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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2015 21:46:17 GMT
Wagner is like Marmite - love it or hate it! I personally like both Wagner and Marmite
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Post by MartinT on Mar 30, 2015 8:09:48 GMT
Marmite is best used sparingly and Wagner is best listened to sparingly, so that's me consistent! I like both, but too much can be unpleasant.
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Post by julesd68 on Jul 20, 2015 18:15:02 GMT
A great treat today - had tickets to the first of the Proms Chamber Concerts at Cadogan Hall.
Today the music was all about the great Thomas Tallis, performed by The Cardinall’s Musick. My personal highlight was 'Why fum’th in fight?'; the work on which Ralph Vaughan Williams based his ‘Fantasia on a Theme', possibly my favourite work of all time.
There was also a a premiere of Cheryl Frances-Hoad's 'Homage to Tallis'. I didn’t quite hear the musical connection apart from the obvious use of polyphany, but thoroughly enjoyed this most modern of works as a contrast to those of the Renaissance …
The concert was brought to a close by the immortal ‘Spem in Alium’ with the required 40 voices on stage, each singing individual parts … This definitely takes you one step closer to heaven. Grab the Argo / Willcox recording and find out why.
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Post by MartinT on Jul 20, 2015 18:23:01 GMT
Masterful piece, simply glorious. |
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Post by julesd68 on Aug 2, 2015 18:02:05 GMT
Alina Ibragimova Plays Bach
Royal Albert HallOn Friday and Saturday night I was lucky enough to enjoy a recital of all the Bach solo violin Sonatas and Partitas at two late night Proms. Ms Ibragimova took to the stage in a beautiful, but very understated black gown, which immediately gave us a clue as to her approach to these concerts. Everything she did was less about her, and more about Bach, getting you as close as possible to what I imagine the essence and soul of Bach to be. Plaintive, searching, but never overplayed with grand gestures. Beautifully stark and honest, with vibrato seemingly banished for the evening. What a feat - to play all the Sonatas and Partitas from memory! It was also achieved with a wonderful intimacy. No concession was made to the hall - she never tried to over amplify her sound, and the delicacy of her pianissimo was really very moving in the reverential silence of the gripped audience. On the Friday night I was entirely drawn in and almost memerised by the depth and assurance of her playing. For long periods of the concert I kept my eyes closed, beguiled by her inner rhythm and harmony. She struck such an authentic tone from her magnificent 1775 instrument. I simply could not fault the performance on any level and felt that this was one of the greatest virtuoso performances I have witnessed. On the Saturday night however she wasn't quite at ease one sensed. Indeed, someway into the D minor Partita she suddenly stopped and decided to start again. I have no idea why! This gave way to a few minor lapses of intonation and raw edges as the intensity and energy of the music increased. I also felt the performance was slightly more mannered than the previous day's with some rubato creeping into her playing. Also, the Gavotte, so often played as an encore, was rather bombastic and heavy handed for me. Fortunately Ms Ibragimova found her groove again somehow and brought us back to the consistency and level of performance of the first night, to finish on a great high. Overall I have to say that this was a wonderful achievement and it was a shame that the hall wasn't fuller for what was a magical marathon. It was also very special for me as the Saturday night performance was my son's first Prom and he's happy to go back for more! He has only been learning for a few months and it was great for him to hear just what can be achieved on this instrument. 
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Post by MartinT on Aug 28, 2015 6:16:32 GMT
BBC Prom 56: Stravinsky, Mendelssohn, Bergen PO, Litton, Ibragimova (vln), Royal Albert Hall
Looking just as gorgeous as in the photo above, but in a blue dress, Ibragimova wowed us with quite the most stunning interpretation and performance of the Mendelssohn I've yet heard.
However, first things first. The Bergen Philharmonic were an unknown entity to me until last night, but I shall be keeping an eye out for them in the future. From the small-scale Mendelssohn to the huge forces required for the Stravinsky, they were the tightest of tight bands with a percussion section to die for. The brass section were very nearly as brilliant and in fact the whole orchestra were quite superb. Litton must have worked some magic, being their Music Director, and for his services he has been made a Knight in the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.
