What was your last concert?

[Bryn]

Tonight at City University Performance Space, erstwhile member Pace playing a fine concert framed by Carter and Jolas works. For details Google "City University events"

[cloughie]

A wonderful experience at the Chipping Campden Festival on Thursday evening. Starting with the R Strauss Serenade for Wind, then Mozart PC27 with Paul Lewis as soloist. To crown this alovely performance of Sibelius 5. I don't know if it was the Church acoustics or a smaller body of strings than normal but the sound was really good, bringing out all the texture of the work. The orchestra was the Chipping Campden Academy Festival Orchestra, cond Thomas Hull, leader Ruth Rogers. The orchestra is a mix of experienced mainly London orchestral players and young recently graduated music students. A joy to hear and to watch!

[Nick Armstrong]

A wonderful experience at the Chipping Campden Festival on Thursday evening. Starting with the R Strauss Serenade for Wind, then Mozart PC27 with Paul Lewis as soloist. To crown this alovely performance of Sibelius 5. I don't know if it was the Church acoustics or a smaller body of strings than normal but the sound was really good, bringing out all the texture of the work. The orchestra was the Chipping Campden Academy Festival Orchestra, cond Thomas Hull, leader Ruth Rogers. The orchestra is a mix of experienced mainly London orchestral players and young recently graduated music students. A joy to hear and to watch!

Wish I'd been there!!

[HighlandDougie]

Beethoven: Symphony No 7/Sibelius: Symphony No 2

WDR Symphony Orchestra/Jukka-Pekka Saraste

National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing

Fantastic acoustics so this very good orchestra sounded at its best. Wildly enthusiastic audience (not sure they were very familiar with the Sibelius). Fine performances of both but I just caught the faintest whiff of orchestra and conductor being a bit patronising. Saraste, on being presented with a bouquet, simply tossed it aside and launched into the encore (something Chinese which I recognised). The flowers lay there, untouched, as he and the orchestra left the stage. A silly little thing but it left a sour taste - he’s gone on to my conductors-to-be-avoided in the future list.

[Zucchini]

I don't know if it was the Church acoustics or a smaller body of strings than normal but the sound was really good, bringing out all the texture of the work.

Alfred Brendel says: "I only discovered the joys of Chipping Campden late in my performing career but still relished the opportunity to play in the glorious acoustics of St James'Church ... I have returned a number of times [since retiring] to lecture at the music festival and can't think of many places that rival this most picturesque Cotswold town in late springl"

I live a couple of miles away and take season tickets each year. Of concerts I attended, the most memorable will be (in no particular order):

Alina Ibragimova/Cedric Tieberghien - Tenebrae/AAM (B minor mass) - An incandescent recital by Stephen Hough (who brought his own Yamaha) - The three concerts with Paul Lewis playing Mozart concertos with the marvellous Festival Academy Orchestra - And a most beautiful performance of the Bruch concerto from Ruth Roberts

http://campdenmusicfestival.co.uk/type27t/2018-programme/

[LMcD]

This morning: Mozart Oboe Quartet K370 and Divertimento K563.
Top-class playing as ever. Over an hour's music for a tenner.

https://www.felixstowemusic.com

[Pulcinella]

Not exactly a concert, but the opening event of York Festival of ideas, held in the minster.

The Mozart Question: Music and story in performance

Michael Morpurgo, Victoria Moseley (narrators)
Daniel Pioro (violin)
The Storyteller's Ensemble

A very enjoyable evening.

And a live broadcast of CE to look forward to tomorrow as well.

[EdgeleyRob]

Couple of free BBC Philharmonic studio concerts at Media City Salford

Last Wednesday,George Antheil

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b48zmy

and today

Mendelssohn,Overture 'The Fair Melusine'
Nimrod Borenstein,Cello Concerto No.2
Dvořák,Slavonic Rhapsody No. 2 in G minor

with Corrine Morris (cello) conducted by Frederic Chaslin

Both of which were ok but not especially memorable

[silvestrione]

Last Thursday, Berliner Philharmoniker with Simon Rattle at Royal Festival Hall:

Jorg Widman Tanz auf den Vulkan
Lutoslawski Symphony 3
Brahms Symphony 1

I thought this one of the best concerts I have ever been to. The highlight was the Lutoslawski, a magical combination of delightful and characterful episodes with a cumulative power, a sens of symphonic structure. And what a conclusion this symphony comes to! Visionary, in this performance. It summed up Rattle's achievement with the BPO, I thought: every player totally involved, immense virtuosity, wonderful precision, complete commitment to the music.

Brahms 1 benefited from the same analytical power and precision, the sense of the whole in the parts. I felt I was looking at it almost through Lutoslawski's eyes (ears)!

A glorious oboe solo in the slow movement, lovely clarinet playing, the horn call ringing out, Emmanuel Pahud and his colleague on the flutes...I could go on. But I DO want a rallentando when the brass chorale comes back at the end...surely Brahms would have done this? He talked about varying the tempo appropriately in his own peformances.

[Bryn]

This afternoon at St Mary's Church, Primrose Hill:

The Finnish a capella group Layluyhtye Fiori sang settings of ancient Greek texts by Michael Parsons plus works by Finish composers Mia Makaroff and Tero Lanu. Interspersed with these were Michael Parsons playing piano arrangements he had made of traditional fiddle tunes from Kaustinen in central Finland and , after the interval, Stef Conner sang reconstructions of ancient Greek vocal music, mostly accompaied by her playing of the lyre. A superb concert in every particular. Placed fairly cantrally between Chalk Farm and Swiss COttage tube stations, with 31/C11 bus stops close at hand, the church has fine acoutic properties and removable seating. Well worth investigating with regard to hiring as a concert venue.

[LMcD]

This afternoon at our local church:
Bridge: 3 Novelletten
Baermann: Adagio for Clarinet and Strings
Britten: 3 Divertimenti
Brahms: Clarinet Quintet
A lovely programme beautifully played by the Grange Ensemble led by Kenneth Sillito

[Jonathan]

Last Sunday at the Sir Jack Lyons concert hall in York: Herold - Overture Zampa, Franck - Psyche et Eros, Saint-Saens - Piano Concerto no.2 and Saint-Saens - Symphony no.3 "Organ". A thoroughly enjoyable evening.

[bluestateprommer]

Most of this concert as part of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, one of the "run-out" concerts to Albuquerque. However, I missed the start of the Schubert after several wrong turns and getting to the hall late, as this was my first visit to this particular venue. But what I heard was nicely done, including the whole of the Tchaikovsky Piano Trio. I'd forgotten what an unorthodox work the latter is.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Absolutely superb Mahler 4 from the St Endellion Summer Festival band under Ryan Wigglesworth on Thurs, and a very decent Damnation of Faust last night.

Is he related to Mark Wigglesworth? Dates don't suggest brother and he's not a son, but an odd coincidence if not.

[Bryn]

According to the ever-reliable slipped disc (), they are not related. Other sites confirm this.