What was the last concert you went in 2016?

Here you go... a few discrete shots...

Apollo's Fire: Chicago Debut

Program:

Telemann: Don Quixote Suite (selections)
J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concert No. 4
J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concert No. 5
Handel: Chaconne from Terpsichore
Vivaldi/arr. Sorrel: La Folia (Madness)

As usual sound quality at Mandel Hall was excellent.  Apollo's Fire Music Director Jeannette Sorrell's lead a lyrical and fluid performance albeit dancing La Folia had a touch of American folk song influence.

It opened with *easy going* Telemann's Don Quixote Suite. Nothing taxing, just elegant and genteel. Two of the Brandenburg concerto was a bit of a let down due to a weak soft recorder/flute juxtaposed with sharp and vivid strings so the tune came off a touch unbalanced. 2nd movement on No.4 concerto did not have that fragile pensive tone as notes were too blurred to get the right transparency out of the winds. Also, the tone of Sorrell's cembalo could have been bolder. Altho, it was an excellent playing on the solo segment in the No. 5 Concerto, it really could have used a bit more weight and warmth.  By far the star of the evening to me was Canadian violinist Olivier Brault. His rhythmic light touch of bow added a fresh and fun. I noticed he used a different type of bow, the tone of his violin was fairly neutral yet liquid and musical. On the whole the band was more informal it had somewhat of minstrel show feel to it. (Everyone was playing standing except cello players. ) Certainly charming and cohesive, the band played extremely well together. This was set to emulate an atmosphere Café Zimmermann of 18th century Leipzig. 

If they ever came back to play at Wigmore Hall, give them a try.

FangfossFlyer posted:

Wow. Paul Rogers seems to be in a great shape!

Was he on key without an auto tune?

Wilko Johnson Band, Birmingham Town Hall.

Sixty nine years old and still grooving away like a teenager despite his health issues. Worth the entry money to hear some superb bass from Norman Watt-Roy and the support (Aaron Keylock) were worth listening to as well.

Hardly an FX pedal in sight, just relied on technique

I am really looking forward to the start of the concert season for me this evening. With Leif Ove Andsnes, have never seen him in concert.

Leif Ove Andsnes | Klavier
Vladimir Jurowski | Dirigent

Staatliches Symphonieorchester Russland

Rachmaninow, Klavierkonzert Nr. 4 g-Moll op. 40
Tschaikowsky, Symphonie Nr. 5 e-Moll op. 64

And it's just the start of a classical season with 16 planned concerts.

Bert Schurink posted:

I am really looking forward to the start of the concert season for me this evening. With Leif Ove Andsnes, have never seen him in concert.

Leif Ove Andsnes | Klavier
Vladimir Jurowski | Dirigent

Staatliches Symphonieorchester Russland

Rachmaninow, Klavierkonzert Nr. 4 g-Moll op. 40
Tschaikowsky, Symphonie Nr. 5 e-Moll op. 64

 

And it's just the start of a classical season with 16 planned concerts.

So had the concert. It was well played by Leif Ove...., while I wasn't touched by it, missed a bit the emotion....perhaps it's als the concert which enables the artist less to touch the audience. For clarity - I am not segueing that he didn't play well he did....

The Symphony was well played, and is often chosen as a companion for piano concertos of Rachmaninov ....

I missed to make a picture of Lef Ove..., s this is the one I have to offer of the concert...

By the way the encore on piano was a Nocture of Chopin, always nice...

Symphony Ball: CSO/ Muti & Trifonov

PROGRAM

Wagner A Faust Overture
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1
Dvořák Husitská Overture

CSO kicked off the 2016-17 Season with the same program played 125th years ago Oct. 16-17 1891 by Theodore Thomas as the Chicago Orchestra's first musical director.

 

I have heard Muti/CSO play Beethoven Symphonies ( including the 5th ) before but he has a tendency to *pretty* things up lacking earthiness and row power needed for Beethoven tunes. But this time around he had the band more on a shorter leash, keeping the brisk rhythmic pulse with much bolder strokes than usual but never thickly laid out like Lenny would. It was one of the better 5th I have heard in a recent years and very much enjoyed this familiar war horse.