We were subjected to the obligatory premiere compositions, the first sounding like the incidental music to a drama set in the northern wilderness (appropriate for a Norwegian composer) while the second, by a female composer, sounded like an attempt to produce the most amount of noise while involving lots of orchestral sections all at once. Both were forgettable.
Back to that Mendelssohn. Never my favourite composer, I have now been won over by the Violin Concerto purely as a result of Ibragimova's faultless performance. She never 'made it her own', but rather pulled all the strands from it and made it flow in an emotive tour de force, technical wizardry never getting in the way of its beauty. She was given such rapturous applause at the end that we were treated to an encore which I sadly was unable to identify but was violin pyrotechnics of the first order, seemingly impossible to play but delivered with incredible style and confidence. This is one lady to keep in mind for future concerts.
So to the piece I was waiting for all evening, the Stravinsky Rite of Spring. In all my concert-going, I had yet to hear this live and was anxious that the Bergen PO would be up to it. As it turned out, they were more than up to it. They played it so well and with such shockingly good timing (vital for this work) that it will remain etched in my memory for some time to come. The aforesaid percussion and brass were outstanding, but then so again were the woodwind. The Bergen PO are a world class orchestra! The roof didn't quite collapse and the very quiet sections were just as wonderfully played as the all-out crescendi. I had a very big grin on my face by its conclusion and wished for a recording of what I had just heard. The Rite is a stunning composition and is really amazing to hear live. I shall be playing it again tonight, trying all my recordings out.
We were treated to two further encores, a piece by Grieg (I think) and a section of the Scythian Suite by Prokofiev, introduced by Litton as "Prokofiev's attempt to out-do Stravinsky. He failed!". A fantastic evening's entertainment. |
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Post by julesd68 on Aug 29, 2015 9:27:25 GMT
Fabulous review Martin! Must have been a great night ...
I thought you were going to enjoy Ibragimova - she is an utterly outstanding talent and is rising to the very top IMO.
Knowing how much you like the Rite of Spring, I highly recommend seeing the ballet performed with a top company - you will see it come alive in an entirely new dimension.
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Post by MartinT on Aug 29, 2015 19:01:02 GMT
I would have suggested it to Ruth (I leave her to organise ballet), but she really doesn't like the Rite very much. Shame  I'll try her on Petrushka. |
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Post by julesd68 on Sept 10, 2015 21:28:33 GMT
Yo-Yo Ma - Bach Cello Suites, Prom 68, Royal Albert Hall
September 05, 2015
1 Soloist 6 Suites 36 Movements 2 1/2 hours over 5000 tickets sold It was indeed a marathon undertaking. A recital of all six Bach Cello Suites from memory, on one evening without an interval at a sold out Royal Albert Hall. When Yo-Yo Ma took to the stage he was afforded a tumultuous, almost rock-star welcome and you could sense the affection and admiration the audience held for him, even before he put bow to cello. The tone for the whole evening’s performance was set in the opening bars of the first suite. I found it almost languid, relaxed, cascading, warm, wistful and introspective. Naturally each of the movements have their own individual character but this languid, meandering style gave the suites a unity, as if they were played with one long breath than rather with lots of shorter ones. As with Alina Ibragimova’s recital, it felt like it was made for a salon performance and no attempt was made to overtly project the sound. Never have I heard a cellist so at one with their instrument; the double and triple stopping was worth the entrance price alone. I was sitting in the choir behind the soloist and was almost mesmerised at times by watching his magical bowing arm at work, carving out these precise yet effortless arcing movements. Perhaps my particular highlight of the concert was the way he handled the dance movements, so jaunty and alive, which made me close my eyes and send me hurtling back through time to some wonderfully colourful Baroque gathering of socialites. Right until the end of the 4th suite I found the performance to be immaculate and beyond reproach. However, in the final movement of this suite I flet that the soloist slightly lost his way and his intonation was noticeably not as perfect as in the earlier movements. Indeed, the 5th suite seemed to be slightly running away from him in terms of both intonation and phrasing. It was interesting that Ma did some humorous limbering up exercises between the 4th and 5th movements - perhaps he had just become a little tired? I am delighted to say that normal service was resumed for the final suite and the concert finished on the high it deserved. The applause was predictably deafening and adoring with most of the Hall on their feet to pay homage. The encore was most moving and other worldly - Pablo Casal’s arragement of the traditional Catalan piece ‘The Song of the Birds.’ Yo-Yo Ma is almost a 'once in a lifetime' player but also a great character. For some further insight I highly recommend this Guardian article. The humour and self-effacing manner he showed throughout the concert couldn’t fail to endear him to even the most hardened concert goer. The signal to go home was when he put his hands under his head signalling that some sleep would be required! He certainly deserved it. I urge you to watch the whole performance on BBC iPlayer when it becomes available.
