What was your last concert?

[Beef Oven!]

Paavo Järvi conductor
Samuel Coles flute
Haydn, Symphony No. 100, Military
Nielsen, Flute Concerto
Nielsen, Symphony No. 5

A first outing for my winter coat yesterday, and a first visit of the season to the warming hub of the Southbank. I thought this looked an interesting programme, and with a big hitter like Nielsen 5 it seemed like a good restorative after a busy days work in London.
The Southbank was uncharacteristically quiet last night, bars and seating areas all very empty, and sadly this was on the back of poor ticket sales. In fact customers walking up to buy on the night were offered really good front stalls tickets for £12, which is superb value. It can’t have helped the turnout much though, as the rear stalls and balcony were sparsely populated at best, and the front stalls had plenty of students who presumably had gone for the £12 option. The RFH really need to sort their ticketing for less popular events. Decent value upgrades to good seats must surely be part of the mix.
I missed the pre concert talk by Stephen Johnson, sadly, but then the SBC website is SO slow, lots of people probably miss lots of things they would like to see.
Anyway, music. The Haydn was great to my ears. The strings seemed to make a real attempt to keep their tone light, in all but the full throttle passages. They were led in this by Guest Principal Gregory Ahss, who led by example. He really threw himself into his role, mobile, enthusiastic, and working hard with Jarvi. Jarvi’s likeable style seems perfect for Haydn, and he looked fully committed to a fine performance. The Valveless trumpets did a good job, and got a nice cheer for their efforts.

The Nielsen Concerto was I imagine the least well known work on the programme. It’s a fascinating work, which somehow gives the impression of being a demonstration of how to compose a concerto with a chamber sized orchestra, whilst giving opportunities to shine to as many orchestra members as possible. Not sure I have really got my head round this work, but the ever shifting combinations of instruments and rhythmic patterns worked well, and Samuel Coles, reading from the music, gave a fine performance, and looked to be enjoying the experience.Nice work from the timps, guest Principal Antoine Sigure, which is so important in this work. Very enjoyable indeed, and I think it will have won a few people over to the work.

Nielsen 5 was undoubtedly the big draw of the night. Big orchestras are made for works like this, and the Phiharmonia ( what a well turned out bunch they are, not least principal second Violin Tamas Sandor, fresh from winning a shiny shoes competition) seemed somehow a touch more comfortable in the full- on opportunities of one of the heavyweights of the repertoire. I thought this was an excellent performance, carrying one off into Nielsen’s world with style and power. Superb moments all the way through, but the end of the Tempus Giusto was an exquisite highlight. The side drum interventions were all you want, and the timing of the offstage passage sounded perfect.
It wasn’t quite “blow your socks off” stuff, but it wasn’t far off, and Jarvi generously let the orchestra take most of the credits.

A fine evenings entertainment for my money, and one that would certainly help to convert people to Nielsen’s music, and from comments I overheard from one satisfied customer,at least one Nielsen novice will be back for more.

Edit: all the technical details from the excellent and ever reliable IGI here, I see :

https://bachtrack.com/review-nielsen-haydn-jarvi-coles-philharmonia-london-november-2015

( do these guys use a note pad?)

Many thanks for an interesting and highly informative review

As you know, I miscalculated that this gig was taking place next Thursday! Gutted I missed the chance of £12 front stalls tickets

I must listen to the concerto. I have heard it less than a handful of times.

[Beef Oven!]

Stockhausen:
aus den sieben Tagen

New America Ensemble
Musikbunker Aachen
(Rehmannstrasse)
Friday November 13th 20.00
A performance changed by the Paris attacks

Welcome back, Roehre.

Your post is tantalising, on many levels - please tell us more

[DublinJimbo]

A wonderful song recital on Wednesday in the Municipal Gallery in Dublin, given by Benjamin Appl and Gary Matthewman. Songs and operatic arias by Schumann, Poulenc, Hahn, Mendelssohn, Britten, Wolf, Schubert, Strauss, Mozart and Wagner. Benjamin had been here also in September, performing Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. Reaction to that appearance had been wildly enthusiastic, and it was on the strength of what I'd heard from others about it that convinced me to go to the recital.

