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

[jlaurson]

Oh I hope that is fulfilled sooner rather than later!  Recordings are great--make no mistake, and I feel lucky to live in an age where you can listen to something hundreds of times if you want to--but hearing a terrific group in person is one of life's great pleasures.

Tomorrow night, seeing this:

Bernstein: A Quiet Place
New York City Opera

--Bruce

just back from a spot of Bruckner with B.Haitink.

Re: Quiet Place: Have you read what Bernheimer wrote about it? Priceless. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/820eb3c6-e2e0-11df-9735-00144feabdc0.html Why isn't there any critic who can write even half as well in 300 words?

[bhodges]

just back from a spot of Bruckner with B.Haitink.

Re: Quiet Place: Have you read what Bernheimer wrote about it? Priceless. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/820eb3c6-e2e0-11df-9735-00144feabdc0.html Why isn't there any critic who can write even half as well in 300 words?

Yes, I did see Bernheimer's piece (after I'd already committed to going) and thought, "Uh-oh."  But we'll see: I'm more forgiving of some of Bernstein's excesses than some.

How was Haitink, and which Bruckner? 

--Bruce

[jlaurson]

How was Haitink, and which Bruckner? 

--Bruce

Haitink was fine... determined, cohesive... great 2nd movement of that 9th. But I couldn't have cared much less for the Te Deum. My problem with the piece, more than anything else, though.

[Opus106]

Can't believe you have never heard Beethoven LIVE. It's about time!!!

I remembered today that I attended a piano recital sometime within the last two years in which Brahms' Op. 118/6 and Beethoven's Op. 90 were played.

Oh I hope that is fulfilled sooner rather than later!  Recordings are great--make no mistake, and I feel lucky to live in an age where you can listen to something hundreds of times if you want to--but hearing a terrific group in person is one of life's great pleasures.

Tomorrow night, seeing this:

Bernstein: A Quiet Place
New York City Opera

--Bruce

Thanks, Bruce. (A quiet place at the opera, huh? ) Hope you enjoyed it.

[Sid]

Looking forwards to this recital on the weekend:

"DOUBLE DUOS"
Performers: Laura Chislett Jones - Flute, Thomas Jones - Violin, Daryl Pratt - Percussion, Alison Pratt - Percussion, David Gilfillan - Sound Projection

Recital Hall East, Sydney Conservatorium of Music
PRESENTED BY: NEW MUSIC NETWORK

The neo-expressionism of Wolfgang Rihm and Elliott Carter's crystalline lyricism set this concert on a trajectory which explores new music chamber repertoire in an acoustic setting and with electronics. The trajectory is further outlined by four composers of the younger generation who represent, in these works, dramatically varied sounds worlds: complexity, minimalism, timbral exploration and ritualised and re-interpreted folk music. Rosalind Page's Courbe dominante takes inspiration from Kandinsky, Schoenberg and sound sources from planetary origins (Saturn) which she has transformed into a series of Baroque-referenced dance movements. Polish composer, Hanna Kulenty, is represented by her "European trance music" which uses digital delay. Giorgio Colombo Taccani's Luz, written for Laura and Thomas Jones, reflects refined timbral and harmonic beauty. Diego Luzuriaga is becoming well-known for his lively and passionate music which takes elements of Ecuadorean-Andean folk music as its point of departure. Luzuriaga's Double Duo has lent its name to this concert as the four instrumental performers are two married couples.

[bhodges]

Thanks, Bruce. (A quiet place at the opera, huh? ) Hope you enjoyed it.

I enjoyed it (Bernstein A Quiet Place) immensely.  NYCO did itself quite proud with the production--not expensive, just effective--and had a very fine cast of singers.  I realized afterward that one of the reasons it's not done often is...it's too difficult!  Both the singers and the orchestra have very demanding parts, pretty much all evening, but everyone did a beautiful job.  The conductor was Jayce Ogren, who is not well known (yet), but I've heard him conduct the International Contemporary Ensemble (a fast-rising group here in NYC), and he's definitely someone to watch.

