|
|
Post by MartinT on May 28, 2023 14:01:23 GMT
It's very hard to remember, Jules. I was fairly awed just being there and I don't remember anything about the sound now. We were only there for 5 days, as part of a big tour, and were very lucky to get tickets.
|
|
|
|
Post by julesd68 on May 30, 2023 18:02:50 GMT
29 May Wigmore Hall, London
Mariam Batsashvili, piano
Chopin - Ballade no. 1 in G minor, Op.23
Liszt - Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année, Italie: Après une lecture du Dantee. Fantasia quasi sonata, S.161 no.7
Schubert - Impromptu no. 1 in F minor, D.935
Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody no. 14 in F minor, S 244/14How perfect. This renowned Art Nouveau hall with its fine acoustic, a packed and expectant audience, an enticing programme of Romantic music to stir the soul, performed by a young pianist who excels in this kind of repertoire. This isn't something old fashioned, it's entirely timeless and it will endure, looking at this audience of all ages, especially with a performance like today ... The Chopin initially confounded me as I thought it somewhat too understated and cool in its emotions, but that was certainly effective in achieving a highly dramatic and taut contrast with the subsequent outpourings of unbridled joy and affection that were deeply felt, followed by a technical tour de force of a denouement that seemed almost demonic in its feverish intensity. A most satisfying and telling conclusion ... And a neat segue into the Liszt "After Dante ..." which immediately picked up the baton of these darker machinations of the soul and a turbulent maelstrom of emotions which Ms Batsashvili shaped gorgeously, navigating a secure course through the storm with a heroic and grand sense of fervour. I particularly like the way she could also play so quietly yet injecting such powerful intent into the music; almost a divine invitation to enlightenment, her timing was wonderful here. The Schubert Impromptu with its tapestries of sweetly lilting melodies interwoven with moments of drama, introspection and seemingly eternal arpeggios, all whisked me away in spirit to the Royal Opera House where I imagined the likes of Marianela Núñez glittering in the spotlights with her delicate and intricate footwork ... Hungarian Rhapsody 14 - what an incredibly satisfying way to end this richly rewarding recital. Rich indeed, the Rhapsody felt like a monumental artisan baked celebration cake. Extravagantly wrapped in an exotic and shimmering icing it presents different layers, flavours and textures all of which feel immensely satisfying and decadently indulgent in the best possible way. Here we enjoyed a great exercise in virtuosity that doesn't sacrifice anything in terms of depth or emotion. Such finesse, clarity and musicality as her fingers danced and skipped through those upper registers with metronomic timing! After the applause subsided her seemingly slight voice introduced a Liszt Grand Etude de Paganini for an encore which was utterly hypnotic and dazzling in its brilliance. I would happily have stayed for more such was my elation at this point but as we made our way out I considered how Ms Batsashvili studiously and sincerely reveals the true and timeless worth of great Romantic repertoire. She is still very young in her recording career and I do hope there is much more to come. Diminutive in voice perhaps but her Yamaha CFX can sing ferociously - rare to see this instrument at a top flight recital in my experience, a little research told me that the soloist is sponsored by Yamaha, or to put it more discreetly, she is a Yamaha Artist. You can enjoy the entire performance on nicely produced YouTube video right here ... www.youtube.com/live/iNSQTVNQIgc?feature=share
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on May 30, 2023 19:51:15 GMT
I looked up the Yamaha CFX and it looks superb. Why not be a Yamaha artist, nothing to be apologetic for at all.