Second half started off with Trifonov ( now in full beard so he does not look like a 12 year old almost reminiscent of young Krystian Zimerman even ! )  Tchikovsky's PC1 has been so overplayed and my old time favourite performance is Horowitz/Toscanini's 1943 live concert which has an extraordinary electrifying performance from both orchestra and the soloist. I certainly did not expect it from Trifonov who's a bit more lyrical player. He had a plenty of fire in the belly without banging keys. There is a slight misplaying in the 1st movement but otherwise clean and deft with lighter touch. Orchestra seems to take a bit of a back seat ( I noticed that Muti does this most of the time for Piano concerto which is annoying ). If they had the same spark of the 5th played prior it would have been better. It was great to sit so close to Trifonov ( got lucky! ) to observe and get his vibe but I felt it's a bit weaker than his Rachmaninov's PC1 last year.

The concert closed with Dvořák Husitská Overture for a crowd pleasing highly charged finale.

Last night, while not strictly a concert, an evening spent at the Royal Opera House for La Fille Mal Gardee. The ROHO were in tip top form, and with Steven McRae dancing to his usual superb standard, it was a most delightful evening.

Time to dig out the classic Deeca performance and recording for a spin - SXL2313 if my memory serves... 

Seasick Steve last Friday night. That was fun.

Last night The Cure in Berlin. A very nice trip back in the last 30 years. 

GUN  last Wednesday. Included Sweet Crisis and Skank. A very heavy evening 

kuma posted:

Do audience members get hacked off with your photography/ shutter noise during performance?

C.

The Lovely Eggs at the Cluny Newcastle.  Top entertainment

Level 42 Sirens 2 tour, Ipswich Regent 15/10/16.

Great venue [read: small, intimate], great performance.

Jason I was there too, albeit upstairs... great to see and hear King and Lindup doing their stuff and I thought the mini brass section was really good as well...  my most enjoyable Level42 gig since seeing them at Dunstable on their 1983/84 Tour when I was a teenager.. agree about venue.. Ipswich Regent is superb.. Australian Pink Floyd make great concerts there as well... it's large enough to get that rock feel, but small enough to be initiate with friendly and courteous staff... and audiences that talk and joke with each other and often good interplay with the band.

I saw Level 42 are the Kirklevington Country Club in 1982 - they were great but I do wish that all these nostalgia bands which are doing the rounds would  stop and give youff a chance. The thought of the Cure's Mark Smith still performing wearing  make-up is grotesque.

Ray

I'm seeing Level 42 (Mark & Mike a their mates) in Guildford tomorrow night

Simon,

I think you have summed up the Ipswich Regent very well, it does have a great feel to it doesn't it. Thanks for the Australian Floyd tip, I'll keep any eye out to see if they return there again, would like to see them.

Fred,

I've seen some acts in which I would very much agree with you, however Level 42 isn't one of them!  They've still got it in spades, thoroughly entertaining and didn't miss a beat.  Furthermore, they still actually love what they do and really enjoy and appreciate the interaction with their audience.  So, I'm glad they're still doing what they do best ;-)

Graham,

I hope you enjoy as much as we did...let us know how it goes!

Jason.

A couple of cover bands this week, Friday Oye Santana and Saturday Voodoo Lounge (Hendrix and Cream), both very good.

Bootleg Shadows next weekend.

I am very very much looking forward to my concert of this evening with Grigory Sokolov in Nuremberg. His program besides a fast amount of encores is:

Mozart, Sonate C-Dur KV 545
Mozart, Fantasie und Sonate c-Moll KV 475 / 457
*  *  *
Schumann, Arabeske C-Dur op. 18
Schumann, Fantasie C-Dur op. 17

Just came back from the Sokolov concert. It was great, as expected. The Mozart was however to my ears even more brilliant than the Schumann. It was his typical setup, low lights on the stage (like Jarrett), 6 encores and playing all pieces to only get applause at the end.....

Anybody who can, go and see this man.

due to the lighting, my picture was rather dark, so no sense to publish....

Bastille on Friday. Next up Madness 

Saw Heaven 17 last night. The place was jumping especially when they finished up with "Temptation"

Yes, likewise tonight in Shepherds Bush Empire - a lovely warm vibe engulfed the venue.