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

[jlaurson]

Jansons. Bartok-Musorgsky-Stravinsky. Concertgebouw Orchestra


Notes from the Salzburg Festival ( 13 )
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2010/08/notes-from-salzburg-festival-12.html

[jlaurson]

Elektra * Gatti * VPO * Theorin, Meier, Pape, Westbroek, Gambill et al.


Notes from the Salzburg Festival ( 14 )
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2010/08/notes-from-salzburg-festival-14.html

[jlaurson]

Yeah, well, (1) people my age don't give concerts for money, usually, (2) "young" has a different meaning in classical music, (3) even if you call then "middle-aged" they are still indisputably major artists with three or four decades more to go, (4) in fact Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov are not twice as old as me (38 and 37), and Queyras, 42, is exactly twice my age, not "at least."

1.) not true
2.) don't buy it... although i think i know what you mean, but think you are looking only at one selective slice of classical music...
3.) i didn't dispute that at all...
4.) hey... technicality. was trying to be more tongue-in-cheek than it ended up sounding; didn't want to come across as pissing in your general (or direct) direction... sorry if you felt that way, though!

[jlaurson]

Rattle * Berlin * Mattila * Wagner, Strauss, Schoenberg, Berg, Webern

Notes from the Salzburg Festival ( 15 ) {last for 2010}
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2010/08/notes-from-salzburg-festival-15th-and.html

[Sid]

Looking forward to two concerts, one on Friday, another Sunday.

The first one is part of the New Music Network series here in Sydney. This concert is called "An Infinity Room" and features music for keyboards by local composer (and broadcaster) Julian Day.

http://www.australianstage.com.au/component/option,com_events/Itemid,29/agid,7854/catids,75%7C148/day,3/month,9/task,view_detail/year,2010/

The other one is more of a traditional concert, the final concert in the Music on Winter Sundays series at Macquarie Uni (but they're cheating - it's alread Spring!). Anyway, it will feature The Occasionally Performing Sinfonia, a largely amateur group, doing Wagner, Chausson, Mahler and Shostakovich's 5th symphony.

http://www.pr.mq.edu.au/events/index.asp?ItemID=4108

[Sid]

Looking forward to two concerts, one on Friday, another Sunday.

The first one is part of the New Music Network series here in Sydney. This concert is called "An Infinity Room" and features music for keyboards by local composer (and broadcaster) Julian Day.

http://www.australianstage.com.au/component/option,com_events/Itemid,29/agid,7854/catids,75%7C148/day,3/month,9/task,view_detail/year,2010/

The other one is more of a traditional concert, the final concert in the Music on Winter Sundays series at Macquarie Uni (but they're cheating - it's alread Spring!). Anyway, it will feature The Occasionally Performing Sinfonia, a largely amateur group, doing Wagner, Chausson, Mahler and Shostakovich's 5th symphony.

http://www.pr.mq.edu.au/events/index.asp?ItemID=4108

Julian Day's music is very minimalistic. The main half hour (or so) work after the interval of this concert, called Ceremony, featured Day and three other musicians on electronic keyboards. They successively placed and changed heavy screws onto the keys, which sustained the notes and created a drone-like sound. It was good to hear four keyboards going at once - the sound was quite hypnotic and mesmerising. It was probably the type of music that's more engaging live than it would be on a recording.

The TOPS concert was fantastic. There were about 500 people in the theatre. All the works were performed well, but the highlights were violinist Richard Pulley's soulful and turbulent rendition of the Chausson Poeme & a very dramatic interpretation of the Shostakovich, which perhaps the most ironic reading of the finale which I have heard. This was perhaps the most "angst-ridden" program (as conductor Mal Hewitt joked), but the way it was presented by the two conductors made it very accessible. This is a voluntary orchestra (no-one gets paid a cent), but their performance was spirited and committed. This very fittingly brought to a close the free Macquarie Uni series, and I look forward to going to more next year. I think it's great that the uni is attempting to be inclusive and welcome people from all levels of society to enjoy the richness of the classical repertoire.

It was the first time I had seen either of these two groups perform...

