What was your last concert?

[Stanfordian]

The production directed by Jonathan Cocker worked very well with Bob Bailey's quite stunningly designed set based on an austere First World War landscape on the Western Front inspired I reckon by paintings of war artist Paul Nash, reminding me especially of his works ‘The Menin Road’ and ‘We are Making a New World’. I'm still writing my review.

This production of 'The Pilgrim’s Progress' wouldn't be out of place if staged by larger international opera companies.

[Jonathan]

It was this morning - the excellent Yevgeny Sudbin playing Scarlatti, Beethoven, Chopin, Scriabin and Saint-Saens trans Liszt / Sudbin in Harrogate. Wonderful concert

[gradus]

The Stour Choral Society performed the Dvorak Stabat Mater last Saturday, something of a rarity that deserves as much attention as for example Rossini's but is scarcely ever performed, perhaps because of it's length. Neglect is such a pity as it has lovely vocal writing and beguiling scoring.

[Edgy 2]

The RNCM made a very good recording of one of their Live performances of the work over twenty years ago - if the recent Live performance was as good, it would have been an evening to remember, to be sure.

It was (Tuesday),I’m not capable of a review,can’t wait to read Stan’s.

https://theartsdesk.com/opera/pilgrim’s-progress-rncm-manchester-review-–-theatrical-triumph

[teamsaint]

The production directed by Jonathan Cocker worked very well with Bob Bailey's quite stunningly designed set based on an austere First World War landscape on the Western Front inspired I reckon by paintings of war artist Paul Nash, reminding me especially of his works ‘The Menin Road’ and ‘We are Making a New World’. I'm still writing my review.

This production of 'The Pilgrim’s Progress' wouldn't be out of place if staged by larger international opera companies.

That looks terrific. I wonder if there was a video made, and if so, will it see the light of day ?

[bluestateprommer]

Heard this concert by the Australian Chamber Orchestra tonight, my first (and probably last) live experience of them. Energetic, quirky at times, sort of maybe a Land Down Under version of Harnoncourt and the CMW, with vibrato minimized (but not totally eliminated). The JSB arrangement even had the orchestra accompanying vocally along with their pizzicati.

[mathias broucek]

Not long back from Japan where I heard the New Japan Phil and Toshiyuki Kamioka do an enterprising program of Mozart Paris, Ravel PC (Claire-Marie Le Guay) and Magnard 4

Nice energetic Mozart with terrific "Mannheim Skyrockets"

The Ravel was good in the outer movements but in the lovely slow movement the soloist's tone wasn't warm or soft enough for my taste and she didn't really convey the long phrases sensitively. I assume this was all deliberate but it was disappointing to my ears.

The Magnard (not quite a Japanese premiere but not far off) was played very well - nice mix of energy and wallow. I heard various "new" details that I've not heard before (I have recordings with S Sanderling, Plasson and Ossonce). If you don't know this work, you should!

Encore was Boieldieu's overture to La Dame blanche. New composer to me - sounded like 3 parts Rossini to 1 part Berlioz. Enjoyable!

Orchestra was good - probably not as good as the very best Japanese orchestras I've heard on record but well up to decent European standards. Concert hall was modern but shoe box rather than wide spread. Audience was younger than is typical in London and VERY well behaved. There was some Gabrieli(?) in the foyer before the concert played by the brass section. Will see if any of the orchestra/conductor's stuff is on Qobuz (Exton is often quite cheap from that source).

[Conchis]

Concert performance of Parsifal Act 3, with the Prelude to Act 1 - Halle Orchestra, Mark Elder, York Minster last night.

Orchestrally impeccable but the soloists' voices were more or less completely lost in the vast spaces (or at least they were from my vantage point, mid-nave).

[Bryn]

Last night at iklectik, John Bowers and Tim Shaw followed by Phill Niblock. An outstanding intermedia event which, with the kind permision of the artists, I recorded the audio component on the little Zoom H3-VR ambisonic recorder. I was extra fortunate in being able to situate the microphone array pretty much dead centre of the 4 large speaker columbs surrounding the audience. I do wish they had started and finished half and hour earlier though. Finishing, as it did, at 10:45 pm, I was unavle to make it to my last bus home, so had to cough up for the last train, instead. I sincerely hope this is not to be the last chance of catching Phil Niblock in performance.

