What was your last concert?

[french frank]

Last night at Colston Hall:

Philharmonia Orchestra, cond. Jakub Hrůša

Smetana Bartered Bride overture
Dvořák Piano concerto (with Lukáš Vondráček)
Janáček Glagolitic Mass (with Bristol and Gloucester Choral Societies, Thos Trotter and four soloists of whom I only knew Monica Groop)

The concerto soloist received an enthusiastic reception for his performance (rightly in my view) but our party was less impressed with the work itself. Splendid performance all round of the Mass and the organ sounded great. The Philharmonia on good form. A good evening.

[LeMartinPecheur]

My last concert(s) was/were IMS pupils' concerts down west in Cornwall:
Monday 7th April, 7.30pm

St Pol de Leon Church, Paul
Johann Sebastian Bach French Overture in B minor BWV 831
Alexandra Gorlin-Crenshaw, piano
Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata for Violin and Piano Op.30 No.2 in C minor
1st movement: Allegro con Brio
Maria Wloszczowska, violin; Emese Mali, piano
Camille Saint-Saens Mazurkas
Dina Duisen, piano
Robert Schumann Adagio and Allegro
Michal Beck, cello; Suzana Bartal, piano
Ernest Chausson Poème Op. 25
Timothy Crawford, violin; Emese Mali, piano
INTERVAL
Alban Berg String Quartet Op.3
Langsam; Mäßige viertel
Evita Quartet - Haerim Lee, Hyorim Han, violin; Yi-Chun Lin, viola; Soojung Kim, cello
Johannes Brahms Piano Sonata No.3 in F major Op.5
2nd movement: Andante
Richard Uttley, piano
Georges Enescu Concert Piece for Viola and Piano
Marthe Grimsrud Husum, viola; Gretel Dowdeswell, piano
Olivier Messaien Theme and Variations (1932)
Amarins Wierdsma, violin; Dina Duisen, piano
Peter Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso Op.62
Yuki Koyama, cello; Simon Parkin, piano


Tuesday 8th April, 7.30pm

St Buryan Church
Robert Schumann Waldszenen (Forest Scenes) Op.82
Eintritt (Entry); Einsame Blumen (Lonely Flowers); Vogel als Prophet (Bird as Prophet); Freundliche Landschaft (Friendly Landscape)
Suzana Bartal, piano
Bohuslav Martinů Sonata for Cello and Piano No.2, H.286
1st and 2nd movements: Allegro; Largo
Carl-Oscar Østerlind, cello; Simon Parkin, piano
Elliott Carter Elegy for Viola and Piano
Newman-Sojer Duo - Adam Newman, viola; Alena Sojer, piano
Johannes Brahms Sonata for Viola and Piano Op.120 No1 in F minor
1st movement: Allegro Appassionato
Christoph Vandory, viola; Gretel Dowdeswell, piano
Belá Bartók Sonata for Violin and Piano No.2
Molto moderato; Allegretto
Savitri Grier, violin; Emese Mali, piano
INTERVAL
Gabriel Fauré Sonata for Violin and Piano No1, Op.13 in A major
1st movement: Allegro Molto
Henry Tong, violin; Emese Mali, piano
Robert Schumann Fantasy Pieces for Cello and Piano Op.73
Han Bin Yoon, cello; Simon Parkin, piano
Arthur Bliss Sonata for Viola and Piano Op.52
1st movement: Moderato
Hannah Strijbos, viola; Gretel Dowdeswell, piano
Bohuslav Martinů Variations on a Slovak Folksong for Cello and Piano H.378
Sarah Rommel, cello; Simon Parkin, piano
My picks for future stars are underlined. My wife however picked cellist Carl-Oscar Osterlind, but she went only to the 2nd one..

[Bryn]

Last night at Colston Hall:

Philharmonia Orchestra, cond. Jakub Hrůša

Smetana Bartered Bride overture
Dvořák Piano concerto (with Lukáš Vondráček)
Janáček Glagolitic Mass (with Bristol and Gloucester Choral Societies, Thos Trotter and four soloists of whom I only knew Monica Groop)

The concerto soloist received an enthusiastic reception for his performance (rightly in my view) but our party was less impressed with the work itself. Splendid performance all round of the Mass and the organ sounded great. The Philharmonia on good form. A good evening.

