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

[jlaurson]

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!

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.

Excellent choices. Try to catch the Philharmonia at the box office, anyway.

Me: tonight:
LPO / Jurowski - Zemlinsky / Mahler - RFH

tomorrow:
F.F.Guy - Chopin Recital - St.Lukes
"Radius" -- two short operas at the Purcell Room - RFH
Birthday drinks

Friday: Cosi fan tutte - ROH

Saturday: LPO / Jurowski - Bartok, Haydn, Dufay - RFH

Sunday: LSO / Gergiev - Mahler 5 - Barbican (or else "The Makropulous Case" at the ENO, which would presumably be more interesting.

[Brian]

Sunday:  "The Makropulous Case" at the ENO, which would presumably be more interesting.

Oh goodness, that is sorely tempting.

I walked past the Purcell Room today and was totally delighted that the underside of the building is a skate park. Where else would a skating park and a classical venue be in the same place?

[jlaurson]

Oh goodness, that is sorely tempting.

I walked past the Purcell Room today and was totally delighted that the underside of the building is a skate park. Where else would a skating park and a classical venue be in the same place?

The front steps of the Munich Opera are, although not by intent, a skate park. :-)

[CD]

La Frontera, ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) at MoCP
Museum of Contemporary Photography
600 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL

Dedicated to Omar Hernández-Hidalgo (1971-2010), a Mexican viola virtuoso who was murdered in Tijuana in June of 2010, ICE has commissioned three new works by young Mexican composers in memory of this extraordinary musician.

Edgar Guzmán (b. 1981), New Piece (2010) for violin/viola, cello, flute and clarinet WORLD PREMIERE
Ivan Naranjo (b. 1977), New Piece (2010) for violin/viola, cello, flute and clarinet WORLD PREMIERE
Samuel Cedillo (b. 1981), New Piece (2010) for violin/viola, cello, flute and clarinet WORLD PREMIERE

[Sid]

Looking forward to two concerts here in Sydney on the weekend (25-26 Sept '10):

Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra
Emma-Jane  Murphy, cello
Sarah Grace-Williams, conductor

Ravel - Pavane for a Dead Princess
Schumann - Cello Concerto
Haydn - Symphony No. 103 "Drumroll"

Sydney University Musical Society
(haven't got any other details at his stage)

Faure - Requiem
Vivaldi - Gloria

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

My 1000th post!

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

Well this turned out to be everything I hoped for.  The Luto quartet was awesome - I can only imagine how much rehearsal and virtuosity it takes to play that thing - and the Ligeti VC was also well done, if not quite as polished as the previous time I heard it.

Also on the menu were Lutoslawski's Dance Preludes, Chain I, and an early socialist-realist piece called Bukoliki. All in all, a nice mix. Holding the concert in a chamber-music hall added to the impact and immediacy of the sound. Audience was very attentive, and as often happens with modern music concerts, younger and hipper than the norm.

A thank you to the Polish and Hungarian cultural centers for subsidizing this free concert. And you can check out Moscow New Music Studio at www.ccmm.ru.

[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 Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber

--Bruce

This concert was excellent.  Marsalis's piece is a joy, written for a gigantic orchestra that includes a small jazz ensemble, and he was buried in the group, playing trumpet.  It's about 40 minutes (perhaps a wee bit too long), in five movements, with lots of nods to Gershwin and Ives, and of course, many jazz sections, including lots of Latin-flavored passages.  The percussion section includes guiros, wood blocks, whip cracks and bongos--the players looked like they were having a blast.  The audience gave Marsalis a huge standing ovation (and this was before intermission).

The rest of the program was very good, and only further cemented my admiration for Alan Gilbert.  The Hindemith piece hadn't been done by the Philharmonic since 1995--a bit surprising, since as the printed notes acknowledge, it is arguably his most popular score, and used to be more of a staple on programs.

--Bruce

[Christo]

Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Saturday 2 October:

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir & Ensemble under Daniel Reuss: Pärt - Tulev - Kreek - Tüür
(http://www.concertgebouw.nl/page.ocl?pageid=279&dag=2&maand=10&jaar=2010)

[bhodges]

Tonight, the excellent new music group counter)induction, in this program:

Georges Aperghis: Mouvement pour quintette
Kyle Bartlett: vox sanguinaria
Vinko Globokar: Voix instrumentalisee
Alfred Schnittke: Piano Quartet

--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.)

It was an excellent concert all around. The orchestra was in fine form and so was Mr. Bell. I'd also add it's one thing to hear a work like M1 on recordings, it's quite another when you're sitting quite close the double basses in the hall.

Apart from the music, the concertmaster David Kim said a few words of welcome as well as announcing that Charles Dutoit will assume the title of Conductor Laureate starting with the 2012-2013 season.

[Sid]

Looking forward to two concerts here in Sydney on the weekend (25-26 Sept '10):

Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra
Emma-Jane  Murphy, cello
Sarah Grace-Williams, conductor

Ravel - Pavane for a Dead Princess
Schumann - Cello Concerto
Haydn - Symphony No. 103 "Drumroll"

Sydney University Musical Society
(haven't got any other details at his stage)

Faure - Requiem
Vivaldi - Gloria

A great weekend of music here in Sydney. I enjoyed all of the pieces, couldn't single one out. I wish all weekends could be as musically good as this! Also a weekend of firsts - the first ever cello concerto my accompanying friend & I saw, as well as the first requiem & Vivaldi piece. We chatted to cellist Emma-Jane Murphy after the MCO concert, and told her how much we appreciated her fine performance. Both the Schumann & Faure are pieces that didn't really grab me at first when hearing the recordings, but once I got to know them better, things just clicked into place. & seeing them live was the pinnacle for me.

