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

[12tone.]

Why can't the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (Vancouver, British Columbia that is) play anything good!?!?!!!??!   Worst program year ever!

The only Bax they played was Tintagel and that was way back in October when I don't think I cared for that music.  Nuts.  I missed it.

And now nothing till next season.

I hope they do it right this time! 

[westknife]

Just subscribed to the NY Metropolitan Opera for the 2011-12 season, 7 performances, first time I've ever done this... pretty excited, although it doesn't start until September.

- Anna Bolena (not a huge bel canto fan, but it was part of the deal and it's got Anna Netrebko so how bad can it be)
- Nabucco (can't go wrong with Verdi)
- Satyagraha (some modernism in there for good measure)
- La Bohème (old faithful, never actually seen it live so now's the time I guess)
- The Enchanted Island (no idea what this is, some kind of "baroque pastiche" with English words, we'll see)
- Götterdämmerung (love the Wagner, can't wait)
- Khovanshchina (a less famous Mussorgsky opera. it will be epic and Russian, can't go wrong)

[stingo]

And the Philadelphia Orchestra posted their 2011-2012 season, so I'll have to think about what to hear. Lots of good things.

[Brahmsian]

Although the official program guide hasn't yet been finalized, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra did announce its 2011/2012 season.  I'm pretty excited overall.

Some of the highlights for me will be:

*All Shostakovich program conducted by Maxim Shostakovich (Violin Concerto 1, Hamlet Incidental Music, Symphony No. 9)  Korbinian Altenberger, soloist

*Schubert's Symphony No. 9; Mozart - Sinfonia concertante for Winds in E flat major, K 297b

*Dawn Upshaw - Three Songs for Orchestra by Golijov

*Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 (Horacio Gutierrez, soloist); Dvorak's 8th Symphony.  This is the season opener.

*Kancheli's Styx.  Although I haven't heard Styx yet, the 3 or 4 works I've heard by Kancheli I really, really enjoyed.

*Andre Mathieu's Piano Concerto No. 4 (Alain Lefevre, soloist).  Sibelius Symphony No. 2

*Barber's Violin Concerto (Augustin Hadelich, soloist); Copland - Appalachian Suite, Larry Rachleff, conducting

*Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem

*Brahms - Piano Concerto No. 2 (Jon Kimura Parker, soloist); Schumann Symphony No. 1

*Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 3 (Michael Kim, soloist); Symphony No. 5.  I will probably skip this concert, as I've already heard all of Beethoven's symphonies in concert, and I just do not get excited anymore for Beethoven performances as they just perform his music way, way too often.  If I go, it will only be for the PC#3, which I haven't yet heard in concert.

*Mahler - Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection".  OH MY GOD!!!!!    So excited!!  This is the 2011/12 season finale, and I already can't wait for this one!!!   

[bhodges]

Tonight:

Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, Music Director and Conductor
Lisa Batiashvili, Violin

Beethoven: Violin Concerto (with cadenza by Alfred Schnittke)
Sibelius: Symphony No. 6
Sibelius: Symphony No. 7

--Bruce

[jlaurson]

The coming week:

Oslo Philharmonic

Maurice Ravel
Le tombeau de Couperin
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano concerto no. 21 'Elvira Madigan'
Igor Stravinsky
Le sacre du printemps

Marc Albrecht: conductor
Christian Ihle Hadland: piano (replacing Lars Vogt)



Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony no. 8
Francois Devienne
Piccolo concerto no. 8
Jusef Suk
Märchen

Bertrand de Billy: conductor

Oslo Opera

Lulu. Berg. Stefan Herheim.

(John Fiore conducting... though I still harbor hopes that I can abduct Marc Albrecht from the airport and make him conduct the performance I'm seeing.
His Lulu with the VPO in Salzburg this year was stupendous.)

[Opus106]

Finally: my first orchestral concert!


The Symphony Orchestra of India are finally coming out of Bombay. So far, apart from a tour to Russia, I don't think they have toured anywhere.


