When was the last concert you went in 2017

The B-52's and Simple Minds. Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia, February 9th.
B-52's tremendous fun and a great, tight band with great musicianship. Most enjoyable.
Simple Minds just superb. Jim Kerr really entertains and they played hit after hit after hit.

Bert Schurink posted:

The Trifonov concert was really great. He is so intense in his playing. I especially like the Rhapsodie over a theme of Paganini. But also the 1st piano concert was very well played.

I'll be seeing him play next month at the Orchestra Hall, too. Perusing next season's program, Trifonov is becoming Chicago's favourite next to Kissin. Gergiev/Mariinsky also will make an appearance next season but with Denis Matsuev. ( playing Prokofiev #2 )

BUDAPEST FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Iván Fischer Conductor
Richard Goode Piano

All Beethoven:
Symphony No.1
Piano Concerto No.2
Symphony No.5

I am somewhat familiar with their team work via their Grammy nominated complete Beethoven Piano Concertos which I didn't think much of Goode's playing. But when I saw them touring the US, I was curious to hear him to find out he's actually that dull. ( as in the CD )

In my mind, PC2 needs Mozart like transparency and polish and sense of fun where Goode's playing utterly lack. ( or at least I did not hear it ) He misplayed a note but that's not my problem. I just don't see his goody two shoes straight playing is right for Beethoven's piano pieces. I think that was the same *problem* I had with his rest of concertos.

OTOH, I very much enjoyed Fischer/Budapest Festival Orchestra performance of Beethoven Symphonies. No.1 might have lacked a bit of polish or subtleties, but they were coherent, rhythmic had a very nice warm bottom weighted tonal quality  which gave them a very much grounded friendly disposition. This chunky earthy quality was perfect for the 5th along with Fisher's excellent tension management, giving the score somewhat of traditional approach but extremely emotional drama. ( 'struggle-to-conquest' segment should be played this way for the max impact, IMHO ) Particularly from the tail end of Scherzo to a triumphant final movement and finale making this one of my most memorable moving concert I have ever attended. They almost sounded like Lenny/NYP's 5th. But much nimbler. 

Interestingly it was a complete opposite direction from Muti took a month earlier with CSO where Muti did not use much of dynamic shading nor use of rubato but pushed it through via sheer speed and tsunami like forward momentum. They are both viable interpretation but for a stronger more compelling story telling, I feel Fischer/Budapest Festival had an edge.

I hope they'll visit us again.

Here's an interview with Ivan Fischer on Beethoven.

Bert Schurink posted:

The Trifonov concert was really great. He is so intense in his playing. I especially like the Rhapsodie over a theme of Paganini. But also the 1st piano concert was very well played.

it was also the first time I saw Gergiev live and it was not a dissapointed. I will see that I get some photos published later...

So now with picture. The conducting of Gergiev is quite special. With hands and fingers. They will continue in München with the Rachmaninov cycle, a pity that I don't life in München otherwise I would have also visited the others of the cycle.

Slapp Happy (yes, THAT Slapp Happy) and Faust at Café Oto in Dalston on 10th February. Very good it was too!

https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/even...happy-faust-day-one/

Ese & The Vooduu People at the Queens Arms in Battersea on 11th February.

You know when a band is starting to get somewhere when they have to come back for three encores. Two sets, aslmost two hours of music.

Bert Schurink posted:

The Trifonov concert was really great. He is so intense in his playing. I especially like the Rhapsodie over a theme of Paganini. But also the 1st piano concert was very well played.

Trifonov's Rach 1 was indeed terrific. I was very much taken by his intensity yet a certain lyricism throughout. This is the performance I attended back in 2015. ( with Semyon Bychkov/CSO ) The finale certainly brought down the house.

He'll be playing the Rach 2 next season with Zweden/CSO.

kuma posted:

Bert Schurink posted:

The Trifonov concert was really great. He is so intense in his playing. I especially like the Rhapsodie over a theme of Paganini. But also the 1st piano concert was very well played.

