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

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

That was absolutely fabulous. They performed other pieces than those on the homonymous CD, but with the same infectious enthusiasm and virtuosity.

The most moving moments, though, were at the end of each of the two parts, when two lullabies sang by the late Montserrat Figuerras were played in the loudspeakers, all lights off. Truly heart-wrenching.

A homage she thoroughly deserved!

[Kontrapunctus]

Esa-Pekka Salonen and Leila Josefowicz this Friday with the San Francisco SYmphony:

Sibelius: Pohjola's Daughter
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Violin Concerto
Wagner: Excerpts from Götterdämmerung (with soprano Christine Brewer)

I heard the world premiere of Salonen's Violin Concerto in LA, but I had to get seats behind the orchestra; thus, it was sometimes hard to hear the violin! I'm looking forward to hearing it again, as it was one hell of a powerful piece.

[bhodges]

Esa-Pekka Salonen and Leila Josefowicz this Friday with the San Francisco SYmphony:

Sibelius: Pohjola's Daughter
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Violin Concerto
Wagner: Excerpts from Götterdämmerung (with soprano Christine Brewer)

I heard the world premiere of Salonen's Violin Concerto in LA, but I had to get seats behind the orchestra; thus, it was sometimes hard to hear the violin! I'm looking forward to hearing it again, as it was one hell of a powerful piece.

That looks great! (You probably heard that the Violin Concerto won Salonen the latest Grawemeyer Award, with a $100,000 prize.)

--Bruce

[madaboutmahler]

Esa-Pekka Salonen and Leila Josefowicz this Friday with the San Francisco SYmphony:

Sibelius: Pohjola's Daughter
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Violin Concerto
Wagner: Excerpts from Götterdämmerung (with soprano Christine Brewer)

I heard the world premiere of Salonen's Violin Concerto in LA, but I had to get seats behind the orchestra; thus, it was sometimes hard to hear the violin! I'm looking forward to hearing it again, as it was one hell of a powerful piece.

That sounds like an amazing concert.....

Tommorow, I shall be in the percussion section for the Watford Youth Orchestra's season concert:
Grieg Peer Gynt Suites
Mussorgsky Night on a Bald Mountain
Sibelius Finlandia
Borodin Polovstian Dances

Will be great fun

[Lisztianwagner]

Tommorow, I shall be in the percussion section for the Watford Youth Orchestra's season concert:
Grieg Peer Gynt Suites
Mussorgsky Night on a Bald Mountain
Sibelius Finlandia
Borodin Polovstian Dances

Will be great fun

How great, I can imagine it will be very funny, good luck!

The program sounds amazing, although there are neither Wagner nor Mahler

[Kontrapunctus]

That looks great! (You probably heard that the Violin Concerto won Salonen the latest Grawemeyer Award, with a $100,000 prize.)

--Bruce

Yes, I did. I wish they'd record it. Much like his Piano Concerto, it's obviously contemporary in style, but the visceral energy should be appealing to a wide audience--plus, it has a gorgeous slow movement. This time I have 6th row center seats, so I should have no trouble hearing the violin this time!

[madaboutmahler]

How great, I can imagine it will be very funny, good luck!

The program sounds amazing, although there are neither Wagner nor Mahler

haha Thank you, Ilaria. It was certainly great fun - I was on tam/tam and bells for the Mussorgsky and bass drum for the Borodin.
The conductor wants me to play with the orchestra again, so I look forward to doing that!

[Kontrapunctus]

Esa-Pekka Salonen and Leila Josefowicz this Friday with the San Francisco SYmphony:

Sibelius: Pohjola's Daughter
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Violin Concerto
Wagner: Excerpts from Götterdämmerung (with soprano Christine Brewer)

I heard the world premiere of Salonen's Violin Concerto in LA, but I had to get seats behind the orchestra; thus, it was sometimes hard to hear the violin! I'm looking forward to hearing it again, as it was one hell of a powerful piece.

