What was your last concert?

[DublinJimbo]

Just back from the National Concert Hall in Dublin.

Mozart: Rondo in A minor K.511
Beethoven: Piano Sonata no. 30 in E major op.109
J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations

Jeremy Denk

A superb night. JD's recording of the Goldbergs is really special, so this recital was the first thing I booked when the International series was announced last year. From the very first note of the Mozart it was clear that we were in for a treat. The glorious final movement of the Beethoven was magnificent, with the return of the theme at the end conveying just the right feeling of the same but different.
Good as the first half of the recital was, it was the Bach which stole the show. It's a long time since I've heard pianism of this quality (not since Radu Lupu, possibly). The short pause at the halfway point gave us a chance to catch our breath before the grand sweep of the second fifteen variations. I was on the left side of the hall, with a good view of the keyboard and a chance to appreciate the extraordinary dexterity of the variations with hand-crossing, and certainly numbers 14, 20, 23 and 28 were remarkable. But the overall impression from the evening was one of having been on two great journeys, with the finale of the Beethoven a perfect precursor to the magnificent Goldbergs.
Yes, a superb night.

[Nick Armstrong]

Wow - three great reports of great evenings in the past 24 hours or so. Not sure which I'd prefer to have been at... Actually, yes: it's the Jeremy Denk piano recital I wish I'd heard.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Wow - three great reports of great evenings in the past 24 hours or so. Not sure which I'd prefer to have been at... Actually, yes: it's the Jeremy Denk piano recital I wish I'd heard.

Yes - had Mr Denk been a bit closer, I'd've probably gone to a later performance of Cosi and grabbed the opportunity to hear his Goldbergs Live.

Might even have done the same for the opportunity to spy on Kop ...

[Jasmine Bassett]

I would certainly agree with teamsaint's recommendation of the repeat of the OAE concert which was given in Basingstoke last night. I'm not sure the Kurtag encore was quite what most of the audience was there to hear, but they seemed to enjoy it.

It was a pity about the number of whistling hearing aids around the audience ...

[Ferretfancy]

I would certainly agree with teamsaint's recommendation of the repeat of the OAE concert which was given in Basingstoke last night. I'm not sure the Kurtag encore was quite what most of the audience was there to hear, but they seemed to enjoy it.

It was a pity about the number of whistling hearing aids around the audience ...

I'm sorry you've been having distraction from hearing aids.
I had some NHS aids prescribed last year, and the standard setting recommended by the audiologists is very useful. However, it proved hopeless for music listening, especially on my audio system, giving everything excessive presence and stridency. Luckily there's a six step attenuator on the aids and I've found a setting which works well without the need to switch them off every time I want to listen to a CD.

I wear the aids to concerts without any howl round problems. I imagine that the offenders you mention simply have the gadgets set too loud, or have ill fitting links between the body of the device and the ear tube which causes sound leakage. Does the Basingstoke auditorium has an audio loop system? These can sometimes cause odd effects depending on the design of the hearing aids

[Nick Armstrong]

Mr Denk ... the opportunity to hear his Goldbergs Live.

He's doing them up the road from me, on their own, a week on Sunday in one of the Wigmore morning concerts

https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/js-bach-201602141130

Returns only, alas...

the opportunity to spy on Kop ...

Do you ever wish you could turn it off, ferns?

(... the rest of us do!

)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Do you ever wish you could turn it off, ferns?

Frequently! (It's an amiable sort of Tourettes - I suppose based in that part of the brain that hears Tonal/Thematic connections in Music; so I should be more grateful )

(... the rest of us do!)

- just remember: I have to live with it!


.

Sorry about the intrusion, f - I hit 'edit' rather than 'quote' (a hostly peril)....

[Nick Armstrong]

Frequently! (It's an amiable sort of Tourettes - I suppose based in that part of the brain that hears Tonal/Thematic connections in Music; so I should be more grateful )
- just remember: I have to live with it!

Don't you go a-changing, ferney, y'hear?

[teamsaint]

I would certainly agree with teamsaint's recommendation of the repeat of the OAE concert which was given in Basingstoke last night. I'm not sure the Kurtag encore was quite what most of the audience was there to hear, but they seemed to enjoy it.

It was a pity about the number of whistling hearing aids around the audience ...

