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

[brewski]

I was looking forward to going to concerts this season, but thanks to long COVID, that will have to be delayed.

So sorry to hear this, and yikes, for the entire season. Do you ever watch concerts online? (I know it's not quite the same, but at least you can consume on your own schedule.)

I could have attended today's concert of Gurrelieder (Montreal Symphony, Rafael Payare), but am too tired, short of time (working tomorrow morning) and the tickets are vastly overpriced. But still : Gurrelieder...

If you want to see the Elbphilharmonie version, it's still up — no idea for how long. But I am still glowing from the performance this afternoon. (Here.)

-Bruce

[brewski]

Just got a ticket for the livestream of The Handmaid's Tale, the opera by Poul Ruders, which the San Francisco Opera is doing on Friday, 20 September. (Info here.)

Loved it two decades ago in Minneapolis, but haven't seen it since.

-Bruce

[Wanderer]

November at the Wiener Musikverein:

JOHANNES BRAHMS
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr. 1 d-Moll, op. 15
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Symphonie Nr. 3 Es-Dur, op. 55, ,,Eroica"

London Philharmonic Orchestra
Edward Gardner, Dirigent
Víkingur Ólafsson, Klavier

[André]

November at the Wiener Musikverein:

JOHANNES BRAHMS
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr. 1 d-Moll, op. 15
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Symphonie Nr. 3 Es-Dur, op. 55, ,,Eroica"

London Philharmonic Orchestra
Edward Gardner, Dirigent
Víkingur Ólafsson, Klavier

O.M.G 😵 Ze concert...

[brewski]

This weekend, the Schoenberg birthday party continues with Erwartung, in a scaled-down instrumentation with soprano Amanda O'Toole and pianist Ting Ting Wong, all part of the massive Philadelphia Fringe Festival going on all month.

https://phillyfringe.org/events/liberty-city-arts-presents-erwartung-by-arnold-schoenberg/

-Bruce

[Brian]

This Saturday, the Dallas Symphony season opener!

Stravinsky - Petrushka
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No 4

Edward Gardner, guest conductor

This was one of the most satisfying concert programs I can remember. The DSO hadn't played the Tchaikovsky since fall 2016, and they hadn't played the Stravinsky since 2015. It's rare for two "warhorses" to be underplayed like. I hadn't seen the Tchaikovsky live since that 2016 concert, and had never seen Petrushka live before.

Well, if you haven't seen Petrushka live either - it is my favorite Stravinsky, but I was taken aback by how much more enjoyable it is live than on recording. Listening at home, it's a very pleasing auditory experience. But so much of the pleasure is visual: both watching the musicians, and imagining scenes while you give it your full attention. Edward Gardner helpfully gave about 2 minutes of comments before the performance, telling us to listen for certain things (the drumming that denotes a scene change, the tuba's "bear dance," the tambourine smack at Petrushka's death, etc.). Although the orchestra was a little under tempo in the first street fair, things were great the rest of the way, and the music is just thrilling to watch.

My partner also loved it. She said it was one of her favorite pieces she's ever seen live, and commented that "Any time I was getting sick of the music, he sensed it and changed it to something else." (I think the barrel organ near the start is an example of that.)

The Tchaikovsky is unkillably great, though in the first movement Gardner did have the tic of loud=fast and quiet=slow. The final two movements were a Mravinskian mad rush, which is a compliment. And speaking of visuals, MAN is it fun to watch the pizzicato strings at work! You really feel like you're watching a balalaika orchestra. And to see the seven double bass players dig in with special gumption...dang, that's cool.

A winner!

[brewski]

Great program, and a wonderfully vivid description of the evening. Petrushka live is astonishing, and makes me think it's my favorite of the ballets — no small feat, given the others.

-Bruce

[DaveF]

A long way to look forward, but "Boulez at 100" in Cardiff:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/em39hn

Free tickets, too - surely they can't be worried about not filling all the seats?

[brewski]

A long way to look forward, but "Boulez at 100" in Cardiff:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/em39hn

Free tickets, too - surely they can't be worried about not filling all the seats?

What a great-looking concert! I looked up the hall capacity, which is 350 seats, so surely they will have no problem getting a crowd. On a related note, for some reason I hadn't been keeping track of the Boulez centennial 2014 — yay — which means that other concerts here and there will appear, too.

-Bruce

[DaveF]

What a great-looking concert!

It's not bad, although the Boulez element only adds up to about 15 minutes.  And yes, the Hoddinott Hall, which is basically a broadcasting studio, is the BBC NOW's current venue, since the discovery of dangerously frail concrete (RAAC) in St David's Hall, which is their proper home.  Since St David's was up for sale at the time, I imagine that motivation to do anything about it is fairly low.  That's the reason that Cardiff Singer of the World has been cancelled until 2027.

