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

[karlhenning]

Concert or staged performance, Bruce?

[MishaK]

Thinking of going to this next week:

Wednesday, April 13, 8:00

Orchestre National de France
Daniele Gatti, conductor
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano

Debussy Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun
Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major
Stravinsky The Rite of Spring

[karlhenning]

Go! Gatti does excellent work.

[Scarpia]

Thinking of going to this next week:

Wednesday, April 13, 8:00

Orchestre National de France
Daniele Gatti, conductor
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano

Debussy Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun
Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major
Stravinsky The Rite of Spring

The one orchestra I would really like to hear live.

[bhodges]

Concert or staged performance, Bruce?

It's staged--the Mark Lamos production that they've had since 1997. It's quite good: towering walls dwarf everyone in the cast. And at this point, I feel like I should try to hear Levine whenever he's conducting. Who knows how long he's going to be around? 

--Bruce

[Drasko]

Thinking of going to this next week:

Wednesday, April 13, 8:00

Orchestre National de France
Daniele Gatti, conductor
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano

Debussy Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun
Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major
Stravinsky The Rite of Spring

Go. I'd love to hear them live as well. If I remember M was very enthusiastic after hearing them live on few occasions.


Jiri Menzel is directing Prokofiev's In Love with Three Oranges at Belgrade Opera, tonight was the premiere, which I missed, but I'd love to catch one of the reprises.

[MishaK]

The one orchestra I would really like to hear live.

Aren't you in NY? They are playing at Lincoln Center on 4/17:

Orchestre National de France
Daniele Gatti, conductor
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano
Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Avery Fisher Hall

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No.3
STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier Suite
RAVEL: La valse

[Scarpia]

Aren't you in NY? They are playing at Lincoln Center on 4/17:

Orchestre National de France
Daniele Gatti, conductor
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano
Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Avery Fisher Hall

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No.3
STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier Suite
RAVEL: La valse

No, only visit NY occasionally.  Imagine the disappointment if I went all that way to hear them and they played in tune.   

[Drasko]

  Imagine the disappointment if I went all that way to hear them and they played in tune.   

Go freely, they won't do that, they're French.

[MishaK]

No, only visit NY occasionally.  Imagine the disappointment if I went all that way to hear them and they played in tune.   

Oh, sorry. Where do you live? The ONdF seem to be on a US tour. Surely they'll be coming to a concert hall within a reasonable distance of you, no?

[Scarpia]

Oh, sorry. Where do you live? The ONdF seem to be on a US tour. Surely they'll be coming to a concert hall within a reasonable distance of you, no?

Near D.C.

[MishaK]

Near D.C.

Well, it looks like they will be in Philly on April 15 with the same program as in Chicago.

[jlaurson]

Stephen Hough @ Wigmore tomorrow (Friday), some quartet on Saturday, and the Philharmonia on Sunday. I think.
Later that week Helene Grimaud (for the third time in just over a month... and I'm not even a particular fan) and the Bergen Phil conducted by Gullberg-Jensen... then Manze with the Matthew Passion, conducting the Oslo Phil.

[Sid]

Probably going to this one on Friday night -

Sydney Conservatorium of Music Conductors' Series - Moderne revisited - Modern Music Ensemble (6.00pm)

8 April 2011

Hear talented students perform in larger ensembles and orchestras as they present classical masterpieces through to new and exciting works, including several exciting 101 Compositions world premierès.

Perfomers

Modern Music Ensemble
Daryl Pratt director

Program

Aitken   Shadows II: Lalita (1972)
Hallgrimsson   'Sonnambulo' Concerto for Double Bass op. 42
Boulez   Derive 1
Montague   At the White Edge of Phrygia

[westknife]

Wozzeck this Saturday at the Met, can't wait

[bhodges]

Probably going to this one on Friday night -

Sydney Conservatorium of Music Conductors' Series - Moderne revisited - Modern Music Ensemble (6.00pm)

8 April 2011

Hear talented students perform in larger ensembles and orchestras as they present classical masterpieces through to new and exciting works, including several exciting 101 Compositions world premierès.

Perfomers

Modern Music Ensemble
Daryl Pratt director

Program

Aitken   Shadows II: Lalita (1972)
Hallgrimsson   'Sonnambulo' Concerto for Double Bass op. 42
Boulez   Derive 1
Montague   At the White Edge of Phrygia

That looks like an interesting concert. I've heard the Boulez piece several times in the last year or so and like it a lot; the other three composers I don't know.

Wozzeck this Saturday at the Met, can't wait

I was there last night--magnificent. The two leads (Alan Held and Waltraud Meier) sang and acted beautifully, and Levine loves this score. He got a huge ovation at the beginning (I think this was his first appearance since all of his recent cancellations), and (slightly sad) took his curtain call at the podium, rather than going onstage with the cast.

I may go again on Saturday, since who knows--this run may be the last time he conducts this piece. 

--Bruce

[The new erato]

Sufjan Stevens on the 29th of April in Bergen, Norway!