--Bruce

[bhodges]

On Friday, this fascinating concert.  I've never heard the Grisey, either live or recorded.  Barbara Hannigan was terrific last spring as Gepopo (the chief of police) in Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre.

New York Philharmonic
Alan Gilbert, conductor
Barbara Hannigan, soprano

Magnus Lindberg: Souvenir (in memoriam Gérard Grisey) (World Premiere)
Gérard Grisey: Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil

--Bruce

[Sid]

Just went to this one here at City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney:

"A Little Lunch Music" with Selby & Friends
Taryn Feibig, soprano
Kathryn Selby, piano
Emma-Jane Murphy, cello
Dimity Hall, violin

Schubert - Gretchen am spinnrade (soprano, piano)
Amy Beach(1867-1944) - Two Songs for vioice, violin, cello and piano Op. 100 No. 1 & Op. 100 No. 2
Shostakovich - Seven Romances on Poems of Alexander Blok Op. 127 (1967), Vocal-instrumental suite for soprano, violin, cello and piano (sung in German)
I. Ophelia's Song
II. Gamayun, the Bird of Prophecy
III. We Were Alone
IV. The City Sleeps
V. The Storm - VI. Secret Signs - VII. Music
Encores: a song by Gershwin & "I could have danced all night" from My Fair Lady

I really enjoyed this performance. I had never heard this apparently popular Schubert song, and think it's the darkest and most tragic piece I have heard by him. Amy Beach was an American composer who studied in Germany, and these two songs reminded me strongly of Wagner. The Shostakovich was quite dark and moody. The fifth song, "The Storm" was the perfect evocation of a world in chaos. This song cycle was written after the composer's first heart attack, on the behest of cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. Kathryn Selby told of how the composer had experienced "writer's block" after his recovery, his wife had disposed of all of the alcohol in the house, but he found one tucked away in a cupboard corner, drank it, and the work simply poured out of him. After the darkness of the Shostakovich, the two encores finished the concert with a bit of froth and bubble. Just shows the range of Taryn Feibig's voice. All in all, this was a very enjoyable concert for me & I hope to go to more of theirs next year...

[jlaurson]

Haitink was fine... determined, cohesive... great 2nd movement of that 9th. But I couldn't have cared much less for the Te Deum. My problem with the piece, more than anything else, though.

[Sid]

Looking forwards to this recital on the weekend:

"DOUBLE DUOS"
Performers: Laura Chislett Jones - Flute, Thomas Jones - Violin, Daryl Pratt - Percussion, Alison Pratt - Percussion, David Gilfillan - Sound Projection

Recital Hall East, Sydney Conservatorium of Music
PRESENTED BY: NEW MUSIC NETWORK

The neo-expressionism of Wolfgang Rihm and Elliott Carter's crystalline lyricism set this concert on a trajectory which explores new music chamber repertoire in an acoustic setting and with electronics. The trajectory is further outlined by four composers of the younger generation who represent, in these works, dramatically varied sounds worlds: complexity, minimalism, timbral exploration and ritualised and re-interpreted folk music. Rosalind Page's Courbe dominante takes inspiration from Kandinsky, Schoenberg and sound sources from planetary origins (Saturn) which she has transformed into a series of Baroque-referenced dance movements. Polish composer, Hanna Kulenty, is represented by her "European trance music" which uses digital delay. Giorgio Colombo Taccani's Luz, written for Laura and Thomas Jones, reflects refined timbral and harmonic beauty. Diego Luzuriaga is becoming well-known for his lively and passionate music which takes elements of Ecuadorean-Andean folk music as its point of departure. Luzuriaga's Double Duo has lent its name to this concert as the four instrumental performers are two married couples.