Here's the programme:

Sunday, February 27 at 7.00 pm Chennai

Mikhail Glinka: Russlan and Ludmilla Overture
Isaac Albeniz: Asturias from the Suite Española
Tommaso Vitali: Chaconne
Georges Bizet: Carmen Suites (No.1 and 2)
Maurice Ravel: Bolero

Marat Bisengaliev – Violin (he's also the MD of the SOI)
Conductor – Zane Dalal

Sunday evening was a memorable occasion (apart from the tie, in more ways than one, between the Indian and English cricket teams)! The concert started, in true Indian tradition, twenty minutes late, although I would put the blame squarely on the organisers rather than the orchestra. Perhaps it was for this reason, that conductor Dalal chose to say a few words about the works during the interval. The show began as the conductor walked out, bowed gently to the audience, turned on his heel while initiating a short timpani roll which led to the Indian national anthem.  After that came the colourful pieces of the Glinka overture and the Carmen Suites. I must say, the strings in unison sound so much softer compared to when I listen to recordings through speakers. The second half of the concert began with SOI's Music Director, Marat Bisengaliev, taking centre stage in three virtuoso violin pieces: the Albeniz, transcribed for violin and about a dozen strings; the chaconne by Tommaso Vitali, a work nearly 10 minutes or so long, now backed by the whole string ensemble; and finally, Prelude and Allegro, by Fritz Kreisler. All of these works were new to me, yet I somehow felt that it could have had a little more 'fire' to them. I should listen to some other violinists tackling these. The final piece was, of course, Ravel's Boléro. And I heard it for the second time in the day -- never thought that it would ever happen! Earlier in the afternoon, I watched towards the end of a documentary about Gianluigi Gelmetti, former conductor of the Sydney SO, the whole piece as performed during his last concert as chief conductor. As Bruce rightly pointed out, the ending of the piece, heard live, is quite something. Oh, and I really felt sorry for the snare drummer , who deservedly received applause along with the conductor on the podium.

The encores began, with the orchestra getting quickly into the Radetzky March. It was neither New Year's Day nor were we the at Musikvereinssaal, but almost everyone began to clap immediately. What fun! And the concluding piece for the evening was a work just for the strings, or so I thought, when in the middle of it, right after the bassists twirled their instruments, the woodwind and brass players stood up and began singing, "Laaa la laa..."! And the piece ended with a resounding "Hey!" from the entire orchestra. (Can anyone come up with a name?)

As I said, a very memorable evening.

[Chaszz]

I am going to see Gluck's Iphigenia en Tauride at the Met next Wednesday evening. Several years back I was gainfully well employed and used to sit in the better seats at the Met, for instance spending $1000 for a Ring cycle. Now I'm retired and eking out a dedicated sculptor's exsitence on soc sec, and for the first time will be sitting in the stratosphere near the ceiling. We'll see how that works out.

But greatly looking forward to Gluck, whom I love. In keeping with my sometime approach to opera, where I just jump in and enjoy while knowing nothing about it, and not having heard a recording of it, I may or may not read the synopsis. I do know from my interest in Greek culture that Iphigenia was Agamemnon's daughter whom he planned to sacrifice to the gods to get a good wind in order to sail to Troy and bring home his brother's wife the troublemaker Helen. And that sacrifice of her daughter incensed Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, and led to her murdering him after the Trojan War. But I don't know what this has to do with Gluck's libretto. I also know little about Gluck, who I actually like more consistently than Mozart and Haydn -- he never seems to do pretty fillips like those two do. Nothing but serious solid great music from him -- no rococo cake decoration. But whether he comes before or after them, and who influenced whom or vice versa, if at all -- I have no idea. This is opera by ignorance, but the music trumps that.  And hopefully the story also. And the wonderful, almost domed, architectural space of the Met, filled with light from the stage and with glorious music -- that is the best thing of all.

I have been fighting off a bad cold for 5 days and will be unable to go. Just called the Met to donate back my ticket.   

ZOUNDS!!!

CURSES!!!

WHAT A REVOLTIN' DEVELOPMENT THIS IS!!!

OBVIOUSLY GERMS ARE TARGETED ESPECIALLY AGAINST A CERTAIN SUBSET OF HUMANITY OF WHICH I AM A MEMBER!!!

(I will be back with more details when I have figured out this insidious plot completely.... )

[Chaszz]

At the top of the list is pianist Denis Matsuev (1998 Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition winner) in San Francisco May 15.

