Originally posted by Richard Barrett
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What was your last concert?
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Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra at Leeds Town Hall on Saturday - Borodin's Polovstian Dances, Sibelius Violin Concerto (Jennifer Pike) and Tchaikovsky 5. All very enjoyable.
According to his wikipedia page, conductor Vladimir Fedoseyev is a prominent Russian anti-semite but he looked terribly benign on the podium.
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Originally posted by Zucchini View PostConchis. How was Jennifer P? She seems to be drawing much admiration these days and I was wondering to hear her Sibelius next Wed
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Originally posted by Conchis View PostI thought she was OK, but not outstanding. But country miles better than Jack Tieback in the same concerto in Birmingham a couple of weeks back.
I was at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester on Sunday for the BBC Phil concert conducted by Juanjo Mena. Jennifer Pike in the Sibelius concerto was underwhelming, curiously detached. The performances of the Elgar In the South (Alassio) and the Walton Symphony No.1 were quite outstanding.
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At the RFH last night for the London debut of Lucas Debargue playing Mozart piano concerto no 24. Individual without being eccentric, undeniably a rewarding musician whose background and approach may lead to somewhat variable results over a career perhaps but should always be worth following. The LPO had a period oriented approach in their accompaniment to the Mozart which was a follow on from their opener with Haydn's Apothecary overture. After the interval, Jurowski gave a darker than usual interpretation of Mahler's 4th.
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My last concert was last Friday. The Belgrade Philharmonic under Mikhail Jurowski (father of Vladimir) played a new rather uninteresting work by local composer Zoran Erić, Prokofiev's 3rd symphony, which is a favourite of mine among his works, and, most memorably, Shostakovich's 2nd Cello Concerto (with the young Russian cellist Alexander Ramm). Can it really be that I hadn't heard this piece before? This seems unlikely, but the music was completely unfamiliar to me. I was completely transfixed by it, and am looking forward to getting to know it better. What do people here make of it?
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Originally posted by Richard Barrett View PostMy last concert was last Friday. The Belgrade Philharmonic under Mikhail Jurowski (father of Vladimir) played a new rather uninteresting work by local composer Zoran Erić, Prokofiev's 3rd symphony, which is a favourite of mine among his works, and, most memorably, Shostakovich's 2nd Cello Concerto (with the young Russian cellist Alexander Ramm). Can it really be that I hadn't heard this piece before? This seems unlikely, but the music was completely unfamiliar to me. I was completely transfixed by it, and am looking forward to getting to know it better. What do people here make of it?
This page lists all recordings of Cello Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 126 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–75).
I have the DG Rostropovich/BSO/Ozawa version, and the new recording did not displace my affection for it.Last edited by Pulcinella; 16-10-16, 15:08.
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Originally posted by Pulcinella View PostI have the DG Rostropovich/BSO/Ozawa version, and the new recording did not displace my affection for it.
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Vladimir Jurowski and the LPO last night at the RFH gave us a fascinating concert, starting with Stravinky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments and Aldous Huxley Variations. This was followed by Bernt Alois Zimmermann's Violin concerto with Thomas Zehetmair as soloist, and after the interval came Henze's 7th Symphony.
A fairly daunting programme, it's true, but I was saddened to find the hall only half full. Jurowski introduced each work in his usual elegant fashion. He was particularly good when describing the Stravinsky works which were only ones I knew quite well. The LPO winds were superb, in fact the performance seemed much more persuasive than the recordings I have.
The Zimmermann was very well played by Zehetmair, sometimes drowned by the very loud and percussive orchestration, but he obviously knows the work well. I'm tempted to buy his CD performance
Finally came the extraordinary Henze. I would need many more hearings of this work which teems with invention, perhaps almost exhaustingly so.
All in all the evening was a real workout for the ears and the imagination.
Unfortunately there were an awful lot of sealions in the audience. If they can't concentrate why do they pay good money to attend?
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Originally posted by Richard Barrett View PostShostakovich's 2nd Cello Concerto.... Can it really be that I hadn't heard this piece before? This seems unlikely, but the music was completely unfamiliar to me. I was completely transfixed by it, and am looking forward to getting to know it better. What do people here make of it?
