Live concert from Berlin last night.

[Nick Armstrong]

Gustavo Dudamel's players were slightly untidy in the Villa Lobos and better and exciting in the Turangalîla Symphonie but its not a work I especially enjoy.

Disappointingly it wasn't available in the Digital Concert Hall 'for legal reasons in [your] country'.... Another reason - after their oddly perfunctory prom - to be a little sad that commercial realities seem to be dampening the ardour surrounding this band...

[BBMmk2]

Dudamel not a happy chap?

[Stanfordian]

Tonight at the Philharmonie the Berliner Philharmoniker with John Adams conducting his own:
Harmonielehre for large orchestra
Scheherazade 2 - Dramatic Symphony for violin and orchestra, German Première - Leila Josefowicz (violin)

[BBMmk2]

Tonight at the Philharmonie the Berliner Philharmoniker with John Adams conducting his own:
Harmonielehre for large orchestra
Scheherazade 2 - Dramatic Symphony for violin and orchestra, German Première - Leila Josefowicz (violin)

This sounds rather interesting!

[Stanfordian]

This sounds rather interesting!

I think 'Harmonielehre' for large orchestra is a 20th century masterwork. Being given its German première 'Scheherazade 2' for violin and orchestra was a fascinating work but not short of longueurs. 'Scheherazade 2' has just been released on CD and I have been given a copy. It's not a patch on 'Absolute Jest' for string quartet and orchestra which I saw being given its German première last year by the San Francisco Symphony under MTT.

[Stanfordian]

Tonight at the Deutsche Oper Berlin I saw a splendid staging of Verdi's' A Masked Ball' conducted by Donald Runnicles.

[BBMmk2]

I think 'Harmonielehre' for large orchestra is a 20th century masterwork. Being given its German première 'Scheherazade 2' for violin and orchestra was a fascinating work but not short of longueurs. 'Scheherazade 2' has just been released on CD and I have been given a copy. It's not a patch on 'Absolute Jest' for string quartet and orchestra which I saw being given its German première last year by the San Francisco Symphony under MTT.

Have to look that one up! How was the Verdi?

[Bryn]

I think 'Harmonielehre' for large orchestra is a 20th century masterwork. Being given its German première 'Scheherazade 2' for violin and orchestra was a fascinating work but not short of longueurs. 'Scheherazade 2' has just been released on CD and I have been given a copy. It's not a patch on 'Absolute Jest' for string quartet and orchestra which I saw being given its German première last year by the San Francisco Symphony under MTT.

Yes, a NY recording of Josefowicz playing Scheherazade 2 was included in an Afternoon on 3 programme back in June. Agreed, Absolute Jest and Harmonielehre are both far better listening.

[Stanfordian]

Have to look that one up! How was the Verdi?

Hey maestro,

This was my first performance of 'A Masked Ball'. A revival of a 16 year old production involving a sparse set, house members with no star performers but I loved every minute of it.

[Stanfordian]

Tonight at the Deutsche Oper Berlin I saw an ok performance of 'Carmen'. I think it is my 6th 'Carmen' in 3 years.

[Beef Oven!]

Tonight at the Deutsche Oper Berlin I saw an ok performance of 'Carmen'. I think it is my 6th 'Carmen' in 3 years.

Be careful - passive smoking.

[Stanfordian]

Be careful - passive smoking.

Hey Beefy,

I bet there was more smoking back stage than on stage! I am suffering from passive smoking just walking through Berlin streets.

[Stanfordian]

Tonight at the Staastsoper at the Schiller Theater, Berlin I saw a knock-out performance of Tosca with Angela Gheorghiu in the title role, Michael Volle as Scarpia and a new name to me the Romanian tenor Teodor Ilincăi as Cavaradossi.

[Keraulophone]

First visit to Berlin and its Philharmonie

We've enjoyed a week of unseasonally fine weather in this city of high culture, unique C20th history and multifaceted character. The highlight, particularly for Mrs K, who had not previously heard the Berliner Philharminiker live, was an evening concert in their home. It was the first of three identical concerts of Mozart conducted by the 34y.o. Russian, Maxim Emelyanychev, with French soprano of the moment Sabine Devieilhe. It's remarkable that so many of the BPO's concerts can be given three days running with no adverse effect on box office. The first thing one notices is what a difference twelve years made between the opening of the RFH in London and the BP in Berlin. Acoustical engineering made a huge leap during that time and since, though sadly London still has nothing to rival this impressive concert hall. Its futuristic tent-like exterior flows into an equally futuristic (for 1963) interior, the first to seat the audience in terraces of varying size rising outwards from the stage in all directions. Some of the terraces at the back and sides are very small and far from the stage, yet sightlines are well preserved. High up on the right sits the Schuke organ of 91 stops and four manuals including a 64ft Gravissima (though not full length).

There don't appear to be any bars other than on the ground floor, where service was prompt. This is probably the safest place to pre-order interval drinks, the locals being so law abiding. Unwisely we hadn't, so had to take a quick lift up to our terrace for the restart. Attire ranged from black tie to scruffy jeans, though most were smart enough.

