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

[Le Buisson Ardent]

British music this evening (just for a change ) :

Knussen  Cleveland Pictures
Britten  Double Concerto for Violin and Viola
Vaughan Williams  Symphony No 1, A Sea Symphony

BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Sakari Oramo conductor
Vilde Frang violin
Lawrence Power viola
Morgan Pearse baritone
Sija Aalto soprano

Available to listen/download on BBC Radio 3 from 11 June.

Looks like an interesting program. I'm especially fond of Britten's Double Concerto for Violin and Viola, which is an earlier work. Frang and Power should be excellent as both of these soloists are remarkable. Of course, I love RVW's A Sea Symphony as well. One of the great first symphonies in my mind. I'm not familiar with the Knussen, but he's a pretty neat composer. I haven't listened to any of his music in ages, though.

[Mookalafalas]

Here in Sapporo, the local symphony is doing a concert of Takemitsu and Xenakis, followed by (of course?) Bolero.  Next month the Quator Danel is performing Russian quartets.

[brewski]

Here in Sapporo, the local symphony is doing a concert of Takemitsu and Xenakis, followed by (of course?) Bolero.  Next month the Quator Danel is performing Russian quartets.

I just found that concert, which looks totally fantastic:

Sapporo Symphony Orchestra
Michiyoshi Inoue, conductor
Tomoki Kitamura, piano

Takemitsu: The Dorian Horizon
Takemitsu: Asterism
Xenakis: Nomos gamma
Ravel: Boléro

-Bruce

[VonStupp]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony 2
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Neeme Järvi

I was supposed to see this next weekend, but ended up with a possible concussion, so it may not be possible.

Esa-Pekka Salonen was originally leading this performance, but I think he backed out of engagements recently. Have never seen Järvi live.
VS

Ended up being an excellent concert. Like Mahler 8 in Minnesota last year, the orchestral sound can be overwhelming. I was surprised at the amount of young people in the audience, which was sold out.

Carl Grapentine, in the pre-concert talk, made a rather backhanded comment about Thursday's concert. I had no such problems that weekend, and it was good to see Jarvi up and moving from his chair. He certainly used small, efficient gestures, probably for traffic control, except in mvts. 2 & 3 where Jarvi was more emotive with his pattern.
VS

[brewski]

Tomorrow:

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Mitsuko Uchida, piano

Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
Coleman: Concerto for Orchestra (world premiere—Philadelphia Orchestra commission)
Debussy: La Mer

-Bruce

[brewski]

Tomorrow:

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Mitsuko Uchida, piano

Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
Coleman: Concerto for Orchestra (world premiere—Philadelphia Orchestra commission)
Debussy: La Mer

-Bruce

Tonight, an unusual encore from Uchida after the Ravel. She returned onstage, quickly discussing something with Yannick, and when she reached the piano, turned and smiled at the audience with a gesture, "just a little bit." The "little bit" turned out to be the second "Langsam" movement from Schoenberg's Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19. Marvelous, scarcely 60 seconds long, and somehow a beautiful coda.

-Bruce

[Wanderer]

My summer trip to Austria, Germany and Poland approaches - and there is music involved. I'll be seeing Turandot and Salome in Vienna, Tosca and Norma in Munich, Die tote Stadt and Saint François d'Assise in Hamburg, Turangalîla-Symphonie in Dresden (twice, because it's awesome : ), Rigoletto and Mahler 6 in Berlin and La bohème in Warsaw. Looking forward to them all!

[brewski]

My summer trip to Austria, Germany and Poland approaches - and there is music involved. I'll be seeing Turandot and Salome in Vienna, Tosca and Norma in Munich, Die tote Stadt and Saint François d'Assise in Hamburg, Turangalîla-Symphonie in Dresden (twice, because it's awesome : ), Rigoletto and Mahler 6 in Berlin and La bohème in Warsaw. Looking forward to them all!

What a lineup! Everything sounds great, but I'm most envious of all the Messiaen.

-Bruce

[Wanderer]

...all the Messiaen.

That was actually the initial incentive! And the Caspar David Friedrich anniversary year exhibitions.

