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

[Roasted Swan]

John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London are going "on the road" for the first time touring the UK in late November/early December.  I've got tickets to see them in Basingstoke.  A pretty "pops" programme;

Bolero/Valses Nobles
Walton Scapino
Rhapsody in Blue
La mer

It will be interesting to see in the flesh if Wilson favours flash over substance and nuance.  Of course the other big question is quite who will be in the band.  They are after all a scratch band albeit a very good one.  Part of the reason they are able to call on the top-notch players they have in the past is mainly because the work is in defined batches of sessions/proms (with associated recordings and video fees) AND take place in the summer months when players regular orchestras are on holiday.  Quite whether they will be able to make this tour "tied work" is also open to question given the time of year.  I'm sure the standard of playing will be very high and I hope the attendance is good.

[TheGSMoeller]

Tonight!

Nashville Symphony | Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Stewart Goodyear, piano

Program
Lera Auerbach: Icarus

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4

Sibelius: Symphony No. 2

[Brian]

Very cool program! Lera Auerbach is great.

[Judith]

A wonderful concert yesterday evening with local orchestra
Sinfonia of Leeds
Performing

Beethoven Piano Concerto no 1
Tchaikovsky Symphony no 6 (Pathetique)

Soloist Ian Buckle
Conductor David Greed

Took place at the local St Edmund's Church, Roundhay, Leeds

[Pohjolas Daughter]

A wonderful concert yesterday evening with local orchestra
Sinfonia of Leeds
Performing

Beethoven Piano Concerto no 1
Tchaikovsky Symphony no 6 (Pathetique)

Soloist Ian Buckle
Conductor David Greed

Took place at the local St Edmund's Church, Roundhay, Leeds

Glad that you had a great time! 

Brian,

Have you decided whether or not you'll be going to London in May for the concert/holiday?

Note:  I did see that it has been announced that there will be a bank holiday on the following Monday.

PD

[Brian]

Just a short little concert tonight from a local semipro group:

Mahler | Adagietto from Symphony No 5
Copland | Clarinet Concerto
Suk | Serenade for Strings

Jonathan Jones, clarinet
Dallas Chamber Symphony
Richard McKay, conductor

Jonathan Jones is the chamber symphony's principal conductor, plus a regular player at the Dallas Opera and Fort Worth Symphony, and has toured the USA and Europe playing clarinet in Ricky Ian Gordon's chamber opera, Orpheus and Eurydice.

[Mapman]

In a few weeks, I have tickets to see the Berliner Philharmoniker perform Mahler's 7th during their US tour!

That concert was last night, at the Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, MI. I'd never been there before. The acoustics are somewhat dry, and it feels like you can hear everything. The Berliner Philharmoniker also managed to balance everything extremely well, and the principal players are fantastic. The 4th movement was especially beautiful, and the 5th movement benefited from the clarity in the contrapuntal sections. (I think a piece like Bruckner's 5th would do well in that hall.) Overall, a great performance.

[Judith]

Last Sunday afternoon, we saw local orchestra
Airedale Symphony Orchestra
performing
The Perfect Fool Ballet Music Holst
Scottish Fantasy Bruch
The Seasons Glazunov
Cappriccio Espagnol Rimsky-Korsakov

Andy Long violin
John Anderson conductor

Wonderful performance from all and enjoyed it very much

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Last Sunday afternoon, we saw local orchestra
Airedale Symphony Orchestra
performing
The Perfect Fool Ballet Music Holst
Scottish Fantasy Bruch
The Seasons Glazunov
Cappriccio Espagnol Rimsky-Korsakov

Andy Long violin
John Anderson conductor

Wonderful performance from all and enjoyed it very much

Interesting to hear that that ballet music from Holst was performed.  Does that happen often in the UK?  I do enjoy a Chandos disc that I have with Hickox of that.     Have you heard those recordings?

Nice to hear that you had a lovely time!

Best wishes,

PD

[The new erato]

Looking backwards; an simply amazing Martino vn concerto nr 2 with Kavakos/Elder/Bergen Phil on the 24th of November. Stunning! Janaceks Jalousy and the Rch 3rd Symphony made up an interesting program.