The details of the performers for the Sydney University Musical Society concert are as follows:

Gregory Platt - conductor
Ross Cobb - organ
Alice Girle, Jocelyn O'Brien - soprano (Vivaldi)
Eliza Newton - alto (Vivaldi)
Oskar Andersson - treble (Faure)
Morgan Pearse - baritone (Faure)

They all did a superb job!

[bhodges]

Tomorrow night:

New York Philharmonic
Alan Gilbert, conductor

Mahler: Symphony No. 6

--Bruce

[bhodges]

And on Saturday night, Gustavo Dudamel and the Vienna Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall.  I don't think I've ever heard the group play anything like this program.

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Gustavo Dudamel, Conductor

Rossini: Overture to La gazza ladra
Orbón: Tres versiones sinfónicas
Bernstein: Divertimento for Orchestra
Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte
Ravel: Boléro

--Bruce

[Brian]

If that program had La valse instead of Bolero, I'd go bananas over it. Bolero is really good, of course, and I like it, but not love, quite.

I am looking forward to...

10 October 2010
Dvorak | Violin Concerto
Janacek | Glagolitic Mass
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin
Various vocalists, choir
LSO
Colin Davis

Very, VERY excited. Splurged for a 19 pound ticket because, will I ever get to see the Glagolitic Mass live again?

[MishaK]

Very, VERY excited. Splurged for a 19 pound ticket because, will I ever get to see the Glagolitic Mass live again?

You could come to Chicago in November. Boulez is doing it with the CSO (which I am looking forward to ).

[CD]

Yes! If I go to the CSO this year it will be for that concert.

[bhodges]

And on Saturday night, Gustavo Dudamel and the Vienna Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall.  I don't think I've ever heard the group play anything like this program.

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Gustavo Dudamel, Conductor

Rossini: Overture to La gazza ladra
Orbón: Tres versiones sinfónicas
Bernstein: Divertimento for Orchestra
Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte
Ravel: Boléro

--Bruce

This was one of the best concerts I've ever attended.  More details later, but for now: Dudamel really is a huge talent, and when he's at his best, the room just explodes with energy.  That's what happened here.  My companion that night is from Vienna and has heard the orchestra many times, but not with Dudamel--and she said she sensed something very special going on.

--Bruce

[Brian]

This was one of the best concerts I've ever attended.  More details later, but for now: Dudamel really is a huge talent, and when he's at his best, the room just explodes with energy.  That's what happened here.  My companion that night is from Vienna and has heard the orchestra many times, but not with Dudamel--and she said she sensed something very special going on.

--Bruce

Oh, man. So glad to hear that, Bruce! When I heard Dudamel with his Venezuelan orchestra a couple years ago, he had great potential written all over him, and (my previous carping aside) that is great repertoire for him. Very glad you agree he's the real deal, very glad you had a great night.

[bhodges]

Oh, man. So glad to hear that, Bruce! When I heard Dudamel with his Venezuelan orchestra a couple years ago, he had great potential written all over him, and (my previous carping aside) that is great repertoire for him. Very glad you agree he's the real deal, very glad you had a great night.

Well, I was in your corner; I basically love La Valse, and would have been delighted if he'd played that--but that was before I heard the Boléro the other night, that was giving me and my friend goosebumps.  Dudamel coaxed some incredible solos out of the group, especially from the bassoon and trombone, and the last few pages were as exciting as you could imagine.

I have now heard him six or seven times live--with the NY Philharmonic, the Israel Philharmonic, the Venezuelan group, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and now Vienna.  (And he's conducted most of the major orchestras around the world.)  This was the same program he conducted with the orchestra at Lucerne a few weeks ago, and he'll do it in Vienna in the coming weeks. 

The naysayers think he's either a) over-hyped, or b) another product of Deutsche Grammophon's marketing machine.  Yes, he has been over-promoted a bit, to a level  that no human being could possibly measure up, e.g., "the next Bernstein," "classical music's savior," etc.  Based on what I've heard, though, there is a genuine talent here--a guy who has the ability to ignite musicians in a rare way.  The evidence is all over YouTube--performances from the London Proms in 2007, Simon Bolívar Youth Orchestra, the Philharmonia, Gothenburg Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic--and the thing is, he's only getting better. 

Yes, he still has some maturing to do; not every concert is totally successful, and there are pieces he's done (like the Mahler Ninth) that I look forward to hearing with him in say, 10 years or so.  But it is hard to deny what you are seeing and hearing when he's conducting, and on Saturday night, you should have seen the faces of the Vienna players, positively beaming.  As my Viennese friend said, "They don't usually look like that."

--Bruce

[jlaurson]

This was one of the best concerts I've ever attended.  More details later, but for now: Dudamel really is a huge talent, and when he's at his best, the room just explodes with energy.  That's what happened here.  My companion that night is from Vienna and has heard the orchestra many times, but not with Dudamel--and she said she sensed something very special going on.

--Bruce

That's his strength and his weakness. Like a joke that's better for the delivery than the punchline, the Dudamel-experience is one of "You had to have been there". It doesn't translate on recordings, for example. (And not in an acoustically-related way, like the way CT's recordings don't reflect the concert experience.) Anyway, it remains to be seen how often, how well he can inspire with one and the same orchestra in standard repertoire. My money on the next big conductor remains on Andris Nelsons just ahead of YNS.

Oh, boy, good that I now looked at my calendar re: which concerts I might be looking forward to: just realized that I have to call Daniel Harding in a few hours. He, incidentally, is not on that list of mine above... :-)