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Post by julesd68 on Jan 27, 2016 14:39:09 GMT
I've not had a chance to go to many concerts recently but really looking forward to this evening.
Taking the family to Cadogan Hall to hear Mozart Requieum with John Eliot Gardiner conducting the Monteverdi Choir - should be 'epic' as they say ...
Will post a review tomorrow hopefully.
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Post by MartinT on Jan 28, 2016 4:54:54 GMT
JEG conducting Mozart's Requiem should indeed be fabulous. Enjoy!
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Post by julesd68 on Jan 28, 2016 15:07:34 GMT
Mozart Requiem
John Eliot Gardiner - Monteverdi Choir - English Baroque Soloists
Cadogan Hall 27 January 2016In a packed and expectant Cadogan Hall, the first joy of the evening was to see the wonderful period instruments of the Monteverdi Orchestra on the stage. I had to wait a little while for further joys as the appetiser was Mozart 40, of which I could only really tolerate the first and final movements. The second, if it had gone on any longer, could possibly have induced catastrophic organ failure and I don’t mean the organ on the stage. Still, I could admire the commitment of the orchestra and the insistence of the conductor to ensure that its darker tones were brought out to the full; it is more than evident that JEG has a special relationship with Mr Mozart that ensures his readings are not run-of-the-mill. The Requiem however was all that I had hoped it would be, and more. The relationship between orchestra and choir was so exquisitely and tightly marshalled by JEG, with an overall cohesion to the sound which suggested they had been performing and perfecting the piece together for years. It’s not just about every individual knowing their job, it’s the total and utter commitment to the music that comes right to the fore. The choir was simply magnificent, and special mention here must go the bass department, who managed to sing with a clarity and precision whilst sounding utterly brutal at times, that I have not often heard. The divine rage of the Confutatis was particularly memorable in this regard. All of the soloists excelled in maintaining the immense tension of the work throughout, with JEG only occasionally allowing moments of lighter contemplation. I really do not know how the resplendence of this mighty work could have been improved. The reaction of the crowd told me they felt the same and that we had witnessed something truly remarkable. I note that there is a recording of this work with all of the same players of yesterday evening but with different soloists - if it is of a similar quality then it would be an essential purchase indeed. 
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Post by MartinT on Jan 28, 2016 19:34:21 GMT
I do have that recording, Jules, and it is very good indeed. I would hesitate to suggest that it could match what you heard live, though. The Requiem does have a lot of anger and Mozart did something very dark and special to create that 'divide rage'. I love that expression and think you have nailed it. I'm glad the concert was all that you had hoped for, too. If you can get hold of it, the Fruhbeck to Burgos should be findable on vinyl in charity shops (I have it on both vinyl and CD formats) and is a simply outstanding interpretation of the work, full of controlled rage. You won't be disappointed, I don't think.  |
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Post by julesd68 on Jan 28, 2016 21:20:25 GMT
I've found the de Burgos, the JEG and Barenboim on Spotify - will see which one is my favourite;
must say that I love this work with period instruments and not a full modern orchestra ...
