What concert did you attend in 2018?

Roger Waters at Perth Arena tonight.

Thourougly sublime visual, lighting, sound, all up production value etc. very entertaining, I enjoyed it very much. And that was with me pretty much neither here nor there about the music itself, more a casual fan than a rabid one I guess.

Never going to get to see David Gilmore where I live, so next best thing I suppose.

Wonderful concert on Wednesday this week. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at Exeter University, Great Hall . Mainstream program of Elgar Cello and Dvorak 9, but gripping from start to finish. I can safely say that Leonard Elschenbroich is the finest Cellist that I have had the pleasure to see Live. His Elgar was powerful, but controlled, intonation perfect and every note as clear as a bell. Dare I say better even than the preeminent J. Du Pre ?

anyway, if you get the chance to attend a concert I’d strongly recommend him.

To The Hand in Hand, a music pub in Brixton, on 14th January.

This was to see the first of a regular series of Sunday night jam sessions, running from 7.30pm until midnight (last Sunday night was #7). The line-up is always fluid, with people coming and going on the stage, but the constant factor is the emcee, Ese Okorodudu (of Ese & The Vooduu People). The evening was a mixture of complete chaos and real inspiration. Among those who turned up were local guitar slinger/songwriter Mark Meller, show-off rapper Danna and an excellent band Ese had recommended called Alex & The Wonderland, who are just starting out but who show great promise. Ese performed a few of her own numbers - "Silver Spoon", "I Don't Mind", "Alien" with various musicians. A real star of the night for me was Errrol Linton (below), South London's very own Little Walter.

This evening Helene Grimaud, not knowing what to expect...

Hélène Grimaud | Mat Hennek

„Woodlands and beyond …“

Philharmonie
Sa., 3. März 2018
20:00 Uhr

Hélène Grimaud | Mat Hennek
„Woodlands and beyond …“

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Hélène Grimaud | Mat Hennek

Werke für Klavier von Liszt, Debussy, Berio, Fauré, Janácek, Ravel u.a.

Als Grenzgängerin in der Ausübung ihrer Kunst kennt man die Pianistin Hélène Grimaud, als leidenschaftlich Suchende nach musikalischer Wahrhaftigkeit, als künstlerischen Freigeist von größter Brillanz. Als solche forscht sie stets nach neuen Quellen der Inspiration, nach Verbindungen, die ihre Musik und auch andere Kunstformen auf bisher ungekannte Wege führen. In einem neu von ihr kreierten Konzeptabend begibt sich die Künstlerin nun in das aufregende Spannungsfeld zwischen Musik und Fotografie. Gemeinsam mit ihrem Lebenspartner, dem renommierten Fotografen und Visual Artist Mat Hennek, hat sie die Grenzbereiche zwischen visuellen und auditiven Eindrücken und den daraus entstehenden kreativen Entfaltungsraum ausgelotet.

Musikalische Bilder

Henneks Bilderserie „Woodlands“ mit ihren atemberaubend schönen Naturfotografien dient dabei als Ausgangspunkt für eine musikalische Erkundung des Waldes, als poetisch-atmosphärischem Raum für Fantasie und Freiheit. Für Grimaud ist die Begegnung und die Beschäftigung mit der Natur essentiell, auch für ihre Kunst: „Die Natur ist für mich der Beweis für das Spirituelle. Und die Musik bildet die Brücke dahin.“ Und so wird die Künstlerin in diesem extravaganten sowie multimedialen Konzertabend zu den Bildwelten Henneks auf Großbildleinwand das scheinbar Gegensätzliche, tatsächlich aber sich Ergänzende von Bild und Musik zu klingendem Austausch bringen.

Hélène Grimaud, Klavier
Mat Hennek, Fotoinstallation
Nitin Sawhney, Electronic Transitions

I was actually a bit skeptical for this evenings concert as I am not the biggest fan of Hélène. But I have to say I was surprised how well the projections in relation to the music worked. Normally I tend to have the eyes closed during a big part of classical concerts - but this was actually exciting on top of a good concert. The only downside was that a lot of people have been caughing this evening. With a lot of silent music an issue....

always a nice concert hall in Munich

On Saturday 24th February, myself and SWMBO went to our very first opera.