Program:
Schubert, Sonata A Minor, op. 143
Beethoven, Sonata F Minor #23, op. 57 (Appasionata)
Liszt, Mephisto Waltz #1, S.514
Rachmaninoff, Sonata B-flat Minor #2, op.36 Second Edition

Wow...

Tomorrow night (2/27) I'm hearing Zubin Mehta/Israel Phil perform Mahler 5--should be excellent.

I quite like your avatar, but what are those black things across the beloved master's head? Tuning pegs, or rays of inspiration from an advanced outer-space civilization?

[bhodges]

Navneeth, thanks for the report, and it sounds like you had a really good time!    Your comment about the softness of the strings isn't surprising; could be a result of the concert hall itself, depending on the acoustics of the place. (Some places in Avery Fisher Hall, here, can give a similar result--the sound is more diffuse, with less "oomph.")

Can't help you with the second encore.    Would be interested to hear if you find out.  (Or, just call the orchestra's office--here, they're usually delighted that anyone cares enough to do so!)

I have been fighting off a bad cold for 5 days and will be unable to go. Just called the Met to donate back my ticket.   

ZOUNDS!!!

CURSES!!!

WHAT A REVOLTIN' DEVELOPMENT THIS IS!!!

OBVIOUSLY GERMS ARE TARGETED ESPECIALLY AGAINST A CERTAIN SUBSET OF HUMANITY OF WHICH I AM A MEMBER!!!

(I will be back with more details when I have figured out this insidious plot completely.... )

So sorry to hear (but have to confess, your rant is a little humorous... ). Hope you are able to reschedule--I hear the production is quite something. (I haven't seen it yet.)

--Bruce

[MishaK]

Navneeth, thanks for the report, and it sounds like you had a really good time!    Your comment about the softness of the strings isn't surprising; could be a result of the concert hall itself, depending on the acoustics of the place. (Some places in Avery Fisher Hall, here, can give a similar result--the sound is more diffuse, with less "oomph.")

On the other hand, it can simply be the usual problem that less wealthy orchestras simply can't afford the best instruments. No matter the technical skill of the violinists involved, if one orchestra's string section can afford Strads and the other can't, the latter just won't have the oomph of the former. In the case of string instruments, a couple of tens of thousands of dollars (per instrument) make all the difference between a full sound that projects to the last row and one that doesn't.

[Opus106]

Navneeth, thanks for the report, and it sounds like you had a really good time!    Your comment about the softness of the strings isn't surprising; could be a result of the concert hall itself, depending on the acoustics of the place. (Some places in Avery Fisher Hall, here, can give a similar result--the sound is more diffuse, with less "oomph.")

Can't help you with the second encore.    Would be interested to hear if you find out.  (Or, just call the orchestra's office--here, they're usually delighted that anyone cares enough to do so!)

re: contacting them, that's a good idea, Bruce. Thanks.

[bhodges]

On the other hand, it can simply be the usual problem that less wealthy orchestras simply can't afford the best instruments. No matter the technical skill of the violinists involved, if one orchestra's string section can afford Strads and the other can't, the latter just won't have the oomph of the former. In the case of string instruments, a couple of tens of thousands of dollars (per instrument) make all the difference between a full sound that projects to the last row and one that doesn't.

That is quite true, as well--good point.

Tonight, works for flute and electronics by Patricia Spencer, longtime member of the Da Capo Chamber Players. The Musgrave is fascinating: it uses a digital delay to create a series of flute echoes, evoking Narcissus's gazing at his reflection in the water.

Patricia Spencer, flute
Samir Chatterjee, tabla
Linda Hall, piano
Lisa Preirnesberger, bass clarinet
Sarn Pluta, sound projectionist
Sherry Teitelbaum, director

Stockhausen: Bijou (US premiere)
Korde: Lalit* (world premiere / revised version)
Chen Yi: Three Bagatelles from China West
Georgescu: Exorcisme (US premiere)
Musgrave: Narcissus*

*written for Ms. Spencer

--Bruce

[Opus106]

On the other hand, it can simply be the usual problem that less wealthy orchestras simply can't afford the best instruments. No matter the technical skill of the violinists involved, if one orchestra's string section can afford Strads and the other can't, the latter just won't have the oomph of the former.