Which editions/versions of the concerto and mass did they use?

[french frank]

Which editions/versions of the concerto and mass did they use?

I'm unfamiliar with them. PM mopsus who was singing with the BCS for the Glagolitic if you need to know

[richardfinegold]

Thanks for this review. An interesting programme - did you notice if it was a full-house, rfg?

I'm wondering why you asked, but I would say it was about 85% capacity.

[amateur51]

I'm wondering why you asked, but I would say it was about 85% capacity.

Many thanks.

I asked because one hears about orchestras in trouble all over the world. For example a friend gets tickets for some London orchestral concerts when a house is being 'papered' to boost the audience & it happens quite frequently.

[richardfinegold]

Many thanks.

I asked because one hears about orchestras in trouble all over the world. For example a friend gets tickets for some London orchestral concerts when a house is being 'papered' to boost the audience & it happens quite frequently.

It is distubing, because Saturay night concerts used to be near sell outs.

[pastoralguy]

Just back from hearing/seeing Sophie Ellis-Bextor in Glasgow. Fabulous show AND we met her afterwards and she signed a photo my sister took of her and me ten years ago! (She still looks fantastic but I'm balder and bigger now!)

[scchoir]

Last night at Colston Hall:

Philharmonia Orchestra, cond. Jakub Hrůša

Smetana Bartered Bride overture
Dvořák Piano concerto (with Lukáš Vondráček)
Janáček Glagolitic Mass (with Bristol and Gloucester Choral Societies, Thos Trotter and four soloists of whom I only knew Monica Groop)

The concerto soloist received an enthusiastic reception for his performance (rightly in my view) but our party was less impressed with the work itself. Splendid performance all round of the Mass and the organ sounded great. The Philharmonia on good form. A good evening.

Glad you enjoyed it!

There was the usual dearth of Bristol reviews, but the same concert (save switching the Bartered Bride overture for Suk's Fantastic Scherzo) was performed the next night at the Royal Festival Hall.

We (Bristol Choral Society) have links to reviews of that concert on our reviews page: http://bristolchoral.co.uk/reviews.htm from bachtrack.com and classicalsource.com which may be of interest - opinion on the Dvořák as a work seems divided!

Great concerts to be a part of, anyway, and maestro Hrůša is a joy to sing under - he even whizzed backstage at Colston Hall to shake hands with every singer as we left stage!

[scchoir]

Which editions/versions of the concerto and mass did they use?

In case you've not had an answer yet, the Dvořák was his final version (as recorded by Sviatoslav Richter).

The Glagolitic Mass was the 1928 version (as per the 2012 Bärenreiter edition) researched by Zahrádka.


Back in 2001, we sang it for BBCNoW under Richard Hickox, which was the Wingfield edition I think, having the Intrada at the beginning and end, plus extra bars for chorus/timpani/organ in the Credo being the main differences to the above edition.
That 2001 performance was later issued as a BBC Music Magazine CD - a copy of which is on sale on ebay for a bargain £2.99! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Janacek-Si...-/231189971270

[gurnemanz]

The lunchtime concert at Wyvern Theatre, Swindon today was a gem. Only about 50 people there but baritone Nigel Cliffe gave us a beautifully apt and well chosen programme. Finzi Let us Garlands bring setting Shakespeare on his 450th birthday. Nigel eloquently explained the choice of items: all English composers on St George's Day. Quilter, VW,Ireland Howells, Gurney, Bridge, Somervell, Butterworth - a commemoration of what was lost ("lads in their hundreds") and a celebration of what lives on.

[amateur51]

Just back from hearing/seeing Sophie Ellis-Bextor in Glasgow. Fabulous show AND we met her afterwards and she signed a photo my sister took of her and me ten years ago! (She still looks fantastic but I'm balder and bigger now!)