[bhodges]

In mid-October, this concert beckons.  I've never heard the Vivier live, and haven't heard any of John Luther Adams's larger pieces.

American Composers Orchestra
George Manahan, Music Director and Conductor
Susan Narucki, Soprano
Ursula Oppens, Piano

Vivier: Lonely Child (NY Premiere)
Singleton: BluesKonzert (NY Premiere)
Druckman: Nor Spell Nor Charm
John Luther Adams: The Light Within (World Premiere, Orchestral Version)
Wang Jie: From the Other Sky (World Premiere)

--Bruce

[jlaurson]

Tonight:
Worst reviews and famous bad reviews read by John Malkovich, written by Igudesman, played by Rachlin & Friends.

Sept.17th: Philharmonia, Salonen, Tristan & Isolde (Bill Viola)
Sept 21st: Maltman @ Wigmore
Sept 22nd: Mahler & Zemlinsky by LPO / Jurowski
Sept 24th: Mahler 5th, LSO, Gerviev ("looking forward" is a strong term...)
Jan 21st: Mahler 7th, Boulez, Concertgebouw

[bhodges]

On Saturday afternoon, Oct. 9:

Wagner: Das Rheingold (the new MET production by Robert Lepage) - They're showing this in many places, including the Ziegfeld, which is the largest movie theater in town (except for IMAX).  Promises to be loads of fun.

--Bruce

[bhodges]

And on Monday, part of the New York Chamber Music Festival, with musicians from the New York Philharmonic and the MET Orchestra.  This one stars Pascal Rogé:

Saint-Saëns: Scherzo for 2 Pianos Op. 87
Poulenc: Sonata for Cello and Piano
Debussy: Sonata for Violin and Piano
Ravel: Sonatine for Piano
Ravel: Trio in A minor for Violin, Cello and Piano

--Bruce

[Sid]

Went to this one yesterday with a friend:

Tatiana Kolesova, piano
Blessed Sacrament Church, Mosman, Sydney

Chopin - Four Ballades, "Heroic" Polonaise
Ravel - Valses Nobles et Sentimentales
Nicolai Kapustin (b. 1937) - Sonata No. 2 Op. 54 (1989)

This was the first solo piano recital I had attended for 20 years. The pianist is on a tour here from Russia. She was of a very high standard, having won 2nd prize (out of 250 applicants) in the Sydney International Piano Competition in 2008. The Chopin was lyrical, dramatic and song-like, the Ravel was witty and light, and the Kapustin work was full of the blues (unusual for a Ukranian?) and reminded me of Ives (the notes say that he was influenced by Gershwin, but there was a 12 note row in the final movement). All up, some good variety and a very enjoyable recital.

[Sid]

Looking forward to this concert by the Australia Ensemble, resident at University of New South Wales, Sydney. The Program is a good mix of two C20th Australian composers and two Europeans from earlier times:

Saturday September 18, 8pm
Sir John Clancy Auditorium

Peggy GLANVILLE-HICKS (1912-1990): Concertino da camera for flute, clarinet, bassoon and piano (1945)
Nigel BUTTERLEY (b 1935): Spindles of the Stars for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2005)
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856): Piano Trio No 2 in F Opus 80 (1847) - 200th anniversary of the composer's birth
Wolfgang MOZART (1756-1791): Clarinet Quintet in A K581 (1789)

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

This Sunday should be good, and it's freeeeeee 

Moscow New Music Studio (Студия новой музыки) playing works by Ligeti (Violin Concerto) and Lutoslawski (String Quartet and a couple of small works).

I heard the Ligeti years ago in NY, but I've never heard Luto's quartet - and it's a great one, among my faves (I know it from the Arditti recording).

[bhodges]

Next week, opening night of the New York Philharmonic:

New York Philharmonic
Alan Gilbert, Music Director
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Wynton Marsalis, Music Director and Trumpet

Wynton Marsalis: Swing Symphony (Symphony No. 3) (U.S. premiere)
R. Strauss: Don Juan
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber

--Bruce

[stingo]

And for me, the opening of the 2010-2011 season in Philadelphia:

Berlioz Le Corsaire Overture
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
Mahler Symphony No. 1

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Charles Dutoit, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin

(The actual season opening concert, which takes place Thursday, has Lalo's Symphone Espagnole and Respighi's Pines of Rome in place of the Mendelssohn/Mahler.)

