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

[Brian]

So, I guess they played version without percussion? That quartet has optional percussion part for final movement, with it the movement really lives up to its Wild Night title.

No sir; no percussion, unless you count the cellist's extensive col legno.

And, Bruce, the Haas and Britten were definitely the evening's highlights!

[Drasko]

No sir; no percussion, unless you count the cellist's extensive col legno.

No, I'm not counting that. You should get their studio recording, which includes percussion part.



And you get best Janacek 2nd since Janacek Quartet.

Tomorrow night, if I can make it, and if doesn't get canceled due to state of flu epidemic being proclaimed officially today.

Chopin - Piano Concerto No.2
Miaskovsky - Symphony No.6

Konstantin Lifschitz (piano)
Dimitri Liss (conductor)
Belgrade Philharmonic

Couldn't make it. 

[Lilas Pastia]

What happened ?

[Brian]

No, I'm not counting that. You should get their studio recording, which includes percussion part.



And you get best Janacek 2nd since Janacek Quartet.

Janacek too? Sold!

[Drasko]

What happened ?

Some inescapable family obligations.

[Lilas Pastia]

Things happen... You wouldn't have enjoyed the concert if you had eluded them.

[MishaK]

At last managed to get a ticket to this tomorrow:

Berliner Philharmoniker
Sir Simon Rattle, conductor

Wagner -   Prelude to Die Meistersinger
Schoenberg -   Chamber Symphony No. 1
Brahms -   Symphony No. 2

[Brahmsian]

At last managed to get a ticket to this tomorrow:

Berliner Philharmoniker
Sir Simon Rattle, conductor

Wagner -   Prelude to Die Meistersinger
Schoenberg -   Chamber Symphony No. 1
Brahms -   Symphony No. 2

Sounds like this would be a most excellent concert.  Not just the program, but I'm a fan of Rattle!

*hides for cover*

[bhodges]

Tonight, music of Ralph Shapey (1921-2002), whose work I don't know well, played by some really stellar musicians:

Miranda Cuckson, violin, viola, and artistic director
Charles Neidich, clarinet
William Purvis, horn
Blair McMillen, piano
Argento Chamber Ensemble
New York Woodwind Quintet
Talujon Percussion Quartet
Michel Galante, conductor

Five for violin and piano (1960)
Interchange (1996)
Movements (1960)
Etchings (1945)
Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Group (1954)
Three for Six (1979)

--Bruce

[secondwind]

Tonight, music of Ralph Shapey (1921-2002), whose work I don't know well, played by some really stellar musicians:

Miranda Cuckson, violin, viola, and artistic director
Charles Neidich, clarinet
William Purvis, horn
Blair McMillen, piano
Argento Chamber Ensemble
New York Woodwind Quintet
Talujon Percussion Quartet
Michel Galante, conductor

Five for violin and piano (1960)
Interchange (1996)
Movements (1960)
Etchings (1945)
Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Group (1954)
Three for Six (1979)

--Bruce

I hope you'll do a mini-review.  I don't know Shapey at all!

[bhodges]

Yes, I'm reviewing it for MusicWeb, and I'll try to remember to post the link here.  (Or perhaps use it as an excuse to begin a Shapey thread, if there isn't one.)

Edit: ah, found the Shapey thread, here.

--Bruce

[bhodges]

Tonight, this concert by NYC's only period instrument orchestra.  My first time hearing this group, and the program is intriguing.

American Classical Orchestra
Thomas Crawford, conductor
Stephanie Chase, violin

Beethoven: Romanze in F for Violin and Orchestra
Mozart: Symphony No. 41, "Jupiter"
Haydn: Symphony No. 101, "The Clock"

--Bruce

[Franco]

Tomorrow night:

Astor Piazzolla -  Buenos Aires - Tres Movimientos Sinfonicas, Op. 15
Piazzolla -  Concierto para Bandoneón "Aconcagua"
Piazzolla -  Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)
Ravel -  Bolero

Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, Conductor
Tianwa Yang, Violin
Daniel Binelli, Bandoneón

[bhodges]

Tomorrow night:

Astor Piazzolla -  Buenos Aires - Tres Movimientos Sinfonicas, Op. 15
Piazzolla -  Concierto para Bandoneón "Aconcagua"
Piazzolla -  Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)
Ravel -  Bolero

Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, Conductor
Tianwa Yang, Violin
Daniel Binelli, Bandoneón

And another very interesting program.  Did you see Alex Ross's article in June 2007 (here) about the Nashville Symphony, along with orchestras in Indianapolis and Birmingham, Alabama?  Some excellent points made...