When a sister cares, it shows ...

[Richard Tarleton]

To Cardiff's St David's Hall last night to hear the Orchestra of WNO play Bruckner 8, preceded by Messiaen's L'ascencion, a work I was hearing for the first and quite possibly last time. WNO under their excellent conductor Lothar Koenigs are exploring "faith", hence the pairing of Messaien and Bruckner.

The concert was 30 minutes late starting - at precisely 7.30, with the orchestra on stage (minus the leader) it was announced that the principal oboe had been taken ill, a replacement was on the way and was 5 minutes away from the hall. It took until 8 for things to get going, by which time, with thoughts of the journey home, we wishes they'd cut straight to the Bruckner, but they pressed on with the Messiaen. The second section (the first section being entirely for brass) was for woodwind but with a sustained high note that sounded like tinnitus - I think harmonics on the violins but couldn't be sure.

The Bruckner was splendid, and the replacement principal oboe whoever he was did us proud. But sad to see St David's Hall barely half full. We've had a couple of Bruckner 7s in recent years, but you have to go back to the 1990s in Swansea for an 8 - this was a special occasion. More goosebump moments than in the VPO's run-through under Maazel at the Proms.

Interesting orchestra layout - second violins on the right with the violas, cellos centre left, double basses on the extreme left behind the first violins, harp on the extreme right behind the seconds. Otherwise as normal.

[teamsaint]

I spent Friday evening at the QEH on the South Bank, seeing the Faust Trio
Isabelle Faust violin
Jean-Guihen Queyras cello
Alexander Melnikov piano


perform this programme

Joseph Haydn: Piano Trio in D, Hob.XV/24
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Piano Trio in E flat, Op.70 No.2
Interval
Robert Schumann: Piano Trio No.3 in G minor, Op.110

After seeing her perform the Mendelssohn VC before Christmas in a thrilling demonstration of musicianship, I was keen to see her in what looked an enticing programme, in a top quality line up.

The Haydn opened the evening, and an enigmatic little jewel of a piece it is, all suggestion and glimpses, with its tiny slow movement, and interesting finale. I do wonder if whoever put the programme together saw stylistic similarities with the opening movement of the Beethoven piece. It certainly struck me as a possibility. A lovely opener.
The Beethoven is a fine work, and this performance would have disappointed few. Faust clearly puts great thought into the way that she plays and presents her music, and with superb results. The piano was always well balanced, not easy in this hall, and with a modern instrument.The third movement of the Beethoven is a strange thing, that I must revisit. It seems at times as I LvB has wandered off into a reverie, thinking about how music has been, or was at some point in the past, and is idly demonstrating this , until snapping out of it in time to put the finale together. And the finale is , of course, wide awake, again, as if the great man is saying, “ Well I had better give them a proper ending to go out humming. Melnikov finally gets to do his thing at full tilt, and fine stuff it was.
Fortunately, the weather in London had calmed down by the interval, enough to enjoy a pleasant view of the river without getting soaked.

Last on the programme was the third Schumann Trio. The unceasingly restless first movement is such a great opening canvas. It seems to be a theme in search of a wider existence, and looks every which way for a way out, until rather surprisingly , perhaps, finding resolution in itself. A lesson in finding what you seek near to home?
In a way this is reflected in the work as a whole, which finds itself much more at ease in its final movement. Watching such consummate professionals, is just such a great way to learn about music, to gain clearer insights, and to benefit from their depth of knowledge, and what a teacher Faust is.
The trio always gave the music lots of room to breathe, and weren’t afraid to use time to their advantage, in the way they saw fit.
A lovely evenings music, and plenty to learn from three enthusiastic experts. This was beautifully presented chamber music.

(Oh, and it cost £10, you get a nice leather seat, and they threw in an encore of the third movement of the second Schumann Trio !!)

[Thropplenoggin]

A wonderful read, TS. Thanks for sharing your experience. No regrets here about this particular concert (Faust's tone doesn't do it for me) but I certainly envy that sense of fulfilment after a concert: it's been a while!