[Tevot]

Hello there,

Our last concert was on Sunday 21st April at The Grand Theatre Hangzhou where we were treated to an all Mahler programme. Quite brave considering the concert began at 7:30 pm and that two of us had school the following morning !! The first half comprised the Ruckert Lieder followed by Revelge and Der Tambourg'sell. The soloist was a bass baritone called Shen Yang who impressed. There were times when the ensemble sounded ragged and under-rehearsed which I suppose was understandable when considering what they had been tasked to do in Part 2 - namely .....

Mahler 6.... with the Andante placed second. At first I wasn't sure about the tempo - first three movements all quicker than some readings - but the slower, deliberate finale gradually grew in power and let the orchestra really show their chops - flawless woodwind and brass to my ears - and a very able and active percussion section too

The conductor was Robert Spano and I thanked him after the concert as he was having a fag outside the Theatre. I wished I'd talked to him more - but it was late and we had an hour's cab drive ahead of us and an eight year old to get to bed...

Luckily we know one of the second violinists - who has lived and performed in New York and played in other bands - so we anticipate going to more Hangzhou Phil concerts - but would now probably choose ones on Fridays or Saturdays and - as family - less lengthy concerts !

The Philadephia Orchestra are doing a gig here in May too. Something to look forward to methinks.

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Bryn]

Further to yesterday evening's response here, I booked on the chance of a good performance, based on the generally good reputation of Explore Ensemble. The promotional material did not specify the actual players. That information had to await the programme leaflet on the night. As soon as I saw that the pianist was to be Siwan Rhis, I felt assured this would go well, having heard her contribution to a performance of For Philip Guston a couple of years ago at St John's, Smith Square. Her companion players last night were Rosa Hartley (violin), Morag Robertson (viola) and Deni Teo (cello). An introductory announcement suggested the performance would last 70 minutes, which implied a rather swift tempo for the work. Fortunately, this was not to be the case. In the event, it lasted around 82 minutes. Slower than the fairly recent Knoop/Orazbayeva/Carey/Lukoszevieze recording but rather swifter than the HCMF performance by John Tilbury and members of the Smith Quartet captured on audio DVD by Matchless Recordings. Given the comparative acoustics of the City University Performance Space, and that of St. Paul's in which the Huddersfield performance was given, the pace seemed to me to be well suited. Given that this was a live performance (no patching), the very occasional infelicity was to be expected and accepted. A most rewarding evening. I'm just sorry I did not register for the full Again and Again conference at which the work was discussed in detail.

A useful analysis of the work can be found here.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Many thanks for the review, Bryn - I hadn't realized that members of the Explore Ensemble were involved - I'd've been even more envious! One of the best performing groups around - with distractfold, my favourites of the many excellent New Music Ensembles that have emerged in recent(-ish) years.

[Bryn]

City University Performance Space again tonight. This time some 17 World premieres and a few brief classic 'new music' items played by Ian Pace. 16 of the premieres constituted a 30th birthday set commissioned from 30 composers in celebration of Grace Hom's starting her fourth decade. The 17th was rather larger in scale, Sam Hayden's "Becomings (Das Werden) I - VII. Ian was on top form, giving a barn-storming performance.

[gurnemanz]

Great evening at the Anvil, Basingstoke, last Friday. The first time we have seen Mirga and easy to see why people are so enthused. It was a very good concert and a rewarding occasion including aptly chosen encores from soloist and orchestra. We had the formidable Denis Kozhukhin standing for an indisposed Yuja Wang in Prokofiev's 5th PC. Tombeau de Couperin and Brahms 2 also came across beautifully in the Anvil's exemplary acoustic. Review here. CBSO is setting out on a European tour. Audiences are in for a treat.

[Zucchini]

PatKop Mirga G-T/CBSO @ Symphony Hall

A full house. PatKop put her music on the stand, dropped a pile of newspapers on the floor, kicked her slippers off and was ready to go (Tchaikovsky VC).
Mirga looked and smiled from the podium, waited then with perfect timing kicked off her own shoes and we were away.

The energy, drive and technical certainty of PatKop's performance was breathtaking. The huge ovation that followed the close of the first movement was richly deserved and inevitable. How Mirga stayed with her, how the CBSO stayed with Mirga I don't know.

The encore: John Cage's speech quartet performed by PatKop, Mirga & two from the orchestra - with the newspapers. Great fun.

Before we had Weinberg's Rhapsody on Moldavian themes, displaying all the beauties and power of Mirga's magnificent machine.

Lastly a complete performance of the Firebird, Mirga keeping wonderful transparency throughout. Off stage trumpets blazing sent us all away feeling better!

Brilliant programming, brilliant performance.