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

Started by Siedler, April 20, 2007, 05:34:10 PM

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jochanaan

Quote from: karlhenning on September 15, 2007, 09:21:58 AM
I am assured that there is no truth whatever to the rumor that jochanaan does Dick van Dyke imitations . . . .
A foul calumny!  I'd much rather imitate Julie Andrews! ;D
Imagination + discipline = creativity

Solitary Wanderer

Attended Cinderella while on holiday in Wellington a week ago.

Its the first ballet I've attended in 16 years and it turned out to be the highlight of our time away.

The sets, costumes, music and dancing were magical and captivating. They did an interesting thing too by having a small performance happening on stage inbetween the acts which actually worked and was a novel approach which I haven't seen before. It was related to the Cinderella story so fitted perfectly.

The theatre was lovely too. I hadn't been in the St.James before and it was a grand old lady with a Victorian feel with its giant arches and Gothic feel.

I'll definately be attending more ballets.

A memorable eveing out :)
'I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass, and wondered how any one could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth.' ~ Emily Bronte

Sergeant Rock

Tonight Mrs. Rock and I will be attending a concert by the Staatskapelle Dresden. Fabio Luisi conducting, Hélène Grimaud piano.

Beethoven Piano Concerto #5
Strauss Eine Alpensinfonie

Sarge

the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

karlhenning

Quote from: jochanaan on September 16, 2007, 03:16:38 PM
A foul calumny!  I'd much rather imitate Julie Andrews! ;D

Well, of course, if the Poulenc was practically perfect in every way . . . .

;)

Sergeant Rock

Quote from: George on September 20, 2007, 05:29:58 AM
:o :o :o

Bring your camera (and post the pictures).  ;D

Believe it or not, I forgot my camera...and we had front row seats! ARRRGGGHHH!!!  What really makes it painful to contemplate the pictures I missed is the fact she didn't wear her usual long-sleeved, loose fitting shirt/blouse with her black slacks but a halter top that bared her arms, shoulders, back, and large swaths of chest. It was the sexiest outfit I've ever seen her wear. I didn't get a chance to talk to her this time either. By the time I'd purchased her new CD the crowd waiting for her autograph was huge. I doubt more than a fourth got to her before the intermission ended. The highlight of the concerto was the slow movement: intensely inward and poetic.

Luisi is a fun conductor to watch. He's short and very thin and very animated on the podium. He resembles Mahler somewhat. From the caricatures I've seen of Mahler conducting, they seem to have a similar style.  I imagined Luisi channeling Mahler last night.  :D

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Solitary Wanderer

Attended Turandot on Thursday night; needless to say it was fantastic!

It was great to see a contemporary production after having watched the Mets DVD version the previous night as it made the Mets version look positvely old-fashioned!

Actually its a great way to approach these operas; see the traditinal approach, then a modern updating. Its amazing how the same story and music can be presented in a completely different way; both excellent!

Heres todays review in our local newspaper  :)
'I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass, and wondered how any one could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth.' ~ Emily Bronte

Sergeant Rock

Quote from: George on September 21, 2007, 07:33:52 AM


You are a true collector...going for the music before the flesh.  ;D

In truth, I thought I could have both  ;)

Quote
Yeah, sure Sarge, I bet you were watching the conductor.  ::) 

Actually, I couldn't see him during the concerto...not that I would have noticed him much during the Beethoven in any case ;D  Because he's so short, and because the piano necessitated the placement of the podium deep in the orchestra, the viola section totally obscured him from our viewing angle. He was much closer to the edge of the stage during the Strauss, and visible.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Florestan

Friday night I attended this:

Evgeny Kissin
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Colin Davis

Beethoven
"Emperor" Concerto
"Eroica" Symphony


Kissin's rendition of PCs arch-warhorse almost made me forget I've heard it a zillion times before. Especially the transition between the second and the third movement was so gentle, so flowing, so lyrical that I was really startled by the beginning of the Rondo. His superb pianism allowed him to deliver everything required: passion, drama, nostalgia and exuberance. The excellent dialogue between him and LSO, with a full and warm sound, especially in the winds, was a feast for the ears --- and also for the eyes, since the concertmaster was so raptured by the music that he literally swinged, rolled and bounced in his chair, while his feet stepped a la Fred Astaire.
The audience responded enthusiastically with ovations and Kissin obliged with two encores: Rage Over a Lost Penny and a Marche Militaire by Schubert.

Second part, another warhorse: Eroica. No surprise here. Davis conducted with very elegant and discrete gestures, the winds and brass were absolutely stunning while the strings sounded... well, lush, if you excuse my cliche. But despite the fine conducting and the excellent performance of the orchestra, I once again felt that the 4th movement is strikingly at odds with the other three and it's anything but heroic. With all due respect to Beethoven I believe it's a weak finale for an otherwise extraordinary work.