I must have jinxed the evening. My mother-in-law had to be rushed to the emergency room after an idiot at the dialysis center punctured an artery about an hour before we were set to leave. Eating $200 worth of tickets (6th row center) was not very tasty, not to mention missing an undoubtedly wonderful concert. (My mother-in-law is doing well and should be released today.)

EDIT: This review just poured salt into my open wounds: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/10/DDD61MAKIK.DTL

[Sergeant Rock]

Eating $200 worth of tickets (6th row center) was not very tasty, not to mention missing an undoubtedly wonderful concert.

Ouch. I feel your pain. We once missed a Boulez Mahler Six in Berlin because I failed to notice the unusual starting time. 200 Euro down the drain. And I feel for your MIL. A few years ago I underwent a heart catheter. After the operation, while removing the pressure bandage, the doctor poked the wound and reopened the artery. I felt hot liquid pouring onto my leg and heard the nurse say,  "Oh, doctor, what have you done!"  I thought I was going to die. Not fun. Glad to hear she'll be okay. Sorry for your musical loss.

Sarge

[springrite]

I must have jinxed the evening. My mother-in-law had to be rushed to the emergency room after an idiot at the dialysis center punctured an artery about an hour before we were set to leave. Eating $200 worth of tickets (6th row center) was not very tasty, not to mention missing an undoubtedly wonderful concert. (My mother-in-law is doing well and should be released today.)

EDIT: This review just poured salt into my open wounds: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/10/DDD61MAKIK.DTL

I am glad that your mother-in-law is alright.

[Kontrapunctus]

I am glad that your mother-in-law is alright.

Thank you. She'll be 89 next month--dialysis is hard enough on her--this is the second time an artery has been punctured. They had to give her two units of blood at the hospital and implant a catheter-type device in her collar bone area for dialysis use until her arm heals. At her age, she can't afford to lose that much blood! She is also an ardent music lover (used to be quite a good pianist back in the day), and she just feels awful "for ruining your lovely weekend." It's hardly her fault: the chimp with the needle should have been more careful.

[bhodges]

Thank you. She'll be 89 next month--dialysis is hard enough on her--this is the second time an artery has been punctured. They had to give her two units of blood at the hospital and implant a catheter-type device in her collar bone area for dialysis use until her arm heals. At her age, she can't afford to lose that much blood! She is also an ardent music lover (used to be quite a good pianist back in the day), and she just feels awful "for ruining your lovely weekend." It's hardly her fault: the chimp with the needle should have been more careful.

So sorry you missed the concert - an unfortunate convergence of fate and health - but glad your mother-in-law is doing all right. Will hope you get the chance to accompany her to something else wonderful in the future.

Saturday night I'll be hearing some microtonal music by the Talea Ensemble:

Ivan Wyschnegradsky: String Quartet No. 2 (1931)
Dean Drummond: Mars Face (1997)
Toby Twining: 9:11 Blues (2003)
Enno Poppe: Holz (2000) *US Premiere
Tristan Murail: Seven Lakes Drive (2006)
Anthony Cheung: Discrete Infinity (2011) *US Premiere

--Bruce

[North Star]

María Cristina Kiehr's concert with Helsinki Baroque Orchestra was yesterday (it's Saturday atm)
Kiehr was absolutely fantastic, but one of the violinists couldn't play in tune. Might be a bad day, but I'd say that she should be replaced.

[cjvinthechair]

To herald a New Year - Tallis Spem in Alium. Good luck with everyone's 'hopes' for 2012 !

[Lisztianwagner]

Tomorrow, Teatro Alla Scala, Milan:

Conductor Daniel Barenboim
Pianist: Maurizio Pollini

Ludwig van Beethoven Leonore Overture No.3
Arnold Schoenberg Kammersymphonie Op.9
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5

What a pity they have changed the program (which is amazing anyway), they would have played Beethoven Symphony No.9, my favourite piece ever composed.

