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

[bhodges]

Tomorrow:

Rheingau Musikfestival

WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
Eliahu Inbal

Richard Wagner
»Siegfried-Idyll«

Anton Bruckner
Sinfonie Nr. 9 d-Moll WAB 109

I would say "Have a great time" but I doubt you'll need any encouragement. 

Seriously, sounds great. (PS, I'm hearing the Ninth a week from Sunday, with Welser-Möst and Cleveland.)

--Bruce

[Bogey]

Tonight: Mozart Under Moonlight

The Colorado Symphony presents Mozart Under Moonlight at the Arvada Center for one-night-only on Thursday, July 7, 2011. Resident conductor Scott O'Neil leads the orchestra, joined by oboist Peter Cooper, in delightful program including the Oboe Concerto in C Major, Overture to Don Giovanni, Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and Symphony No. 29 in A Major.


http://interchangingidioms.blogspot.com/2011/06/mozart-under-moonlight-with-colorado.html

[karlhenning]

Sweet, Bill! Up in heaven, Wolferl is wagging his tail . . . .

[Bogey]

Sweet, Bill! Up in heaven, Wolferl is wagging his tail . . . .

It is the Oboe Concerto that has me wagging my tail, Karl.   

[Brian]

Got my BBC Proms Weekend Pass for the weekend of 17 July just now! As Luke is concurrently finding out, the pass comes with a nice little baby-blue card-holder-wallet-sleeve-thingy.

The pass entitles me to a standing arena place at the following concerts, should I choose to attend:
Prom 1: Behlohlavek conducts Janacek's Glagolitic Mass
Prom 2: Pappano conducts Rossini's William Tell (full opera)
Prom 3: afternoon organ recital including half-hour premiere by Judith Bingham
Prom 4: Havergal Brian Gothic Symphony

Probably will skip the Rossini unless everyone here says "go, you fool, go!"

[karlhenning]

Very nice, Brian.

[bhodges]

This week, four Bruckner symphonies at Avery Fisher Hall - three paired with works by John Adams - with Franz Welser-Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra:

Wed., July 13 at 8:00
Adams: Guide to Strange Places
Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major

Thu., July 14 at 8:00
Adams: Violin Concerto
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E major

Sat., July 16 at 8:00
Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor

Sun., July 17 at 2:00
Adams: Doctor Atomic Symphony
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor

--Bruce

[Mirror Image]

This week, four Bruckner symphonies at Avery Fisher Hall - three paired with works by John Adams - with Franz Welser-Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra:

Wed., July 13 at 8:00
Adams: Guide to Strange Places
Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major

Thu., July 14 at 8:00
Adams: Violin Concerto
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E major

Sat., July 16 at 8:00
Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor

Sun., July 17 at 2:00
Adams: Doctor Atomic Symphony
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor

--Bruce

Who is the violinist performing the Adams VC? Thanks.

[bhodges]

It's Leila Josefowicz. I've heard her do some Adams chamber music, so she should be a good choice.

--Bruce

[Mirror Image]

It's Leila Josefowicz. I've heard her do some Adams chamber music, so she should be a good choice.

--Bruce

Yes, Josefowicz is excellent in contemporary music. She played the hell out of Salonen's Violin Concerto.

[Brian]

Sun., July 17 at 2:00
Adams: Doctor Atomic Symphony
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor

--Bruce

Zoinks!! 
I love the Doctor Atomic Symphony. From the first trumpet solo through to the end of the piece - really shattering experience. Amazing that the same musical material, essentially, repeated three or four times can have such an evolving emotional impact until it's unbearable. Saw Alsop/LPO do it live, a truly incredible concert.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Finnish national opera: Ring cycle: Das Rheingold 5.8, Die Walküre 13.8, Siegfried 24.8, and Götterdämmerung 3.9. It has been many years since last live performance of Ring, I'm already having butterflies in the stomach.

[bhodges]

This week, four Bruckner symphonies at Avery Fisher Hall - three paired with works by John Adams - with Franz Welser-Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra:

Wed., July 13 at 8:00
Adams: Guide to Strange Places
Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major

Thu., July 14 at 8:00
Adams: Violin Concerto
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E major

These first two concerts were a bit overwhelming, especially last night with the Adams Violin Concerto, beautifully played (from memory) by Leila Josefowicz. But the Bruckner Seventh pretty much blew away everything; I don't expect to hear it done so well for a very long time. Welser-Möst has a keen understanding of Bruckner's architecture and how to make it work. (I overheard the people sitting behind me - clearly not fans of the piece - saying, "If anyone can make sense out of No. 7, he can.")

