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

[bhodges]

Doesn't get any better than that. Have a great evening, Jeffrey.

Agreed, a terrific program. And front row is fun!

--Bruce

[kishnevi]

Agreed, a terrific program. And front row is fun!

--Bruce

Something you will be interested in:  they will be doing a four night series at Carnegie Hall during which they will do all of Bartok's quartets in tandem with all six of Beethoven Op. 18.  They will also do the same series of concerts in Portland (paging Todd.

I am of two minds about the Bartok.  They did the Fifth tonight.  It was good, but not quite as good as the Haydn or Dvorak.  I have the feeling they haven't lived with Bela as long as the other two, both of which they recorded early on.
(The three original members, that is.  The current violist came on board c. 2011).  Whatever the case, they have recorded at least some of the Bartok quartets, and that is scheduled for release in early winter, according to the  program for the concert.

The real shame was that they played in a small hall that was less than half filled, probably less than a 100 people in the audience.  I have the impression that this was a quickly arranged stop. It certainly was not advertised; I found out about it from a stray newspaper article, yet managed the best seat in the house without a hitch.  Perhaps some other place cancelled on them.

Best moments were the fun they had in the Haydn (the violinists were rocking and toe tapping in their seats), the intense last movement of the Bartok, the emotional song of the cello in the Lento of the Dvorak, and the precision of ensemble playing in the last movement of the Dvorak.

[Todd]

They will also do the same series of concerts in Portland (paging Todd.

Page received.  More than tempting, but two of the gigs overlap with Benjamin Grosvenor.  He plays on Monday, but that would be three concert nights in a row.  What to do?

[bhodges]

Page received.  More than tempting, but two of the gigs overlap with Benjamin Grosvenor.  He plays on Monday, but that would be three concert nights in a row.  What to do?

Nothing against the quartet - or the chance to hear them in (so much) Bartok - but having just returned from hearing Grosvenor for the first time, do not let ANYTHING interfere with hearing him.



--Bruce

[bhodges]

Something you will be interested in:  they will be doing a four night series at Carnegie Hall during which they will do all of Bartok's quartets in tandem with all six of Beethoven Op. 18.

Will definitely check out the dates for this - hopefully Grosvenor-free  - especially since I have never heard the quartet live.

--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

Something you will be interested in:  they will be doing a four night series at Carnegie Hall during which they will do all of Bartok's quartets in tandem with all six of Beethoven Op. 18.  They will also do the same series of concerts in Portland (paging Todd.

I am of two minds about the Bartok.  They did the Fifth tonight.  It was good, but not quite as good as the Haydn or Dvorak.  I have the feeling they haven't lived with Bela as long as the other two, both of which they recorded early on.
(The three original members, that is.  The current violist came on board c. 2011).  Whatever the case, they have recorded at least some of the Bartok quartets, and that is scheduled for release in early winter, according to the  program for the concert.

The real shame was that they played in a small hall that was less than half filled, probably less than a 100 people in the audience.  I have the impression that this was a quickly arranged stop. It certainly was not advertised; I found out about it from a stray newspaper article, yet managed the best seat in the house without a hitch.  Perhaps some other place cancelled on them.

Best moments were the fun they had in the Haydn (the violinists were rocking and toe tapping in their seats), the intense last movement of the Bartok, the emotional song of the cello in the Lento of the Dvorak, and the precision of ensemble playing in the last movement of the Dvorak.

Most interesting, thanks.  Too bad the audience was so light!  OTOH, it's almost like Command Performance for Jeffrey.  (I know you would not begrudge sharing the experience with many others.)

[Todd]

Nothing against the quartet - or the chance to hear them in (so much) Bartok - but having just returned from hearing Grosvenor for the first time, do not let ANYTHING interfere with hearing him.

I heard him in recital earlier this year, and when I learned he was returning in January for a concerto performance, I knew I'd have to attend.  I hope he returns yearly. 

[Mookalafalas]

Steven Lin is going to play at the local concert hall.  I know he is Taiwanese and won 3rd place in some competition in 2012, but that is about it.  Anyone know anything that could help me decide whether or not to go? Thanks in advance...

[bhodges]

I heard him in recital earlier this year, and when I learned he was returning in January for a concerto performance, I knew I'd have to attend.  I hope he returns yearly.