[Sid]

That looks like an interesting concert. I've heard the Boulez piece several times in the last year or so and like it a lot; the other three composers I don't know...

Well you're kind of one step ahead of me there, as I'm not familiar with any of these works (I do have a couple of discs of Boulez' music, but not that piece). I usually go to concerts were I know at least one or two of the works, but this one will be different. The conductor Daryl Pratt is senior lecturer at the Sydney Con (in percussion) but he also conducts this ensemble. I haven't researched any of these composers in depth, no doubt the program notes will give me more info when I go tonight. It'll be quite interesting & maybe I'll make a few discoveries there...

[Sid]

Probably going to this one on Friday night -

Sydney Conservatorium of Music Conductors' Series - Moderne revisited - Modern Music Ensemble (6.00pm)

8 April 2011

Hear talented students perform in larger ensembles and orchestras as they present classical masterpieces through to new and exciting works, including several exciting 101 Compositions world premierès.

Perfomers

Modern Music Ensemble
Daryl Pratt director

Program

Aitken   Shadows II: Lalita (1972)
Hallgrimsson   'Sonnambulo' Concerto for Double Bass op. 42
Boulez   Derive 1
Montague   At the White Edge of Phrygia

Well they changed the published program in some ways:

Steve Reich (b. 1936) - Vermont Counterpoint for eleven flutes (three each of flutes, alto flutes, piccolos & solo part)
Faeron Pileggi, solo flute, alto flute and piccolo/SCM Flute Choir

Haflioi Hallgrimsson (b. 1941) - 'Sonnambulo' Concerto for Double Bass & Chamber Orchestra, Op. 42
Maxime Bibeau, bass soloist

Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007) - From 'Tierkreis' (Aries - Taurus - Gemini - Leo - Aquarius - Pisces - Aries (reprise))
Jacob Abela, piano/Ivan Cheng, clarinet

Stephen Montague (b. 1943) - At The White Edge of Phrygia, for chamber orchestra with three percussionists and piano

This was a very interesting and enjoyable concert. The two pieces I know (& have on disc) were the Reich & Stockhausen; I had not heard any of the music of the other two composers. Reich's Vermont Counterpoint would be known to many here. It is an exhuberant and bouncy work. Here it was performed fully 'live,' there were no recorded elements.

The Hallgrimsson Concerto for Double Bass included prominent parts for one keyboardist, playing piano and celesta. The central cadenza had an interplay between the soloist, going through the whole gamut of the double bass' range, and the keyboardist. The nocturnal world and delicate colours of this piece reminded me a bit of Dutilleux's string concertos. The theme at the beginning - which sounded a bit new age - eventually came back at the end. Hallgrimsson is a prominent Icelandic composer.

After the interval, selections from Stockhausen's Tierkreis, here for two players who were decked out in golden costumes. The clarinetist played while moving to choreographed movements, taking in the whole of the stage. At times, the clarinet was held high when he was playing the high notes, and held low when playing the low notes. This is quite a fun piece which is best experienced live (I also saw it last year in an arrangement for four players playing a plethora of instruments).

The 'discovery' of the night for me was the Montague piece. The notes by the composer say that "the title refers to the use of "white sound" as well as the Phrygian scale or mode: e to e on the keyboard without any sharps or flats." "Stylistically, the work has been called 'post-minimalist', since it is a fusion of both American minimalism and the European symphonic tradition." The repetitiveness of this work reminded me a bit of Ravel's Bolero, but unlike that work which simply goes from soft to loud, this work was more organic. It had a sense of ebb and flow, like watching waves come in and go out at the seashore. The three percussionists played a variety of instruments - from the usual things like bass drum, high-hat, xylophone, marimba, wood-blocks, tam tams, triangle to less familiar instruments like maraccas and even a set of paint tins! The rhythmic propulsion created by this tightly woven ensemble reminded me very much of Harry Partch's music. Finally the delicate "white noise" in the piece - eg. the use of the prepared piano, string players playing on the wrong side of the bridge to create an almost silent mechanical sound (& also hitting the strings with sticks), the use of muted brass, and the blowing of air through the wind instruments - all had an effect similar to that of a piece I saw in 2009 by Australian composer Brett Dean. By the end of the piece, the objects were taken out of the piano, the mutes were taken out of the brass, and the strings were played normally with a bow, so the dynamic level was gradually raised. I so enjoyed this piece that I'll have to investigate what things I can get from this composer on disc. It's the first time I have heard this 'post-minimalist' music, which I've only read about before. All in all this was a fantastic concert, showcasing the talent and hard work of these students and the mentoring of their conductor, Sydney Conservatorium senior lecturer Daryl Pratt...

[Brian]

Tomorrow...

BACH | St Matthew Passion [in English]
James Gilchrist, Evangelist - Jeremy White, Christ
Carolyn Sampson - Iestyn Davies - Ben Hulett - Roderick Williams
The Bach Choir
Florigelium
David Hill

A friend in the choir snagged me a ticket. I've never heard this work before (!) and am looking forward both to it and to the traditional picnic lunch at the interval. The weather in London is simply glorious this weekend.