What was the last concert you went in 2015?

Gidon Kremer and Daniil Trifonov duo at the Carnegie Hall:

• MOZART Fantasy for Solo Piano, K. 397
• WEINBERG Violin Sonata No. 5, Op. 53
• MOZART Violin Sonata in E-flat Major, K. 481
• WEINBERG Solo Violin Sonata No. 3, Op. 126
• SCHUBERT Fantasy in C Major, D. 934

I was curious to listen to Daniil Trifonov which I missed his both Carnegie and Orchestra Hall debut last year.

The program started with Trifonov just playing a small Mozart Fantasy piece. This was the most lively Mozart I have heard with such vigor and enthusiasm. It was a breath of fresh air. 

Next up is Weinberg's Violin Sonata No. 5 ( easier to listen than his No. 3 ). Kremer's style is not a pyrotechnic wiz but the music is delivered with much honesty and integrity. Quietest passages breaks up at a whisper sound level and huge dynamic swings weren't there. But I was impressed with Trifonov as an accompanist as they were working well together. Altho, his overly exaggerated body movement and emoting got to be a bit monotonous in the middle.

Mozart's Violin Sonata was Sheer delight. Particularly the Adagio. Kremer's fiddlin' does not have a warm creamy oiled textures but what a beautiful dynamic expression! It was fragile and reflective as the best Schubert's tune.

After the intermission, it turned out that Weinberg's No.3 Violin Sonata was the Carnegie premier piece. He sure delivered a convincing performance with as a top notch virtuoso. This is a mixture of raw emotions and somewhat semi biographical tune for the composer. It is not an easy piece to get through yet there is a comfort I found in it.

They made sure that the finale was someething more upbeat. Shubert's Fantasy piece showcasing a spot on timing of two musicians. 

The concert ended with 3 encores! 

I enjoyed young Trifonov's playing and looking forward to his Rachmaninov piano concerto in Chicago!

Will see in the coming week two concerts 

Katia Buniatishvili

Anne Sophie Mutter

will publish impressions on the forum..

Going to see The Blockheads in Harlow on Wednesday (they were excellent when I saw them in December).

Then it's The Stranglers & Band of Friends in March

Cool.

What are they playing?

Wanted to go to Mutter does Arch Duke Trio but the tickets were sold out.

So Katia was sick and was replaced by Alice Sara Ott, heard from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto no 1 and symphony no 5 and a Schumann romance from Alice.

for Anne Sophie - I remember Sibelius violin concerto - but have to see the details again.

So saw this evening Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1, and symphony no 5 and a Schumann romance. 

Didn't see Katia as she was sick. But Alice Sara Ott did a great job in replacing her. I didn't know she played with bare feet, but she does. At the beginning there was a little tempo issue between her and the Russian National OrChester under Pletnev, but after that it was a good but not great performance, great perhaps if you consider she stepped in late. The 2nd movement was the most beautiful part. The 5th symphony after the break was well performed.

so not a memorable concert, but also not a bad one. Wednesday Anne Sophie Mutter....

Any pix of barefoot Sarah?

Talk about a total opposite. Katia would have been wearing 5" stilettos!

Pletnev/Ott is an interesting paring. I would have guessed that Katia would have been a better fit.

Enjoy Mutter's Sibelius!

No no pictures of that - some total Orcestra picture without Ott. She though had a stunning blue dress, for those who are besides music are also interested in visual arts. 

Just was reading a bit more about Ott. And this barefoot thing is her trademark...so if you google you will find pictures.

Saxophonist/composer Chris Potter and his Underground Quartet ... OMG, WTF, LHM! Some of the best music I've ever heard.

Fred,

you our are in a position to change that with your own performances, we are just passive :-)

cheers,

bert

So saw yesterday Anne Sophie Mutter with the Danisch National Orchestea with a piece from Nielsen, Sibelius Violin Concerto, A Bach Partita, Brahms 1st Symphony.

So I realized for the future that it's good to pre- listen to a piece. I had once heard this violin concerto but it was pretty new to me, which gives you this first time feeling. Anne Sophie in a gorgeous yellow dress was playing technically very well, so nothing to criticize there. However I was left with the impression that I was missing a bit the soul in her playing, but that might also have been the 1st time type of effect. The Bach partita was well done, while I like Isabelle Faust or Nathan Milstein more in those pieces. The Brahms Symphony was well done. And due to the first piece and the encores you could hear that the orchestra has a good interplay in the faster pieces.

So all in all an enjoyable evening, while I was not dazzled......

Sweeney's Men

St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.

As I explained to Sloop Jnr. today, Sweeney's Men were the Trad equivalent of Cream.