[pjme]

Next tuesday:

Katrien Baerts soprano and the (Brussels) Collectief (5 musicians/ winds/strings/piano)

My Illness is The Medicine I Need (2002) – Thomas Larcher

Trois nuits* (2020) – Karl Naegelen
Nuit (Victor Hugo)
Berceuse (Verlaine)
Le ciel en nuit, s'est déplié (Verhaeren)

Lieder der Vergänglichkeit* (2022) – Mathilde Wantenaar
Schönheit dieser Welt vergehet
Wandrers Nachtlied II
Fröhlich, zärtlich, lieblich
Herbsttag
Wandrers Nachtlief I

Barcarolle (uit: Sérigraphies) (2007-2017) – Johannes Schöllhorn

Serres impies (2017) – Rob Zuidam
Palais de verre
Zinc
Rose ignoble
Noir mercuriel
En rouille
Tout n'est que syphilis
Vert métallique
Serres impies
Prière
https://www.mathildewantenaar.com/

*NL premières

[The new erato]

Parsifal in Bergen in 21st January.

[pjme]

Next tuesday:

Katrien Baerts soprano and the (Brussels) Collectief (5 musicians/ winds/strings/piano)

My Illness is The Medicine I Need (2002) – Thomas Larcher

Trois nuits* (2020) – Karl Naegelen
Nuit (Victor Hugo)
Berceuse (Verlaine)
Le ciel en nuit, s'est déplié (Verhaeren)

Lieder der Vergänglichkeit* (2022) – Mathilde Wantenaar
Schönheit dieser Welt vergehet
Wandrers Nachtlied II
Fröhlich, zärtlich, lieblich
Herbsttag
Wandrers Nachtlief I

Barcarolle (uit: Sérigraphies) (2007-2017) – Johannes Schöllhorn

Serres impies (2017) – Rob Zuidam
Palais de verre
Zinc
Rose ignoble
Noir mercuriel
En rouille
Tout n'est que syphilis
Vert métallique
Serres impies
Prière
https://www.mathildewantenaar.com/

*NL premières

Very impressive concert that showcased the extraordinary vocal prowess and agility of belgian soprano Katrien Baerts. She was accompanied by Het collectief, 5 belgian musicians (piano, flute, cello, clarinet(s), percussion)  who have a long standing knowledge of contemporary music.

https://www.katrienbaerts.com/en/news.html
https://www.hetcollectief.be/en/het-collectief
https://www.thomaslarcher.com/en/biography/
http://www.cdmc.asso.fr/en/ressources/compositeurs/biographies/naegelen-karl-1979
https://www.mathildewantenaar.com/
https://johannes-schoellhorn.de/
https://robertzuidam.com/

Robert Zuidam's "Serres impies" on fragments from Huysmans' A rebours, seemed to be, for me, the most impressive work.
h
At ca 25-30 minutes it requires flexibility and technical "justesse"  from all musicians. Difficult and taxing... But Baerts (who has sung Ligeti, Kagel... and other works by Zuidam) had me spellbound.
The texts depict the beauty, wilting, "infirmity" and the ultimate decline of extravagant, monstrous flora in "unholy hothouses".
The sweet little Barcarolle by Schöllhorn was a welcome "entremets".
Mathilde Wantenaar's (29 years old) Lieder der Vergänglichkeit contrasted strongly with the other works as they evoked -albeit fragmented and desconstructed- late Romantic composers.

[bhodges]

This weekend:

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello
Pretty Yende, soprano

Xi Wang Ensō  (world premiere—Philadelphia Orchestra commission)
Haydn Cello Concerto in D major
Mahler Symphony No. 4

-Bruce

[Ganondorf]

Bought tickets to Turandot recently, the performance is in February, Siegfried in March. Turandot was the first Puccini opera  I saw live and I have always had a great fondness for it.

