor
Eberhard Friedrich, Chorus Director
Christine Brewer, Soprano (Magna Peccatrix)
Adrianne Pieczonka, Soprano (Un poenitentium)
Sylvia Schwartz, Soprano (Mater gloriosa)
Michelle DeYoung, Mezzo-Soprano (Mulier Samaritana)
Jane Henschel, Mezzo-Soprano (Maria Aegyptiaca)
Stephen Gould, Tenor (Doctor Marianus)
Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Bass-Baritone (Pater ecstaticus)
Robert Holl, Bass (Pater profundus)
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, Conductor
The American Boychoir
Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Music Director

Mahler: Symphony No. 8, "Symphony of a Thousand"

--Bruce

You and Bunny are going to require therapy after the Mahler cycle is over.  Either because of overdosing on the dramatic works of Mahler....or going through withdrawal! 

Hope you both enjoy the final concerts! 

[bhodges]

Oh, you love it, Bruce, and you know it 

  You better believe it!  The Eighth is usually quite an experience, just for the number of people onstage.  (Although tonight's, like most these days, looks to be considerably under "1,000.")

You and Bunny are going to require therapy after the Mahler cycle is over.  Either because of overdosing on the dramatic works of Mahler....or going through withdrawal! 

Hope you both enjoy the final concerts! 

I think "overdosing" is closer to the truth.  This has been a fascinating week, but in no way would I normally like to experience these pieces in such close succession.  Ideally, best to have some time to mull them over--let them churn around in your head--before going on to another one (IMHO anyway).

--Bruce

[Bunny]

You and Bunny are going to require therapy after the Mahler cycle is over.  Either because of overdosing on the dramatic works of Mahler....or going through withdrawal! 

Hope you both enjoy the final concerts! 

Mahler is therapy for me.  Although after another concert without an intermission I may need some physical therapy for my aching back.

[Solitary Wanderer]

The Mahler cycle sounds fantastic. Experiencing Mahler's #2 & #3 performed live have been two of my best concerts thus far.

Anyway next Friday I have the NZSO.

WEBERN Passacaglia for Orchestra
SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Concerto No 1
BEETHOVEN Symphony No 7

MATTHIAS BAMERT Conductor
STEVEN OSBORNE Piano

Webern's Passacaglia was written before he had thrown off his Romantic origins, and surprisingly yokes an ancient form, the passacaglia, to decadent and dazzling orchestration reminiscent of Richard Strauss. Shostakovich's 1933 piano concerto, with its mordant wit, features shades of Petrouchka cast in clean neo-classical lines. Written as a showcase for Shostakovich's own formidable pianistic gifts, the concerto also gives the orchestra's Principal Trumpet a prominent role. Beethoven's insistent pounding rhythms and the brilliant key of A major fill his Seventh Symphony with unstoppable joy.

Should be good 

[flyingdutchman]

Going tomorrow afternoon to see this, by treat of my sister:

http://www.seattlesymphony.org/symphony/

Gershwin!!

I needed this considering my recent employment issues.  A celebration is in order.

[karlhenning]

WEBERN Passacaglia for Orchestra
SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Concerto No 1
BEETHOVEN Symphony No 7

Splendid program!

[hildegard]

My group's performance last night to a sell-out crowd.

Bach's Cantata 196: Der Herr Denket an Uns, Bernsteins's Chichester Psalms,, Mozart's Vesperae Solennes de Confessore

Such gorgeous pieces, each one,  -- tried and true choral standards -- but they sound fresh every time!

[ChamberNut]

Anyway next Friday I have the NZSO.

WEBERN Passacaglia for Orchestra
SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Concerto No 1
BEETHOVEN Symphony No 7

MATTHIAS BAMERT Conductor
STEVEN OSBORNE Piano

Should be good 

I went to a WSO concert earlier this season for Beethoven's 7th, and Bamert was the conductor! 
Great concert it was! 

[ChamberNut]

Last night's review:

Mahler's 6th - Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra - Alexander Mickelthwate.

In summary - best concert I've ever been to. 

Surprisingly (and the only very minor disappointment) was that Mickelthwate decided to go with the Andante/Scherzo order.  And there were two hammer blows.  WOW!!!!  The recording on CD doesn't do the hammer blows justice.  Quite astounding live. 

