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

Started by Siedler, April 20, 2007, 05:34:10 PM

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Sergeant Rock

Quote from: Lilas Pastia on May 02, 2007, 06:38:21 PM
Next season, I'll attend 3 Bruckner performances. :D

The Montreal Symphony Orchestra in 2 (Blomstedt) and 5 (Nagano).
The Greater Montreal Metropolitan Orchestra in the 9th (Yannick Nézet-Séguin). NZ replaces Gergiev in Rotterdam in 2007-08, but will remain the OMGM's MD :D

Lucky man. My area of Germany has abandoned Bruckner.  >:(

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Solitary Wanderer

In two weeks;

NZSO
Jaap Van Zweden
Freddy Kempf ~ Piano

Beethoven ~ Fidelio Overture
               ~ Piano Concerto #4
               ~ Symphony #5
'I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass, and wondered how any one could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth.' ~ Emily Bronte

Choo Choo

Just been going through the programme for this year's BBC Proms. (I actually have a small dollop of cash this year so thought I might splurge a bit.)

Not much that appealed to me in the first month - but around the middle of August it suddenly steps up a notch, and in rapid succession we get:

   Haitink / Concertgebouw in Bruckner (#8)
   Barenboim / VPO in Bruckner (#4) / Schubert / Ligeti / Bartok
   Abbado / Lucerne Festival Orch in Mahler (#3)
   Gergiev / LSO in Prokofiev
   Jansons / BRSO in Sibelius / Honegger / Beethoven
   Vanska / Lahti SO in Sibelius
   Tilson Thomas / SFSO in Shostakovich (#5) / Mahler (#7)
   Chailly / Gewandhaus in Brahms (#4)
   Levine / Boston SO in Carter / Bartok / Brahms
   Aimard playing Ligeti

And these are just the ones that immediately struck the eye.  Plenty more good stuff too.  Looks like that cash won't be around long...

Anyone else up for any of this?

MishaK

Quote from: Choo Choo on May 03, 2007, 01:42:56 PM
Just been going through the programme for this year's BBC Proms. (I actually have a small dollop of cash this year so thought I might splurge a bit.)

Not much that appealed to me in the first month - but around the middle of August it suddenly steps up a notch, and in rapid succession we get:

   Haitink / Concertgebouw in Bruckner (#8)
   Barenboim / VPO in Bruckner (#4) / Schubert / Ligeti / Bartok
   Abbado / Lucerne Festival Orch in Mahler (#3)
   Gergiev / LSO in Prokofiev
   Jansons / BRSO in Sibelius / Honegger / Beethoven
   Vanska / Lahti SO in Sibelius
   Tilson Thomas / SFSO in Shostakovich (#5) / Mahler (#7)
   Chailly / Gewandhaus in Brahms (#4)
   Levine / Boston SO in Carter / Bartok / Brahms
   Aimard playing Ligeti

And these are just the ones that immediately struck the eye.  Plenty more good stuff too.  Looks like that cash won't be around long...

Anyone else up for any of this?

Dude, those sound amazing! I would kill to go to the Haitink and Barenboim concerts. Alas, I don't think I will have the time off to go to London anytime soon.

Choo Choo

Shame.  I'm going to be getting a posse together for those (and 1 or 2 others, e.g. Abbado).

They will all be broadcast on BBC Radio3 though.

Drasko

Kolarac Concert Hall, Belgrade - Saturday 12 May 2007

Leonidas Kavakos / Peter Nagy

Beethoven  Sonata No.6 in A major, Op.30/1
Busoni  Sonata No.2 in E minor, Op.36a
Ysaÿe  Sonata No.3 in D minor Ballade
Bartók  Sonata No.1

MishaK

#26
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on April 30, 2007, 10:33:06 AM
This Friday, at the Rosengarten in Mannheim, Hilary Hahn is giving a recital. Just got confirmation our tickets are in the mail. She's playing Mozart and Beethoven, I think...not that it matters. She could play scales all night and I'd still be there ;D

Sarge

Hey, Sarge, how was Hilary? My father just heard her in Düsseldorf and had this to say:

Quote
We heard Hilary Hahn in a huge recital in Duesseldorf last night. Fabulous! She is still a bit reticent about leaving control aside, but it is getting there and, most important, she has achieved a distinct personal profile without forcing anything. Her handwork is absolutely diamond sharp and here I mean seamless bowing above everything else. The program consisted of sonatas by Janacek, Mozart, Tartini (Devil's Trills), Ysaye (No. 2 for solo violin) and Beethoven (the "Kreutzer"). She finished this at about 10:30! And then there were three encores. I still consider her the most promissing violin artist of this century, although she will have a few major contestants, like Batiashvili (who won't be so present on the stage because she wants to lead a "normal" life with husband and kids) and perhaps Fischer and Jansen. All of them should play recitals more often. I realize that the managements are reluctant to organize these (less money and less public interest, which means only the most prominent ones will be asked), but it is of utmost importance for their artistic growth AND for public education.


Sergeant Rock

#27
O, I agree with your father. She performed the same program in Mannheim and for me it couldn't have been better chosen (well, maybe I'd have preferred the E minor Mozart sonata...no, come to think of it, the sunnier A major worked better wedged between Janáček and Tartini). The encores were by Paganini, Prokofiev (the March from Love For Three Oranges) and Enesco.

The sheer beauty of her tone was astonishing but I occasionally wished she'd dig a little deeper: the major disappointment was Janáček: it could have been spikier, grittier. I understand what your father means about control: she does seem almost the control-freak on some of her recordings. I think she can underplay the emotion but it was less evident here. Live it's not such a big deal anyway; you just sit back and enjoy the smooth, once-in-a-lifetime ride.

The Tartini provoked the greatest audience response: lots of yelling, whistling, and foot stomping. It was a great performance. Mrs. Rock claimed it was far superior to Mutter's Devil's Trill; less romantic, closer to a baroque ideal. The highlight for me was the Ysaÿe A minor sonata--even if she underplayed the Dies Irae quotes. Again, it was the beauty that seduced me. I wish she'd record the complete Op.27.

Her partner, Valentina Lisitsa, deserves a mention. She almost stole the show a few times (and looked the part: a gorgeous long mane of blonde hair and quite dramatic gestures while she played: no deferential, second-fiddle accompanist!).

We were in the balcony. We bought the least expensive seats because the online ticket agency claimed the Rosengarten was nearly sold-out, with all the good seats taken. That wasn't the case! We paid 54 Euro a ticket but we moved into a 100 Euro box when it became obvious it wasn't anywhere near sold out. In fact, except for the front row, the entire balcony was empty as were two thirds of the box seats! So your father is right about the relative lack of interest in recitals. Probably only Mutter could sell out the place (or Brendel: I tried to get tickets to his recital in Ludwigshafen later this month but couldn't).

Here's the cover of the program:



Speaking of Batiashvili: again your father is correct. We saw her a few weeks ago (Sibelius, conducted by Rasilainen) and her technique left an indelible impression. In fact, the performance as a whole changed the way I actually hear the concerto now. When she came out for her fourth bow, she had a little girl in tow (maybe three years old). I've never seen a classical artist bring their kid on stage before! Obviously family means much to her.



Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

MishaK

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on May 07, 2007, 11:42:22 AM
We were in the balcony. We bought the least expensive seats because the online ticket agency claimed the Rosengarten was nearly sold-out, with all the good seats taken. That wasn't the case! We paid 54 Euro a ticket but we moved into a 100 Euro box when it became obvious it wasn't anywhere near sold out. In fact, except for the front row, the entire balcony was empty as were two thirds of the box seats! So your father is right about the relative lack of interest in recitals. Probably only Mutter could sell out the place (or Brendel: I tried to get tickets to his recital in Ludwigshafen later this month but couldn't).

Well, it's a somewhat different story for piano. Any of Argerich, Barenboim, Kissin, Lang would sell out even a big hall like Carnegie in an instant for a solo recital. It's always a bit more difficult for solo violin repertoire that is often unfamiliar territory for most of the audience. How big is the Rosengarten?


