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

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I can't say I am looking forward to this any more because I just saw it....but for the last few days I was certainly looking forward to seeing the NHK Symphony Orchestra perform Mahler's 3rd with women's and children's choirs and Charles Dutoit conducting. Second Mahler concert I've ever seen in my life.

[bhodges]

Next Wednesday, in Finnish National Opera, The Nose, by Shostakovich. My first viewing of the piece.

Just saw this post now - hope it was a fun evening! (I saw the Met Opera's production several times.) Not sure it's Shostakovich's "greatest work ever" (I mean, he was only 21 when he wrote it!) but it has lots of excellent music, and the whole premise is very funny/sad/surreal/political. Definitely shows the young composer has enormous promise - which of course, was fulfilled later, many times over.

--Bruce

[bhodges]

I can't say I am looking forward to this any more because I just saw it....but for the last few days I was certainly looking forward to seeing the NHK Symphony Orchestra perform Mahler's 3rd with women's and children's choirs and Charles Dutoit conducting. Second Mahler concert I've ever seen in my life.

Beautiful! The Third is so wonderful...how did you like it? (And what was the other Mahler you heard?)

--Bruce

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Beautiful! The Third is so wonderful...how did you like it? (And what was the other Mahler you heard?)

--Bruce

I had only heard it a couple of times prior to today, and I never really clicked into the piece back then...but seeing it live made all the difference!

I have seen no. 7 several years ago (my favourite Mahler work).

[The new erato]

I have tickets to

the Freiburgers with Esfahami
Savall and Le Concerts des Nations
Janine Jansen with Andsnes

at the Bergen festival in May/June

Still considering a couple of other concerts, but I cannot pack them too tightly due to other obligations.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Just saw this post now - hope it was a fun evening! (I saw the Met Opera's production several times.) Not sure it's Shostakovich's "greatest work ever" (I mean, he was only 21 when he wrote it!) but it has lots of excellent music, and the whole premise is very funny/sad/surreal/political. Definitely shows the young composer has enormous promise - which of course, was fulfilled later, many times over.

--Bruce

Thanks, sorry to inform that I had to leave the opera house on the first intermission. While there was much great music in what I heard, I was too tired for this kind of work to sit all the way through it, those dissonances hurt my ears (and I usually like dissonances as much as anyone!). Shostakovich is one of those composers whose music I like when I'm in the right mood, unfortunately this time I was not. But next week I'm going to see Massenet's Thaïs and since I have heard this work beforehand, I think I'm going to enjoy it.

The first half of The Nose, that I heard, certainly had excellent music, don't get me wrong. I probably merely chose the wrong day to hear it. I really should have listened to this on CD before I went to see it live (as I usually do). That way I usually enjoy the operas more, strangely enough.

[bhodges]

Thanks, sorry to inform that I had to leave the opera house on the first intermission. While there was much great music in what I heard, I was too tired for this kind of work to sit all the way through it, those dissonances hurt my ears (and I usually like dissonances as much as anyone!). Shostakovich is one of those composers whose music I like when I'm in the right mood, unfortunately this time I was not. But next week I'm going to see Massenet's Thaïs and since I have heard this work beforehand, I think I'm going to enjoy it.

The first half of The Nose, that I heard, certainly had excellent music, don't get me wrong. I probably merely chose the wrong day to hear it. I really should have listened to this on CD before I went to see it live (as I usually do). That way I usually enjoy the operas more, strangely enough.

Oh well, that happens sometimes. I can definitely identify with "choosing the wrong day to hear something." And fatigue has a lot to do with it: I've done the same thing occasionally, when it's clear that I'm just too tired to respond to whatever is on tap.

--Bruce

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Saw Thaïs yesterday and enjoyed it immensely.

[Florestan]

Saw Thaïs yesterday and enjoyed it immensely.

Is there more to it than the Meditation? 

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Is there more to it than the Meditation? 

Yes!  It is one of my favorite French operas of all time.

[Florestan]

Yes!  It is one of my favorite French operas of all time.

You love both Wagner and Massenet! Rara avis in terris... 

[ritter]

The Teatro Real in Madrid announced some days ago what it will be offering in the next couple of seasons, to celebrate an alleged "bicentennial" of the house. It's all rather contrived, as what happened in 1817 is that they decided to build the theatre, then in 1818 the first stone was laid. The house did not open until.....1850!

In any case, as far as 20th-century or contemporary stuff is concerned, we'll be getting--among other things-- Bomarzo (already commented in the Alberto Ginastera thread), B.-A. Zimmermann's Die Soldaten (conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado), Heitor Villa-Lobos's Lorca-based Yerma (now that's a rarity), Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher (with Marion Cotillard in the title rôle), a Kaija Saariaho nôh-inspired double bill titled Only the sound remains (which will receive its world première in Amsterdam next year), and the world premières of Fabián Panisello's Le Malentendu (based on Camus, and with librtto by my friend Juan Lucas) and of an opera by Luis de Pablo (El Abrecartas).