[bhodges]

Next tuesday:

Katrien Baerts soprano and the (Brussels) Collectief (5 musicians/ winds/strings/piano)

My Illness is The Medicine I Need (2002) – Thomas Larcher

Trois nuits* (2020) – Karl Naegelen
Nuit (Victor Hugo)
Berceuse (Verlaine)
Le ciel en nuit, s'est déplié (Verhaeren)

Lieder der Vergänglichkeit* (2022) – Mathilde Wantenaar
Schönheit dieser Welt vergehet
Wandrers Nachtlied II
Fröhlich, zärtlich, lieblich
Herbsttag
Wandrers Nachtlief I

Barcarolle (uit: Sérigraphies) (2007-2017) – Johannes Schöllhorn

Serres impies (2017) – Rob Zuidam
Palais de verre
Zinc
Rose ignoble
Noir mercuriel
En rouille
Tout n'est que syphilis
Vert métallique
Serres impies
Prière
https://www.mathildewantenaar.com/

*NL premières

Meant to say, I don't know Naegelan, Wantemaar, or Schöllhorn, but Larcher and Zuidam I like (what I've heard).

Nice!

Also this weekend:

Mahler  Adagietto from Symphony No.5
Britten  Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
Shostakovich  Symphony No.14

Aurora Orchestra
Nicholas Collon conductor
Elizabeth Atherton soprano
Peter Rose bass

And equally nice! That Shostakovich doesn't show up on programs that often.

-Bruce

[Brian]

This weekend:

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello
Pretty Yende, soprano

Xi Wang Ensō  (world premiere—Philadelphia Orchestra commission)
Haydn Cello Concerto in D major
Mahler Symphony No. 4

-Bruce

Oh, what a cool program!

[pjme]

Meant to say, I don't know Naegelan, Wantemaar, or Schöllhorn, but Larcher and Zuidam I like (what I've heard).
-Bruce

Hi Bruce,

I do like to take the occasional plunge into unknown territory. Mathilde Wantenaar, a name new to me,  recently got some airplay on Dutch Radio 4 because Simone Lamsma premiered her violinconcerto in september

"Mathilde Wantenaar writes a violin concerto for Simone Lamsma. This afternoon, chief conductor Karina Canellakis will also conduct Bruckner's colossal Eighth Symphony.


" Mathilde's musical voice is authentic ".

Violinist Simone Lamsma did not have to think for long when the Saturday Matinee asked her who she would like to play a new violin concerto by. Her answer: "Mathilde Wantenaar", the young Dutch composer who made her Matinee debut in 2019 with the choral work "Dit zijn de bleeke, bleeklichte weken", on a text by Herman Gorter. Asked about her choice, Lamsma says: "Wantenaar's music is colourful and immediately appeals to my imagination. What struck me immediately when I heard her work is the directness of its expression. Mathilde's musical voice is authentic. She writes in a language with which I feel connected."

I've heard several works byRob Zuidam (1964), so I was intrigued. Larcher, Naegelen en Schöllhorn were totally new to me.
Apart from the music, I was happy to discover "Het cenakel" a 19th century chapel in Tilburg, saved from destruction and used as a concerthall/exposition room.
https://www.cenakel.nl/
And I will re-read Huysmans A rebours.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%80_rebours

Peter

[ritter]

Just bought a ticket for a performance of Bellini's La Sonnambula on December 23^rd at the Teatro Real here in Madrid. The lead part of Amina is sung by Floridian soprano Nadine Sierra, who debuted the rôle last night —to huge acclaim by both the audience and critics— in the first performance of this new production by Bárbara Lluch. Tenor Xabier Anduaga sings Elvino, and the conductor is Maurizio Benini.

Here is Ms. Sierra sleepwalking, while singing some of the most beautiful melodies ever composed for an opera 



I may be a rabid Boulezian and Wagnerian and all that, but I rarely let pass the opportunity to see a fully staged Bellini opera...

[Florestan]

I may be a rabid Boulezian and Wagnerian and all that, but I rarely let pass the opportunity to see a fully staged Bellini opera...

As far as I'm concerned, you have fully redeemed yourself, Rafael.