[The new erato]

Mahler 8th tomorrow;

Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
Bergen Filharmoniske Ungdomsorkester

Edward Gardner dirigent
Håkon Matti Skrede kormester

Emma Bell* sopran 1 (Magna Peccatrix)
Marita Sølberg sopran 2 (Una Poenitentium)
Mari Eriksmoen sopran 3 (Mater Gloriosa)
Stefanie Irányi** alt 1 (Mulier Samaritana)
Jess Dandy alt 2 (Maria Aegyptiaca)
David Butt Philip tenor (Doctor Marianus)
Yngve Søberg baryton (Pater Ecstaticus)
John Relyea bass (Pater Profundus)

Georgia Boy Choir (David R. White kunstnerisk leder, dirigent)
Edvard Grieg Guttekor
Edvard Grieg Jentekor
Edvard Grieg Kor
Operakoret ved Den Norske Opera & Ballett
Collegium Musicum Kor
Bergen Filharmoniske Kor

[brewski]

Mahler 8th tomorrow

And...and...? 

Speaking as someone who just hear it live from Helsinki last week, I hope the one you heard in Bergen was fantastic. That piece is such an event, even when not everything clicks perfectly.

-Bruce

[brewski]

Tomorrow, the home of The Philadelphia Orchestra becomes Marian Anderson Hall, the first time (that I know of) in which a hall will honor an artist, rather than donors. (The couple who gave $25 million didn't want their names on it.) I find the whole thing incredibly moving, and you can read the latest New York Times article here.

Meanwhile, here's the dedication concert. A bit of a smorgasbord, but I'm looking forward to it anyway.

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Queen Latifah, host
Latonia Moore, soprano
Audra McDonald, soprano
Angel Blue, soprano
Marcus Roberts, piano

Traditional "My Country, 'Tis of Thee"
Verdi Overture to La forza del destino
Sondheim/Rodgers "Children Taught, Listen Carefully"
Coleman Fanfare for Marian (World premiere—Philadelphia Orchestra commission)
Price Third movement from Symphony No. 3
Sibelius Finlandia
Puccini "Vissi d'arte," from Tosca
Traditional "Just a Closer Walk with Thee"
Traditional "My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord"

-Bruce

[Ganondorf]

Reporting back a little late from last month's Götterdämmerung in Finnish national opera which I greatly enjoyed. I thought it best to first re-watch the opera from Yle areena (the production was filmed) due to me having a rather bad seat where I had to lean forward at times to see part of the right side of the stage blocked by camera.

Anna Kelo's production takes us this time to dystopian future where Siegfried is checked for germs when arriving in Gibichung palace and Gibichungs wear gas masks. Interesting features in this production throughout.

I think the best performers were Johanna Rusanen as Brünnhilde, Daniel Brenna as Siegfried, Rúni Brattaberg as Hagen, Jukka Rasilainen as Alberich and Tuomas Pursio as Gunther.

I think Rusanen and Brenna were even better than in previous cycle opera/s. Rusanen has voice sharp as steel in powerful parts easily surpassing the thick orchestral texture yet in tender parts she has timbre mild as Desdemona. There was a short moment in act 2 where she seemed to be grasping for words (which is probably why she was situated in front of the prompter's box at that moment) but considering how taxing of a role this is and the fact that it was filmed and going online no less, it's more than understandable. On the whole. Rusanen was brilliant. I particularly liked the part when Siegfried tried to rob Brünnhilde and Rusanen's Brünnhilde retorts by throwing soil from a nearby flowerbed to Siegfried's eyes.
 
Brenna's Siegfried is portrayed as characteristically childish and a bit gullible in this production, portraying insecurities and uncertainty in this dystopian mysophobic future where everything is controlled and sneezing is equivalent to a plague. Brenna was in powerful voice, too.

Rúni Brattaberg was apt Hagen who's Hoiho-shouts were thunderous. I do not agree with Rúni Brattaberg's opinion of Hagen but there is no denying the powerful performance he pulled, which is also open to my interpretation of Hagen, regardless of the singer's personal opinions. That's a mark of a true artist.

Jukka Rasilainen was able to magnificently portray Alberich's mixture of parental love and subtle manipulation, recalling perfectly the parallels with Alberich's counterpart's, "Licht-Alberich" Wotan's relationship with his own children (and grandchild).

Tuomas Pursio's Gunther was in this production portrayed as the leader of a mysophobic civilization who retains Wagner's essentially weak Telramund-esque characteristics. I particularly liked the part where, right at the beginning of the explosive chords of Siegfried's funeral march, he flees in horror from the scene of Siegfried's murder. A powerful portrayal.

Reetta Haavisto sufficiently brought to life the lonely Gutrune in inherently patriarchal society where she is coaxed into finding  "fulfillment" in life by submitting to men, in this case Siegfried.

Tuija Knihtilä as Waltraute shined in one of Act 1's all-time greatest moments IMO, narration about life in Valhalla, life of the "immortal" gods nearing their unavoidable end. The fear and dread were present from start to finish.