--Bruce

[Brahmsian]

Tomorrow night:

Astor Piazzolla -  Buenos Aires - Tres Movimientos Sinfonicas, Op. 15
Piazzolla -  Concierto para Bandoneón "Aconcagua"
Piazzolla -  Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)
Ravel -  Bolero

Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, Conductor
Tianwa Yang, Violin
Daniel Binelli, Bandoneón

Franco,

Three years ago, I attended a Winnipeg SO concert with Giancarlo Guerrero conducting.   It was a unique concert.  He was quite animated (and very sweaty!) 

The program that evening was Beethoven's Coriolan Overture and Symphony No. 2, and the highlight of the night was Golijov's Oceana

[Franco]

And another very interesting program.  Did you see Alex Ross's article in June 2007 (here) about the Nashville Symphony, along with orchestras in Indianapolis and Birmingham, Alabama?  Some excellent points made...

--Bruce

Nice piece by Alex Ross - and the symphony has found a director, who appears to be a good choice.  The programming is really very interesting - there are a bunch of concerts I'll be going to, and they may have made some adjustments since 2007; I don't think the hall is overly reverberant ...

It was sad when Kenneth Schermerhorn died - seemingly out of nowhere a few months before the opening of the new performance space he did so much to make a reality.  The previous space they had been using was incredibly bad - and the opposite of reverberant, really pretty horrid.

[Franco]

Last night:

Astor Piazzolla -  Buenos Aires - Tres Movimientos Sinfonicas, Op. 15
Piazzolla -  Concierto para Bandoneón "Aconcagua"
Piazzolla -  Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)
Ravel -  Bolero

Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, Conductor
Tianwa Yang, Violin
Daniel Binelli, Bandoneón

Usually getting to the Symphony hall is no problem, on Thursdays the traffic is light and parking is not an issue, however, last night the Predators were in town and the arena is just across the street from the Symphony, so things were a bit more hectic.  But, we did get parked (although, having to pay extra) and seated with about 5 minutes to spare.

Initially, I was mainly looking forward to the Piazzolla pieces and only mildly interested in hearing Bolero - in actuality however, my enjoyment was in the reverse: the Piazzolla works were passable but Ravel's Bolero was stupendous.

The orchestra sounded marvelous and gave an exciting performance of an exciting piece.  The jury's still out if I am sold on Giancarlo Guerrero, possibly more sizzle than steak, but it will take more performances before I am prepared to commit to that judgment.

The soloists in the Piazzola works were very good, but the works themselves are not very compelling (IMO, and I am a big fan of his quintet recordings), plus, the orchestrator in Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) did some things which struck me as more cute than effective, or even suitable.

Having said all that - it was an enjoyable evening on balance, and my wife and I had great seats despite getting them on a last minute sale.  It was good to see the hall almost full, just a few empty seats.

[karlhenning]

The soloists in the Piazzola works were very good, but the works themselves are not very compelling (IMO, and I am a big fan of his quintet recordings), plus, the orchestrator in Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) did some things which struck me as more cute than effective, or even suitable.

Pity!  The Kremerata Baltica version on Eight Seasons is one I'll pound the table for any day.

[Franco]

Pity!  The Kremerata Baltica version on Eight Seasons is one I'll pound the table for any day.

This version was scored for violin solo with string orchestra, and there were sections when the orchestrator (don't have the program in front of me) began channelling Pachebel's Canon that seemed odd ...

[bhodges]

Initially, I was mainly looking forward to the Piazzolla pieces and only mildly interested in hearing Bolero - in actuality however, my enjoyment was in the reverse: the Piazzolla works were passable but Ravel's Bolero was stupendous.

Thanks for the comments on what sounds like a pretty satisfying evening.  I think Bolero often gets a bad rap from people who haven't heard it live lately!  What a fabulous piece of music it is, a marvel of orchestration.

--Bruce