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Post by julesd68 on Feb 21, 2016 11:35:53 GMT
Bridgewater Hall February 19 2016
La Serenissima - laserenissima.co.uk/
Concerto for violino in tromba marina, strings & continuo in D, RV 221
Concerto for bassoon, strings & continuo in g, RV 496
Concerto for violino in tromba marina, strings & continuo in G, RV 311
Concerto La Notte for bassoon, strings & continuo in B flat, RV 501
Le Quattro Stagioni — The Four Seasons *Manchester version*(4 concertos for violin, strings & continuo in E, g, F & F, RV 269, 315, 293, 297) Adrian Chandler — director / violin & violino in tromba marina Peter Whelan — bassoon  This concert was remarkable for two reasons. Firstly, it was a story of two virtuosos - violinist Adrian Chandler and bassoonist Peter Whelan. Secondly, my personal discovery of Vivaldi’s bassoon concertos. The Bridgewater Hall is a huge purpose built auditorium but only the stalls were open for this performance. Thankfully there were very few seats left and there was a good atmosphere of expectance. The concert took a little while to get going after exhaustive and sometimes amusing on stage instrument tuning. The violino, as Adrian Chandler explained, is a very temperamental instrument that requires particular attention. I was initially slightly worried about the ensemble’s sound being swallowed up by the size of the hall, but as the concert progressed and the intensity of the music and performance was raised, I ended up entirely forgetting about this. Yes, ideally we would have been in a lovely baroque salon, but c’est la vie … Mr Chandler is a quite wonderful performer. Technically more than secure, I particularly enjoyed the passion with which he plays, directing the ensemble at the same time. He is most engaging. If I had any criticism of the ensemble, I would say that at times they didn’t quite match Chandler’s intensity and drive. Indeed, I could have done with a few less knowing glances and smiles between the ensemble in the earlier works. It seemed to take The Four Seasons for them to be truly immersed in the music and to break out a sweat; this really was a wonderful rendition. Apparently Manchester houses the third largest library of Vivaldi manuscripts in the world and we were treated to the aptly titled ‘Manchester Version’. It seemed to build steadily in intensity throughout the work, with Chandler demanding more and more from his colleagues. The work allowed the ensemlbe violins to shine with in their interplay, as the solo violin was exquisitely judged in its lyricism and the reading as a whole displayed a freshness which this supreme work deserves. I must confess that I hadn’t heard the bassoon concertos before, but have already started looking for a suitable recording. The works themselves are quite a surprise in their melodic invention and demands on the soloist. Peter Whelan won the crowd over very early on with his mastery of the baroque bassoon. He managed to combine delicacy with great athleticism in passages that could have very easily gone out of control. I was honestly gripped by his performance throughout and highly recommend you discover these works for yourself if they are new to you too … There is a well reviewed cd of exactly the same line-up as this concert, and based on this performance it must be well worth purchasing. Sadly no vinyl and I can’t see a download. laserenissima.co.uk/recordings/vivaldi-the-four-seasons/
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Post by MartinT on Mar 30, 2016 6:22:36 GMT
Concert - Dutoit, RPO, Festival Hall, 29 March 2016
1. Respighi: Fountains of Rome
2. Dvorák: Cello Concerto (Gautier Capuçon)
3. Stravinsky: Petrushka (1911)
There was an expectant air last night, Dutoit with his new orchestra and the superb reputation he had built previously with the Montreal SO and the Philadelphia. Not so new, actually, as I was surprised to see he had taken charge of the RPO back in 2009!
We started with the Respighi and I have never heard it played so sumptuously, the sweep of Respighi's musical picture sounding fantastic and his stand-out orchestration skills brought to the fore. The RPO really are a top orchestra, marvellous in the large forces required for the Fountains. It was good to hear the organ in its fully built state, too. I have Dutoit's famous recording of the Roman trilogy with the Montreal SO on Decca so hearing it played live was a special treat.