Benjamin Appl is a wonderful singer, a baritone who was Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's final pupil. He is very much a well-rounded performer, not just gifted with a beautiful voice but fully immersed inside what he sings. Facial expressions, gestures, presence, charisma: this young man has it all. He was here under the auspices of Music Network and is touring seven venues around the country. He and his accompanist are also giving two masterclasses while here.

It really was a tremendous evening. I was with a group of friends and we were mesmerised from the very first note of the very first song (Shumann's Widmung). Benjamin Appl is an extraordinary talent. A name to remember.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Just back from an amazing concert in Truro by Trio con Brio of Copenhagen, as featured in In Tune one evening I believe though I missed it. Very decent 1st half (Bridge Phantasie, Mendelssohn Trio No 1) but absolutely scalding performance of the Tchaikovsky Trio in A minor in 2nd half.

I'd heard the work once before live a long time ago and have it on CD, but had never cottoned on to the vivid grief at the death of Nicholas Rubinstein that it conveys, in this perf at least.

They have just recorded it apparently.

[teamsaint]

Anvil Basingstoke.
BSO/Gerstein/ Sinaisky.
Beethoven PC 4 and Elgar Symphony # 2
November 27.

A repeat of the programme from the R3 broadcast earlier in the week from the Lighthouse Poole.

You would have thought this programme and a Friday night would have brought the punters out in droves, but It wasn’t the case. Lots of empty seats, which rather surprised me. I still think the ticketing policy errs on the expensive side at the Anvil, but maybe the Elgar doesn’t have big pulling power.
Gerstein has a winning demeanour, and played the Beethoven with plenty of obvious communication with the orchestra , and a clear intention towards sensitivity. He has quicksilver fingers and the piece had an enjoyable bounce to it in many places. Overall it felt a little underpowered and a little polite if anything, and I found myself wondering if he is perhaps happier in other kinds of repertoire. Interestingly, after a really rapturous reception for the Concerto, he treated us to an encore of a Bach 3 part invention in Eb, and this really seemed to be to his taste, throwing himself into its delicate tracery. I’ll be interested to see what else he tends to perform, as I’m not familiar with his work.

The Elgar got rather different treatment. Sinaisky, never afraid to give very precise instructions, gave this the full treatment I felt. Sounds were full powered and luxurious,although from my position close to the first violins, the strings did seem to over power some of the other sections, and even the brass in the second movement seemed a little in need of extra weight. Nonetheless, this was a moving performance, with evident care from the conductor, beautifully engineered movement endings, and a fully engaged performance from the BSO. The acoustic seemed particularly helpful and friendly for this performance,possibly down to a few more empty seats than usual. Not quite such a big ovation for the Elgar, and a “ Bravo” idiot trashed the ending, but the audience set off into the autumn gloom well entertained and happy enough with another excellent installment in a fine Anvil season.

[gradus]

Last Friday I went to hear the Diabelli Vars played by and subsequently lectured on by Mitsuko Uchida at the West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge. She is the Humanitas Professor and is giving 3 lecture/recitals. If you're near Cambridge don't miss the next one in the Spring of 2016, she is a bewitching performer and an entertaining and very well informed lecturer. One hell of a good evening out.
A tremendous performance of what must be at the pinnacle of Beethoven's piano compositions. Such extraordinary creative imagination and difficult to think of a work that prefigures so much of what was to follow for the piano.

[pastoralguy]

Caro Emerald. Usher Hall. Edinburgh.

Absolutely fantastic. Very slick and professional. Superb music making from Caro and her outstanding band.

[Conchis]

Orchestra of Opera North at Huddersfield Town Hall last night - Richard Farnes is stepping down as conductor after the Ring later this year and this was his farewell to Huddersfield. I'm glad to say, it seemed to be well-attended.

Lutoslawski's Concerto For Orchestra was the first item on the programme and I enjoyed it far more than I expected to: I have a recording, which has never caught my imagination but I think 'seeing' works like this being performed definitely works better than just hearing them.