This was an excellent recital, here are the full details of the program:

Wolfgang Rihm - Drei Vorspiele zu einer Insel (Three Preludes to an Island) for flute, violin and percussion
Elliot Carter - from 4 Lauds, Rhapsodic Musings for solo violin
Rosalind Page - Courbe dominante for flute in C, alto flute & saturnian sound source
Hanna Kulenty - A Fifth Circle for flute and delay
Giorgio Colombo Taccani - Luz for flute and violin
Diego Luzuriaga - Double Duo for flute, violin and 2 percussionists

These musicians are virtuosos at the top of their game. It was an excellent program, but I particularly liked Page's work, which included sounds recorded from the planet Saturn, which interspersed the acoustic flute parts; and Luzuriaga - who is an Ecuadorian composer - whose work took me to the heart of South America. The last movement was particularly fun - a fast dance, very percussive, from the Ecuadorian Andes. I'll have to check out what some of these composers have on disc. The only piece I knew was the Carter, the rest was entirely new to me...

[Brian]

Stravinsky | Scherzo fantastique
Prokofiev | Piano Concerto No 3
Shostakovich | Symphony No 11

Oleg Marshev, piano
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko, conductor

Wednesday

[Brian]

Cross-post from the listening thread with expansion.

I just got back from seeing Shostakovich's 11th - Vasily P and the London Phil. Somehow, my memory had capacious recollections of the eeriness of the opening string and timpani figures, but I'd completely forgotten the sheer trouser-browning terror of the second-movement massacre. When the fugato was hurtling towards self-destruction and I was already on the edge of my seat, the tam-tam player stood up and strode forward to man his station and a gangsta voice in my head said, "Oh man... s*** is gonna go DOWN!" And it did. That's one of those rare climaxes in music where at the end of the huge build-up, when all the tension is getting released, everything actually gets crazier. At the and of the piece, I confess I had another immature thought. You know how in some bad action movies (like Mortal Kombat), the very last scene reveals a new, even more powerful evil villain who suddenly pops up just in time for the entire audience to realize that there will be a sequel, and then the credits role before he does anything? That's the coda of the 11th. Blam-o, new even more powerful villain casts darkness over the land, and - oops, you'll just have to wait for the 12th to see how that turns out!

The performance was everything you could possibly ask for, with an especially sensitive cor anglais solo in the finale.  Petrenko even let the violas stand for special recognition after it was over. Vasily is a tall, skinny blonde who, from the balcony, looks a bit like what Draco Malfoy would look like if he had had loving parents. Except that, after the Eleventh was over, Happy Kid Vasily had disappeared. The conductor who turned around had a look on his face I've never seen on a conductor before: he looked defeated. He looked like a man who has just had teeth removed. Up in the balcony, I got chills, slowed down my clapping, moved back in my seat. It was actually uncomfortable (the power of empathy). Only on the very last curtain call had he recovered - only then was he able to smile and put his hand over his heart in appreciation.

The first half of the program was mostly average. Prokofiev's Third Concerto was all about Petrenko and the London players' excellent accompaniment; Oleg Marshev mostly just was competent and pleasing, and in the final crescendo he was drowned out so quickly as to be a non-factor. So that's why concerto recordings skew the balances so much... Marshev realized he had lost the battle, so he delivered (with great panache and virtuosity) a lengthy encore, a solo Chopin piece I'd never heard before but which I am guessing was a polonaise. The Stravinsky (Scherzo fantastique) was characterfully played, but it's still a turd of a piece. No, that's not the right word. It's cute and pretty and feather-light and has good moments. But I've heard it live at concert halls twice, now, twice in 2010 in fact!, and I would never consider putting it on the stereo at home. It must have been a really early work of his, because it's totally pointless and not even skilfully derivative. There were six double bassists on stage for it, and the double bass part had exactly two notes in twelve minutes. What kind of composer uses six double basses to play two notes in twelve minutes? A composer who needs a bit more practice.

I can understand the need for a slightly obscure 12-minute overture by a Russian to lead off the program. But there are a lot of 12-minute (or 11- or 13- ) overtures by Russians. Borodin - Prince Igor; Tchaikovsky - Danish Themes; Rimsky-Korsakov - Snow Maiden Suite; various symphonic poems by Glazunov, Liadov, Svetlanov (!); probably something good by Weinberg (thus completing the Soviet Masters Triumvirate); maybe a good Shchedrin short. Heck, there are probably good alternatives by Stravinsky.

