Edinburgh Festival Queen's Hall concerts

[amateur51]

I did, and agree it was a masterly performance of a work which makes massive demands on listener and performer alike. However, I was even more spellbound by Gerhardt's virtuosic traversal of the first cello suite. All the work's inner voices were captured in a way which was fully integrated with the waspish attack of the faster music, completely dispelling memories of the work's dedicatee (no easy matter!).

I just heard Andrew McGregor giggle

[Ockeghem's Razor]

Tuned in too late for the Schönberg (arr. Steuermann) this morning, so eagerly awaiting its appearance on the iPlayer 'Listen Again' facility. Fine Soldier's Tale performance, I thought.

I enjoyed both performances very much indeed. There was quite a bit of loud coughing during the Schoenberg, unfortunately.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Who was the dedicatee, & why should memories of (probably) him be dispelled?
(thinking about it, because the original dedicatee produced an exceptionally good performance?)

I understood SirV's comment to mean that the performance was so good that, for once, he didn't find himself making comparisons with Rostropovich's recording?

[Flosshilde]

Fine Soldier's Tale performance, I thought.

Agreed. I liked the 'local' flavour to the narrator - although it was more Glasgow, I thought, than Edinburgh.

[Flosshilde]

I understood SirV's comment to mean that the performance was so good that, for once, he didn't find himself making comparison's with Rostropovich's recording?

Yes, I thought of that interpreation (which is, I'm sure, what he meant) as I posted. Being a suspicious type my initial thought was that Sir Velo didn't like or approve of the original dedicatee & was trying to wipe him from his memory

[Sir Velo]

Yes, I thought of that interpreation (which is, I'm sure, what he meant) as I posted. Being a suspicious type my initial thought was that Sir Velo didn't like or approve of the original dedicatee & was trying to wipe him from his memory

Definitely not! No, it was just such a good performance that for once one didn't miss Slava's big boned embrace.

[Blotto]

I did, and agree it was a masterly performance of a work which makes massive demands on listener and performer alike. However, I was even more spellbound by Gerhardt's virtuosic traversal of the first cello suite. All the work's inner voices were captured in a way which was fully integrated with the waspish attack of the faster music, completely dispelling memories of the work's dedicatee (no easy matter!).

I wish I could 'see' later Britten. I'm having another go at both of the works from the concert this afternoon but I've yet to hear a piece beyond the Spring Symphony that engages me. His music in the 50s and onwards seems to lose all of its warmth.

At the same time, some of that warmer music - say the piano concerto - can also seem a bit mechanical. I struggle with Britten. He's illustrious and greatly-admired, it seems, by other greats like Shostakovich and Rostropovich whose own great merits are easily appreciated. Yet ... I persistently miss in his music the necessary magic.

[pastoralguy]

I wish I could 'see' later Britten. I'm having another go at both of the works from the concert this afternoon but I've yet to hear a piece beyond the Spring Symphony that engages me. His music in the 50s and onwards seems to lose all of its warmth.

At the same time, some of that warmer music - say the piano concerto - can also seem a bit mechanical. I struggle with Britten. He's illustrious and greatly-admired, it seems, by other greats like Shostakovich and Rostropovich whose own great merits are easily appreciated. Yet ... I persistently miss in his music the necessary magic.

A good friend of mine says he always feels that Britten's music is aimed at members of social group 'A1' !

[pastoralguy]

I know this is slightly off topic but Mrs. PG and I went to see the third 'James' play at the Festival Theatre last night and bumped into Sean Rafferty! He's actually a really nice bloke!

The play was terrific starring, as it did, Blythe Duff (of 'Taggart' fame) and Sofie Grabol (of 'The Killing' fame).

[bluestateprommer]

Trying to catch up with the EIF R3 archived relays, as those are on a much shorter iPlayer time compared to The Proms iPlayer times. I agree with the general consensus about Ian Bostridge's recital, being rather too consistently OTT in his particular brand of intensity, although many individual moments did work rather well before an over-intense moment threatened to derail things. I don't doubt his sincerity and commitment, but it would be nice if he could perhaps relax and be a bit less affected more than once in a while. Fortunately, Julius Drake provides a bedrock of support, as he always does. To give some credit to IB, at least with the English-language songs, his diction was spectacularly clear and I caught every word.

The Alban Gerhardt and Steven Osborne recital was first-class all the way, a very interesting juxtaposition of solo works for each in the first half before they teamed up in the 2nd half. Unfortunately, there was the doofus' cell phone that went off in the last work, but if it had to happen, at least it happened between movements. It did get a laugh from the audience (one wonders if the 'perpetrator' turned red-faced at the incident, which of course wasn't intentional, but....), not to mention a comment from Donald Macleod after the proceedings. This AG/SO concert comes highly recommended if you haven't made time for it yet.

I know this is slightly off topic but Mrs. PG and I went to see the third 'James' play at the Festival Theatre last night and bumped into Sean Rafferty! He's actually a really nice bloke!

DM actually mentioned the 'James' plays in passing during one of his commentaries as host of the EIF relays, so it's not that 'off topic' ;) . Plus, while Sean Rafferty has gotten a lot of brickbats here, that's my impression too that he is a very affable fellow. I'm actually just fine with his radio manner, which may be a minority view here, but keep in mind that I'm in the USA, not the UK. The context is rather different here.

[pastoralguy]

Well, the Festival a Theatre is only a few hundred yards down the road from the Queens Hall...

[David-G]

Did anyone hear the Artemis Quartet concert on Thursday?

[pastoralguy]

Did anyone hear the Artemis Quartet concert on Thursday?

No, I had to work but a patient went and really enjoyed it. ( mind you, she didn't like the Bartok!)

I must try to hear on the iplayer.

Mrs. PG and I have the Takas and Paval Haas to look forward to.

[amcluesent]

Poor scheduling today IMHO, 11am Queens Halls soprano Anna Prohaska & pianist Eric Schneider, 1pm Proms Chamber Concert Soprano Anne Schwanewilms & pianist Malcolm Martineau. Too much!

[Serial_Apologist]

Poor scheduling today IMHO, 11am Queens Halls soprano Anna Prohaska & pianist Eric Schneider, 1pm Proms Chamber Concert Soprano Anne Schwanewilms & pianist Malcolm Martineau. Too much!

Except that the range of the EIF songs is vast in terms of style and era. I wouldn't normally go along with such scheduling - rather like WOMAD a bit of this and a bit of that blends a bland equivalence obliterating any sense of time, place or context, except that here the overarching theme of war and how different creative spirits down the ages have communicated the material and emotional ramifications binds it all together, and as Donald McLeod comments is a remarkable achievement by Mr Schneider and Ms Prohaska.

Right now listening to the Zemlinsky Maeterlincke settings, and hoping these will switch lots of listeners onto a still underestimated composer and stylistic bridge between Mahler and Berg, imv.