The main item was Mahler's 1st Symphony and it was an excellent performance, despite a couple of moments when the lead trumpet seemed to go a bit awry.

I'm so glad that ON continues to visit this culturally impoverished (and that's official) town. Farnes has been a dynamo at the company and his successor has some big boots to fill.

[Bryn]

AMM at Cafe OTO tonight. Eddie Prevost, Keith Rowe and John Tilbury. Just like the good new days. Earlier in the evening there was an interview/discussion with all three on the history and aesthetics of the AMM approach to improvisation. Mics aplenty in evidence, so a CD is pretty much sure to follow.

Shamefully, Radio 3 did not record the AMM improvisation which closed the HCMF last Sunday.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Shamefully, Radio 3 did not record the AMM improvisation which closed the HCMF last Sunday.

"Shamefully" is right - that was a superb conclusion to a great festival: my first encounter with AMM, their Music-making and the sheer elation it created has lodged itself into my memory.

(I really must fill in this Thread with a Huddersfield summary ...

[MrGongGong]

(I really must fill in this Thread with a Huddersfield summary ...

Were you at the La Monte Young?
One of the greatest performances I have ever been to.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Were you at the La Monte Young?
One of the greatest performances I have ever been to.

No - one of the many I'm kicking myself for having missed.

[zola]

This could have easily been posted on the "refusing Mahler 10" thread since it is about the concert last night at the Barbican with the LSO playing the four movement version of Bruckner 9 conducted by Daniel Harding. I found it to be a convincing and satisfying performance, though maybe there were a few nay sayers since there was a smattering of applause after the third movement, including from a rather chastened bravo man, which indicated that perhaps they thought it should have ended there ? On the other hand they may have not bothered to read the programme or the schedule which made it clear that it was the four movement version that was to be performed ( there was no other inter movement applause during the concert )

First half of the concert featured a fine performance of Beethoven's third piano concerto by Maria Joao Pires. An encore featured a four hands performance by Pires and Harding, anyone else present able to identify this ?

Found a review. Encore was a transcription of Grieg's Solveig's Song. I also did not realise that last night was a UK première of the four movement version ?

http://www.theartsdesk.com/classical-music/pires-lso-harding-barbican

[Richard Tarleton]

To St David's Hall, Cardiff for a most enjoyable Sunday afternoon concert of Strauss and Mahler by the Orchestra of WNO under Lothar Koenigs - Don Juan, Four Last Songs and Mahler 4. Booking late, we ended up in the front row near the back desks of the first violins, which was not a bad place to be. Terrific orchestral playing, fine soloists - the WNO Orch's concerts have been the go-to concerts for me in Cardiff in recent years. I hadn't seen Rebecca Evans for 20 years - last time it was as Sophie, I see from the programme that she's got a Marschallin coming up. She sang beautifully, a deeply-felt 4LS and a lighter Mahler 4. On the 4LS - Maestro Koenigs was mouthing the words, and I swear I could hear him a couple of times - I thought Ms Evans (clearly under the impression it was for soprano alone) shot him an anxious glance near the start. But a lovely performance.

To the gentleman in C22, along from us - it's nice to wait for the final reverberations of the harp to fade away at the end of M4 before applauding, impressed as we are that you know it's the end - singer and conductor were visibly jolted out of their reverie, and you were a bit quick after Im Abendrot as well.

[HighlandDougie]

Sir Simon's LSO French-fest at the Barbican last night. I was sitting away to one side but was agreeably surprised at how little detail I lost. I thought that it was a really excellent concert: an imaginative programme, excellent playing from the orchestra and from Leonidas Kavakos. The soprano in the exquisite Delage songs sounded like a young Leontyne Price (she would be perfectly suited for Barber's Knoxville). Metaboles was a stand-out performance. The Daphnis was, for me, a bit of a bonus as I went to the concert mainly for the Dutilleux and the Delage songs. Well worth catching up on I-Player (and it was being filmed although I don't think by the BBC. Sold out which was also really encouraging for what was slightly left-field, programme-wise.