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

[bhodges]

I shall be in Manchester, England next week to see Hilary Hahn play Mozart... travel & hotel booked... Yay

Lucky! At this point in her career, I'd probably hear her play anything.

Tonight, a short "after work concert" - very informal, in which you can sit onstage next to the players, and...including free beer! 

http://www.millertheatre.com/Events/EventDetails.aspx?nid=1510

Miller Theatre at Columbia University
JACK Quartet
Ensemble Signal

Lachenmann: Pression (for solo cello)
Sciarrino: Caprices for solo violin
Scelsi: String Quartet No. 4
Xenakis: Ittidra for string sextet

--Bruce

[Sergeant Rock]

A friend in Ohio who is planning to attend the next Cleveland Orchestra concert received this notification today:

We're announcing a change in The Cleveland Orchestra's program at Severance Hall this weekend ... Upon the advice of his physician, Pierre Boulez will conduct three Schubert songs on the first half of The Cleveland Orchestra programs at Severance Hall this weekend. After intermission, David Robertson, the acclaimed Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony, will conduct Mahler's Symphony No. 5. We are grateful to Mr. Robertson for agreeing to share the program with Mr. Boulez on such short notice. It is always a great pleasure for us to have Maestro Boulez on our stage and we hope you will enjoy the exciting and rare experience of seeing two esteemed conductors lead the Orchestra on the same concert!

Weird that Boulez would conduct at all if he can't complete an entire concert...and disturbing (for Boulez fans) that his condition prevents him from conducting Mahler. My friend, naturally, is bummed.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

The weirdness is underscored in this irrational sentence:

Upon the advice of his physician, Pierre Boulez will conduct three Schubert songs on the first half of The Cleveland Orchestra programs at Severance Hall this weekend.

Clearly, what my career as a composer needs, is that I become a patient of that doctor!

[jlaurson]

Sent by: The Cleveland Orchestra
Reply to the sender


Upon the advice of his physician, Pierre Boulez will conduct the three Schubert songs on the first half of The Cleveland Orchestra's concerts at Severance Hall this weekend (February 9, 11, and 12). After intermission, David Robertson, acclaimed music director of the Saint Louis Symphony, will conduct Mahler's Symphony No. 5.

That's awesome. Two conductors in one concert... and in any case with Robertson a 'second' conductor that is among my very favorites, too.  Excellent, intelligent, conductor, from whom I've heard the finest M-10 Adagio in concert, so far.

[North Star]

So Mahler is dangerous for your health, even without the hammers.

[bhodges]

Next week, Dutoit and Philadelphia will be at Carnegie Hall. I've never heard the Frank Martin piece (AFAIK), never heard James Ehnes, and the Bartók is a favorite.

February 14, 2012
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Charles Dutoit, Chief Conductor
James Ehnes, Violin

Martin: Concerto for Seven Wind Instruments
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra

--Bruce

[MishaK]

Upon the advice of his physician, Pierre Boulez...

I hope his health improves soon. I have tickets to hear him conduct Das Lied von der Erde with Chicago on March 3 and was thinking of hearing him do Pierrot lunaire the week before.

[bhodges]

I hope his health improves soon.

Ditto.

Tonight, the opening of the Avant Music Festival:

Wild Project
Ekmeles, vocals
Oscar Henriquez, video

Randy Gibson: "Circular Trance Surrounding The Second Pillar with The Highest Seventh Primal Cirrus," "The Utmost Fundamental," and "The Ekmeles Ending" from Apparitions Of The Four Pillars, for vocal ensemble and sine wave drones

--Bruce

[MishaK]

Apparently Boulez' health issues have to do with his eyes. He recently had surgery on them.

[MishaK]

According to the latest news, Boulez is withdrawing from this week's concerts as well.

[Karl Henning]

Hope he mends soon!

[Mirror Image]

Okay.  I have tickets for him conducting Bartok+Szymanowski in London in May, but I don't want him detaching his retinas just for my sake.  It's a good program whoever's conducting:

Bartok Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta
Bartok Violin Concerto 2
Szymanowski Symphony 3

Would like to hear Boulez' take on these, though, if there's any chance.

I'm so jealous! That's an excellent program. It seems that Gergiev will be conducting a lot of Szymanowski in the new season as well. Szymanowski fans rejoice!

[Mirror Image]

Yes, mostly coupled with Brahms.  E.g. at the end of March (2013) Gergiev's conducting the LSO+Chorus in Brahms' German Requiem and Szymanowski's Stabat Mater - two all time favourites on the one program.   That's the hazard of living in or near London: even limiting concert choices to only those things which you absolutely cannot miss unless you want your entrails gnawed by remorse is still a sure road to bankruptcy.

Yeah, Szymanowski's Stabat Mater is an amazing work. I think he's sadly underrated anyway. If I lived in London, I would would definitely be more of a concert goer especially with programs like that!

[madaboutmahler]

Yeah, Szymanowski's Stabat Mater is an amazing work. I think he's sadly underrated anyway. If I lived in London, I would would definitely be more of a concert goer especially with programs like that!

You should move over, John!

[Mirror Image]

You should move over, John!

I wish I could, Daniel, but that's quite a big move.

[madaboutmahler]

I wish I could, Daniel, but that's quite a big move.

I suppose... you should take a summer holiday to London, John. And we could meet up to go and see some of the BBC Proms!

[Mirror Image]

I suppose... you should take a summer holiday to London, John. And we could meet up to go and see some of the BBC Proms!

Haha! There's still so much of the United States I need to see first, Daniel. I haven't been to the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington) and I haven't even seen any of the New England states. I would especially like to visit Charles Ives's home in Danbury, Connecticut. I would also like to visit NYC to see all of those wonderful museums and maybe even see the New York Philharmonic.

[madaboutmahler]

Haha! There's still so much of the United States I need to see first, Daniel. I haven't been to the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington) and I haven't even seen any of the New England states. I would especially like to visit Charles Ives's home in Danbury, Connecticut. I would also like to visit NYC to see all of those wonderful museums and maybe even see the New York Philharmonic.

Fair enough (especially the part about the NYP) - hopefully one day then John!

[MishaK]

Boulez injured his eye in Chicago in October 2010, where he had travelled impromptu to replace Muti, who had a stomach ache. It's odd - and such a shame - that the eye in question would cause renewed cause for concern during another trip to the mid-west.

That's not quite right. Boulez traveled to Chicago well ahead of his scheduled fall 2010 concerts to get eye surgery done in Chicago. That's why he happened to be in town and available when Muti had his fall. But he was around for weeks just going to concerts as a patron.

[MishaK]

He's canceling the two weeks on Chicago too. This just in:

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
***NOTICE TO TICKET HOLDERS***


= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Helen Regenstein Conductor Emeritus Pierre Boulez has withdrawn from his upcoming CSO appearances on the advice of his ophthalmologist.

Performances that are affected include the Beyond the Score series presentations on February 24 and 26 and the CSO subscription concerts on February 25, 28 and March 1, 2 and 3. There are no changes to the performance programs, cast, or theatrical staging.

Replacing Maestro Boulez and each making their CSO conducting debut are U.S.-based Romanian conductor Cristian Macelaru (February 24, 25, 26 and 28) and British conductor Jonathan Nott (March 1-3).

If you have questions, please contact Patron Services at patronservices@cso.org or call 312-294-3000.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at Symphony Center.

Enjoy the concert!

I was mildly upset at first, but Nott is an excellent replacement for the Mahler Das Lied von der Erde. I just recently heard his scorcher of a recording of Mahler 2. But Boulez will be tough to replace in Pierrot lunaire the week before. Anyone ever heard of Macelaru?