What was your last concert?

[HighlandDougie]

La Roque d'Anthéron Piano Festival

Two recitals in one evening: Charles Richard-Hamelin in Mozart, Chopin and Schumann; then Arcadi Volodos in Schubert. Great weather: not too hot but a beautiful Provençal evening for al fresco music-making. Richard-Hamelin (2nd prize in the Chopin competition) was very impressive: fine Chopin but really good Schumann (First Sonata) which he played with aplomb but great feeling. Volodos was, simply, sublime: last two piano sonatas, magisterially played. He has a wonderful way of letting the music breathe - he knows the importance of allowing notes to die away - as well as sing. I doubt if I will ever again hear such fine performances. Predominantly French audience did that deeply annoying French audience thing of rhythmically clapping and foot-stamping so that they got their, "bis". I sometimes think that they care about wringing as many encores out of the performer more than the actual performances. Encores after late Schubert seem a bit otiose to me but they got four of them. All characteristically thoughtful. The steak frites between recitals was pretty good, too.

[cloughie]

La Roque d'Anthéron Piano Festival

Two recitals in one evening: Charles Richard-Hamelin in Mozart, Chopin and Schumann; then Arcadi Volodos in Schubert. Great weather: not too hot but a beautiful Provençal evening for al fresco music-making. Richard-Hamelin (2nd prize in the Chopin competition) was very impressive: fine Chopin but really good Schumann (First Sonata) which he played with aplomb but great feeling. Volodos was, simply, sublime: last two piano sonatas, magisterially played. He has a wonderful way of letting the music breathe - he knows the importance of allowing notes to die away - as well as sing. I doubt if I will ever again hear such fine performances. Predominantly French audience did that deeply annoying French audience thing of rhythmically clapping and foot-stamping so that they got their, "bis". I sometimes think that they care about wringing as many encores out of the performer more than the actual performances. Encores after late Schubert seem a bit otiose to me but they got four of them. All characteristically thoughtful. The steak frites between recitals was pretty good, too.

No Ravel, Debussy or Satie for the terroir then, HD?

[HighlandDougie]

No Ravel, Debussy or Satie for the terroir then, HD?

In fairness, C R-H included Ravel in his encores. AV would be more likely to have gone for Mompou, whom he played magically on the last occasion I heard him there maybe four or five years ago. One depressing sign of the times was airport-style security checks - and great blocks of concrete to prevent anyone from driving along the two avenues which lead into the parkland. Glad to see, though, that the French weakness for waiting until the soloist appears then rushing as furtively as possible to fight over empty and more expensive seats is alive and well. Not many empty seats for AV, though.

[Bryn]

Earlier this evening, Mark Knoop playing Schubert and Feldman at Rosslyn Hill Chapel. Fine performances, well programmed.

[pastoralguy]

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra last nite as part of the Edinburgh Festival. The same programme as at tomorrow's Prom except we heard Brahms' First Symphony instead of Tchaikovsky 5. Very fine playing indeed. The first horn is exceptional.

[cloughie]

Camborne Town Band in the garden of our local pub - varied repertoire and a very polished ensemble. The beer was good too!

[Pulcinella]

Camborne Town Band in the garden of our local pub - varied repertoire and a very polished ensemble. The beer was good too!

And probably not £13.40 a pint!

[cloughie]

And probably not £13.40 a pint!

£3.00 and a good selection for their Bank Holiday weekend Beer Festival!

[pastoralguy]

I'd forgotten that Mrs. PG and I went to hear The Academy of Saint Martins in the Field under their music director, Joshua Bell on Thursday.

Mendelssohn 'Midsummer Night's Dream', Bruch's 'Scottish Fantasy' and Beethoven's 'Pastoral Symphony'. Extremely fine playing from all concerned although I did feel that Bell does a wee bit too much 'directing'. Ok, I suppose he has to give cues occasionally but the expression of musical ecstasy that he emotes is something we could do without. Mind you, he did play the Bruch well. Most of the directing duties during the Bruch fell to the leader who seemed to be able to hold the band together without the need to pull copious faces to show his involvement.