Trifonov's Rach 1 was indeed terrific. I was very much taken by his intensity yet a certain lyricism throughout. This is the performance I attended back in 2015. ( with Semyon Bychkov/CSO ) The finale certainly brought down the house.

He'll be playing the Rach 2 next season with Zweden/CSO.

It's that I don't live in München otherwise I would have taken his all Rachmaninov package. He will Tuesday play the last concerto .....

Capital Theatre, Horsham, Saturday 18th Feb:-

Another in a now long list of 'Tribute" bands we have seen. This time Money For Nothing, unsurprisingly a Dire Straits version. A six piece with a quite young (30s) lead guitar and singer the Mark Knopfler of the band. He swallowed his words a little but it didn't spoil enjoyment. Foe a change the sound level was just right, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham.

Not as good as the last three times I've seen him at the same premises, he seems to be a bit more of a "showman" now and I feel he doesn't play as much guitar. I'm not familiar with his new album either but still great entertainment from Chuck and his highly competent band.

I saw Chuck Prophet & Co last night at the Tunnels in Bristol. I haven't seen him live since he was in Green On Red but I certainly enjoyed it. His new album is very good (checked it out on Tidal) and the tracks already evolving into excellent live material.

Great band as well - recommended!

Benjamin Grosvenor:

Program:
Schumann: Arabesque, Op. 18
Mozart: Sonata No. 13 in B-flat Major, K. 333
Beethoven: Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 (Moonlight)
Scriabin: Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp Minor, Op. 19 (Sonata-Fantasy)
Granados: Selections from Goyescas
Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole

[ENCORE]
Moszkowski: Etude in A-flat Major, Op. 72, No. 11
Kapustin: Etude in E Minor, Op. 40, No. 3

This is his Chicago debut recital with smorgasbord of virtuosic tunes.

The first half of recital started off with soft and tender Schmann's Arabesque and finished with Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata ( personally I wish he would have picked more interesting later Sonatas )

Ho hum. He sounded very stiff and mechanical with not much flair on both Schumann or Mozart pieces. I felt that his left had was way too heavy making the tunes too bottom weighted. Mozart K.333 sounded *wrong* because of it. Moonlight equally lacklustre albeit it's pretty tough to make this nauseatingly familiar piece fresh. It is not my favourite piece and out of dozens I have heard to date, Kempf's '65 performance is just about the only one that moves me. These pieces are not particularly difficult to play but to make insightful interpretations is much harder to pull off especially in a recital live situation, I reckon.

Second half, as I expected, faired a lot better. Fiery yet opulent Scriabin and rhythmic and bold Granados pieces showed his excellent technical skills and virtuosity. He turned on a *it's 'show time'* mode. Liszt Rhapsodie Espagnole just about brought down the house. It was impressive particularly considering he's only 24 years old. He certainly did not let the Chicago audience down. 

Brit Floyd at the Lowry Theatre, Salford on their Immersion 2017 tour. A recreation of the Division Bell tour with an incredibly good light show accompanied by film clips. Sound quality and levels were excellent as was the standard of musicianship. Only slightly marred by a complete row of simpletons chattering away ten to the dozen.

Looking forward to the Japanese Nobu Tsjuii this evening with a varied recital program. This will be the first time I will experience a concert and even more so hearing him...

Program is:

kuma posted:

Benjamin Grosvenor:

Program:
Schumann: Arabesque, Op. 18
Mozart: Sonata No. 13 in B-flat Major, K. 333
Beethoven: Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 (Moonlight)
Scriabin: Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp Minor, Op. 19 (Sonata-Fantasy)
Granados: Selections from Goyescas
Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole

[ENCORE]
Moszkowski: Etude in A-flat Major, Op. 72, No. 11
Kapustin: Etude in E Minor, Op. 40, No. 3

This is his Chicago debut recital with smorgasbord of virtuosic tunes.

