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

[Christo]

Sunday, May 25, Sala São Paulo, Brazil's major concert hall:
Orquestra Guarany under Natália Larangeira, Fabio Martino, piano

• Arturo Márquez, Danzon No. 2
• George Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue
• Nikolaj Rimsky-Korsakov, Capriccio Espagnol

[brewski]

Sunday, May 25, Sala São Paulo, Brazil's major concert hall:
Orquestra Guarany under Natália Larangeira, Fabio Martino, piano

• Arturo Márquez, Danzon No. 2
• George Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue
• Nikolaj Rimsky-Korsakov, Capriccio Espagnol

What a lovely program. I just listened to the Rimsky-Korsakov a few days ago (Ormandy/Philadelphia) and it really is loads of fun. Some great woodwind and percussion writing, among other things.

That hall looks gorgeous. Hope to get there sometime.

[Christo]

Sala São Paulo, Friday, May 23:
Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 6 'Tragic'
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Thierry Fischer

[brewski]

This Thursday, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society's final concert of the season, celebrating Ravel's 150th birthday, with a few works I've not heard.

As usual, the livestream is free.

Hye-Jin Kim, violin
Peter Stumpf, cello
Cynthia Raim, piano

Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Cello
Ravel: Menuet sur le nom de Haydn
Ravel: Prelude in A Minor
Ravel: Vocalise-Étude en forme de Habanera
Ravel: Sonatine
Ravel: Piano Trio in A Minor

[nico1616]

Mahler - Symphony n°2
Budapest Festival Orchestra - Ivan Fischer
Concertgebouw Brugge

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Mahler - Symphony n°2
Budapest Festival Orchestra - Ivan Fischer
Concertgebouw Brugge

That should be an excellent concert. Iván Fischer is really good in Mahler.

[nico1616]

That should be an excellent concert. Iván Fischer is really good in Mahler.

It was incredible, a gigantic orchestra (10 horns!), 80 people in the choir, all those off-stage effects in the Concertgebouw Brugge with the best acoustics. I mean, Mahler 2 is bombastic but tremendously entertaining. And Iván Fischer is here 3 days in a row, tomorrow Mahler 5. Unfortunately it is sold out and I did not get a ticket for that one.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

It was incredible, a gigantic orchestra (10 horns!), 80 people in the choir, all those off-stage effects in the Concertgebouw Brugge with the best acoustics. I mean, Mahler 2 is bombastic but tremendously entertaining. And Iván Fischer is here 3 days in a row, tomorrow Mahler 5. Unfortunately it is sold out and I did not get a ticket for that one.

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the concert. I bet that was a spectacle to behold. Fischer is on fire in the 2nd. I feel like this is a work he truly understands from the inside out.

[nico1616]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the concert. I bet that was a spectacle to behold. Fischer is on fire in the 2nd. I feel like this is a work he truly understands from the inside out.

Yeah, it had spectacle, humour and then suddenly when the alt begins to sing, real sadness. The finale with choir is something which I never had the patience to really absorb until now, there is not a moment lost in Fischer's interpretation. He also understands the acoustics of this concert hall so well, those spacious effects he creates while using the backstage, the music seems to be coming from everywhere and blends perfectly with what is happening on the stage.
Once in a while, you experience something which make you enclose a piece of music in your heart, this was one of those evenings.

[brewski]

On Sunday, a concert version of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, with Stuart Skelton, Nina Stemme, conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

[brewski]

On Monday, June 9, 11 am EDT (!), this fascinating program with Aimard in the Boulez, followed by the orchestral version, and then the Bruckner.

Boulez: Notations I-IV & VII for piano solo
Boulez: Notations I-IV & VII for large orchestra
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 ("Romantic")

Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano
SWR Symphony Orchestra
Maxime Pascal, conductor

[ultralinear]

Next three nights see the conclusion of the Jerusalem Quartet's Shostakovich cycle, beginning tonight with 7/8/9 (the only one I'm going to.)

No livestream for any of them.

[brewski]

On Sunday, a concert version of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, with Stuart Skelton, Nina Stemme, conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

A quick report on yesterday, which was marvelous. Though some of the soloists lost a little steam by the end of five hours, the real stars were Yannick and the orchestra. To hear this score done by this ensemble was an experience I will long remember. (If I didn't have plans the coming weekend, I would consider going a second time.)

A friend who has heard Tristan many more times than I have remarked, "I have never heard the piece played more beautifully." From the strings, to the winds, to the brass — special shout-out to the English hornist in Act III — the colors and textures were both alluring and gripping. Though I don't consider myself a Wagnerite, it's easy to see how some people can become one after a performance like this.

[ritter]

Sounds great, @brewski ! Glad you enjoyed it. Tristan is not my favourite work by Wagner, but it certainly is filled with musical wonders, which shine when the performance is strong...

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Sounds great, @brewski ! Glad you enjoyed it. Tristan is not my favourite work by Wagner, but it certainly is filled with musical wonders, which shine when the performance is strong...

What would be your favorite Wagner opera?

[ritter]

What would be your favorite Wagner opera?

Hi John. Without a doubt, Parsifal and Die Meistersinger.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Hi John. Without a doubt, Parsifal and Die Meistersinger.

Parsifal is my favorite, too. I'm less keen on Die Meistersinger.

[brewski]

Tomorrow, a double-header! In the afternoon, hot on the heels of their stupendous Wagner last Sunday, this concert, with an unusual program:

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

Saint-Georges: Symphony No. 2
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 ("Classical")
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1
Mozart: Symphony No. 35 ("Haffner")

Then tomorrow night, this livestream:

Minnesota Orchestra
Cristian Măcelaru, conductor
Fei Xie, bassoon

Marsalis: Selections from Blues Symphony
Jolivet: Bassoon Concerto
Enescu: Symphony No. 1

[brewski]

May be a few days before I can get to this, but here's last night's opening of the Ojai Music Festival in California, with flutist Claire Chase as this year's artistic director. They are streaming everything on their YouTube channel, here.

Claire Chase, flute
Wu Wei, sheng
M.A. Tiesenga, electronic hurdy-gurdy
Susie Ibarra and Steven Schick, percussion
Festival Artists

Marcos Balter: Alone
Annea Lockwood: bayou-borne
Marcos Balter: Pan

[(poco) Sforzando]

Die Meistersinger is my favorite. I'm less keen on Parsifal.

Goetterdaemmerung is a close second.