A great concert though in a 'Sold Out' Usher Hall.

[ChrisBennell]

Music at St Peters, Wallingford - Primrose Piano Quartet with Leon Bosch - Double Bass

Escaping from Proms Last Night, we attended this local music venue, which is a small (ex) church now devoted to events like this. This was a most impressive group in Brahms Piano Quartet Op 60, Bottesini Grand Duo for Violin Double Bass and Piano, and Schubert Trout Quintet. A fabulous evening with fantastic performers and an almost full hall - although the old pews are a bit trying. The Bottesini (which I didn't know) was a Paganini-like piece demanding great virtuosity from violin and double-bass.

Returning to the car afterwards I just caught a snatch of Auld Lang Syne - which was more than enough. Reckon I got the better deal last night!

[EdgeleyRob]

Salford freebie yesterday

Bit of a mish mash programme,all well played,they did the Webern Op 10 twice.
Good to hear a snippet of Ethel Smyth live.
Recorded for broadcast in the new year I believe.

Joshua Weilerstein conducts the BBC Philharmonic
MediaCityUK, Salford
Joshua Weilerstein conducts a programme of short works

Johann Sebastian Bach
Ricercar from The Musical Offering (orch. Webern)
Ludwig van Beethoven
Overture 'Leonore' No. 3
Claude Debussy
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Dame Ethel Smyth
The Wreckers: Act 2: Prelude "On the Cliffs of Cornwall"

INTERVAL

Anton Webern
Five Pieces, Op 10
Charles Ives
Variations on 'America' (version for orchestra)
John Luther Adams
The Light That Fills the World

[MrGongGong]

This was good

http://ultima.no/en/events/supersilent-installasjon

and an extraordinary venue

[gurnemanz]

We really loved Christiane Karg with Gerold Huber at Wigmore last night. A thoughtfully constructed programme which started with der Leiermann and included several Schumann items extracted from cycles which one doesn't often hear in isolation, also a group of Pfitzner songs - rarely and, unjustly in my view, encountered in recitals. I have recently become interested in his output and picked up the complete box for a reasonable price from jpc.

[Ferretfancy]

Anguish and embarrassment for me at last night's performance of The Damnation of Faust with the LSO and Sir Simon Rattle.

For the last couple of weeks I've endured a horrible throat infection, but I was determined not to miss the Barbican last night, having booked a nice Circle seat some time ago. I armed myself with bottled water, tissues, paracetamol etc. and set out.

The large forces involved were really too great for the Barbican, which was of course packed. I kept discomfort under control with sips of water, and this worked until nearly the interval, but after another swig I suddenly had an uncontrollable paroxysm of coughing which was made worse by the water streaming down my face and my efforts to breathe. The interval came, I apologised profusely to my neighbours, who were very nice, and left for home.

The Damnation of Faust got off to a slightly shaky start, I thought. No doubt many of you were able to hear it on Radio 3. If there were audible distractions, well, blame the coughers!

[pastoralguy]

Anguish and embarrassment for me at last night's performance of The Damnation of Faust with the LSO and Sir Simon Rattle.

For the last couple of weeks I've endured a horrible throat infection, but I was determined not to miss the Barbican last night, having booked a nice Circle seat some time ago. I armed myself with bottled water, tissues, paracetamol etc. and set out.

The large forces involved were really too great for the Barbican, which was of course packed. I kept discomfort under control with sips of water, and this worked until nearly the interval, but after another swig I suddenly had an uncontrollable paroxysm of coughing which was made worse by the water streaming down my face and my efforts to breathe. The interval came, I apologised profusely to my neighbours, who were very nice, and left for home.

The Damnation of Faust got off to a slightly shaky start, I thought. No doubt many of you were able to hear it on Radio 3. If there were audible distractions, well, blame the coughers!

Oh dear Ff, that's a horrible experience. There's nothing worse.