The 3 norns, Maiju Vaahtoluoto, Jenny Carlstedt and Sonja Herranen were perhaps the weakest of the cast (and their scene perhaps least successful) but still pretty good.

The Rhinemaidens were sung by Marjukka Tepponen (Woglinde), Mari Palo (Wellgunde) and Jeni Packalen (Flosshilde), reprising their roles from Das Rheingold. Great singing and acting, beautifully sorrowful, yet prone to burts of childish joy and cruelty.

Mikki Kunttu's set was great, as in the previous operas as well. The same five towers in the background, with divans from Rheingold also making a re-appearance in Gibichung Castle, and also the fire ring around Brünnhilde's rock. The golden light focused on a character in different key moments of this Ring cycle production is most effectively used on Hagen in Hagen's watch episode in this opera. In the finale of the opera (which to me is the best opera finale ever created in every sense of the word) the stand-ins for the singers of eternal Gods are seen on the battlements of Valhalla, going down in flames. Very effective.

Finally, Hannu Lintu and the orchestra... Mostly brilliant. There were a couple of moments where some of the best subtleties of texture that I've always loved were lost to me, at least to where I sat. But mostly it was fantastic. Siegfried's Rhine Journey, Act 1 in general, including Hagen's Watch and Waltraute's narration, Act 2 with boisterous wedding music and ending of the said act, combined with the stage action where Brattaberg as Hagen follows wedded Siegfried with the spear already close to his back while the last Hoiho-motive from the orchestra erupts, the fantastic Funeral march in act 3 and a shattering finale. Excellent.

Overall, a great finale to a great production of a great opera cycle. I enjoyed all parts tremendously. And with mostly Finnish forces, for a long time I thought that Finnish-made Ring Cycle was going to be impossible.

[Mookalafalas]

Just got back from Danel Qt. First half was Prokofiev and Weinberg. Playing was excellent. But intensity level was somewhat...unrelenting. After break they came back with Shostokovich Quintet (with Piano). I never thought I'd be at a concert where the Shosty was the quiet and relaxing part

[The new erato]

And...and...? 

Speaking as someone who just hear it live from Helsinki last week, I hope the one you heard in Bergen was fantastic. That piece is such an event, even when not everything clicks perfectly.

-Bruce

Difficult to be analytivcal when one is bowled over. Very well received by critics.

I guess it eventually will be up for streaming on this site which contains a lot of great performances;

Streamed performances from Bergen

[brewski]

Difficult to be analytivcal when one is bowled over. Very well received by critics.

I guess it eventually will be up for streaming on this site which contains a lot of great performances;

Streamed performances from Bergen

Thank you, and I guess "bowled over" pretty much says it all. Also appreciate the streaming site, which I'm going to check out.

-Bruce

[brewski]

Tonight from the San Francisco Opera, the livestream of Kaija Saariaho's final opera, Innocence. Trying not to get unduly excited, but the reviews have been stellar.

https://www.sfopera.com/operas/innocence/

-Bruce

[brewski]

Tonight from the San Francisco Opera, the livestream of Kaija Saariaho's final opera, Innocence. Trying not to get unduly excited, but the reviews have been stellar.

https://www.sfopera.com/operas/innocence/

-Bruce

Last night was superb in every way. Saariaho has left us a devastating piece about the aftereffects of a school shooting — a subject that obviously has enormous resonance right now. In addition to the terrific cast, the set design was marvelous: a series of rooms on a slowly rotating platform. Gradually the spaces are stripped of their furnishings and other details, leaving empty rooms at the end — a simple, yet powerful staging.

The opera will come to the Met in 2025-26, and I can't wait to see it again.

-Bruce

[brewski]

Yay, tomorrow's the day. I'm not that familiar with either of these ensembles, nor with the first two works, but the Octet has become a firm favorite and I'm excited to see what they do with it.

The 8:00 p.m. curtain in London means 3:00 p.m. for those of us on the East coast — an ideal matinee.

-Bruce

It's a few months away (in June) but I'm already looking forward to this livestream from Wigmore Hall.

Elias String Quartet
Heath Quartet

Mendelssohn
String Quartet No. 4 in E minor Op. 44 No. 2
String Quintet No. 1 in A Op. 18
Octet in E flat Op. 20

-Bruce

[brewski]

Just found out that the final concert with conductor Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony will be streamed on Medici.tv, next Sunday, June 23, at 3:00 p.m. (EDT). To my knowledge, I've never heard the ensemble, and they must be doing something right, since the conductor who takes over in July is the composer Matthias Pintscher.

Mendelssohn: Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream
Barber: Symphony No. 1
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2

-Bruce