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

[Fagotterdämmerung]

  I went to the Jean Coulthard readings put on yesterday by the VSO. Though not proper concerts in some sense, it is a concert / composer feedback hybrid that actually felt a lot more lively and less forced than the new music festival itself. I can't easily explain why. Perhaps the musicians were more relaxed.

  It seems today's crop of Canadian composers are exceedingly conservative, but they're not at all bad per se, it's just that this could just have easily been a concert program from 1915-1935 or so rather than something new. On the other hand, I love that period in classical music, so it's far from a hardship to listen to music emulating a mix of late Romantic, Impressionist, and Neo-Classical styles.

  The strongest, in my opinion my opinion, was Lucas Oickle's Lunar Mansions, a very frenetically-orchestrated work that seems to bounce around different orchestral colors; sort of a "concerto for orchestra" texture. Adam Hill's Five To Nine To Five was quality music as well, and a bit more adventurous than the rest.

[Todd]

As much as I enjoy a good opera, I've never actually attended one in person.  After some dillying and dallying, I decided to take the plunge, and with a bigun.  I decided to see Les Troyens this June at the San Francisco Opera.  It is hard to imagine how it will be a bad summer now.

[springrite]

As much as I enjoy a good opera, I've never actually attended one in person.  After some dillying and dallying, I decided to take the plunge, and with a bigun.  I decided to see Les Troyens this June at the San Francisco Opera.  It is hard to imagine how it will be a bad summer now.

That's a good one to go to. I went to the same opera in the early 90's in LA. Even with a weak Gary Lakes, the opera was a magnificent! I did bring a first timer to it, which led to someone eventually becoming my ... uh ... ex-wife!

[Karl Henning]

As much as I enjoy a good opera, I've never actually attended one in person.  After some dillying and dallying, I decided to take the plunge, and with a bigun.  I decided to see Les Troyens this June at the San Francisco Opera.  It is hard to imagine how it will be a bad summer now.

Nice!  For the bicentenary we made the pilgrimage to the Met to see Les Troyens, a magnificent spectacle.

[North Star]

But guess who they've got this time?  Leif Segerstam!!!.   Yes, that's right: Santa Klaus himself, in person.  An inspired choice, whoever thought of it.  I've heard him before, with Nielsen and Sibelius, and other Scandinavians such as Rautavaara.  But Bruckner's 8th Symphony ?!?!  The brain reels at the very idea.  I'd go a long way and pay a lot of money for the chance to hear this.  And it turns out I've already got prime seats.

VERY happy bunny today.  0:)

Nice!

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

University of Chicago Presents
Pacifica Quartet
Puccini: Crisantemi
Carter: Quartet No.1
Beethoven: Quartet Op. 59 No. 1 ("Razumovsky")

Well this turned out to be every bit as good as I expected. I don't know what that bit of Puccini fluff was doing among the monstrous peaks of LvB and Carter, but all the performances were magnificent. It was especially revelatory to see the Carter live. I mean, you can read all you want about Carter's techniques and rhythmic innovations and the like, but when you see the players executing them in front of you, it's a different, more transparent experience than just listening to a recording.

[Karl Henning]

Of course!  That must have been a blast.

[Brian]

Hmmm...during my vacation to San Francisco, Rachel Podger will be leading the Philharmonia Baroque through a program of 9 Vivaldi concertos...

[Obradovic]

Tonight, Athens Megaron
Apostolos Palios, piano, Athens State Orchestra/Stefanos Tsialis

L.v. Beethoven Piano Concerto No.3 C min. op.37
R. Strauss Ein Heldenleben op.40

Fingers crossed...

[Obradovic]

FEB 15 & 16, at the Athens Megaron

Wiener Philharmoniker-Daniele Gatti
J. Brahms: The four symphonies (3&1/2&4)

My thoughts are with the poor fella who will be on tour away from home for about 2 weeks only to jingle the triangle for a few seconds...

[Drasko]

Tonight, here in Belgrade:

Mussorgsky: Procession of the Nobles (from Mlada)
Ravel: Concerto for the left hand
Shostakovich: Symphony No.11

Elisso Virsaladze (piano)
Belgrade Philharmonic
Fabrice Bollon (conductor)

[EigenUser]

Stockhausen's Mantra is being played at the Library of Congress in DC on April 24th, 2015 (thanks James). One of the few works of his that I enjoy, so I think I'll go see it. Why not?

[Phrygian]

The following are planned, with many already booked and paid for:

27/2 Berliner Philharmoniker/Gergiev/Helene Grimaud (Philharmonie, Berlin) – Beethoven #4, Prokofiev #6.
12/3 Oslo Philharmonic/Jukka-Pekka Saraste/Renaud Capucon (Oslo);  Dusapin, Violin Concerto; Bruckner #3
19/3 Leipzig Gewandhaus/Chailly (in Leipzig) – Sibelius:  'Finlandia', Violin Concerto; Kodaly;  Dances of Galanta; Stravinsky;  Firebird Suite (1919).
31/3 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam – "Late Rembrandt" (newly refurbished Rijksmuseum)
2/4 Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam/Gergiev (in Amsterdam); Shostakovich Violin Concerto; Wagner excerpts 'Parsifal', 'Gotterdammerung', and 'Meistersingers' (OK, hardly radical programming but it is the Concertgebouw in their own home!  There seems to be no escape from Gergiev these days.)

