Sir Mark Elder Janacek in Chicago

[richardfinegold]

Last night CSO featured Elder Conducting, Jeremy Denk soloist. Program was
Dvorak-Scherzo Capriccioso
Bartok-PC #2
Intermission

Janacek- Suite (MacKerras) from the Cunning Little Vixen
Janacek-Taras Bulba

The Dvorak was fun--it's one of those sunny works that plays itself. Denk was superb in the Bartok. I've alsways consider the Second PC
to be the weak player between 1 and 3 but it was the first time I had seen it in concert and I was bowled over. I never realized the First movement has nothing for the Strings because there is so much going on, The great Second Movement was the emotional center of the piece, flanked by the 2 motoric arch movements.

Elder gave a short speech prior to the Janacek pieces. It concerned the Composersuse of Moravian Speech cadences in his compositional language but nothing about the scenarios of the two works. my wife was fidgety duringthe second half. Afterwards when I told her the blood curdling scenarios being depicted in taras Bulba her eyes widened a bit. I thought both works were well done with plenty of impact in Taras
Bulba and lots of atmospheric playing during the Vixen Suite.
For me it was a very memorable concert, but the Saturday night attendance was very poor. Perhaps to many people were enjoyingthe St
Paddys day reveling or rioting at the Trump Rally

[Maclintick]

Last night CSO featured Elder Conducting, Jeremy Denk soloist. Program was
Dvorak-Scherzo Capriccioso
Bartok-PC #2
Intermission

Janacek- Suite (MacKerras) from the Cunning Little Vixen
Janacek-Taras Bulba

For me it was a very memorable concert, but the Saturday night attendance was very poor. Perhaps to many people were enjoyingthe St
Paddys day reveling or rioting at the Trump Rally

Thanks for review of what sounds like a terrific Czech/Hungarian programme, Richard, played no doubt with the usual CSO aplomb. I know we're not to get political on these boards, but I couldn't resist texting my Chicago relatives with congratulations on their city rejecting the appalling Trumpster....No doubt I'll be relegated to the sin-bin for this inappropriate comment....

[richardfinegold]

Well I doubt it was CSO Patrons that were causing the ruckus....but one can hope!

[BBMmk2]

A pity that Elder didn't go into ther plot more of the opera or Taras Bulba! But with the CSO being on top form, it wouldn't have mattered! :)

[richardfinegold]

A pity that Elder didn't go into ther plot more of the opera or Taras Bulba! But with the CSO being on top form, it wouldn't have mattered! :)

And it was contained in the program notes
Elder seemed to be particularly energized by Janacek. I'm wondering if he studied or worked with MacKerras?

[BBMmk2]

And it was contained in the program notes
Elder seemed to be particularly energized by Janacek. I'm wondering if he studied or worked with MacKerras?

Best look it up, chap! :)

[BBMmk2]

And it was contained in the program notes
Elder seemed to be particularly energized by Janacek. I'm wondering if he studied or worked with MacKerras?

He was a protige of Sir Edward Downes

[richardfinegold]

Thanks Bbm I didn't see any link in the program notes between Elder and Mac Kerras, but program notes tend to be pretty useless these days

[BBMmk2]

Mackerras was on a class of his own, as far as Czech/Slavic music is concerned

[makropulos]

Thanks Bbm I didn't see any link in the program notes between Elder and Mac Kerras, but program notes tend to be pretty useless these days

Mark Elder worked at ENO while Mackerras was Music Director, and Elder regularly invited CM back when he took over. They worked closely together, as Elder said in a tribute for "What's On Stage" in 2011:

“Sir Charles was of course a very senior conductor when I was starting out,” he tells me, “and he encouraged me and gave me opportunities (and the confidence) you badly need as a young conductor. We had a very good relationship and became very good colleagues and friends.”

“He was lovely, in fact, completely straightforward and with no side. An honest man with a heart of gold. He was something of a rough diamond; you had to take him as you found him. And, of course it goes without saying, he was a brilliantly talented musician. He had an immense talent for style, which is to say he could turn his hand to music of all periods. Not all conductors can do that. He gave me my head and launched my career. He was so generous and trusting and I can say he gave me my grounding as a conductor.”

The two men from different generations were colleagues for many years and I asked Sir Mark when he last saw and worked with Sir Charles. “Well, I took him and Judy out to lunch the Christmas before last and then in June and July we were at Glyndebourne together – he doing Cosi and I Billy Budd. We saw a lot of each other then.”

(source: http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-t...kerr_8523.html)

[Alison]

'Rough diamond' ??

[makropulos]

'Rough diamond' ??

Hm. I wondered about that. I imagine he means Australian+plain-speaking :)

[richardfinegold]

Mark Elder worked at ENO while Mackerras was Music Director, and Elder regularly invited CM back when he took over. They worked closely together, as Elder said in a tribute for "What's On Stage" in 2011:

“Sir Charles was of course a very senior conductor when I was starting out,” he tells me, “and he encouraged me and gave me opportunities (and the confidence) you badly need as a young conductor. We had a very good relationship and became very good colleagues and friends.”

“He was lovely, in fact, completely straightforward and with no side. An honest man with a heart of gold. He was something of a rough diamond; you had to take him as you found him. And, of course it goes without saying, he was a brilliantly talented musician. He had an immense talent for style, which is to say he could turn his hand to music of all periods. Not all conductors can do that. He gave me my head and launched my career. He was so generous and trusting and I can say he gave me my grounding as a conductor.”

The two men from different generations were colleagues for many years and I asked Sir Mark when he last saw and worked with Sir Charles. “Well, I took him and Judy out to lunch the Christmas before last and then in June and July we were at Glyndebourne together – he doing Cosi and I Billy Budd. We saw a lot of each other then.”

(source: http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-t...kerr_8523.html)

Thank you for sharing that. The older Conductor seems to have passed on his love for Janacek as well.