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

[Drasko]

Tonight:

Sokolov. Bach. Schubert.

Bach, Schumann more likely. Rameau and Brahms as encores, possibly.

[jlaurson]

Bach, Schumann more likely. Rameau and Brahms as encores, possibly.

Bach. Schumann. Indeed.

Bach (disfigured) and Rameau as encores.

[jlaurson]

Notes from the 2011 Salzburg Festival ( 2 )

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/08/notes-from-2011-salzburg-festival-2.html

[Drasko]

Bach (disfigured)

Bacho discontinuo? Was it some transcription or you think he flat out butchered something?

How did you like Echo from French Overture? Recently was discussing it with friend on fb, he was/is in bewilderment over Sokolov's deliberateness and heavy accents. I kinda liked it, pesante sounding, almost an ox-cart. 

[jlaurson]

Bacho discontinuo? Was it some transcription or you think he flat out butchered something?

How did you like Echo from French Overture? Recently was discussing it with friend on fb, he was/is in bewilderment over Sokolov's deliberateness and heavy accents. I kinda liked it, pesante sounding, almost an ox-cart.

Exact same feeling as your FB-acquaintance for the (whole) French Overture, which I found less than ideal due to overt pulling, pushing, rushing and then the portamenti again... not without some appeal... just not the Sokolov-appeal one might expect. Same style worked wonders in Schumann.

Bach 'disfigured' in the sense that the tempo was so insane, that it took me a minute to figure out it was Bach in the first place.

Rameau, on the other hand, sounded appropriately peasant-ish. Downright primitive.

[jlaurson]

Notes from the 2011 Salzburg Festival ( 3 )

Mozart * Le nozze di Figaro * Claus Guth * Robin Ticciati * Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment


http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/08/notes-from-2011-salzburg-festival-3.html


Last night Macbeth * Muti * Peter Stein; earlier this morning Mozart with Ivor Bolton & Julia Fischer. Later tonight: Sasha Waltz-choreographed performance of assorted modern works.

[jlaurson]

Notes from the 2011 Salzburg Festival ( 4 )

Sokolov Recital


http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/08/notes-from-2011-salzburg-festival-4.html

[Brian]

SIBELIUS | Symphony No 6
GRIEG | Piano Concerto
NIELSEN | Symphony No 4, "Inextinguishable"

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Sakari Oramo, conductor | Alice Sara Ott, piano

First time seeing any of these live.

[jlaurson]

Notes from the 2011 Salzburg Festival ( 5 )

Perfumed Naphthalene: Riccardo Muti, Peter Stein, Giuseppe Verdi, Mr. & Mrs. Macbeth


http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/08/notes-from-2011-salzburg-festival-5.html

[Sergeant Rock]

SIBELIUS | Symphony No 6
GRIEG | Piano Concerto
NIELSEN | Symphony No 4, "Inextinguishable"

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Sakari Oramo, conductor | Alice Sara Ott, piano

First time seeing any of these live.

I'm really envious. What a program! And Ott is a babe 

Sarge

[Brian]

I'm really envious. What a program! And Ott is a babe 

Sarge

Ott was dull.   And it could have been so much more. My Facebook summary:

Tonight's prom: Royal Stockholm PO, Sakari Oramo, doing Sibelius Symphony No 6 - a tad too fast all around and merely OK but with some good moments - Grieg Piano Concerto - soloist Alice Sara Ott was dull as dishwater, chose Liszt's 'La campanella' as an annoyingly indulgent encore, but did make the interesting decision to go the whole concert barefoot! [Between each tepid movement she stuck her right foot out toward the audience and stretched her toes. Madness!] - and Nielsen's "Inextinguishable," which was good enough that a friend of mine commented, "so that's where all the rehearsal time went." Very exciting conclusion, although the movement before the timpani duel was the highlight for me. The audience was thrilled enough that the orchestra offered an Alfven dance for an encore.

[knight66]

This is akin to sending a UK orchestra abroad and only allowing it to play RVW and Elgar. Why I wonder is it felt they HAVE to provide a totally Nordic programme?

Mike

[Brian]

This is akin to sending a UK orchestra abroad and only allowing it to play RVW and Elgar. Why I wonder is it felt they HAVE to provide a totally Nordic programme?

Mike

In their defense, if the Sibelius had been done well and the Grieg had sported a soloist with fire in their belly, it would have been a terrific program.

I recently heard a story of an English orchestra which was touring to Prague with a program of all Martinu and Dvorak before someone told them that that's what every ensemble plays in Prague, and why not present some English music instead? This seems to be the opposite complaint!

[Sergeant Rock]

....but did make the interesting decision to go the whole concert barefoot! [Between each tepid movement she stuck her right foot out toward the audience and stretched her toes. Madness!

Well, at least the foot fetishists in the audience had a good evening 

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Sakari Oramo, doing Sibelius Symphony No 6 - a tad too fast all around and merely OK but with some good moments

Contrary to my usual taste, the Sibelius Sixth is one of the few works I prefer played fast (like Colin Davis/Boston). I might have enjoyed it more than you.

Sarge

[Brian]

Contrary to my usual taste, the Sibelius Sixth is one of the few works I prefer played fast (like Colin Davis/Boston). I might have enjoyed it more than you.

Sarge

Ooh, perhaps you would have. I don't like the second movement to be very slow (or the third of course), but the first movement I do. For the finale, I prefer the middle ground between Colin D. and Paavo B.

[jlaurson]

Notes from the 2011 Salzburg Festival ( 6 )

Mozart Matinee * Ivor Bolton * Julia Fischer


http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/08/notes-from-2011-salzburg-festival-6.html

[Papy Oli]

An article about it a few days back :

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/news/im-going-it-alone-celebrated-musical-duo-claudio-abbado-and-hlne-grimaud-split-over-solo-2331389.html

[Sergeant Rock]

An article about it a few days back :

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/news/im-going-it-alone-celebrated-musical-duo-claudio-abbado-and-hlne-grimaud-split-over-solo-2331389.html

"A source close to the recording of a Mozart piano concerto for Deutsche Grammophon said their differences occurred over the choice of cadenza"

If true, the fault seems to be Abbado's. Choice of cadenza should be up to the soloist. But I suspect there is more to the story.

Sarge

[Brian]

"Hélène Grimaud, an intense but popular French musician"

Hah. I think I would have (sorry, Sarge) used the word "boring" rather than "intense." I've seen Grimaud live at least twice and neither time did she do much to catch my attention. Her post-concert Q&A for Rice students in Houston was more compelling than her playing.