3 men in their 70's. Wonderful session in a wonderful setting, some really potent emotional moments.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

I have often heard it said from my father and my mother
That going to a wedding was the making of another
Well if this be so, then I'll go without a bidding
Oh it's kind providence won't you send me to a wedding

For it's oh dear me, how will it be, if I die an old maid in a garret

Oh now there's my sister Jean, she's not handsome or good lookin'
Scarcely sixteen and a fella she was courtin'
Now she's twenty four with a son and a daughter
Here am I, forty-five, and I've never had an offer

For it's oh dear me, how will it be, if I die an old maid in a garret

SJB

Not the last, but rather the first concert of 2015 for me.

Hereford Cathedral, 27,2,2015. Mozart Requiem. Plus some Anthems by Handel in the first half. I cannot wait. I used to play with this mob, so I get in for nothing! An important consideration considering the rail-fare to Hereford from Worcester now being more than £10 next day return.

Fixed today!   Or should that be, "invited, today?"

ATB from George

Nice George!

You might have heard the Mozart Requiem many times live but I will be exposed to the *live* Requiem for the first time next month. 

Scholars of the history of Led Zeppelin will know that in 1970 they were forced - under threat of legal action by members of Count von Zeppelin's family - to play a gig in Denmark under the pseudonymn of "The Nobs".

Fast forward to 2015, and Lez Zeppelin - the all-female Zep tribute act, and a big favourite of Jimmy Page - played a secret gig at Bodean's rib restaurant in Balham as "The Nobz".

What an excellent night it was, with the band on fire. Starting off with an acoustic segment - Going To California, That's The Way and Bron Yr Aur Stomp - they then turned up the heat, playing classics like Immigrant Song, Whole Lotta Love, In My Time of Dying, Ramble On, Black Dog, Rock and Roll, Communication Breakdown, The Ocean, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, etc etc over two hours.

Megan, the bassist, was especially brilliant, but the whole band swung with an admirable vigour.

Best of all, I got to be a roadie for the night. A dream fulfillled! I WAS A ZEPPELIN ROADIE!

I have played it many times, but never heard it before, ... live ...

Jessie Ware 2 Feb, Ampere in Munich.

Pretty much 2 years after I first saw her live, also at Ampere. Very intimate venue and an excellent atmosphere yesterday. After the first time I saw her in 2013, I was pretty sure her next tour around Europe would be at much bigger venues....just goes to show what I know. Anyway, a more confident performance this time around; vocally still superb.

Hi

Had a most agreable evening at the Cadogan Hall near Sloane Square with Rachmaninov Piano Concerto no.2. My wife treated me to the event for my fiftieth birthday. 

It is a favourite of mine and i have been listening to the Ashkenasy cd version this afternoon as a comparison of live music versus cd replay.

The live experience wins. Bigger soundstage and dynamic range. Also more nuanced and better interplay between the musicians plus the visual spectacle.

ATB

Ray

Van Zweden/CSO and Matthias Goerne partnered up playing a collection of Strauss and Schubert songs. 

My he put on some weight busting out of his jacket! Goerne's velvet voice was so gorgeous I could keep listening to it all night long. What a control and finesse and clarity. I wasn't sure how his voice holds up amongst the full orchestra but his voice carried above it even at loud passages.

Van Sweden's orchestration was a well thought out and I found generally a cooler tone of CSO palette complimentary to Goerne's warm weighty voice.

The concert finished with Beethoven 5th which I felt was too tidy and academic. Fluid but lacked a bit of dynamics and drama. And I did not think the band was entirely together. I certainly have heard more exciting 5th than today's live concert on records. 

I was more moved by Goerne's powerful ability to express varying tunes. He sounded good as CD and more! with a friendly but strong stage presence, too.

Mastersingers of Nuremberg at the ENO in London on Saturday, almost 5 hours of Wagnerian bliss!

I was particularly interested to hear Rachel Nicholls sing Eva, I have seen often at Longborough Opera singing Brunnhilde in their Ring cycle but this the first time I have heard her in a large theatre; she was superb. She is singing Isolde at Longborough this summer, I have already got the tickets.

Curtis Stigers at Camberley Theatre, last night.  

My wife and I enjoyed it very much.

Tommy Emmanuel in gateshead

Took my other half to see Rumer in Bristol last night. What a voice she has but the usual modern 'small' PA which as soon as the band were in full swing starts to distort, especially the voices which is a shame. Never heard the bassist at all and we had good central seats. After a few songs the blandness started to set in. You became aware of a constant plink plonk style piano all the time, kinda Las Vegas. We are then introduced to her MD, musical director, an American. The only other 'MD' I know of was involved in the KB gigs last summer, which for me, was totally bland. He and his style seemed at odds with the rest of the band. Bit of a shame, I suspect she could be the best of the current crop of female acts, I understand her recent CD generally was generally regarded as disappointing by most reviewers too. Ill give her first a go at least. 

The Mastersingers at the ENO.  The 1st two acts (about 2.5 hours) were dramatically too long and not much happens.  The final act of two hour was brilliant though!

The music all through though, was beautiful!