Here is Grosvenor's program from last night:

MENDELSSOHN Prelude and Fugue E Minor, Op. 35, No. 1
MENDELSSOHN Prelude and Fugue in F Minor, Op. 35, No. 5
BACH Chaconne in D Minor (arr. Busoni, from Violin Partita No. 2, BWV 1004)
FRANCK Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue, Op. 21
RAVEL Le tombeau de Couperin
LISZT Venezia e Napoli

Encores:
GERSHWIN "Love Walked In" (arr. Percy Grainger)
DOHNÁNYI Concert Etude, Op. 28, No. 6 ("Capriccio") from Six Concert Etudes
MOMPOU "La Fuente y la Campana" from Paisajes

--Bruce

[bhodges]

Steven Lin is going to play at the local concert hall.  I know he is Taiwanese and won 3rd place in some competition in 2012, but that is about it.  Anyone no anything that could help me decide whether or not to go? Thanks in advance...

I haven't heard Lin yet, but I will say that the winners of the Concert Artists Guild competition (the one he won in 2012) are generally excellent musicians - at least, the ones I have heard.

http://www.concertartists.org/artist/steven-lin

--Bruce

[Brian]

Here is Grosvenor's program from last night:

MENDELSSOHN Prelude and Fugue E Minor, Op. 35, No. 1
MENDELSSOHN Prelude and Fugue in F Minor, Op. 35, No. 5
RAVEL Le tombeau de Couperin
LISZT Venezia e Napoli - Tarantella only

Encores:
GERSHWIN "Love Walked In" (arr. Percy Grainger)

--Bruce

I saw a compressed version of this! In Montreal Grosvenor played a 45 minute concert with the above pieces only. He played it on a goddamn staircase outside the recital hall in an awful acoustic with these annoying people in motorized wheelchairs whirring back and forth constantly because they couldn't decide where to sit. We were all stationed around the bottom of the staircase and the piano was on a landing. (Poor movers.) And it was STILL riveting. Still extraordinary.

I would love, love, love to hear him do the Franck Prelude Chorale et Fugue.

[Brian]

I heard him in recital earlier this year, and when I learned he was returning in January for a concerto performance, I knew I'd have to attend.  I hope he returns yearly.

When I lived in London I had at least two weeks of 4 concerts each. That's a busy town.

[bhodges]

I saw a compressed version of this! In Montreal Grosvenor played a 45 minute concert with the above pieces only. He played it on a goddamn staircase outside the recital hall in an awful acoustic with these annoying people in motorized wheelchairs whirring back and forth constantly because they couldn't decide where to sit. We were all stationed around the bottom of the staircase and the piano was on a landing. (Poor movers.) And it was STILL riveting. Still extraordinary.

I would love, love, love to hear him do the Franck Prelude Chorale et Fugue.

I can well believe it ("extraordinary" despite the really weird site). And yikes, the Franck was terrific, with some incredible overlapping hands work.

--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

Here is Grosvenor's program from last night:

MENDELSSOHN Prelude and Fugue E Minor, Op. 35, No. 1
MENDELSSOHN Prelude and Fugue in F Minor, Op. 35, No. 5
BACH Chaconne in D Minor (arr. Busoni, from Violin Partita No. 2, BWV 1004)
FRANCK Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue, Op. 21
RAVEL Le tombeau de Couperin
LISZT Venezia e Napoli

Encores:
GERSHWIN "Love Walked In" (arr. Percy Grainger)
DOHNÁNYI Concert Etude, Op. 28, No. 6 ("Capriccio") from Six Concert Etudes
MOMPOU "La Fuente y la Campana" from Paisajes

What a groovy program, Bruce!

[bhodges]

What a groovy program, Bruce!

Isn't it, though! And as the friend with me remarked, the three encores made a beautiful little arc, all on their own.

--Bruce

[Brian]

I can well believe it ("extraordinary" despite the really weird site). And yikes, the Franck was terrific, with some incredible overlapping hands work.

--Bruce

I'm a little bit obsessed with that Franck piece this fall. 

[Karl Henning]

I'm a little bit obsessed with that Franck piece this fall. 

There are far worse things which might obsess thee 

[bhodges]

There are far worse things which might obsess thee 

Erm, like the Dionysian vs. Apollonian aspects of Franck?



--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

Erm, like the Dionysian vs. Apollonian aspects of Franck?



--Bruce

Bite your tongue, boy!

[MishaK]

I just booked my trip to go hear this next month:

Oct 15/16/17

Minnesota Orchestra
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, conductor
Anthony Ross, cello

SCHUMANN
Cello Concerto

BRUCKNER
Symphony No. 7

 

Just back from MSP. This was an amazing concert. A truly earth shaking, gripping B7. Skrowaczewski at 92 conducts standing. No stool for him!