The five salvos of applauses and ovations made a perfect conclusion for a highly enjoyable evening.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Florestan

Quote from: George on September 24, 2007, 02:17:05 AM
Glad you had a good time. His Rage over a lost penny is excellent.  :)

Indeed. And I could have sworn he'd play it as encore. :)
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Drasko

Ticket sale for next month Bemus (Belgrade autumn festival) started, rather poor selection this year but I'm considering these five (probably all)

QUATUOR EBÈNE   
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Divertimento D major K 136
Bela Bartók - Quartet No. 1, op. 7
Franz Schubert - Quartet No. 14 Death and the maiden, D minor D810

GIDON KREMER & KREMERATA BALTICA    
Felix Mendelssohn - Violin concerto D minor, op. posth.
Bela Bartók - Divertimento
Cinema – compilation of film music
Charles Chaplin: "Smile" from the "Modern Times" (Arr. for Violin and Strings: Andrei Pushkarev)
Toru Takemitsu: Fragment from "Three Movie Scores"
Isaak Dunaevsky: "Overture" from "The Children of Captain Grant" (Arr. for Strings: A. Pushkarev)
Giya Kancheli: "Rag-Gidon-Time"
Glenn Miller: "Moonlight Serenade" (Arr. for Violin and Strings: Andrei Pushkarev)
Astor Piazzolla: "Tres Minutos con la Realidad ", "Libertango" (Arr. for Violine, Vibraphone and Strings: Andrei Pushkarev)
Ennio Morricone: Thema aus "For a fistful of Dollars" (Arr. for Strings: Aleksey Igudesman)
Soloists: Gidon Kremer, violin; Andrei Pushkarev, vibraphone

ALEXANDER RUDIN, violoncello & MUSICA VIVA    
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Serenade No. 6 D major K239 (Serenata Notturna) for two small orchestras
Aulis Sallinen - Chamber music III (The Nocturnal Dances of Don Juanquixote), for violoncello and strings, Op. 58
Valentin Silvestrov - Serenade for strings
Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 8 Le Soir, G major Hob. I/8

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC    
Conductor: Nikolay Alekseev
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
Pyotr Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet
Franz Liszt - Piano concerto No. 2 A major
Sergey Prokofiev - Symphony No. 5 B flat major, Op. 100

BELGRADE STRINGS    
Conductor RONALD ZOLLMAN
Letizia Belmondo, harp; Pyotr Fedkov, oboe; Elena Popovskaya, soprano and Alexander Kisselev, bass
Witold Lutoslawski - Trauermusik, for strings
Witold Lutoslawski - Concerto for oboe, harp and chamber orchestra
Dmitry Shostakovich - Symphony No. 14, for soprano, bass, strings and percussion, Op. 135

hornteacher

Charlotte Symphony Orchestra concert next month:

Eric Ruske - Soloist

Mozart Horn Concerto #4
Strauss Horn Concerto #1
Beethoven Symphony #7


Should be fun, especially for a hornist like me!

MishaK

Quote from: O Mensch on September 11, 2007, 08:52:28 AM
At the CSO next week:

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Riccardo Muti, conductor


Tchaikovsky -   Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique)
Hindemith -   Nobilissima visione
Scriabin -   The Poem of Ecstasy


Looking forward to the Hindemith and Scriabin, in particular. I heard the Scriabin ten years ago with Boulez when Bud Herseth was still principal trumpet. Will be interesting to hear what Chris Martin makes of it.

Full review on my blog: http://tonicblotter.blogspot.com/

Lilas Pastia

#272
American record Guide's latest issue has assessment of recent concerts by both Montreal orchestras, Nagano's OSM and Nézet-Séguin's OMGM.

I attended the NZ Mahler 6th concert from last summer, described with gushing enthusiasm by ARG' reviewer as 'made in heaven'. The cooler respons of another reviewer for Nagano's own Mahler offering (the Resurrection) concords with my own observations. NZ is the more interesting conductor, and each concert or disc of his is an event (as was this weekend's Bruckner 9, a real knockout). Nagano's elicit prudent praise, but he (and the orchestra) fail to excite or generate even moderate interest. No contest IMO.

