Lahav Shani/Beatrice Rana/CSO 02/11/23

[richardfinegold]

Program was Prokofiev Classical Symphony, then Rachmaninov Paganini Variations and Symphonic Dances.
Rana and Shani also played a duet arrangement of The Sugar Plum Fairy dance from the Nutcracker. The highlight was definitely the Paganini Rhapsody. The Prokofiev is always fun and picked up steam in the last two movements.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I had my usual reaction to the longish middle section of the last of the Dances, namely nodding off before the big conclusion. There is just to much of a sentimental wallow there, especially after the beautifully elegaic Valse Triste second movement

[gradus]

How did the final bars go? Great tam tam crashes the last ringing out, or successively louder ones (a la Jurowski) with the final smash allowed only some freedom. Anyway up its one of my favourite showpieces for orchestra.

[richardfinegold]

I think the former

[Pulcinella]

I forgot about the US month/day/year style when clicking on this thread, and thought it would be (very) advance notice of a November event: sounds a pretty good concert, despite your dropping off in the Dances.
I don't give Rana the universal acclaim that others have, though I intend to give her new Schumann recording a listen, given all the positive comments; like jlw, I prefer others in Bernstein's Age of Anxiety, but the one I really couldn't come to terms with (though others raved about) was her Goldbergs: just not for me.

[richardfinegold]

I forgot about the US month/day/year style when clicking on this thread, and thought it would be (very) advance notice of a November event: sounds a pretty good concert, despite your dropping off in the Dances.
I don't give Rana the universal acclaim that others have, though I intend to give her new Schumann recording a listen, given all the positive comments; like jlw, I prefer others in Bernstein's Age of Anxiety, but the one I really couldn't come to terms with (though others raved about) was her Goldbergs: just not for me.

I really like her Chopin Etudes

[gradus]

I forgot about the US month/day/year style when clicking on this thread, and thought it would be (very) advance notice of a November event: sounds a pretty good concert, despite your dropping off in the Dances.
I don't give Rana the universal acclaim that others have, though I intend to give her new Schumann recording a listen, given all the positive comments; like jlw, I prefer others in Bernstein's Age of Anxiety, but the one I really couldn't come to terms with (though others raved about) was her Goldbergs: just not for me.

I think she is a fine player but the Schumann R, concerto recording slightly disappointed when I heard the whole thing. To my ears she and the conductor didn't seem of one mind in the finale, where I felt she wanted a broader tempo but he pushed on and I thought rather spoilt the performance. Just my reaction.