The orchestra and conductor were really in synch.  They were spot on for the majority.  An incredible performance.  It was an emotional evening for the orchestra as well.....the stellar Doug Bairstow, the WSO Principal Oboeist, performed in his final concert as he's now retiring.  He was the Principal Oboe for an incredible 44 years!  The greatest ovation was saved for him.  0:)

A really amazing concert experience.  No words really can do justice.

[Lilas Pastia]

Kudos to the WSO and Mickelthwate for the formidable hammerblows. They ought to make a terrific impact and yet, even in concert, it's not always the case.

[drogulus]

      Tonght I'll hear the Spectrum Singers perform Mozart:

      Mass in C "Coronation", K. 317

      Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K. 339

      But first I'll have a burger at the Sandwich Shop on Church St. and then a classical butterscotch sundae.

     
     

     

[Solitary Wanderer]

WEBERN Passacaglia for Orchestra
SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Concerto No 1
BEETHOVEN Symphony No 7

MATTHIAS BAMERT Conductor
STEVEN OSBORNE Piano

Splendid program!

Yes, plenty of memorable tunes and driving rhythms!

I went to a WSO concert earlier this season for Beethoven's 7th, and Bamert was the conductor! 
Great concert it was! 

Yep, Bambert is a regular guest conductor with the NZSO, often doing Brahms or Beethoven 

[hildegard]

      Tonght I'll hear the Spectrum Singers perform Mozart:

      Mass in C "Coronation", K. 317

      Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K. 339

      But first I'll have a burger at the Sandwich Shop on Church St. and then a classical butterscotch sundae.

             

You will love these pieces, if you are not already familiar with them, specially if you are a Mozart fan. There is a wonderful recording of this combination with Emma Kirkby, which is one of my favorite interpretations.

[Gabriel]

I'm really looking forward to these two last weeks of May.

May 18th, Théâtre des Champs Élysées

Bach : Cantata BWV 35 Geist und Seele wird verwirret
Sinfonia (Cantata BWV 12 Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen)
Widerstehe doch der Sünde (Cantata BWV 54)
Schläfert alle Sorgenkummer (Cantata BWV 197)
Händel : Concerto grosso in B flat major op. 3 n° 2 HWV 313
Cara speme (Giulio Cesare)
Non ho cor che per amarti (Agrippina)
Concerto grosso in D minor op. 3 n° 5 HWV 316
Ombra mai fù, Crude furie (Serse)
Concerto Copenhagen, Lars Ulrich Mortensen, Anne Sofie von Otter.


May 25th, Théâtre du Châtelet

Alfano: Cyrano de Bergerac. Navarra Symphonic Orchestra/Fournillier. Domingo/Manfrino/Lamprecht. (Well, this should be included in the opera thread, but anyway).


And then... I'll travel to Austria to join the Haydn commemorations, first in Vienna, and then in Eisenstadt:

May 30th, Schloss Esterházy, Haydnsaal, Eisenstadt

Haydn: Symphonies n. 30 ("Alleluia"), 49 ("La passione"), 26 ("Lamentatione"), 44 ("Trauersymphonie"). Academy of Ancient Music/Goodwin.

And for the day of the 200th anniversary:

May 31st, Bergkirche, Eisenstadt
Haydn: Schöpfungsmesse. Chor und Orchester der Bergkirche/Bauer.

And later on, the same day, in the Haydnsaal:

Haydn: Die Schöpfung. Österreichisch-Ungarische Haydn Philharmonie/Wiener Kammerchor/Fischer. Dasch/Strehl/Quasthoff.

I'm eager to attend, of course, all these concerts, but I can't describe the joy of being able to participate in these great Haydn moments.

[hildegard]

I'm eager to attend, of course, all these concerts, but I can't describe the joy of being able to participate in these great Haydn moments.

Very joyful, indeed! I envy you, but it also brings back great recollections of 2006 when my family and I "walked in Mozart's footsteps" from Prague to Salzburg to Vienna attending and participating in similar commemorations. Enjoy!

[Sergeant Rock]

PS. I'd like to give a special thanks to Sergeant Rock who posted about this series in Berlin.  I wouldn't have been aware of how great it could be without his post.  And Sarge, I'll be sure to make the Sunday concerts (also at 2pm) and I'll be sure not to miss Symphony No. 6.  I only wish you could fly to NY to hear it with us.

It was so close Bunny. I'm actually going to be coming to the States this month (I fly out of Frankfurt next Sunday) but there was no way I could come earlier, or swing financially a two weeks stay and 10 concerts in NYC.