bhodges

Quote from: Drasko on September 24, 2007, 04:51:09 PM
GIDON KREMER & KREMERATA BALTICA    
Felix Mendelssohn - Violin concerto D minor, op. posth.
Bela Bartók - Divertimento
Cinema – compilation of film music
Charles Chaplin: "Smile" from the "Modern Times" (Arr. for Violin and Strings: Andrei Pushkarev)
Toru Takemitsu: Fragment from "Three Movie Scores"
Isaak Dunaevsky: "Overture" from "The Children of Captain Grant" (Arr. for Strings: A. Pushkarev)
Giya Kancheli: "Rag-Gidon-Time"
Glenn Miller: "Moonlight Serenade" (Arr. for Violin and Strings: Andrei Pushkarev)
Astor Piazzolla: "Tres Minutos con la Realidad ", "Libertango" (Arr. for Violine, Vibraphone and Strings: Andrei Pushkarev)
Ennio Morricone: Thema aus "For a fistful of Dollars" (Arr. for Strings: Aleksey Igudesman)
Soloists: Gidon Kremer, violin; Andrei Pushkarev, vibraphone

These all look great, especially that Lutoslawski/Shostakovich concert, but I hope you will highly consider the one above.  I heard Kremer and his group last summer, one of the finest ensembles I've ever heard.  But the big surprise was Andrei Pushkarev, who must be one of the world's greatest vibraphone players.  I have never heard anything like it.  The Glenn Miller arrangement was almost worth the entire evening alone.

--Bruce

bhodges

Quote from: O Mensch on September 24, 2007, 05:28:43 PM
Full review on my blog: http://tonicblotter.blogspot.com/

Fascinating write-up, thank you!  Loved this: (Note to self: next time don't sit in the Terrace when nine horns and the pipe organ are in use. )   ;D

I'm still marveling that Muti opened the concert with the Tchaikovsky--a novel idea, even if for some it turned out to be not entirely successful.  I find the whole subject of "program order" an interesting one, and generally think that some of those traditions are worth revisiting and shaking up.

--Bruce

Drasko

Quote from: bhodges on September 25, 2007, 07:16:32 AM
These all look great, especially that Lutoslawski/Shostakovich concert, but I hope you will highly consider the one above.  I heard Kremer and his group last summer, one of the finest ensembles I've ever heard.  But the big surprise was Andrei Pushkarev, who must be one of the world's greatest vibraphone players.  I have never heard anything like it.  The Glenn Miller arrangement was almost worth the entire evening alone.

--Bruce

I've seen Kremer with his band once before and it was splendid evening: Part's Fratres, Shostakovich Violin Sonata (string orch. arr.) and Enescu Octet with few encores of which Piazzolla's Oblivion brought the house down. Really memorable night, so I'll definitely try not to miss that one.

MishaK

Quote from: bhodges on September 25, 2007, 07:22:42 AM
Fascinating write-up, thank you!  Loved this: (Note to self: next time don't sit in the Terrace when nine horns and the pipe organ are in use. )   ;D

I'm still marveling that Muti opened the concert with the Tchaikovsky--a novel idea, even if for some it turned out to be not entirely successful.  I find the whole subject of "program order" an interesting one, and generally think that some of those traditions are worth revisiting and shaking up.

--Bruce

Thanks. I didn't think the Pathetique as opener was unsuccessful as much as I thought some of what followed wasn't quite of the same caliber. Conceptually it's fine. JUst make sure that it doesn't go programatically downhill from there. NB: the Terrace in Chicago is behind the orchestra, i.e. all of those nine horns had their bells pointed at me and the organ was just above me.

sound67

Listened to the "Pathétique" this evening as part of a gala concert at the Alte Oper, Frankfurt, in memory of Mstislav Rostropovich. Three of his master pupils, Mischa Maisky, David Geringas and Natalia Gutman, played pieces with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi conducting. Since I'm friends with a musician from that orchestra I was able to attend the after-concert gala dinner. Towards the end, we noticed a presence standing next to our table. Looking up, we saw that it was Järvi, making his rounds to say farewell to the party crowd. Naturally, the orchestra musicians all rose up to shake his hands, and also naturally, I didn't do that because I would have felt ashamed. But since I did not move, he nodded in my direction, and I nodded back. A fine concert it was.

Thomas
"Vivaldi didn't compose 500 concertos. He composed the same concerto 500 times" - Igor Stravinsky

"Mozart is a menace to musical progress, a relic of rituals that were losing relevance in his own time and are meaningless to ours." - Norman Lebrecht

Bonehelm

Vancouver symphony orchestra
Bramwell Tovey (conductor)
Lang Lang (pianist)

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto no.1 in C major, op.15
                  Symphony no.6 in F major, "pastoral"

rockerreds

Wednesday,October 10
First Unitarian Church,22nd and Chestnut Streets.Philadelphia,PA
Concert 730pm,Talk 6pm
Mimi Stillman,flute
Yumi Kendall,cello
Charles Abramovic,piano

Works of Rorem,Crumb,Abramovic,Cacioppo

FREE!