What was your last concert?

[Bryn]

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....

Though I share Richard's assumed dislike of "marketing", I doubt he would argue too much against "promotion" of his work, or of such concerts as this afternoon's.

[teamsaint]

Though I share Richard's assumed dislike of "marketing", I doubt he would argue too much against "promotion" of his work, or of such concerts as this afternoon's.

I imagine not.

I think there is an interesting (possibly) discussion to be had on this forum around marketing/promoting/selling the arts, music in particular, and how factors such as public subsidy ( where is is available) affect the processes.

[gurnemanz]

lovely review, Beefy. Wish I could have been at one of these concerts.

.

Also fascinated by Beefy's review and the titles of the pieces on his afternoon listening agenda. Zungenentwurzein caught my eye as not making any sense unless a misprint for Zungenentwurzeln, which to me would mean - intriguingly - something like: "The ripping out of tongues by their roots".

[Beef Oven!]

"......... Zungenentwurzein caught my eye as not making any sense unless a misprint for Zungenentwurzel......".

Seems this concert had something for everyone ..........


(the uprooting of tongues, is the reference)

[Bryn]

Also fascinated by Beefy's review and the titles of the pieces on his afternoon listening agenda. Zungenentwurzein caught my eye as not making any sense unless a misprint for Zungenentwurzeln, which to me would mean - intriguingly - something like: "The ripping out of tongues by their roots".

No misprint. It's one of the component pieces of Opening of the Mouth.

[gurnemanz]

No misprint. It's one of the component pieces of Opening of the Mouth.

I just meant that it is spelt with an l not an i as the penultimate letter. http://brahms.ircam.fr/works/work/29984/

[Beef Oven!]

I just meant that it is spelt with an l not an i as the penultimate letter. http://brahms.ircam.fr/works/work/29984/

This sort of thing is much more important than the music or the performance. I wonder how many posts we’ll manage on this.

[Bryn]

I just meant that it is spelt with an l not an i as the penultimate letter. http://brahms.ircam.fr/works/work/29984/

Fair enough. The "i" is found on various listings for the score, e.g. at Presto Classical.

[Beef Oven!]

BeefO's #1393 -

AND - Ms Murakami played the whole piece from memory!!!!!

I’ve only just this minute read your review that you posted about the Leeds gig some days ago!

Interestingly similar in a different kind of way!

We have differing experiences of Adam, though. Interesting that Koerper’s joy seems to have caught us both.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I’ve only just this minute read your review that you posted about the Leeds gig some days ago!

Only this morning, BeefO - the concert was last night.

Interestingly similar in a different kind of way!

Interesting that Koerper’s joy seems to have caught us both.

- and the dancing physicality that you mentioned was a joy itself to watch. In fact, all the young performers' enthusiasm and love of the Music was fantastic: and then they travelled overnight/first thing in the morning in order to perform with equal commitment and enthusiasm in London 24hours later.

[Beef Oven!]

Only this morning, BeefO - the concert was last night.

It’s late, I’ve been up since the crack of dawn!

Well that explains why I missed it - it was this morning and I’ve not caught up with the latest posts!

- and the dancing physicality that you mentioned was a joy itself to watch. In fact, all the young performers' enthusiasm and love of the Music was fantastic: and then they travelled overnight/first thing in the morning in order to perform with equal commitment and enthusiasm in London 24hours later.

Indeed. I’ve just realised, the performers were all quite young!

[Richard Barrett]

I just meant that it is spelt with an l not an i as the penultimate letter.

I don't know why but that typo tends to turn up quite a lot.

Anyway, thanks BeefO and Bryn for going along and to BeefO for the review. I'm very happy to have encountered these performers (and the director of the ensemble Eric Maestri, who is an interesting composer) and look forward to continuing to work with them on future projects.

The attendance seems to have been fairly sparse (around 25 according to my spies). A question for me is how in a populous and supposedly cultured place like London you'd get a fraction of the number of people who came to the same programme in Strasbourg and also fewer than in Leeds. It makes me wonder whether there's much point in going through all the difficulties of organising a London performance at all on a tour like this...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The attendance seems to have been fairly sparse (around 25 according to my spies) ... than in Leeds.

Yes - about forty in the Clothworkers. Good variety of ages, too - from a lad of about 14, through the late teened/early twenties students, up to a few in about their seventies.

[teamsaint]

Jean Sibelius: Karelia Suite
Benjamin Britten: Violin Concerto
Interval
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No.1 in E minor

London Philharmonic Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä conductor
Simone Lamsma violin

RFH London.


Can’t find any reviews of the start of this Sibelius cycle at the RFH last night, and I’m a bit short of time what with having to clear up work before a weeks hols in Wales, so just a few quick thoughts and observations.

The LPO and Vanska got things off to a lively and enjoyable start with a "light on its feet" Karelia Suite. The performance really brought out folk and dance inspired elements in the music, which made you wonder why we don’t hear more performances like this.

The Britten Violin Concerto was the main element of the first part of the concert, the soloist Simone Lamsma, who isn’t really a household name in the UK. She’s not new to the Concerto, apparently,having performed it on some big stages in the US, I think.
In short, I thought it was a performance which, though very enjoyable, rather erred on the side of polite. Lamsma’s playing was brilliant at times, and , as Beef Oven! emphasised in our post concert discussions, really beautiful in the slower sections. It’s a work that demands passion , maybe even at the expense of accuracy though, and somehow was left enjoying ,rather than being swept away by this very special music.

The Sibelius. I’m hoping Beefy! Will post some thoughts on this mesmerising performance. He knows his Sibelius far better than I do, and has much more to draw on. For five minutes, I wasn’t quite sure. There was exceptional coordination is a first movement that was brisk to say the least. And then,it got me, and unlike the Britten , I really was swept away. A performance in which Vanska seemed to say “ This is how I hear this work, and this is what you are going to hear too.” Changes of emphasis and mood, both at the micro and macro level ( within phrases, and the kind of playing demanded in different movements) made this a really electrifying account. On the way out of the hall, the mood was high. Comments like “ You won’t hear it better than that “ abounded.
Vanska clearly holds this music very dear, and this time he made that count. The last time I saw him was that divisive prom, when performances of Sibelius 5 and 6 really did seem to fall rather flat to some of us in the hall. This left me hoping to get back to hear him tackle it again later in this series.
And what a great orchestra he has at his disposal. The LPO really are something special right now.
A lovely mid autumn evening by the Thames, excellent music, good company, a disappointingly modest turn out, and a really terrific musical experience.

Beefy!, please fill in the gaps now !

[Petrushka]

Excellent review, ts. Not sure what else you've left Beefy to add but looking forward to his comments all the same.