That set the scene for what was to come next: my favourite of all the cello concertos. Gautier Capuçon was not someone I had seen before but I have definitely registered his name now. With quite mesmerising playing, and clearly adoring the music, he made the piece his own, following Dutoit perfectly (unlike some soloists who require the orchestra to follow) and captivating the audience. He received rapturous applause at the end and even gave us a short encore. Oh, and Ruth found him 'delicious' which is some kind of accolade for a 35 year old! For me, the Dvorak is special and I felt like saying "eat that, Elgar!"
It's perhaps not surprising that the Stravinsky struggled to follow that; not through any fault of the orchestra whose timing with the difficult material was impeccable, but rather due to the episodic nature of Petrushka, a ballet suite about Russian puppets. Fiery as hell and dynamic in the extreme, it sounded marvellous but has neither the sweep of the Respighi nor the emotion of the Dvorak. The individual playing, though, was a sheer delight to see with tricky parts for a number of the players. Special credit to the brass section who really were outstanding.
One of the best concerts of the last decade for us and one to remember for the superb cellist.
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Post by julesd68 on Mar 30, 2016 10:54:57 GMT
Nice review Martin!
Yes the cellist looks like a bit of a 'player'...
I much prefer the Dvorak (and Walton) to the Elgar and most things would feel a bit of an anti-climax after you've heard it played beautifully...
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Post by julesd68 on Sept 18, 2016 23:22:28 GMT
Martha Argerich at the Royal Albert Hall, Monday evening - please, please let her actually turn up this time!! Full review to follow, I hope ...  |
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Post by MartinT on Sept 19, 2016 7:00:24 GMT
<jealousy> hope she does, Jules!
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Post by julesd68 on Oct 17, 2016 18:46:11 GMT
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Charles Dutoit
Sep 19 2016
Rossini - William Tell overture
Schumann - Piano Concerto A minor, Op.54
Bruch - Violin Concerto no 1, Op.26
Stravinsky - The Firebird: SuiteSorry for the late review! This programme promised much in celebration of the RPO’s 70th birthday. The turn out was very good indeed for a Monday night concert, although I found the atmosphere just a little lacking compared to the buzz that you enjoy during the Proms concerts. We began with the William Tell overture, an enjoyable romp, no more, no less, that found the orchestra in fine and willing form for Mr Dutoit. Thankfully we didn’t have to wait long for the 'main event', the legend that is Martha Argerich. She took to the stage with a warm and fond welcome by the audience. Well what a joy to be able to book a Martha Argerich concert where she actually appears! I think it was third time lucky for me … If I had been able to pick a concerto for that evening I would have chosen either the Grieg or Rachmaninov - I do enjoy the Schumann but it’s somewhat of a gentle pleasure rather than the more visceral enjoyment of the aforementioned composers. To use an oenological analogy, she presented a heady Red Burgundy instead of a potent and long-lived First Growth Bordeaux ... However Ms Agerich cast her spell on us without delay - she plays this work so wonderfully effortlessly and fluidly that you just marvel at how lithe she still is on the keyboard, just teasing out the inner depths and feelings of the music. The Bruch is always one of my favourite concertos. Mr Pinchas Zukerman chose to play and direct the orchestra, which gave me a slightly unwelcome flashback to Joshua Bell playing this work at the Proms in the very same venue a couple of years ago. Fortunately this was altogether more enjoyable. I did find the rather heavy use of vibrato made the romance of the work just a little too sweet in parts, however it was certainly enjoyable for its very warm, affectionate and honest rendition. The Firebird may not have been the composer's favourite work but is actually one of my most cherished orchestral works of all time and what a superbly taut and powerful finale this was. The orchestra so obviously enjoy playing for Mr Dutoit - one just felt they were stretching every sinew in transporting us to the exotic and intoxicating world of the Firebird. An exercise in collective virtuosity, the playing was so consistently magical and ethereal it really was the perfect way to close the evening. 
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