Plus, the orchestra was playing as if it were the best orchestra in the world. Now I'm really getting a bit over-excited about hearing Nos. 8 and 9.

--Bruce

[Brian]

Wow, Bruce, that is a really exciting write-up, especially coming from a listener with as much an ear for Adams and Bruckner as yourself. The only reason I wouldn't kill to see the 8/9/Atomic concerts is that I've got Havergal Brian's "Gothic" in store.  W-M and Cleveland have done a lot of DVDs, maybe I'll get lucky?


It's a great pity Luke was not in Royal Albert Hall for the Glagolitic Mass because Jiri Belohlavek used a performing edition I'd never heard before! The first choral movement had the correct (ie original) rhythmic lilt, the full terrifying heart of "Veruju" was restored, the extra material in "Svet" was present, and the timpani were tuned correctly, but a few phrases - like the trumpet fanfare at the beginning of the orchestral "Veruju" sequence - were lopped in half, with the repeated second parts of the melodies removed. In "Slava" and "Agnece Bozij" a couple of the soprano's repeated lines were reduced to one, with slightly awkward pauses following (for me since I expected more singing). And, sadly, the "Intrada" only got played once.

In terms of performance, this was MILES better than Colin Davis' shambolic account with the LSO last October and I doubt very, very much I'll ever see the "Glagolitic Mass" done so well live again. In fact, I doubt I'll ever see it live again at all.

But if that's my last live encounter with the "Mass," I can part with it happily. Belohlavek was in full control of both the method and the madness, the soprano and tenor were stunningly good soloists (soprano especially; she sang her lines without looking at the score, her face up to the heavens, smiling as if she were astonished to find herself speaking in tongues), and organist and timpanist earned themselves extra laurels. I tried to keep air-conducting to a minimum. I also briefly explained the piece to a woman next to me before it started, because she asked if I knew what it would be like, and afterwards she said, "I'm a fan!"

Before the interval, teenager Benjamin Grosvenor, who looks like an ordinary bloke who'd ask me for a cigarette on campus here, turned me green with envy with a virtuoso technique so strong he barely needed to use it and just turned the Liszt Second Concerto into a sort of playground instead. The Chorus made two appearances at the beginning of the program: in Judith Weir's "Stars, Night, Music and Light," a totally lovable three-minute pastiche of Janacek (another reason I wish Luke had been: to hear for himself Weir's winking theft of Janacek's timpani tunings and rhythms, and her imitative brass fanfares, though coupled to a rather plain sung melody and a string section playing the same lines as the voices), and at the end of the Brahms "Academic Festival Overture," when they - surprise! - bolted out of their seats and, from memory, sung us the "Gaudeamus Igitur"!

...A fantastic night. Totally fantastic.

[bhodges]

Believe me, I would love to hear the Gothic - even though ( ) I still haven't even heard it - since I suspect I would like it a lot. And if nothing else, it's definitely a classical music "event."

Enjoyed your account of the Glagolitic Mass, a fascinating piece which I have only discovered in the last say, five years or so. Bělohlávek is so great with this music; I would love to hear him conduct it sometime. But you are right: it's just not played very often. I suspect the main reason is that it requires a chorus to sing in Czech, a language not many singers know beyond the standard German, Italian and French (and maybe Russian).

That's also an interesting-sounding Weir piece - good programming! - to accompany the Mass. I don't know much of her music, but the little I've heard I've liked.

PS, if you are inclined, do check out the Welser-Möst/Cleveland Bruckner DVDs. I have Nos. 5 and 8, and although I haven't watched No. 8 yet, No. 5 is terrific. W-M definitely knows what he's doing, and the orchestral playing is (at the risk of hyperbole) celestial.

--Bruce

[listener]

some concerts at the International Harp Congress look interesting:
July 26
<The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, led by acclaimed Canadian conductor Evan Mitchell,
will accompany four pieces for harps and orchestra, featuring world-famous harpists. The
program is as follows: (those are my highlights)

Reinl: Impression et Jou Jou for 2 harps and orchestra, with Merve Kocabeyler and Christoph Bielefeld, prize-winners of the International Reinl Competition

Lutoslawski: Concerto for Harp, Oboe and Orchestra, Czech harpist Katerina Englichova
(winner of Pro Musicis International Award), oboist Vilem Veverka (winner of 9th International Sony Oboe competition in Japan)

Boieldieu: Harp Concerto, harp soloist Baltazar Juarez (Principal Harp, National Symphony of Mexico)

Kaska: Knights of the Red Branch for 3 harps and orchestra, harp soloists Ann Hobson Pilot (former Principal Harp, Boston Symphony), Paula Page (Houston Symphony), and Susan Pejovich
(Dallas Symphony)

Followed by:
Jazz/Pop – Lizotte: Techno Concerto, Caroline Lizotte and Etienne Ratthe;

Blues: electric pitch-bending harp, Brenda Dor-Groot with Bryan Binnema, Mike Michalkow and Laurence Mollerup

July 29
Gala Concerto Evening
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, led by acclaimed Canadian conductor Evan Mitchell, will
accompany four harp concerti with world-famous harp soloists.
==Kyo-Jin Lee from Korea will be playing the second movement from the Concierto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo, arranged for harp and orchestra by Zabaleta.