Later on this current season, we'll have Semyon Bychkov conducting Parsifal, and Romeo Castellucci's acclaimed production of Schoenberg's Moses und Aron (which opened in Paris last month).

I think I'll be spending quite a few nights at the opera over the next couple of years! 

[king ubu]

Just bought a ticket for the 10th, Julia Fischer/Igor Levit, part three of a Beethoven violin sonatas cycle - the "Kreutzer" and my beloved Op. 96. 

Also, a few days later, will catch Haitink conducting the Tonhalle forces in Brahms' requiem, soloists are Camilla Tilling and Christian Gerhaher. Looking forward a lot! Saw Haitink perform Beethoven's "Missa solemnis" in 2014 (different soloists, of course), and it was a bit too massive here and there, but impressive.

Forgot to mention in due time that I also had a ticket for Gardiner's debut at the Zurich Tonhalle (a couple of weeks back) - part two was the "Missa glagolitica" by Janácek, part 1 had tone poems by Janácek and Dvorák that served as a fun warm-up ... and the mass, holy holy, an amazing concert (with a terrific Luba Orgonasová among the soloists and some mighty good use of the rarely played organ).

[NikF]

Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
Unsuk Chin - Clarinet Concerto.
Koechlin - Seven Stars' Symphony.

Ilan Volkov/Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Kari Kriikku (Clarinet)

[Sergeant Rock]

Koechlin - Seven Stars' Symphony.

There's a concert rarity! Will Toots be joining you?

Sarge

[bhodges]

Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
Unsuk Chin - Clarinet Concerto.
Koechlin - Seven Stars' Symphony.

Ilan Volkov/Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Kari Kriikku (Clarinet)

Yes, agree with Sarge about the Koechlin. The entire concert looks great, though. Chin's Concerto is marvelous, and Kriikku is an incredible player. And I even like the Dukas, as familiar as it is to many (e.g., through Disney's Fantasia), it's a masterful bit of orchestration and lots of fun when played well.

--Bruce

[NikF]

There's a concert rarity! Will Toots be joining you?

Sarge

I hope so, because we bought two tickets. But yes, hearing the Koechlin is a rare opportunity.

[NikF]

Yes, agree with Sarge about the Koechlin. The entire concert looks great, though. Chin's Concerto is marvelous, and Kriikku is an incredible player. And I even like the Dukas, as familiar as it is to many (e.g., through Disney's Fantasia), it's a masterful bit of orchestration and lots of fun when played well.

--Bruce

I haven't heard the clarinet concerto before. In the past when I've been attending a concert featuring an unfamiliar work I'd first try to listen to it online - usually via YouTube - to give myself some idea of what to expect. However I stopped doing that because I discovered a simple pleasure in an unknown piece of music almost taking me on an adventure, heightened by it being a live performance. And even if I eventually don't find that it's to my taste, it's still a nice journey to embark on.

[bhodges]

I haven't heard the clarinet concerto before. In the past when I've been attending a concert featuring an unfamiliar work I'd first try to listen to it online - usually via YouTube - to give myself some idea of what to expect. However I stopped doing that because I discovered a simple pleasure in an unknown piece of music almost taking me on an adventure, heightened by it being a live performance. And even if I eventually don't find that it's to my taste, it's still a nice journey to embark on.

I affirm that strategy! Why not have your first encounter with the piece LIVE? You can always go to recordings later - after the glow of live performance has faded - and get to know the piece better.

--Bruce

[NikF]

Glinka - Valse-Fantasie in B minor 

Shostakovich - Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor 

Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel)

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 
Boris Brovtsyn, violin
Alexander Vedernikov, conductor

Just got my ticket (I'll be attending this concert alone) and I'm looking forward to the Shostakovich, because I've never heard it performed live. However, although it was unplanned I also bought tickets for two other concerts. They're part of a series taking place in the afternoons which the BBC record for broadcast. This is ideal for me because being self-employed I can afford to be a little flexible with my time, and I've promised myself that I'll increase the amount of live music I hear this year. Anyway, the two programmes are -

Weber - Der Freischütz – overture

Hindemith- Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber

Schubert - Symphony No. 8 in B minor, Unfinished

Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 (arr. Franz Doppler)

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Christoph König, conductor

------

Ravel - Mother Goose, suite (selected Harth-Bedoya) 

Saint‐Saëns - Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor

Chausson - Symphony in B flat major, Op 20

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 
Vadym Kholodenko, piano
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor

The other notable aspect of these are that there's a flat rate for tickets - 10 GBP (14 Euros/15 USD?)  - and I'll be interesting to see if that helps the attendance.