Anyhow. The massacre and subsequent stillness of the Shostakovich were totally worth it - and it was totally worth it, too, to see in action one of the finest young (or, if jlaurson is reading this in a nit-picking mood, relatively young) conductors in the business. I think I'm going to go to Liverpool in January to see Vasily do Rachmaninov's Second Symphony. Should be a blast.

[Opus106]

Back from an enjoyable evening of Chopin at my Alma mater (the place where I studied during the last two years of high school), courtesy Polish pianist Marek Drewnowsky. The event was organised by a local music school along with the Polish Embassy as part of the Chopin anniversary. For reasons that sounded rather dubious to me, the event was shifted from the school auditorium, which is fairly modern and plays host to concerts and plays on a regular basis, to a regular, smallish hall -- the MC, who is a pianist himself, said the acoustics were better there! The room was packed when I entered and the only seats available were right at the back from where I could only see the piano lid. But just before the show started, young members of the audience were invited to sit around the piano where mats were spread out so that older people could occupy the seats. I immediately went to the front only to find most of the available space already occupied, and not an inch left behind the piano where one could view the pianist's finger-work. So I spent the rest of recital, sitting about five feet away from the piano, listening and watching the pedals in action. 

As for the programme itself, it was mostly Chopin with a sprinkling of Scarlatti. Things got under way the Variations on "La ci darem la mano," followed by three sonatas by Scarlatti (don't know which), then Chopin again with the Nocturne, Op. 15/2; the waltzes, Opp. 64/2 (a personal favourite of mine), 42 and third one, the details of which I forget. Then there was a Mazurka, and a very short piece for an encore -- and it was not the 'Minute' waltz. (Sorry, I'm not good with remembering the opus numbers of Chopin works, even though I love much of his music.)

Drewnowski, I learnt, has something in common with Gustav Leonhardt: both have portrayed the role of the composers they are most associated with on screen. Apparently, he has acted in a feature film as Chopin, and, of course, recorded the soundtracks featuring his music. And he plays well in the dark too. While playing one of the Scarlatti, there was a black-out for a few seconds, but the music continued unperturbed.

The best part of the evening however, today and few days ago and piano trio concert, was simply being in the presence of unadulterated sound emanating from the instrument(s).

[Sid]

Looking forward to this recital tommorrow night by the Melbourne based Flinders String Quartet here in Sydney at the Conservatorium. From the website:

Richard Mills is always alive with energy and his fourth string quartet is no exception. Berg's Opus 3 quartet uses a language that is close to the human voice and was praised by Schoenberg for its originality. To finish the year, we have invited Paul Dean to play Mozart's masterpiece for string quartet and clarinet.

Berg String Quartet Op.3
Mills String Quartet No.4 'Glimpses from my
        book of Dada'* (world premiere)
Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A major K.581

Guest Artist Paul Dean, clarinet

*Commissioned with assistance from the Australia Council and dedicated to Flinders Quartet on their tenth birthday.

Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney
Monday 29 November 2010, 7 pm

[Sid]

Looking forward to this recital tommorrow night by the Melbourne based Flinders String Quartet here in Sydney at the Conservatorium. From the website:

Richard Mills is always alive with energy and his fourth string quartet is no exception. Berg's Opus 3 quartet uses a language that is close to the human voice and was praised by Schoenberg for its originality. To finish the year, we have invited Paul Dean to play Mozart's masterpiece for string quartet and clarinet.

Berg String Quartet Op.3
Mills String Quartet No.4 'Glimpses from my
        book of Dada'* (world premiere)
Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A major K.581
        Clarinet Quintet fragment in B flat

Guest Artist Paul Dean, clarinet

*Commissioned with assistance from the Australia Council and dedicated to Flinders Quartet on their tenth birthday.

Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney
Monday 29 November 2010, 7 pm

I really enjoyed this concert. I had not heard the music of Australian composer Richard Mills for many years. His string quartet was appropriately a bit of Dadaesque fun, with movements titled in ways like "The circumspect Ibis," "The rise of the airheads in public life," "Reve circulaire du Wombat," "Scheming and latte drinking," "The octopus quadrille," and "Anti Tango from Berlin as Premonition of invasion by Russian Herbalists." That movement's title was taken from the memory of a dream by fellow composer Grahame Koehne's mother, who died while the quartet was completed, so the last slow movement, a prayer, was dedicated to her. There were even paperclips inserted near the bridges of the first violins in the "Anti Tango," talking to the violinist Matt Tomkins afterwards, he said Mills was taking the piss out of this same thing done by a German composer in an avant-garde string quartet. It sounded like an household appliance sound, like the noise made by a fridge, vaccuum cleaner or microwave or something. I was also reminded of Bartok by this quartet, especially in the use of Bartok pizzicato.

It was pretty amazing hearing the Berg opus 3 done live as well. Those rich harmonies. The quartet played the three main themes briefly and talked about them before playing the whole work. I also learned that Berg wrote this very passionate work when he was dating his wife to be, but her father was quite obstructive and against the relationship.

To finish off, Paul Dean joined the quartet to play the sublime Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A. This is one of my favourite works by Mozart, and it is the second time that I have seen/heard it live. Paul Dean basically used his whole body to play the clarinet, and he had a very fine sense of dynamics. They also played the incomplete Clarinet Quintet fragment in B flat, which sounded a bit like the first movement of the other quintet, but it ended abruptly and only lasted 5 minutes or so.

All in all, I loved this (my first) taste of the Flinders Quartet, and plan to go to a couple of their recitals next year (they do three recitals throughout the year, touring Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane)...

[Brian]

Sunday 5 December

Schubert | Unfinished Symphony
Mozart | Piano Concerto No 21
Beethoven | Symphony No 5

I wasn't planning on going to this - was expecting to go see Mahler's First instead - but you know what? Sometimes you just gotta cave in and enjoy the old, famous stuff.    Especially when the artists are:

Angela Hewitt, piano
Christoph von Dohnanyi, conductor
Philharmonia

[bhodges]

Sunday 5 December

Schubert | Unfinished Symphony
Mozart | Piano Concerto No 21
Beethoven | Symphony No 5

I wasn't planning on going to this - was expecting to go see Mahler's First instead - but you know what? Sometimes you just gotta cave in and enjoy the old, famous stuff.    Especially when the artists are:

Angela Hewitt, piano
Christoph von Dohnanyi, conductor
Philharmonia

Agreed, and further: everyone should hear the Beethoven Fifth now and then, just to be reminded of why it has the status it does.  Just last January I heard it with James Levine and the MET Orchestra--beautiful, muscular performance.  Dohnanyi should be wonderful with it.

--Bruce

[Sid]

Will be going to this concert in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney on the weekend. It's unclear at this stage who the pianist will be (not advertised on their website yet). I remember seeing these two Beethoven works live a long time ago, but I don't remember ever seeing the music of Sibelius, so it'll be interesting:

Program:
Beethoven Emperor Concerto
Beethoven Coriolan Overture
Sibelius Symphony No. 2

Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra
Guest Conductor:  Luke Gilmour.

5th of December 2010
2.30pm, The Scots College, Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill.

[listener]

will stretch the budget next month to include
Elgar Howarth conductor
Kyoko Takezawa Violin

Barber: The School for Scandal: Overture
Barber: Violin Concerto
Bruckner: Symphony No. 6

There's an association in the back of my mind of Howarth with brass music, might account for the Bruckner on the program?    Edition is not indicated.

[MishaK]

8:00 PM
Saturday December 4, 2010

Program:
Schoenberg  Transfigured Night 
Janáček  Glagolitic Mass

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Pierre Boulez
conductor
Christine Brewer
soprano
Nancy Maultsby
mezzo-soprano
Lance Ryan
tenor
Mikhail Petrenko
bass
Paul Jacobs
organ
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Duain Wolfe
director and conductor

This turned out to be the absolute highlight of recent CSO concerts. Stupendous performance! (Apart from a rather nondescript mezzo.)