|
|
|
|
Post by julesd68 on Jul 18, 2023 14:27:20 GMT
July 10 Buxton Opera House
Nicola Benedetti
The English Concert
Geminiani Concerto Grosso in D minor, ‘La Follia’, H 143
Vivaldi Violin Concerto in E flat major RV 257
Corelli Concerto Grosso in B flat major, Op. 6 No. 5
Vivaldi Violin Concerto in B minor RV 386
Vivaldi Violin Concerto in D major, ‘Grosso Mogul’, RV 208. Period instruments and gut strings are tricky customers! In addition to the regular tuning, one accompanying violin string snapped, followed by the quickest string change you've seen in your life! F1 would have been proud of the slickest of operations. This prompted Ms Benedetti to wonder whether one of her strings was going to give up, and it promptly did! All taken with the appropriate good humour by one and all. But what about the music, in this my first visit to the Buxton International Festival? Well it was a predictably virtuosic reading of the Grosso Mogul by Nicola B, who made light of the fiendish technical challenges and wowed us with her physical and deep musicality. The rest of the programme was sincere and beautiful with one problem. All of The English Concert play on period instruments with period bows etc. Their warmer Baroque tone seamlessly melds into one harmonious voice as we heard in their performances without Ms B, whose tone was significantly brighter and more strident. In the Grosso Mogul this doesn't really matter of course but I really struggled a bit with the bright v warm combination in the rest of the music. Ms B played on gut strings but used a "non Baroque" bow. Perhaps this was the reason? I don't know which vintage of violin she played that day. Answers on a postcard ... I have to give the highest praise to The English Concert. They of course were directed from the harpsichord since 1972 by the great Trevor Pinnock and are currently directed by harpsichordist Harry Bicket. Musicians of the highest calibre who really feel this music, they obviously feel so comfortable playing together and a special word for their lead violinist whose solo passages were absolutely immaculate. 
|
|
|
|
Post by Slinger on Jul 18, 2023 15:59:29 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by julesd68 on Jul 18, 2023 16:59:13 GMT
The Violinist article is excellent in its own right Paul - interesting to learn that NB took advice from the wonderful Rachel Podger. The difference in tone really was quite remarkable. The different style bow perhaps gives her more attack in her tone. I might ask my son's violin teacher if I get the chance. The development of the Baroque bow is a subject in its own right. www.baroque-violin.info/bowtimeline/devb.html |
|
|
|
Post by Slinger on Jul 18, 2023 18:17:55 GMT
Yes, I thought the bit about Rachel Podger was interesting too. The other thing I've gleaned is that whereas traditional orchestral string instruments are tuned to the standard A- 440 Hz the " baroque tuning" is A - 415 Hz, which might account for some of the difference in tone, apart from it being purely attributable to the strings themselves. Of course, there's no such thing as a " baroque tuning" historically speaking, the A - 415 convention appeared much later. after the baroque era had been and gone, and was often chosen simply because it worked better alongside a harpsichord. At the time, different cities in Europe had different customs of tuning their church organs, but also outside the churches the (chamber) pitch varied a lot. The tuning pitch for stringed instruments depended a lot on quality of gut strings; some Baroque writers advised to tune A string "as high as it could stand".... again, variations were common. Ain't Google marvellous?  |
|
|
|
Post by julesd68 on Jul 19, 2023 10:53:29 GMT
16 July 2023
Prom 3 Royal Albert Hall
Benjamin Grosvenor - piano
Debussy - arr. Borwick Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune Liszt - Réminiscences de Norma Ravel - Le tombeau de Couperin Ravel - La valse
What better way to start a Sunday than a piano recital from one of our very finest? The moment I first saw the programme, I knew this was one I couldn't miss - Grosvenor is just sublime with French impressionist and Romantic repertoire.
The opening transcription of the Debussy was a delightful entrée. Entirely new to me, it managed to bring out a good deal of the orchestral work's uniquely harmonious pastoral atmosphere, which has always been an all time favourite of mine. There were just a couple of passages that didn't flow as freely as the original but I remained charmed and moved throughout.
The Liszt was a bravura performance where power and intimacy are required in equal measure to portray the full range of the raging emotions and depiction of our ever changing human condition. Crunching dynamics abounded that for a change worked beautifully in the hall for me, as sat in the Choir, I was in close range of the piano so the power of the music wasn't lost to the ether of this cavernous hall.
