What was your last concert?

[jean]

...I've just been to the last of 3 RLPO concerts in 12 days, a great sequence which, following on from the above concluded tonight with - yes, that award-winner again, DSCH 10, as brilliant, tragic and defiantly positive as they've ever played it. Palpable warmth between conductor - hand literally on his heart at the end - and audience...

I was at all three, too, and all very fine in their way - but last night's was I think the best Shostakovich + Petrenko that I have yet heard.

Extraordinary too that after such a long and (it must have been for them) exhausting concert, we got an encore - a bit of Mastersingers to calm us down.

Part one gave us the Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto with Achucarro...

He seemed thrilled to be back here, didn't he?

I wonder how many people in last night's audience were there too in 1959, as I was, to see him win the Liverpool International Competition:


“It was one of the turning points of my life,” says Joaquín Achúcarro, who returns to the Philharmonic Hall this week to play Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto with the RLPO and Vasily Petrenko.

“Goodness me, how much did I want to win that competition! A few months before, I’d been in London for the first time and I saw the four steps that lead to the stage of the Festival Hall.

“And in that trip I learned the winner of the Liverpool competition would climb those steps.”

Still a shame about those coughs...

Yes, I really wouldn't be prepared to say how genuine they are, but have these people never heard of handkerchieves?

[gingerjon]

Went to see this Schoenberg celebration at the Royal Academy of Music - part of their Tuesday series of free concerts.

The singing by sopranos Jennifer France and Sofia Larsson was pretty damn amazing & the playing by the Artesian Quartet (final year students) just perfect. I wasn't convinced by the first couple of movements of the String Quartet - didn't seem to be the same piece to me - but the final two movements bring it all together. A very nice way to spend a Tuesday lunchtime.

[amateur51]

Last Thursday, Christoph von Dohnanyi conducted the Philharmonia in a programme of Mozart piano concerto no 27 in B flat, K.595 with Martin Helmchen, and Bruckner symphony no 8 in C minor (Haas edition).

First things first, I was sitting in the balcony (good sound, cheap seats) and I was amazed at the acreage of empty seats. The orchestra was pared down for the Mozart, vioins arranged antiphonally, something I've noticed von Dohnanyi doing recently in Mozart and it paid dividends, giving the music plenty of scope and space. I've not seen Helmchen 'live' before and my radio impression that he was sometimes a tad diffident was put into context positively; he played as tho involved in chamber music, quite wonderful and witty.

For the Bruckner the orchestra doubled in size (at least - 3 harps!) and from the start von Dohnanyi (83 in September 2012) was in control, getting a very hushed opening just right. There were so many magical moments, a particularly swift scherzo, and wonderfl playing from brass & woodwind and some cracking timps, that it was very sad to notice that there were no microphones present. The finale movement can outstay its welcome in my experience after its initial drama, just because it seems such a long time to sit still, but conductor and orchestra managed to sustain interest through variation and crucial attention to dynamics so that its episodic nature seemed to create a wonderful whole in this performance.

Such a shame they didn't record it for the orchestra's Signum label but the memory will linger, I'm sure

[french frank]

Last night in our local church hall :

Before booking I sort of misread the programme which I thought was to be just The Art of Fugue. But the first half was some Bach pieces, arr. W. Kempff, followed by Beethoven's Sonata in A, Op 101.

The second half was therefore, disappointingly, only a curtailed Art of Fugue - Contrapuncti I-X.

The bonus was that the pianist - Ms Hewitt - took us through each of the fugues first, demonstrating what had been done to the original theme each time. Attentive silence for, I would guess, 20-25 minutes.

She said that the AoF wasn't often performed in concert and I rather got the impression that she felt 70 minutes of it would have been too much for us in one go.

I'm delighted to say that the church hall was pretty well packed (unless there were empty seats under the gallery which I couldn't see). And Ms Hewitt got the usual hammering on the floor along with the applause to indicate approbation. Next April she will be back to continue with a few more contrapuncti (contrapunctibus?).

[amateur51]

I went to the Royal Academy of Music in London last Thursday morning to attend a masterclass given by the legendary Alfred Brendel. It was to be Brendel's first visit to RAM in 25 years and as I first attended a Brendel masterclass in 1972 I was greatly looking forward to it.