The first half of recital started off with soft and tender Schmann's Arabesque and finished with Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata ( personally I wish he would have picked more interesting later Sonatas )

Ho hum. He sounded very stiff and mechanical with not much flair on both Schumann or Mozart pieces. I felt that his left had was way too heavy making the tunes too bottom weighted. Mozart K.333 sounded *wrong* because of it. Moonlight equally lacklustre albeit it's pretty tough to make this nauseatingly familiar piece fresh. It is not my favourite piece and out of dozens I have heard to date, Kempf's '65 performance is just about the only one that moves me. These pieces are not particularly difficult to play but to make insightful interpretations is much harder to pull off especially in a recital live situation, I reckon.

Second half, as I expected, faired a lot better. Fiery yet opulent Scriabin and rhythmic and bold Granados pieces showed his excellent technical skills and virtuosity. He turned on a *it's 'show time'* mode. Liszt Rhapsodie Espagnole just about brought down the house. It was impressive particularly considering he's only 24 years old. He certainly did not let the Chicago audience down. 

I hope I soon have an opportunity to see him live. I expected him to do better as your comments seem to indicate. Perhaps he just didn't have his evening...

Bert Schurink posted:

Looking forward to the Japanese Nobu Tsjuii this evening with a varied recital program. This will be the first time I will experience a concert and even more so hearing him...

Program is:

Johann Sebastian Bach: Italienisches Konzert F-Dur BWV 971

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Klaviersonate Nr. 17 B-Dur KV 570

Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviersonate Nr. 14 cis-Moll op. 27 Nr.2 "Mondscheinsonate"

Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviersonate Nr. 23 f-Moll op. 57 "Appassionata"

 

 

The concert was quite good. Bach was perfect, Mozart missed a bit the dynamics, so was a bit weak. Beethoven was again good. He had besides some standard encores a self composed piece for Tsunami victims which was also very nice. So all in all a good evening.

Bert Schurink posted:

I hope I soon have an opportunity to see him live. I expected him to do better as your comments seem to indicate. Perhaps he just didn't have his evening...

Jury is still out on Grosvenor for me. I've one CD by him but my impression on him was 'good but not great'.  He seems to be a sort of artist who covers a lot but does not do anything particularly well. Technical excellence these days are not a rare skill amongst young piano player so in order to be exceptional, one needs to go beyond it.

Kings of Leon at the Newcastle Metro Arena.

Don't know why I keep going back to this venue, as the sound was terrible again.

The music was good though, although the lighting was poor to me. Too much back lighting, and whilst 'moody/arty' looking, it left the band in silhouette nearly all the time. Good mix of old and new songs, but they were 10 songs in before there was any talking to the crowd. I always like bands that interact with the crowd more.

Left a little disappointed, and certainly wasn't as good as when I saw them at the City Hall years ago. Smaller venues are much better for me.

Nigel

Went to see Angela Gheorghiu yesterday in Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, in London. With modern concepts dominating many opera houses, it was refreshing to see the opera as the period piece that it is. Outstandingly well sung by all principals involved, including Brian Jagde (new to me) and a superb Gerald Finley as Michonnet. Gheorghiu continues to look and sound beautiful, still in command of that creamy voice that makes her stand out from the pack. The opera itself is ridiculous even by opera standards but hugely entertaining, with several show-stopping moments.

Should have waited for autographs, but foolishly common sense took over - had to catch the early plane home.

Cheers

EJ

Wow certainly looking old school but love it, EJ!

Amazed by the performance pics. 'Amazed' in the sense that I thought they were only a feature of pop culture. Apparently not. Seems I may need to get down wiv der Kidzz.

Chris

Riverside - live in Warsaw, Poland. Their first gig after an untimely death of the guitarist 1 year ago. An amazing 2.5 hour set!

Riverside on top form!

Niall Kelly and James Forster (South London's best guitarist - he has a touch of the Dickie Betts about him) on 12th February at the BBBC (that's the Balham Bowls Club). Almost 90 minutes of mellow blues, jazz and rock - a mixture of covers and original tunes, including the debut of a superb Niall newie, "The Letter".

16th February - Ese & The Vooduu People returned to the Old Dispensary in Camberwell, South London. Various technical issues meant the set had to be truncated after less than quarter of an hour, but the band returned for an 70 minutes' worth of blistering power trio soul-rock. Among the highlights was the live debut of a new song, "How to Spot A Sociopath".