I've been a huge fan of Mr Grosvenor with Ravel for some years now. Listen to his Gaspard if you want proof - for me he's up there with the very best interpreters. There is no easy shortcut to success with Ravel but Grosvenor is always so fluid and languid, always inquisitive and restless, probing the emotions. It's also about technical touch and feel of the keyboard - the notes seem to effortlessly and magically appear in this shimmering soundscape, as though no human interaction was necessary; the mechanics of the keyboard are completely forgotten and the effect is beguilingly intimate. Close your eyes and transport yourself to another, more colourful world, alert with possibilities and enchantment ...
The encore was gorgeous indeed - Saint-Saëns’s ‘The Swan' from Carnival of the Animals. The tender delicacy afforded to this work kept the rapt audience enthralled to the final notes. Exquisite, and the ovations received finally brought out a smile from our soloist and eventually an acknowledgment of those of us sitting behind the piano in the Choir was most welcome. We all left thoroughly enriched by this text book recital. 
|
|
|
|
Post by julesd68 on Jul 21, 2023 17:19:42 GMT
Prom 8: Impressions of Spain
20 Jul 2023 Royal Albert Hall
María Dueñas - violin
BBC Symphony Orchestra - Josep PonsFalla - La vida breve Interlude & Dance Lalo - Symphonie espagnole Debussy - Images, Ibéria Ravel - Boléro Classical music has long been fascinated by technicolour dreams of Spain, laden with dusky maidens, exotic sunsets, warm and sensual nights with infinite possibilities. Remember all those gaudy LP covers of old? It's certainly not a subtle or creative theme for a Prom in 2023 and the programmers even had the humour (or sheer nerve) to go the whole nine and end with the Bolero! Class. Having said all that, I do love each and every piece here, as do many, so let's don a sombrero so to speak and get stuck in ... The Falla was a suitably colourful and energetic appetiser with castenets à gogo and everything you would expect from this kind of music. Josep Pons was at the podium working hard to give it as much authenticity as possible. Swiftly onto the main event, a Proms debut for 20 year old Spanish violinist, María Dueñas. If her red and gold gown was to signal impending drama we were not to be disappointed in that regard. She absolutely tore into the opening bars with a foot wide vibrato, losing several bow hairs in the process which actually happened several times. I understand the intense and physical approach but I got a sense that everything was not quite in control as her tone really seemed to suffer to my ears; sitting in the Choir, I was pretty close by. It made me feel somewhat uncomfortable to be honest. Were nerves an issue here? That would be entirely understandable but also mere speculation. However, as the work progressed she simply became more and more assured in her performance. What a miraculous difference in tone! Sweeter, more lyrical with a vibrato that was so much better controlled, the depth of feeling and sincerity she brought to the 4th movement was genuinely special, as was the way the technical demands of the 5th were so nonchalantly despatched, a most dazzling finale. I will be most surprised if she doesn't have a grand career ahead of her. I adore the Debussy in that it has what you'd expect in terms of local colour but also has plenty of surprises up its sleeve. I was especially entranced by the second movement with its beguiling oboe that coils like an Iberian serpent in the heat of the night. A superbly taken and sensuous solo performance, supported by lush and seductive strings from the Golden Age. The final movement featuring its strummed violins and Bolero-esque themes is pure and joyful entertainment that the assiduously attentive Mr Pons also seemed to revel in. And so to the Bolero. I make no apologies for adoring this work. It's a masterpiece of construction and the purest of melodies that should never fail to move in the hands of a fine conductor and orchestra. I was not disappointed. The woodwind excelled as a whole with some utterly gorgeous solo work from tenor and soprano saxophone. The highly challenging trombone solo was acquitted with infinite panache and confidence; the glissandi were so seductive. I was lucky enough to hear it just a few metres in front of my seat and was delighted that the soloist received such generous applause from the crowd at the end of this textbook and joyous Bolero.  