[knight66]

I was very much looking forward to Andris Nelsons conducting Bruckner's 7th Symphony in Birmingham. I booked the tickets on the back of hearing him live in Bremen a few months ago. A week before the concert I got an E mail to say he had cancelled on the basis his first child was due to be born close to the date. I was not exactly thrilled for him. The likely date would have been established long before I booked my tickets.

Of course, there was a substitute, the violinist Nikolaj Znaider. I could not find out much at all about his conducting other than that he has been appearing with some famous orchestras and Gergiev has him as his assistant at the Marinsky.

The concert was good, but not great. Znaider very ostentatiously conducted from memory. Just as we thought the music was about to start, he lifted up his music stand and two musicians had to move out of the way so he could place it behind him....empty of music. For me that got him off to a bad start.

The orchestra seemed to like him OK, he was very clear; but to my mind efficient not inspired. The 7th was got through with wonderful playing, but pedestrian. No idea what the newspapers thought of the performance, so I may be disagreeing with consensus. He did get top marks though for being well suited and booted. The bright red piping round his pockets was matched with the bright red flashings on his shoes the soles of which were also vividly red. My wife told me these were a famous designer, nothing available under £1,000.

To compensate myself I have made elaborate arrangements to get to Birmingham on a Thursday in January to see if Nelsons turns up for two Strauss Tone Poems and some Rachmaninoff. The long term forecast is not good for January, so it may again end up as a hope delayed.

Mike

[Lisztianwagner]

Tomorrow, Teatro Alla Scala, Milan:

Conductor Daniel Barenboim
Pianist Maurizio Pollini

Ludwig van Beethoven Leonore Overture No.3
Arnold Schoenberg Kammersymphonie Op.9
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5

This evening:

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel

Gustav Mahler Symphony No.2 "Resurrection"

[madaboutmahler]

This evening:

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel

Gustav Mahler Symphony No.2 "Resurrection"

How was the Barenboim concert Ilaria?

I am very jealous that you get to see Dudamel conduct Mahler 2... I hope you enjoy it!

[Lisztianwagner]

How was the Barenboim concert Ilaria?

I am very jealous that you get to see Dudamel conduct Mahler 2... I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you Daniel I'm really excited,  I look forward to seeing Dudamel performance!

The Barenboim  concert was very beautiful and thrilling, I really enjoyed it, all the pieces were very well-played! Luckily, Barenboim had a stroke of genius changing the program and the concert wasn't cancelled, there were many problems becauase of a strike of the chorus singers.

Anyway I'm still a little disappointed because of that change (Beethoven No.9, my favourite piece of all time ), it is the second time it happens to me.

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you Daniel I'm really excited,  I look forward to seeing Dudamel performance!

The Barenboim  concert was very beautiful and thrilling, I really enjoyed it, all the pieces were very well-played! Luckily, Barenboim had a stroke of genius changing the program and the concert wasn't cancelled, there were many problems becauase of a strike of the chorus singers.

Anyway I'm still a little disappointed because of that change (Beethoven No.9, my favourite piece of all time ), it is the second time it happens to me.

Yes, I am sure you must be looking forward to it! Let us know what it was like!
Great - glad you enjoyed the Barenboim concert. Is a shame when a certain piece has to be changed.... do you know why there was a strike with the chorus singers? I remember the time when I booked to see Tilson Thomas conduct a piece by Ives, Strauss' Four Last Songs and Strauss' Ein Heldenleben. They had to change the programme, the conductor, and the singer! I am surprised they didn't change the orchestra and venue as well! Tilson Thomas was changed to Sir Colin Davis, instead of the Ives piece, we were given Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements, the soprano was changed for the songs, and instead of Ein Heldenleben, we got Beethoven's 6th symphony.... It was a wonderful concert however, but it does get rather frustrating when the change the programme....
hmmm... I seem to have gone on for quite a while about that... sorry!

Again, have a wonderful evening with Mahler 2, Ilaria, let me know how it was!