What was your last concert?

[Flosshilde]

Sorry about that, though I'd still like to know.

Sorry - wasn't really ticking you off, I'm quite happy to wander off on deviations, but it seemed to me that this thread is less open to that than most. On the other hand, as it's not a 'discussion' thread, perhaps it doesn't matter if it deviates, as someone will come along before long & post a note about their latest concert attendance.

[davehsug]

Victoria Hall Stoke this evening. Philharmonia & Ashkanazy. Berlioz, Betarice & Bendict - skilfully played. Beethoven viloin concerto - Beautifully done by Valeriy Sokolov, absolute clarity & tone, orchestra great but overall seemed to lack pace & direction & took nearly 50 minutes to play. Berloiz Symphonie Fantastique - thrilling is the only word. I know it's meant to do that, but they achieved in spades. Bit of a squeeze on stage but well worth it for the precision & emotion in the playing. Terrific concert.

[Simon B]

Earlier this evening (Saturday) at the Barbican. BBCSO and chorus, Gerald Finley (not Donkey as predictive text on my "smart"phone is trying to insist!) conducted by Ed Gardner. Ended with a stotter of a Walton Belshazzar's Feast to close an interesting programme. (Britten Sinfonia da Requiem, Sibelius songs, suite from Sibelius's Belshazzar's Feast and then the Walton). Every work was given a "real" performance - no dutiful run-throughs here...

The intelligence and insightful artistry of Finley was much in evidence in the Sibelius songs, and fears that his relatively moderately powered voice (compared with the Bryn bellow that sets the mark in this for me) wouldn't make enough impact in the Walton were mostly unfounded in the immediate acoustic of the Barbican. Certainly the most lyrical rendering of the baritone part I've heard, but every word was invested with meaning.

The only slight fly in the ointment was placing the offstage bands in the balcony, leaving them a bit inaudible and slightly delayed when they were. BBCSC excellent as always, and my can the BBCSO brass blow these days. Such a contrast with not that many years ago. A good night.

[BBMmk2]

Sounds very goog that, SimonB! I had my own Christmas concert with my jamming partner last night! Went very well!

[Ferretfancy]

Tonight's concert at the Barbican with the LSO, Davis and Uchida is being repeated on Tuesday, and broadcast live. It was an exhilarating evening. I wasn't sure what to expect, as I was a little disappointed with the concert last Sunday, in which Mitsuko Uchida played Beethoven 4, after a straightforward performance of Haydn's No. 95. The best aspect of that evening was the Nielsen Symphony No. 2.
It was altogether more exciting tonight, with a beautifully sprung performance of Haydn's No.93 followed by a stunning account of Nielsen's Espansiva. After the interval came one of the best per
formances of the Emperor I have heard for quite a while. Judge for yourselves on Tuesday, if you can.

[Bryn]

Tonight in the Performance Space at City University (London), James Dillon's The Book of Elements (complete), played with just the right blend of virtuosity and though by Ian Pace, though he was credited only photographically on the programme notes cover.

[rauschwerk]

To Potton Hall last night to hear Jean-Efflam Bavouzet play the Beethoven Op.10 sonatas. Some musicological interest here - William Drabkin has reconstructed a 40 bar passage which was apparently intended originally as the middle section of the finale of the C minor sonata. In addition, the so-called Bagatelle WoO52 was played as the third movement (discarded before publication) of this same sonata. Prof. Drabkin was there and he and Bavouzet talked in a quite illuminating manner.

I remain to be convinced of Bavouzet's merits as a Beethoven player. He often smote the Steinway too hard for aural comfort, especially considering that this is early Beethoven. I was struck by the great difference in sound quality between this and the recorded sound of his Debussy CDs (same hall). The most successful performance was of the wonderful D major sonata Op.10/3 with its tragic slow movement.

[Dave2002]

Tonight's concert at the Barbican with the LSO, Davis and Uchida is being repeated on Tuesday, and broadcast live. It was an exhilarating evening. I wasn't sure what to expect, as I was a little disappointed with the concert last Sunday, in which Mitsuko Uchida played Beethoven 4, after a straightforward performance of Haydn's No. 95. The best aspect of that evening was the Nielsen Symphony No. 2.
It was altogether more exciting tonight, with a beautifully sprung performance of Haydn's No.93 followed by a stunning account of Nielsen's Espansiva. After the interval came one of the best per
formances of the Emperor I have heard for quite a while. Judge for yourselves on Tuesday, if you can.

Wasn't it Haydn 98 in B flat at the Sunday concert on 4th December? I thought the performances in the first half were OK. We agree about the Nielsen - it was in a different class altogether.

Pity I didn't have the time or the organisational capability to go to the Espansiva concert, so now I'll have to try iPlayer or wait for the CD. After hearing the previous concert I would have expected the Nielsen to be very good.

[Ferretfancy]

There was a very good BBC SO concert at the Barbican last night, in which Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducted Bartok's Dance Suite and Kurtag's -- concertante ---, a British Premier.
I thought that the Bartok performance was up there with the recent performances at the RFH with Salonen and the Philharmonia, it was a nice earthy performance very accurately played.

The Kurtag featured violin and viola soloists, playing on normal instruments and also electric ones. Frankly I didn't hear very much difference in the sound, because for most of the time they seemed to be playing pianissimo, and often lost in the orchestral sound. This is a discursive piece in which Kurtag produces some very beautiful colours, using no less than nine percussionists in for the most part a very understated way. I would like to hear the work again, but it did seem long for its material.

After the interval we heard Sibelius 6th and 7th symphonies, again very well played. Saraste's performance of the 6th was very forthright, opening fairly briskly and rather lacking that cool quality which give this amazing music it's special quality, quite unlike any other. Still, it was a valid performance on its own terms. The 7th was very fine indeed, but then, as a friend said, you rarely hear a bad performance of it. The BBC SO gave their all in both works, they are on very good form at the moment.

The Barbican foyers are packed with Christmas stalls selling all sorts of crafts, colourful produce which didn't attract me that much, but the gluwein smelled nice!

[rauschwerk]

To Snape last night to hear the Belcea quartet's second instalment of their Beethoven cycle (they are recording them all over a period of about a year). Op 18/2, Op 59/3 and Op 131, the first and third of these being among my favourite Beethoven quartets. Superb playing but I was left feeling that three Beethoven quartets in an evening is too much of a good thing. They could at least have finished with the least intense piece instead of starting with it!

[Pianorak]

. . . I was struck by the great difference in sound quality between this and the recorded sound. . .

While attending a piano recital the other day an unworthy thought crossed my mind: Never judge a pianist by a live performance. Hard-toned and harsh ff and fff passages I had never noticed while listening to the pianist's CDs.

[MrGongGong]

Never judge a pianist by a live performance. .

and never confuse a recording with a live performance


"Ceci n'est pas une pipe"

[rauschwerk]

But live performance is the only way to judge. There is no excuse for poor tone.

[Pianorak]

But live performance is the only way to judge. There is no excuse for poor tone.

Indeed, that's why I said "an unworthy thought". Maybe I should have added "flippant".

[rauschwerk]

Indeed, that's why I said "an unworthy thought". Maybe I should have added "flippant".

See what you mean!