|
|
|
|
Post by julesd68 on Jul 27, 2023 18:05:53 GMT
Prom 1626 Jul 2023 Royal Albert Hall
Rachmaninov - The Bells
Mané Galoyan - soprano Dmytro Popov - tenor Andrei Kymach - baritone
BBC Symphony Chorus Hallé Choir
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5 in D minor
Hallé
Sir Mark Elder conductor
Let's cut to the chase. Shosta 5 was the towering and complete performance I hoped that the Halle could deliver. I've seen them a number of times but have never been totally enthralled by the experience - this was a seismic change of events. I'll deal with the Rach later ...
The orchestra took their time showing their hand in that they began in a very understated manner. Gradually Sir Mark turned the screws, almost imperceptibly, in a masterclass of podium craft. I slowly found myself utterly lost in the music, not even thinking about the performance as such. Naturally you'd expect this orchestra to revel in the huge moments of drama, such as the Gladiator tinged marches with outrageously colourful brass fanfares and crushing timpani. How glorious. I'm also thinking Howard Shore must be a fan of this work - there's more than a whiff of Lord of the Rings lurking menacingly here, my precious ..
But for me the real magic of this symphony is the monumental internalised tension, revealed in passages that just whispered to us, probing disturbingly around the inner machinations of our sub-conscious. In these moments there was almost a deathly hush in the hall and just as I thought you could hear a pin drop, the triangle gently rang out, right on cue ...
What added to the magic were the numerous solos taken with ethereal quality. In Roberto Ruisi, the Halle have an immensely charismatic leader whose solos were immaculate and laden with atmosphere. Such a physical player too, that always leads from the front. I must also make a special mention of the first flute who excelled throughout. I particularly liked the passages when the flutes were accompanied by the radiant harps.
The final movement was hewn out of solid rock and was a fitting end to this gargantuan, behemoth of a symphony. Sir Mark looked shattered but satisfied in the knowledge that his orchestra could not have given any more and they enjoyed an immense ovation from a crowd who knew they had witnessed a performance that will go down in Proms legend.
You can listen to the performance on Radio 3, link below.
A few words on The Bells. The tenor sounded most excellent but was soon rendered almost inaudible where I was sitting by a combination of the orchestra, the massed choir and the cavernous acoustic of the Albert. The soprano and baritone sang most sincerely but from my seat in the higher circle I wanted more power and body in their voices. The choir were fully committed but at times lacking clarity, perhaps more exaggerated diction might have helped cut through. As for the accompaniment I thought it lacked that intensely Slavonic atmosphere the work demands. Strangely the strings lacked real vibrancy and colour. The crescendos were suitably grand but at other times I thought they needed to dig deeper; there was no great finale, it rather petered out with little more than a fizzle.
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Aug 12, 2023 9:22:23 GMT
ProgrammeGyörgy Ligeti - Requiem (29 mins) INTERVAL György Ligeti - Lux aeterna (9 mins) Richard Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra (34 mins) PerformersJennifer France - soprano Clare Presland - mezzo-soprano Edvard Grieg Kor Royal Northern College of Music Chamber Choir London Philharmonic Choir London Philharmonic Orchestra Edward Gardner - conductor  I admit it, I was there for the Ligeti Requiem which I have been waiting 40 years to see live. This is a work I first heard during the screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey and I have been fascinated by Ligeti ever since. A Hungarian who died relatively recently, he is considered one of the great 20th century composers with a voice all of his own. The Requiem itself is startling with movements 1, 2 & 4 being some of the most disturbing and unique music ever written while the 3rd movement is simply awful. The LPO under Gardner with the extended choral forces did a magnificent job of performing this clearly complex work where each singer is given free reign within boundaries to create an effect unlike any other I know in music. If you've seen the film where Bowman is falling into the monolith, Kubrick could not have chosen better music to depict the utter unknown. I have a couple of recordings on CD and Qobuz oiffers three, but this performance without doubt eclipsed them all. Mesmerising and wonderful to finally see it performed and the audience were highly appreciative. Lux Aeterna was performed with the small choir appropriately being up in the heavens, or in this case the upper gallery, a spotlit Gardner from far below conducting them. Utterly beautiful music, light from the heavens indeed. The Zarathustra was extremely well performed, too, with the brass and percussion sections of the LPO standing out and the strings being appropriately sweet during the gorgeous lyrical sections. The RAH organ made itself known for the opening fanfare.