Yes the Kurtag was certainly lively, JB., but as you say,it went down well .I see she is doing a recital of Kurtag at the weekend too.
No hearing aid problems down the front,I am pleased to say, but we Had to dodge the stuff that Marin Alsop was chucking about....

More later when I can type on a computer and not my phone.

[Ferretfancy]

The LPO and Yannick Nezet -Seguin gave fine performances of Dvorak and Brahms on Wednesday evening, Dvorak's Othello Overture and Sixth Symphony and the Brahms Double Concerto.
I particularly wanted to attend this concert as it is some years since I last heard live performances of these works.

The soloists in the Brahms were Lisa Batiashvilli and Maximilian Hornung, a cellist who is new to me. This was in every respect a beautifully balanced performance. Hornung has a very rich sound and complete assurance, able to project with superb force while being able to sink to a whisper when required.There was obviously complete unanimity of approach by both performers, this can be a very difficult concerto to bring off successfully, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Hornung is only 29 years old, but will be making a very big mark as his career develops.

Seguin and the orchestra were on excellent form. It was a dramatic performance of the Sixth which made it a little less rustic than usual and closer in mood to the Seventh. An exhilarating evening with a very attentive audience.

[teamsaint]

just a few more thoughts about Pat Kop last night.
It is the second time I have heard her play, but last night I was in a stalkers seat ( Tm Caliban) , and had a superb centre stage view.
What we got last night was a performance. She didn't just play the piece, she gave us the Pat Kop show, featuring Schumann's Violin Concerto. From he start, every phrase that would take was doused in Eastern spice.Runs were played for maximum impact. she mimed ( or sang) and moved to the orchestral passages, and attacked the work remorselessly.
Some of this, it has to be said, was at the expense of quality of tone, and occasionally intonation, ( although there was a big re tune after the first movement, ). Perhaps, for some, the whole thing might feel too showy, but the Anvil audience seemed thoroughly entranced.
As well as setting out to entertain, she certainly sets out to wring what she can, and wants to , from the music. It may be also that her recent tendonitis affected the quality at the more extreme edges of the piece , but no matter, it was impossible to fault for sheer involvement.

THe Schumann symphony was quite excellently controlled by the wonderful Marin Alsop, who mostly just cajoled the orchestra to enjoy their playing ,and revelled in a great work. First time I have seen her conduct. She was superb, and with a wonderful style and demeanour.

Oh, and the OAE made a very nice job of the Brahms Haydn variations, not everybody's favourite work. Marin Alsop seemed keen, and took us with her, in a rediscovery.

[Nick Armstrong]

just a few more thoughts about Pat Kop last night.
It is the second time I have heard her play, but last night I was in a stalkers seat ( Tm Caliban) , and had a superb centre stage view.
What we got last night was a performance. She didn't just play the piece, she gave us the Pat Kop show, featuring Schumann's Violin Concerto. From he start, every phrase that would take was doused in Eastern spice.Runs were played for maximum impact. she mimed and moved to the orchestral passages, and attacked the work remorselessly.
Some of this, it has to be said, was at the expense of quality of tone, and occasionally intonation, ( although there was a big retune after the first movement, ). perhaps, for some, the whole thing might feel too showy, but the Anvil audience seemed thoroughly entranced.
As well as setting out to entertain, she certainly sets out to wring what she can, and wants to , from the music. It may be also that her recent tendonitis affected the quality at the more extreme edges of the piece , but no matter, it was impossible to fault for sheer involvement.

THe Schumann symphony was quite excellently controlled by the wonderful Marin Alsop, who mostly just cajoled the orchestra to enjoy their playing ,and revelled in a great work. First time I have seen her conduct. She was superb, and with a wonderful style and demeanour.

Alsop'n'Kop were live in the In Tune studio talking about the pieces (between 5.30 & 6pm ish)

[teamsaint]

fashion note for JLW if she looks in:

Pat Kop: Black two piece top and long skirt, with a diagonal self colour relief, top was sleeveless.

Marin Alsop: not sure she does fashion, but a grey trouser suit with red trim, Very stylish.

[Nick Armstrong]

a diagonal self colour relief

Does 'self colour' mean the same colour as the person's skin?

[teamsaint]

Does 'self colour' mean the same colour as the person's skin?

i was trying to convey, from a position of deep and treasured ignorance, that the stripe relief was in the same colour as the skirt.

my bad, possibly....or possibly not.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/self-colour