[brewski]

It's not bad, although the Boulez element only adds up to about 15 minutes.  And yes, the Hoddinott Hall, which is basically a broadcasting studio, is the BBC NOW's current venue, since the discovery of dangerously frail concrete (RAAC) in St David's Hall, which is their proper home.  Since St David's was up for sale at the time, I imagine that motivation to do anything about it is fairly low.  That's the reason that Cardiff Singer of the World has been cancelled until 2027.

Thanks for all that info. Was not aware of the other hall's issues, and the reason for the Cardiff cancellation.

-Bruce

[brewski]

Tomorrow, this concert livestreamed from Cologne. Kanneh-Mason has become one of my favorite cellists currently on the scene, so I'm excited to hear him in the Shostakovich.

WDR Sinfonieorchester
Cristian Măcelaru, conductor
Miriam Khalil, soprano
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello

Karim Al-Zand: Al Hakawati
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1
Rimsky-Korsakov: Sheherazade

-Bruce

[Wanderer]

A long way to look forward, but...

On the same theme: 

February in Rome...

Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
conductor Antonio Pappano
piano Vadym Kholodenko
chorusmaster Andrea Secchi

Debussy Nocturnes
Busoni Piano Concerto


...and May in Budapest:

Mahler Symphony No. 2 in C minor ('Resurrection')

Budapest Festival Orchestra
Iván Fischer
Anna Lucia Richter, mezzo soprano
Christiane Karg, soprano
Hungarian National Choir (choirmaster: Csaba Somos)

[ritter]

On the same theme:

February in Rome...

Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
conductor Antonio Pappano
piano Vadym Kholodenko
chorusmaster Andrea Secchi

Debussy Nocturnes
Busoni Piano Concerto

Nice! I saw Khodolenko play Busoni's Piano Concerto in concert here in Madrid in 2016, and really liked it.

[Wanderer]

Nice! I saw Khodolenko play Busoni's Piano Concerto in concert here in Madrid in 2016, and really liked it.

Splendid! I'm really looking forward to this. I'm very fond of the Busoni Piano Concerto (it holds a prominent position on my "to listen live" list) and I'm also quite fond of Kholodenko's playing - I've been following his discography over the years with much interest.

[brewski]

A heady weekend coming up:

Tonight:
The Philadelphia Orchestra (opening night)
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
María Dueñas, violin
Terence Blanchard: Suite from Fire Shut Up in My Bones
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1
Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet

Tomorrow:
Missy Mazzoli: The Listeners (her new opera)

Saturday (orchestra + Yannick, no violin soloist)
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7

Sunday afternoon:
Mazzoli: The Listeners

And then a nap.

-Bruce

[Mandryka]

Tonight:

Janáček  Violin Sonata
Enescu  Violin Sonata No.3 Op.25
Gerald Barry  Triorchic Blues **
Beethoven  Violin Sonata No.9 in A Op.47 'Kreutzer'

Alina Ibragimova violin
Cédric Tiberghien piano

** apparently a reference to the castrato singer Giusto Fernando Tenducci (c.1735-90), and the suggestion that the possession of a third testicle had enabled him to father his wife's children.

Are you going to the Skampa Quartet tomorrow? (I am.)

[DavidW]

I'm finally well enough to go to concerts. I have not missed any from the local orchestra. I think I missed one from the SC Philharmonic. But I've discovered that all their fall concerts are on Friday nights. That is too hard on me. I get up early and have a full day of work; I just can't have a whole evening with so much driving.

But in the spring, I will hit up their concerts. Meanwhile the Florence Symphony Orchestra will be playing next week, it will be great.

Is this the year of Saint Saens? I ask because I noticed that both orchestras will be performing SS piano concertos.

[Brian]

Tonight:

Janáček  Violin Sonata
Enescu  Violin Sonata No.3 Op.25
Gerald Barry  Triorchic Blues **
Beethoven  Violin Sonata No.9 in A Op.47 'Kreutzer'

Alina Ibragimova violin
Cédric Tiberghien piano

** apparently a reference to the castrato singer Giusto Fernando Tenducci (c.1735-90), and the suggestion that the possession of a third testicle had enabled him to father his wife's children.

What a cool program!

[VonStupp]

Lili Boulanger: D'un matin de printemps
Ravel: Shéhérazade
Camille Pépin: Aux confins de l'orange
Poulenc: Gloria

Joélle Harvey, soprano
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor

Poulenc's Gloria will be in Milwaukee at the end of October. It is one I haven't heard live, so I don't think I can pass it up.

I also see Jean-Yves Thibaudet will be my way this winter with both books of Debussy's Preludes. Can't say that happens too often either.
VS