Do all/most string players (or at least violinists, say) in any of the top orchestras play Strads (or equally famous, few-hundred-years-old instruments from Italy or thereabouts)? Or were you simply using "Strads" as a place-holder for high-quality violins?

[MishaK]

Do all/most string players (or at least violinists, say) in any of the top orchestras play Strads (or equally famous, few-hundred-years-old instruments from Italy or thereabouts)? Or were you simply using "Strads" as a place-holder for high-quality violins?

I was using them as a place holder. There aren't enough Strads to go around for everyone, though he was a very prolific maker. But you can be certain that when you're looking at the string section of a top tier orchestra, you're looking at several tens of millions of dollars worth of antique Italian, French and German timber.  The values of string instruments have exploded exponentially, vastly faster than the rate of inflation, over the last couple of decades, owing only in part to rarity, and much more due to demand from collectors and investors who buy these things specifically in anticipation of greater return on their investment down the line. This applies even to instruments from less known makers. E.g. someone I know (a recently retired violinist from a German orchestra and former first violin of a string quartet) bought an Antoniazzi (19th century Italian) violin for 30K Deutsche Mark (approx. 15K Euros) in the late 80s. That instrument is easily worth upwards of 85K USD today (quadruple its value over little more than 20 years), financial crisis notwithstanding. Many musicians, even famous ones, at least for some time play on donated instruments or instruments "on loan" from a collector, a bank, or some other institution that hoards these things. See, e.g. this list of recipients of loaned Strads and other instruments from the Stradivari Society: http://www.stradivarisociety.com/recipients.php

[springrite]

Going to attend a recital by Andreas Schiff. I was told that on the long program are: Bach WTC (book one) plus two Beethoven sonatas. Now that is a program and a half!

I am pretty sure it will be selections from Book One, not the whole thing. But still a good program. I will be going with several friends.

Short review:

The WTC (Book Two, 1-12) were played as you'd expect from Schiff, which for the most part is not my cuppa. But #3, #4, #10, #11 and #12 were very good. I am generally satisfied but not overjoyed by them.

Op 110 was played very Schumannesque. If you don't know the piece, you wouldn't even guess it is Beethoven.

Op111. Well, that is another matter. The Arietta is simply the best that I have ever heard. Dreamy, transcendental, other-worldly, word fails me. The whole of the work would be better had Schiff not been so careful with the first movement, where he so obviously slowed down at various points to make sure he fitted all the notes in. It would have been better for me had he kept the momentum, the drive, the shape of the music even if he missed a few notes.

Then, 2 Schubert Impromptus as enchores.

A great recital if only for the magical Arietta!




Now, I just got tickets to the Berlin Phil in Beijing in November playing Mahler 9. Vanessa is going with me. (She only goes with me to concerts if they play Mahler!)

[Sid]

Looking forward to to two recitals here in Sydney, this one on Sunday:

Trioz "Vitebsk" tour

Kathryn Selby, piano
Natsuko Yoshimoto, violin (as guest)
Emma Jane Murphy, cello

Program:

Joseph Suk - Elegie for piano, violin & cello,Op. 23 (1902)
Aaron Copland - Vitebsk, study on a Jewish Theme,for piano trio
Claude Debussy - Piano Trio, L.3
Ludwig v. Beethoven - Piano Trio in B flat major, Op.97 "Archduke"

& this one at Sydney Conservatorium on Monday evening:

"Australian Portrait"

Michael Duke saxophone
David Howie piano

Program
Boyd - Ganba for baritone saxophone and piano *
Smetanin - If Stars Are Lit for alto saxophone and piano *
Hindson - Repetepetition for soprano saxophone and piano *
Zadro - X Suite for alto saxophone and piano #

* World premiere
# Australian premiere and 101 Compositions for 100 Years commission

[springrite]

Now, I just got tickets to the Berlin Phil in Beijing in November playing Mahler 9. Vanessa is going with me. (She only goes with me to concerts if they play Mahler!)

BTW, I did pass on the Bruckner 9 for the following day. I don't want to draw the wrath of Bruckner fans, but somehow it'd be a downer after the Mahler 9. Just me...

[jlaurson]

Concerts to hear in the Washington area:


April in Music
http://www.weta.org/fmblog/?p=2857

[westknife]

thinking of going to the met's wozzeck next month