Theatre an der Wien:
11/4 "The Marriage of Figaro", Musiciens de Louvre (Grenoble) Marc Minkowski (a fabulous ensemble I've seen before at the same venue, playing Rameau and Handel)

Musikverein:
19/4 Bavarian Radio Symphony Orch/Jansons/F.P. Zimmermann:  Brahms Violin Concerto;  Stravinsky "Petrushka"
24/4 Wiener Philharmoniker/Muti:  Haydn "Maria Theresia" symphony;  Schubert #8 (hardly generous programming)
3/5 Berliner Philharmoniker/Rattle:  Janacek, "Sinfonietta", Bruckner #7 (dear oh dear, no escape from Bruckner this season.  Not a fan.  Will have to do what the Pope once recommended - grin and bear it!!)
5/5 Barenboim recital:  Schubert
10/5 Concentus Musicus/Harnoncourt:  Beethoven #4 and #8 Symphonies
21/5 Dresden Staatskapelle/Thielemann:  Schubert and Wagner (various arias);  Bruckner #4

Wiener Konzerthaus:
9/5 Wiener Philharmoniker/Harding – Mahler "Das Lied von der Erde" (I am unfamiliar with Harding)
12/5 New London Consort/Pickett:  Purcell "Faerie Queen" (joy!!!)
19/5 Rudolf Buchbinder recital:  Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann

[Bruckner is God]

For my short two days trip to London next week,  I was lucky that there are interesting concerts happening at the RFH on both nights.

Tuesday 24 February:
Ivo Pogorelich, piano
Liszt: Après une lecture de Dante - Fantasia quasi sonata from Années de pèlerinage
Schumann: Fantasie in C, Op.17
Stravinsky: 3 Movements from Petrushka transc. for piano
Brahms: 28 Variations on a theme by Paganini for piano, Op.35

Wednesday 25 February:
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Christoph Eschenbach
Ray Chen, violin
Beethoven: Overture, Egmont
Schumann: Overture, Scherzo & Finale
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Beethoven: Symphony No.5

[EigenUser]

Big week coming up:

National Symphony Orchestra (Friday 2/20)
-Pintscher Mar'eh
-Faure Pelleas et Melisande
-Ravel Daphnis and Chloe (entire piece)

Philadelphia Orchestra (Sunday 2/22)
-Wagner Lohengrin: Act I Prelude
-Berg Violin Concerto (with Gil Shaham)
-Ligeti Atmospheres
-Debussy La Mer

Axiom Ensemble, Juilliard (Wednesday 2/25)
-Ligeti Sippal, Dobbal, Nadihegeduval
-Ligeti Six Bagatelles
-Ligeti Cello Concerto
-Ligeti Chamber Concerto

[Ken B]

I will accept all invitations from Phrygian.

Don't either bother offering Nate. 

[EigenUser]

National Symphony Orchestra (Friday 2/20)
-Pintscher Mar'eh
-Faure Pelleas et Melisande
-Ravel Daphnis and Chloe (entire piece)

Great concert. The Faure and Ravel were really nicely done. The only negative was Mar'eh (composed by the conductor). It was the most boring thing I have ever sat through in my entire life and it went on for 25 minutes. When it first started I thought "Oh, these are cool sounds." That wore off after about a minute. An elderly man a few seats down fell asleep and started snoring quietly. I almost did the same.

[kishnevi]

Great concert. The Faure and Ravel were really nicely done. The only negative was Mar'eh (composed by the conductor). It was the most boring thing I have ever sat through in my entire life and it went on for 25 minutes. When it first started I thought "Oh, these are cool sounds." That wore off after about a minute. An elderly man a few seats down fell asleep and started snoring quietly. I almost did the same.

Mar'eh did not impress Jens's blogmate...
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2015/02/pintscher-debuts-at-nso.html

[EigenUser]

Mar'eh did not impress Jens's blogmate...
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2015/02/pintscher-debuts-at-nso.html

Interesting. He seemed to have the same reaction that I did.

The Philadelphia Orchestra concert earlier this afternoon was amazing. I still struggle with parts of the Berg VC, but the last five minutes are beautiful. Ligeti Atmospheres sounds different live. On a recording, it seems to sound almost electronic. Today, though, it was surprisingly expressive. Large and powerful at times, but also gentle and ethereal. La Mer was thrilling.

[Christo]

Braunschweig, Germany, May 10, 11:00 hrs: Havergal Brian's First Symphony 'Gothic': http://staatstheater-braunschweig.de/staatsorchester/produktion/details/9-sinfoniekonzert. The conductor is apparently Péter Halász, but the Brianites in the Havergal Brian thread here are eagerly waiting for more details. 

Brian's Gothic Symphony, without any warning or signals in advance. Twice even. In Germany. Miracles happen.   

There's a second performance on the following day, Monday, May 11, 20:00 hrs, the first time this dino will be played twice at the same occasion. I know of a few, mostly from the Netherlands and one GMG member from Belgium, who plan to go there too, for the Sunday concert. What about the UBW, United Brianites Worldwide? Any other enthusiasts?