The concert will be on the Digital Concert Hall for those with a subscription, though mine has lapsed. It is unrealistic to compare my previous encounters with the BPO at the Proms performing large-scale romantic works with this Mozart programme, in which the orchestra had been reduced to 6.6.5.5.3 strings, double wind and brass and an enthusiastic tympanist using hard sticks. Suffice it to say that after a fizzing Overture to the Marriage of Figaro, Mrs K whispered that she had never before heard orchestral playing anything like it, and I let out a sotto voce expletive. It was the fastest performance I have heard since Mravinsky and the Leningrad PO on a mid-60s Melodiya LP, but their virtuosity was up to it. It was obvious that the conductor has had a lot of experience with chamber orchestras (eg Scottish), as well as being trained in the Russian tradition. Ms Devieihe is familiar from a recent Erato disc of French love songs and singing the Queen of the Night, and her pure and nimble lyric soprano excelled in concert and opera arias. Despite it being a smallish voice, the excellent acoustics (many sound reflecting surfaces near the stage) allowed her to be heard clearly, including soft passages. For one of the arias she stood next to the woodwind principals who duetted with her most attentively. Each one of those players is an absolute star, making blissful sounds.

The conductor took a break while the orchestra enjoyed themselves immensely in the Serenata notturna, Vln 1, 2, Vla & Bass soloists standing within the orchestra. Après un rêve was the rather unexpected, though beautifully sung, encore before the interval, which Maxim accompanied on a fortepiano. The 'Prague' Symphony, with the orchestra playing like an enlarged string quartet, all acutely aware of everything going on, concluded a night which won't be forgotten. An empty No.200 bus came to greet us as soon as we emerged into the balmy night air.

[silvestrione]

First visit to Berlin and its Philharmonie

We've enjoyed a week of unseasonally fine weather in this city of high culture, unique C20th history and multifaceted character. The highlight, particularly for Mrs K, who had not previously heard the Berliner Philharminiker live, was an evening concert in their home. It was the first of three identical concerts of Mozart conducted by the 34y.o. Russian, Maxim Emelyanychev, with French soprano of the moment Sabine Devieilhe. It's remarkable that so many of the BPO's concerts can be given three days running with no adverse effect on box office. The first thing one notices is what a difference twelve years made between the opening of the RFH in London and the BP in Berlin. Acoustical engineering made a huge leap during that time and since, though sadly London still has nothing to rival this impressive concert hall. Its futuristic tent-like exterior flows into an equally futuristic (for 1963) interior, the first to seat the audience in terraces of varying size rising outwards from the stage in all directions. Some of the terraces at the back and sides are very small and far from the stage, yet sightlines are well preserved. High up on the right sits the Schuke organ of 91 stops and four manuals including a 64ft Gravissima (though not full length).

There don't appear to be any bars other than on the ground floor, where service was prompt. This is probably the safest place to pre-order interval drinks, the locals being so law abiding. Unwisely we hadn't, so had to take a quick lift up to our terrace for the restart. Attire ranged from black tie to scruffy jeans, though most were smart enough.

The concert will be on the Digital Concert Hall for those with a subscription, though mine has lapsed. It is unrealistic to compare my previous encounters with the BPO at the Proms performing large-scale romantic works with this Mozart programme, in which the orchestra had been reduced to 6.6.5.5.3 strings, double wind and brass and an enthusiastic tympanist using hard sticks. Suffice it to say that after a fizzing Overture to the Marriage of Figaro, Mrs K whispered that she had never before heard orchestral playing anything like it, and I let out a sotto voce expletive. It was the fastest performance I have heard since Mravinsky and the Leningrad PO on a mid-60s Melodiya LP, but their virtuosity was up to it. It was obvious that the conductor has had a lot of experience with chamber orchestras (eg Scottish), as well as being trained in the Russian tradition. Ms Devieihe is familiar from a recent Erato disc of French love songs and singing the Queen of the Night, and her pure and nimble lyric soprano excelled in concert and opera arias. Despite it being a smallish voice, the excellent acoustics (many sound reflecting surfaces near the stage) allowed her to be heard clearly, including soft passages. For one of the arias she stood next to the woodwind principals who duetted with her most attentively. Each one of those players is an absolute star, making blissful sounds.

The conductor took a break while the orchestra enjoyed themselves immensely in the Serenata notturna, Vln 1, 2, Vla & Bass soloists standing within the orchestra. Après un rêve was the rather unexpected, though beautifully sung, encore before the interval, which Maxim accompanied on a fortepiano. The 'Prague' Symphony, with the orchestra playing like an enlarged string quartet, all acutely aware of everything going on, concluded a night which won't be forgotten. An empty No.200 bus came to greet us as soon as we emerged into the balmy night air.

I watched on the Digital Concert Hall last night: marvellous! I loved the 'Et incarnatus', and the 'Prague' Symphony, in particular. Maxim Emelyanychev I had not heard of, but will watch out for now.