Alnmost inevitably (he'll be 82 in January 2013) Brendel was unable to attend through a sudden illness - he cancelled within 24 hours of the class apparently but Prof Joanna MacGregor, Head of Piano at RAM, promised us that he would be back on 15 February 2013 to give a Barbirolli lecture and to another masterclass - fingers crossed

However we were not to be sent out into the Marylebone autumn sunshine empty-handed. MacGregor had arranged for the three pianists who had been hand-picked by Brendel to work with him in the masterclass to give us a concert of the pieces that they'd been planning to play for him . Great stuff

First up was Daniel Lebhardt, at 19 a relatively young pianist, the first to study at RAM apparently. He won a 4-year scholarship for the Bachelor of Music (BMus) programme of the RAM in 2010. He gave a very intense and beautifully prepared account of Beethoven piano sonata in G op. 31 no 1. I recall Brendel playing this many times in concert and each time the slow movement has reminded me of a nervous gymnast/tight-rope walker and Lebhardt certainly echoed this quality in his performance. His trills were immaculate and the whole performsace was very well-prepared structurally and well projected.

Next up was a total contrast in Karim Said, a 20-year old Jordanian student who has had a lot more concert experience it appears. He played Schoenberg Three Pieces for piano op.11 with a rapt attention and a sense of wonder that was very involving - you could hear a pin drop. He demonstrated clear articulation and a sense of mischief that made his performance very winning.

http://www.karimsaid.com/about.html

Finally we were treated to Schubert Wanderer Fantasy D.760 from Florian Mitrea a 24 year-old Romanian already with extensive concert experience to judge from his website. He already has a significant and confident presence on-stage and the playing was very clean and full of thought about creating a whole out of the piece. He could play powerfully and quietly as and when required and was able to generate considerable power without banging. His pedalling was thoughtful throughout.

http://florianmitrea.com/

All-in-all a glimpse at some remarkable pianistic talent on the verge of public attention. I'd certainly be happy to pay good money to hear any of them again

PS: I've just managed to 'break' a feeling that I'd seen Karim Said before. As he walked on-stage I felt my face smiling in recognition, but how could that be?

Here he is at 3:20 in a conducting masterclass devoted to Brahms symphony no 3 discussing how to achieve a true pianissimo with Bernard Haitink

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjMyx06nR5M

[Nick Armstrong]

Was hoping for feedback on your concerts, two great reviews, Amster!! Busy and musical week, caning the old Freedom Pass!

[Don Petter]

A concert at the Norden Farm Centre near Maidenhead, given by Mark Bebbington.

To give him the benefit of the doubt, the Steinway was rather much for the small square auditorium, at least it was as he played it.

He performed a Haydn sonata as if it was Beethoven, with not much delicacy, and then, most disappointingly, the Schubert D960 sonata with very little pianissimo or subtlety.

The second half, with five pieces by Ireland (a speciality of MB), was much more successful, and the two final Liszt arrangements, Wagner's Liebestod and Verdi's Rigoletto Quartet, were dispensed with much bravura and he seemed much more in his element with these.

An enjoyable evening, nonetheless, and a relatively rare live concert for me and my other half. It is all too easy to be so familiar with a host of recorded performances that we become detached from the real thing.

[MrGongGong]

Just been to hear Anthony Hewitt starting his complete Beethoven sonatas project at the Ulverston Coronation hall

[AjAjAjH]

I was at the Bridgewater Hall last Thursday evening.

Prelude and Liebestod from Wagner's 'Trinstan and Isolde'.
Bruckner's 4th Symphony.
Catherine Foster - Soprano.
Halle Orchestra. Conductor Marcus Stenz.

I am not really in a position to comment on the Wagner as my favourite seat is behind the orchestra, over the horns and at times to me Ms Foster was 'drowned out'.
However I love the Prelude to 'T&I' and the Liebestod with or without a soloist.

Marcus Stenz, in his 3rd year as 'Principal Guest Conductor' of the Halle followed last season's cracking performance of Bruckner's 5th Symphony with an outstanding perfomance of the 4th Symphony. The principal horn, quite rightly, received a tremendous ovation. In this symphony the horns, particularly the principal horn, are very exposed yet no split notes or fluffed entries in this performance. This symphony also requires intricate interplay between various sections and instuments of the orchestra and everything seemed to me to be carried off with great panache.

What also stood out was the obvious enjoyment of both conductor and orchestra in playing this fine symphony. Marcus Stenz is clearly an asset.
In his time as PGC, I have heard him conduct, amongst others, 2 Times 4* Mahler performances (2nd and 4th) and 2 terrific Bruckner performances and he clearly loves what he is doing.