[bhodges]

(The actual season opening concert, which takes place Thursday, has Lalo's Symphone Espagnole and Respighi's Pines of Rome in place of the Mendelssohn/Mahler.)

Go to both, go to both!   

--Bruce

[stingo]

Go to both, go to both!   

--Bruce

I really wish I could - the last time I heard Pines was in the Academy of Music, one of the best concerts I'd heard. But it's a bit difficult since it's a Thursday rather than Friday or weekend.

[Sid]

Looking forward to this concert by the Australia Ensemble, resident at University of New South Wales, Sydney. The Program is a good mix of two C20th Australian composers and two Europeans from earlier times:

Saturday September 18, 8pm
Sir John Clancy Auditorium

Peggy GLANVILLE-HICKS (1912-1990): Concertino da camera for flute, clarinet, bassoon and piano (1945)
Nigel BUTTERLEY (b 1935): Spindles of the Stars for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2005)
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856): Piano Trio No 2 in F Opus 80 (1847) - 200th anniversary of the composer's birth
Wolfgang MOZART (1756-1791): Clarinet Quintet in A K581 (1789)

A superb concert on all accounts. The Glanville-Hicks was a light, neo-classical work (she studied in Paris under Boulanger). The Butterley was reminiscent to me of Takemitsu, washes of colour (very subtle), & at one stage the piccolo, violin and cello played the same note, which sounded like it was coming from the same instrument. The composer was in the audience. The Schumann was poetic and lyrical - many emotions, highly influenced by J.S. Bach (the counterpoint). & to top it all off, the Goldner String Quartet with clarinetist Catherine McCorkill played the Mozart, which is my favourite clarinet quintet. The final movement was played quite fast, but they were so skilled, they could handle it easily. This was my first concert at this venue, and I plan to go back (acoustic excellent - the concert was recorded by ABC Classic FM radio for future broadcast)...

[Sid]

Another one I went to at the Sydney Con last night:

"A Little Charisma with Friends"
Charisma Trio
Julia Ryder - cello
Ros Dunlop - clarinet/bass clarinet
David Miller - piano
Valmai Coggins - guest viola

Alfred Hill - Miniature Trio No. 1 in F for clarinet, cello & piano (1916-18)
Moya Henderson - G'Day Africa (I-III) for clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), cello, viola & piano (1995)
Nino Rota - Trio for clarinet, cello & piano

I had never heard any of these works. I came to see a Ravel & Tchaikovsky piano trio recital but it was postponed, this was on instead. The Hill was a neo-classical piece, written for his students at this very institution (the Sydney Con) where he taught. It was light & reminiscent of Mozart. The Henderson was the piece that grabbed me the most, based on South African songs & the clarinet part especially jazzy. The finale of the Rota was the most familiar piece, as it had a circus atmosphere, reminding me of a part of the soundtrack of La Strada (which he did for Fellini). I really enjoyed this recital, especially the Henderson (who was in the audience)...

[Brian]

Well, I figured that since I have now finished unpacking my life into my new room in London, I should buy some new concert tickets to celebrate!

4 October 2010
Orchestra of St Paul's

Michael Tippett: Little Music for strings
Richard Strauss/Rudolf Leopold: Metamorphosen arr. for septet
Interval
John Adams: Shaker Loops
Dmitry Shostakovich/Barshai: Symphony in A flat for strings, Op.118a (from String Quartet No.10)

7 October 2010
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Pergolesi: Stabat Mater
Mozart: Symphonies 25 and 29, opera scenes

9 October 2010
LPO, Neeme Jarvi
Dvorak: Te Deum
Dvorak: Stabat Mater

Of course I must also remember to see the Janacek Glagolitic Mass on 10 October! What a week of music that will be!

I got 50% off student discounts on all of these. I couldn't buy any Philharmonia concerts (like Vladimir Ashkenazy's upcoming Rachmaninov cycle) because student discounts aren't available online.