Michel


Sergeant Rock

#30
Quote from: O Mensch on May 07, 2007, 01:20:35 PM
Well, it's a somewhat different story for piano. Any of Argerich, Barenboim, Kissin, Lang would sell out even a big hall like Carnegie in an instant for a solo recital. It's always a bit more difficult for solo violin repertoire that is often unfamiliar territory for most of the audience. How big is the Rosengarten?

The Mozartsaal holds 2300. The Musensaal, where the Staatsphilharmonie now performs, holds considerably less.

I just noticed one upcoming event is apparently sold out: Anna Netrebko & Rolando Villazon. ticket prices range from Euro 128 to 485  :o ...opera fans are insane ;D

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Choo Choo

Quote from: Michel on May 08, 2007, 03:23:10 AM
Fidelio at Covent Garden later this year.

Isn't that next month?

I might go to the Janacek, but that's about all.

Michel

I suppose I said later this year because it seems like it, given I have yet to book the ticket!

I would like to have seen Tosca, but that was sold out, not unsuprisingly.

Choo Choo

I don't know how popular Fidelio is going to be ...

I'm holding off on booking the Janacek on the assumption it may not be that popular and they start offering discounts.  For Bluebeard's Castle they ended up the week beforehand sending out pleading emails offering front-stalls seats for the price of the benches up in nose-bleed territory - so eventually I caved in and said Oh All Right ;D

Michel

Wow!

Did I tell you I saw Opera North's Duke Bluebeard production once? I was literally on the front row of the skeletal production where at one point, John Tomlinson's saliva landed on my face - satisfying!

And better yet, because there was a "Busted" concert outside, which in rehersal they could apparently hear inside Leed's Town Hall, they offered everyone a free ticket (which I understand the council then paid for, due to their piss poor planning -- although during the performance I heard not a peep).

So, in sum, I got within swinging distance of Tomlinson for nothing!

I suppose there are Janacek nuts out there, and very enthusiastic they are. But it may pay to hold fire. Fidelio certainly hasn't sold out, nowhere near yet.

bhodges

Tonight:

Mahler: Symphony No. 2

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, Conductor
Simona Šaturová, Soprano
Yvonne Naef, Mezzo-Soprano
The Philadelphia Singers Chorale
David Hayes, Director

--Bruce

MishaK

Quote from: bhodges on May 08, 2007, 12:15:32 PM
Tonight:

Mahler: Symphony No. 2

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, Conductor
Simona Šaturová, Soprano
Yvonne Naef, Mezzo-Soprano
The Philadelphia Singers Chorale
David Hayes, Director

--Bruce


Ooh!  :o Have fun! Eschenbach is doing Bruckner 7 at Ravinia this summer. Will be nice to have him back in Chicago for a few concerts.

bhodges

Quote from: O Mensch on May 08, 2007, 01:24:03 PM
Ooh!  :o Have fun! Eschenbach is doing Bruckner 7 at Ravinia this summer. Will be nice to have him back in Chicago for a few concerts.

Thanks!  I have generally admired Eschenbach's work, despite the seemingly huge number of naysayers.  And the Philadelphia Orchestra should be commended for its professionalism in producing some excellent work with him, despite all the behind-the-scenes reports that they don't really get along. 

--Bruce

Choo Choo

Quote from: Michel on May 08, 2007, 07:46:55 AM
But it may pay to hold fire. Fidelio certainly hasn't sold out, nowhere near yet.

Yeah, I just checked, there does seem to be plenty of availability.  But I baulk at paying 50 quid for a seat which would probably cost me about a quarter of that in Vienna.  If they get to the stage of offering discounts, though, I'd be up for it.

Quote from: Michel on May 08, 2007, 07:46:55 AM
So, in sum, I got within swinging distance of Tomlinson for nothing!

Why were you think of swinging for John Tomlinson?  And more to the point, what were you thinking of swinging at him?  I once very nearly swung for Owain Arwel Hughes after hearing him deliver the most clotted, greasy and repellent Nielsen #4 it's ever been my misfortune to hear.  He was only a short leap from my usual seat - but the lady wife felled me with a punch before I could take two steps.

Michel

I would never want to swing at him, of course. Perhaps I should have said patting distance. And even if John gave a terrible performance, not sure this is possible, I would be a little concerned as he is a big chap.