Future concerts you're excited to have tickets for.....

[HighlandDougie]

So did Yevgeny show up, HD?

Someone who looked like the said pianist and who then played like the piano like a proverbial angel appeared so, yes, YS turned up - at 6pm, as advertised. The concert (as with others next week) was held in the newish Cocteau Museum (in Menton). Rows of chairs spread out among the artwork with room made for a Steinway. Had one not been riveted by the playing, there was much on the walls to divert one's attention (it being Cocteau, lots of naughty bits on show). Scarlatti (four sonatas), Beethoven (Opus 126 Bagatelles), Chopin (Ballade No 3) and Scriabin (a stunning performance of the 5th Sonata), with a couple of encores (the Liszt transcription of the Lachrymosa from Mozart's Requiem and another Scarlatti sonata). Not that everything else wasn't just as good as the Scriabin. As there was no backstage, everyone, including YS, just sort of mingled afterwards - he was signing CDs etc and happy to chat. It - the occasion - and he - the pianist - were really delightful. Given the average age of les Mentonais (think Eastbourne), I also felt quite young (for anyone who doesn't know it, Menton is easily the most agreeable town on the Côte d'Azur - I was going to say that that is because it's Italian really, rather than French, but I wouldn't dare be so judgemental).

[CallMePaul]

BBC Philharmonic conducted by John Storgårds at the Bridgewater Hall:

Sibelius: Rakastava
Nielsen: Clarinet Concerto
Shostakovich: Symphony No 4

The same artists are giving a Nielsen symphony cycle towards the end of the 2014-15 season. If it's even half as good as the Sibelius cycle last year it will be one of the highlights of the northern concert year! They are also doing all 3 Nielsen concerti, not just the Clarinet Concerto. The Clarinet Concerto is a marvellous piece with an ad lib side drum as in the 5th Symphony and I hope to get to that one too. Nielsen's Flute Concerto is a major work for the instrument and one of my favourite pieces for my least favourite woodwind instrument. I have not heard the Violin Concerto so maybe all 3 deserve my money?

[Vile Consort]

Yes, I intend to go to the Nielsen cycle too.

[cloughie]

John Mayall at HfC in October.

[teamsaint]

should be heading up to this:

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/lpo-140924-80835?dt=2014-09-24

LPO/Jurowski/Bavouzet.

DSCH 8/ Prokofiev PC #3 and Chorale by Magnus Lindberg.

An interesting free event at 6.00PM conducted by Lindberg looks tempting too.

[Richard Tarleton]

John Lill in Swansea on October 14, playing Mozart, Schumann, Prokoviev, Brahms and Beethoven (Waldstein). 40 years since I last heard him play the Waldstein!

[Petrushka]

Bruckner 8 LSO/Haitink on October 23 is my first post-Proms concert.

[AjAjAjH]

Bruckner 8 LSO/Haitink on October 23

In the words of the Christmas Carol :'O that we were there! O that we were there!' That's the royal 'we' of course.

[Blotto]

The Hilliard Ensemble are singing Gesualdo's Tenebrae Responsories at the Union Chapel in Islington tonight, Saturday, with an accompanying programme of organ works by Messiaen.

Says the blether and puff:

... an historic occasion ... a unique delight ... world renowned ... stellar career ... groundbreaking performance ... award winning ...

Carlos Gesualdo, prince of Venosa, is notorious for the savage murders of his first wife and her lover in 1590. As a nobleman he did not face prosecution for his actions, but he seems to have been a tormented, isolated man, especially in his later years. His settings of the Responsories from the liturgy of the Matins Offices for the final three days of Holy Week, with their themes of guilt, betrayal and redemption, were published in 1611, and are generally counted among his masterpieces, ... intensity ... searing ... magical ... scintillating ... the most exquisite interpretation ever produced.

Christopher Bowers-Broadbent, who has worked with the Hilliard Ensemble for many years, joins them to play Union Chapel's magnificent newly restored Henry Willis organ, interweaving Gesualdo's haunting vocal swoops and intensely expressive phrasing with three stunning works by Olivier Messiaen: Les mains de l’abime and Piece en trio (Livre d'Orgue II and III), and his Méditation IV (from Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité).

The more hyperbollocky and adjectival an ad or review, the more doubtful I am about the seller but this programme is intriguing. We'll see.

[Petrushka]

I happen to find myself in London on October 11 and scanned the web for a decent concert to while away the evening hours. Pretty disappointing I have to say. In an astonishingly bad bit of planning the LPO, LSO and Philharmonia are all out of town/on tour. With the RFH in the dark that leaves me with a BBC SO concert in the Barbican so I've booked a ticket for this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ep2hzc

Not greatly enthused at having the programme in this order (I'd have reversed it) but I'm going anyway.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Not greatly enthused at having the programme in this order (I'd have reversed it) but I'm going anyway.

A very odd assortment in a most peculiar sequence - but all wonderful works: it might just work wonderfully. Hope so, anyway, Pet.

[Alison]

See you've got a Nielsen study afternoon available too, Pet.

[Petrushka]

See you've got a Nielsen study afternoon available too, Pet.

Afternoon tied up, I'm afraid, Alison, but then I've never been that enthusiastic about Nielsen in all honesty. I've never heard any in the concert hall as far as I know so it will be a first!

[richardfinegold]

Afternoon tied up, I'm afraid, Alison, but then I've never been that enthusiastic about Nielsen in all honesty. I've never heard any in the concert hall as far as I know so it will be a first!

Nielsen's great stuff, Pet. Check out the Youtube video of Horenstein the first movement of 5 and Robert Simpson narrating with a cigarrette in his mouth..riveting.
I'm off tonite to the CSO. Muti is Conducting The Firebird, Tchaikovsky Polish Symphony, and a piece by Panufnik. Looking forward to it.

[Beef Oven!]

Afternoon tied up, I'm afraid, Alison, but then I've never been that enthusiastic about Nielsen in all honesty. I've never heard any in the concert hall as far as I know so it will be a first!

Nielsen even better in concert! I was lucky to attend Rattles CBSO cycle at the Barbican in 1991ish (?). Awesome music!