Elizabeth Hainen, the Philadelphia Orchestra's Principal Harpist, will play the Parish-Alvars Harp Concerto in G minor.

Australia's Alice Giles, former first prize winner of the Israel Harp Contest and host of the 12th WHC, will perform the Jolivet Concerto.

Kristan Toczko will play the Harp Concerto by Canada's own Michael Conway Baker.

Followed by:
JAZZ / POP – Maria Palatine with Vern Griffiths on percussion
July 30
CHAMBER CONCERTOS: harp soloists with a small orchestra under the direction of acclaimed Canadian conductor Ken Hsieh

Kaori Otake playing Damase: Concertino,

Mieko Inoue playing J. Haydn: Piano Concerto in D+, arr. for harp,

Willy Postma playing Rautavaara: Ballad,

Belgrade Harp Quartet playing Obradinovic: Dream, Light,
Movement for 4 Harps and Orchestra
www.worldharpcongress2011.com/festival/

[bhodges]

This weekend, as part of the Lincoln Center Festival, the Royal Danish Orchestra:

The Royal Danish Orchestra
Michael Schønwandt, conductor
John Kruse, clarinet
Tuva Semmingsen, mezzo-soprano
Peter Lodahl, tenor
Jochen Kupfer, baritone
Nielsen: Pan and Syrinx
Nielsen: Clarinet Concerto
Stravinsky: Pulcinella

The Royal Danish Opera and Orchestra
Michael Schønwandt, conductor
Kasper Holten, director
Poul Ruders: Selma Jezková

Soloists of the Royal Danish Orchestra
Svendsen: String Octet, Op. 3, for four violins, two violas, and two cellos
Nielsen: Wind Quintet, Op. 43, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and French horn

--Bruce

[jlaurson]

Notes from the 2011 Salzburg Festival ( 1 )

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/07/notes-from-2011-salzburg-festival-1.html


looking forward to:

Wolfgang A. Mozart • Le nozze di Figaro

Robin Ticciati, Musikalische Leitung
Claus Guth, Regie

Simon Keenlyside, Il Conte Almaviva
Genia Kühmeier, La Contessa Almaviva
Marlis Petersen, Susanna
Erwin Schrott, Figaro
Katija Dragojevic, Cherubino


So much that I opted out of the Peter Stein / Riccardo Muti Macbeth:
Camerata Salzburg 1

CHARLES IVES • The Unanswered Question
KARL AMADEUS HARTMANN • Symphonie Nr. 4 für Streichorchester (1948)
GUSTAV MAHLER • Adagietto aus der Symphonie Nr. 5
WOLFGANG A. MOZART • Konzert für Klavier und Orchester B-Dur KV 595

Maria João Pires, Klavier
Camerata Salzburg
Kent Nagano, Dirigent


Nestlé and Salzburg Festival
Young Conductors Award

CLAUDE DEBUSSY • Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
DMITRI SCHOSTAKOWITSCH • Cellokonzert g-Moll op. 126
BENJAMIN BRITTEN • Four Sea Interludes op. 33a aus Peter Grimes
IGOR STRAWINSKY • Suite aus dem Ballett L'Oiseau de feu (Der Feuervogel)

Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester,
Winners of the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award 2011 conduct
Alisa Weilerstein, Violoncello


ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien

ALBAN BERG • Violinkonzert – Dem Andenken eines Engels
HANS ROTT • Symphonie Nr. 1 E-Dur

Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Violine
ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien
Cornelius Meister, Dirigent


Chamber Concert 4

LUDWIG V. BEETHOVEN • Streichquartett cis-Moll op. 131
CHARLES IVES • Klaviersonate Nr. 2 – Concord Sonata
LUDWIG V. BEETHOVEN • Streichquartett F-Dur op. 135

Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Klavier
Zehetmair Quartett


etc.etc.etc.

[listener]

New York Philharmonic 2011 -2012 season announced, includes MAHLER 2, 9, 10,  and STOCKHAUSEN Gruppen
http://www.playbillarts.com/features/article/8533.html

[jlaurson]

Tonight:

Sokolov. Bach. Schubert.