[Roslynmuse]

I was there too, and thought that the orchestra produced a remarkable range of colours, subtle shades, especially in the strings. Incidentally the soprano wasn't Catherine Foster (indisposed) but Irene Theorin. From mid-stalls she floated pretty effortlessly over the orchestra. My personal feeling about that Bruckner was that it needed a slightly more patient unfolding (especially in the first movement) but it isn't a piece I know well and on a different day with a different heart-rate I might feel differently. The third mt was considerably faster than I'm used to hearing (but maybe no bad thing). It did remind me a bit in places of the Scherzo of Tchaikovsky's Little Russian at that tempo! I also wished Stenz's gestures could be more economical and precise - ensemble sometimes faltered. I have to admit to finding Bruckner hard work, but I was more convinced by this than (for example) Mena's No 6 with the BBCPO.

[french frank]

Viktoria Mullova in the church hall last night (not bad - Angela Hewitt last Saturday and V Mullova last night!): packed hall, including some quite young children in the front rows of the gallery, and pin-drop silence from them during the playing.

The first CD I bought of the Sonatas & Partitas was Arthur Grumiaux's, which I haven't listened to for ages. It was superseded by the super-HIPP John Holloway version which is regularly played chez moi. Mullova's Bach was refined and delicate, with more of the molto espressivo, especially in dynamics (particularly, some very soft passages), and some moderate vibrato. It was spell-binding stuff - just a matter of taste that I think I prefer a rather gutsier, strict tempo, Bach.

[For amateur's benefit: the number was a slim-fitting black-and-white zebra pattern gown, with flat Jesus sandals.]

Sonata No 1
Partita No 3
Partita No 2

played from the score.

[amateur51]

Viktoria Mullova in the church hall last night (not bad - Angela Hewitt last Saturday and V Mullova last night!): packed hall, including some quite young children in the front rows of the gallery, and pin-drop silence from them during the playing.

The first CD I bought of the Sonatas & Partitas was Arthur Grumiaux's, which I haven't listened to for ages. It was superseded by the super-HIPP John Holloway version which is regularly played chez moi. Mullova's Bach was refined and delicate, with more of the molto espressivo, especially in dynamics (particularly, some very soft passages), and some moderate vibrato. It was spell-binding stuff - just a matter of taste that I think I prefer a rather gutsier, strict tempo, Bach.

[For amateur's benefit: the number was a slim-fitting black-and-white zebra pattern gown, with flat Jesus sandals.]

Sonata No 1
Partita No 3
Partita No 2

played from the score.

Many thanks for this review french frank. It sounds to have been a wonderful evening.

As evidenced by last evening's concert, I understand that Ms Mullova chooses her outfit for a rather more wide-ranging and eclectic audience than just me but thankyou for the Cardusian reference

[Osborn]

ff: good review of Angela Hewitt here.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/oct/21/angela-hewitt-bach-fugues-review

Imaginative to use an iPad as automatic page turner

[Bryn]

Two concerts at the weekend, both of which I recorded:

Saturday's was the Cage Song Books at Toynbee Studios

http://www.remotegoat.co.uk/event_view.php?uid=160782

Very different from the performance by many of the same players at Cafe Oto, earlier in the year. This was closer to a normal concert situation, though there were shades of the Scratch Orchestra's Pilgrimage form Scattered Points on the Surface of the Body to the Brain, the Inner Ear, the Heart and the Stomach at the QEH in 1970 as performers moved out into the audience. I don't think anyone made a video record of the performance, which is a pity. It had a strong visual component integrated with the superb aural aspect.

On Sunday it was an truly barnstorming performance by Jonathan Powell of Messiaen's Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jésus on the Steinway baby at the Schott recital room in Great Marlborough Street. It was quite incredible what Jonathan drew from that instrument. The piano stool was its usual squeaky self (must remember to take a bar of soap and the appropriate size of Allen key to try and sort it next time), and Jonathan was a vocal as ever, but neither distracted much from his outstanding performance of the work. Look out Steven Osborne! How I wish I had been able to get to Oxford last Friday when Jonathan performed the work at the Jacqueline Du Pre Music Building, on a rather superior instrument.

[amateur51]

ff: good review of Angela Hewitt here.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/oct/21/angela-hewitt-bach-fugues-review

Imaginative to use an iPad as automatic page turner

Thanks for this, Osborn.

A friend went to hear her play this programme (I think) at London's Royal Festival Hall and reported that there was a surprisingly small audience - he was upstairs and thus couldn't judge the size of the entire hall. Perhaps Ms Hewitt is right about the 'boring' bit as far as audiences are concerned?

I was very taken with her notion of using an iPad as an up-to-the-minute aid. With its backlight illumination, I wonder what Sviatoslav Richer, who habitually insisted on the hall lights being turned right down so that the score & keyboard were the only areas illuminated by an angle-poise lamp,would have made of the iPad?