I've got a very good off-air recording of Alisa Weilerstein and the BBC Scottish and Rafael Payare about a year ago in Glasgow (this is a review of another concert in the run https://bachtrack.com/review-shostak...o-october-2015). Haven't heard the new Decca recording she has made - I've made a note to do so.
But indeed, the Rostro/Ozawa is pretty exemplary"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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Originally posted by Caliban View PostI've got a very good off-air recording of Alisa Weilerstein and the BBC Scottish and Rafael Payare about a year ago in Glasgow... Haven't heard the new Decca recording she has made - I've made a note to do so.
But indeed, the Rostro/Ozawa is pretty exemplary
Originally posted by Richard Barrett View Post... the clockwork machinery that also turns up in the 4th and 15th symphonies but which here seems to have a differently inscrutable function; and so on...
Also very striking in the Alisa Weilerstein recording I thought, was a cello and bass drum passage in 1st movement sounding eerily like an execution.
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This afternoon.
Richard Barrett: A Portrait
St John’s Smith Square, London.
performed by ‘Ensemble Imaginaire’
the light gleams an instant 1989-96 - solo piano. Mixime Springer, piano
Zungenentwurzein 1996-97 - electronic music
fold - 2012-16 - soprano saxophone solo. Philippe Koerper, saxophone
Katasterismoi 1998-99 - electronic music
dying words II 2013 - voice/flute. Keiko Murakami
epiphyte 2016 - electronic music
interference 2000 - voice/bass drum/contrabass clarinet solo
A blistering opening piece with the soloist furiously pouring out what felt like thousands of higher notes with the right hand, while the left hand creates what RB describes as a ‘fast forward’ movement that almost completely avoids the upper part of the keyboard. I found it extremely engaging and I have to say, unique. I can only guess at how hard it must be for Maxime Springer to master it.
How do you follow such an explosive opener? I guess you don’t really. This is where alternating between acoustic and fixed-media electronic pieces really works (I love this format - right up my street!). I can’t really put this piece into my own words, so I’ll use RB’s! “ ....an extended contemplation of the work of Paul Celan. Its sounds are suggestive of visceral processes, of microscopic internal workings of the body magnified to disturbing proportions.” I found it most absorbing and a real step-change from the electronic music that I’m accustomed to (read Stockhausen!).
In the next piece, Philippe Koerper’s virtuosity was astonishing. IMV, a very athletic piece, matched by very athletic body language from PK - bobbing, weaving, swaying, jerking with the music. He seemed to become emotionally and physically inextricable with the music he was playing. And you don’t have to be a musician to know that the mouth, breathing, blowing and incredible finger work was of the highest order.
More electronic music followed in the form of ‘Katasterismoi’ which continued to confirm in my mind that RB’s electronic music is original and up there with the acoustic material. Next up was dying words II. It was mesmerising watching and hearing Keiko Murakami melding vocals and flute. Very interesting and challenging piece for solo flute and voice, which the soloist clearly loves. She took the applause at the conclusion of the piece with elation in her eye and returned for a bit more applause with a huge smile! We’re all human! This, the second piece in a series of three for a vocalist/flautist, we are informed will eventually form part of a larger ensemble work.
epiphyte was the electronic music that preceded the final piece, interference. Adam Starkie did a great job, but I couldn’t help comparing him in my mind’s eye and ear to the astonishing Carl Rosman, which detracted from my enjoyment of the piece, somewhat. Nevertheless, an excellent conclusion to a wonderful programme.
Bryn of this parish, in conversation with Ms Murakami after the performance, asked how she had got into RB’s music and the answer was uplifting. She said that in her teaching duties, her students had picked out his music and brought it to her attention. Maybe the future’s bright after all!
All in all a very enjoyable afternoon of music. I wish there were more events like this.
Excellent programme notes by RB, giving the music's intellectual context, a good 28% of which I understood.
I can’t help feeling though that someone (I don’t know who it might be) needs to get their finger out and publicise these things a bit more. I only found out late on, and although intimate audiences are enjoyable, we should be aiming for the stars.
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lovely review, Beefy. Wish I could have been at one of these concerts.
the future IS bright. Fact.
As for marketing and sales in the arts ( not sure RB would like this approach, IIRC " marketing " isn't one his favourite words)....ah well, lets be generous, and put it down to the inevitable issues around " resources".
Although I wouldn't say that is always the case....I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
I am not a number, I am a free man.
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