As a consolation prize, I'll be hearing Welser-Möst conduct Mahler 5 in Cleveland on the 28th.

Sarge

P.S.  Yes, the Staatskapelle is a marvelous band...I prefer it to the Berlin Phil.

[drogulus]

You will love these pieces, if you are not already familiar with them, specially if you are a Mozart fan. There is a wonderful recording of this combination with Emma Kirkby, which is one of my favorite interpretations.

     The Spectrum Singers Mozart concert was superb. Mozart has never interested me until now, but the Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K. 339 made a breaklthrough. In part this may be because the piece was written to emphasize the text, as per spec, and Mozart produced a work that isn't notably "classical". It recalls the Baroque to my ears, especially Handel, and sounds so much like Beethoven and Brahms that I wonder if these composers studied this score. I'll bet they did. The Mass was brilliant, but just a bit more like Mozart as I imagine him.

      hildegard, thanks, I'll look for that recording. I'll also want to see if there are any unfashionable "Golden Age" performances out there.

     

[ChamberNut]

Last night's review:

Mahler's 6th - Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra - Alexander Mickelthwate.

In summary - best concert I've ever been to. 

Surprisingly (and the only very minor disappointment) was that Mickelthwate decided to go with the Andante/Scherzo order.  And there were two hammer blows.  WOW!!!!  The recording on CD doesn't do the hammer blows justice.  Quite astounding live. 

The orchestra and conductor were really in synch.  They were spot on for the majority.  An incredible performance.  It was an emotional evening for the orchestra as well.....the stellar Doug Bairstow, the WSO Principal Oboeist, performed in his final concert as he's now retiring.  He was the Principal Oboe for an incredible 44 years!  The greatest ovation was saved for him.  0:)

A really amazing concert experience.  No words really can do justice.

Here is the review from the Winnipeg Free Press (our local daily paper) for the Friday night Mahler's 6th I attended. 

High Mahler drama wraps WSO season

By: Gwenda Nemerofsky

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra ended their season on a decidedly low note this weekend and it wasn't because of the quality of their performance.

Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate and his 90-plus cohorts chose the frighteningly fatalistic Symphony No. 6 "Tragic" by Mahler as their season farewell. The temperature outside was a wind-whipped 3 C Friday night -- and the music, not for the faint of heart, did nothing to warm us up.

Having said that, it was soon evident that this is a work close to Mickelthwate's heart -- one of which he has an intimate understanding.

Opening ominously with a distinctive military motif, the first movement was rife with warlike images, right down to the snare drum, like a drummer boy leading soldiers to battle. Mahler, the supreme strategist, kept us befuddled by inserting a lyrical violin solo, played with sweet tone by concertmaster Gwen Hoebig.

The celeste's gentle bell-like notes rang out, and just as peace seemed imminent, the alarming, driving march returned in the low strings and brass and the bass drum banged out danger.

The listener is pulled this way and that in the movement, played with intensity and fire. The weak point came early on. The violin section was piercingly shrill -- as if insufficiently warmed up. They pulled things together later in the movement.

Mahler originally planned the scherzo to come before the andante, but in the work's premiere, conducted it in reverse order. Mickelthwate, as many conductors before him, chose to follow this sequence.

The long-phrased andante was soothing, with many excellent woodwinds solos. Harpists Richard Turner's and Ann Germani's passages had an ethereal aqueous effect and the cellos literally sang.

While overall flow could have been smoother, the optimistic blossoming result was still achieved, and there was a bittersweetness that was quite breathtaking. Mickelthwate gave this a very sensitive reading, drawing out superb expressiveness. Principal oboist Doug Bairstow, in his final WSO season, phrased his solo line seamlessly, his tone pure and true.

The scherzo was agitated from the start; full of little skirmishes, then, quizzically, became playful. The distinctly stately section was given appropriate sedateness, interrupted by brash outbursts from various wind instruments. Détaché notes by the strings were balletically light and prim.

The finale was a 30-minute marathon full of grandiose heroics introduced with harp sweeps. Tuba and trombone interplay framing the movement was evocative of a requiem, while in between, the energetic drama, raucous and blustery, would easily suit the next Indiana Jones adventure flick.

Percussionist Fred Liessens, wielding a sledgehammer, dealt the dreaded blows of fate with dull, dead thuds.

Mickelthwate (in his finest work to date) and the WSO were impressive in this monumental and physically demanding work.

gwenda.nemerofsky@shaw.ca