|
|
|
|
Post by julesd68 on Sept 22, 2023 13:55:52 GMT
Wigmore Hall - 18/09/23
Chouchane Siranossian - violin
Leonardo Garcia Alarcón - harpsichord Balázs Máté - cello
J.S. Bach: Violin Sonata in G, BWV1021 Carlo Farina: Sonata quinta detta 'La Farina' J.S. Bach: Adagio from Violin Sonata in C minor, BWV1024 J.S. Bach: Fugue in G minor, BWV1026 Johann Gottfried Walther: Passacaglia from Sonata No. 6 Krikor Naregatsi (c.950-1003): Improvisation on Havun Havun Pietro Antonio Locatelli: Sonata in D minor, Op. 6 No. 12 Andreas Anton Schmelzer: Violin Sonata 'Victori der Christen'
My trilogy of concerts this week began with Chouchane Siranossian, who for me is the most inspiring of Baroque violinists. Her noble, achingly beautiful but powerfully plaintive tone whisks you back in time, conjuring ornate Venetian palazzos resplendent with an elegant, attentive audience sharing whispered confidences and intrigues. Having so admired her recorded output this was the first time I had seen her live and with much expectation we started with Bach.
I confess an unwelcome nervousness crept through my body as the Bach never really took flight. Call it a sighter, her tone was not yet fully developed and the balance in the trio was not pleasing. Surely I was not to be disappointed?
Thankfully sanity was soon to be restored with the Farina which had wonderfully shaped contrasts whereby that tremendous depth of tone was coming into sharp focus. Just five rows from the front, I was ideally placed to experience the superior sonority and impact. Indeed, the Bach Adagio, so dark and dramatic! Like a Turner landscape before and after the storm ... And the Fugue, a relentless and frenetic test of accuracy and endurance over the fingerboard, with gloriously exuberant flourishes and ferocious double stopping.
And then the Walther, think of it as a musical question and answer, a conversational exchange of virtuosity in a similar shape to the Farina, with tone to die for and a deeply melancholic invention. I was gripped by the moment, hypnotized by the full range of Siranossian's illustrious and elegant weapons.
For the Naregatsi I closed my eyes in meditation, willingly surrendered to the plaintive Celtic harmony accompanied by the backbone of sustained cello notes. As for the Locatelli, I have never in my life seen a violinist play this high, beyond the fingerboard to the bridge!! A delicious insanity, and I was also mesmerized by the speed at which the bow arced the strings at impossible speeds yet with unerringly accurate intonation. Only true Baroque virtuosos need apply. We finished with the historical narrative of the Christian v Turks, the drama of which was illustrated with total authority and pure theatre, with the unwavering, wonderfully coherent and generous support from harpsichord and cello. One really gets the sense how much they enjoy this gloriously ripe musical dialogue.
Chouchane Siranossian is in a world elite with only Rachel Podger for company, simply the best of the best, and this was surely the finest display of Baroque artistry I have had the deep honour to witness.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Sept 22, 2023 18:36:48 GMT
Yup, you were definitely an arts critic in a previous life Jules  |
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Sept 22, 2023 19:29:22 GMT
Yup, you were definitely an arts critic in a previous life Jules ...and I definitely wasn't |
|