Don Giovanni performed by the WNO at the Wales Millennium Centre.

As it was a spur of the moment decision the week before, the only tickets remaining were standing, but as they were £10 each we decided that we would give it a go. Thinking that if it wasn't for us we could just walk out and we hadn't lost a fortune.

Well I'm pleased to say that we didn't leave early, we stood for the 3 hours truly engrossed by the whole spectacle. It was all fantastic, the singing, the orchestra, the costumes etc,.

We are now looking forward to their performance of The Magic Flute next year.

TK421 posted:

On Saturday 24th February, myself and SWMBO went to our very first opera.

Don Giovanni performed by the WNO at the Wales Millennium Centre.

Me too!

A friend asked me to accompany him for a Northwestern University's student opera production of Don Giovanni today.
As he warned me they are young music students and they do not have a large voice but the hall was small so it should be ok. The production was modernized  ( also probably due to lack of funding ) and the plot was somewhat politicized adding the current #metoo movement and social media aspect. Surprisingly the program was seamless and moved quick and production was slick with various projected sceneries. Main Tenor was good but supporting tenor and sopranos sure struggled at a high register.  But for an amateur cast, they are pretty good including Northwestern Orchestra conducted by a Japanese student.

P.S. Whilst I found out the Lyric Opera is not doing Tristan next season, I've decided to go to Elektra with Nina Stemme ( Chicago debut ) next year. That will be my first *real* proper opera.

Brit Floyd

Glasgow  Royal concert hall 

Tonight 05/03/18

kuma posted:

Starting a new thread for the new year!~

So did anyone go to the New Year's Concert in Vienna?

No, but went to Austria last week and got a last minute ticket for Eugen Onegin which was sold out before I travelled:

https://www.wiener-staatsoper....924872-eugen-onegin/

Not an opera I'm that familiar with.  A rather modern production it seems (sets seemed more industrial than 'countrified') and I wasn't as enthralled as I thought I would have been, despite a good seat (though silly price).

Emmanuel Krivine/Leonidas Kavakos/CSO

Program

John Cale - Barbican Hall

Billed as (2018-1964): A Futurespective, and featuring his touring band plus the London Contemporary Orchestra, a 12 strong gospel choir and contributions from Actress and Cate Le Bon, it was frequently a very full stage!

As you’ll see from the setlist he gave full value at a mite over 2 hours with a mixture of favourites and obscurities, and stuff I frankly didn’t know.

Musically it was mixed. We were in the Circle and the sound was often very confused, especially when everyone was involved, and the bass drum tended to dominate everything when the band weren’t in full-on rock mode. Also a few of the versions tended to outstay their welcome - I’m all for stretching stuff out, but there should be some development.

Still, we all had a good time, and the old reprobate still has his edges at 76 (it was his Birthday last night and he got a rousing Happy Birthday from the choir and audience.

kuma posted:

Emmanuel Krivine/Leonidas Kavakos/CSO

Program

Mussorgsky, Orch. Rimsky-Korsakov Prelude to Khovanshchina
Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1
Berlioz Royal Hunt and Storm from Les Troyens
Debussy La mer

Krivine was a substitute conductor for Dutoit who withdrew from the performance due to a sexual harassment allegation.  No alteration in most of the program except Kodály's Hary Janos Suite was changed for Berlioz piece.

The concert opened with a beautiful Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina. As I expected Kovakos' playing of Shosty's VC1 was smooth and silky. It had a polished oily sheen to the music. His Nocturne and Passacaglia created a dark  pensive mood well suited for deep-seated composer's anguish and fear. It could have been more fiery and raw for Scherzo as his playing was probably too *nice* for it. I felt here, someone like animated Dutoit would have helped to bring the Burlesque livelier rather than a laid back Krivine. Kavakos' solo was very good but also lacked  a bit in tension between the notes.

La Mer also could have been more colourful and vivid. Krivine's handling seemed a bit restrained and bland.

Kuma, funny you should mention  Kodaly's Hary Janos Suite because that's exactly what we went to hear at the RCM in London on Thursday evening, along with Ravel's Mother Goose Suite.

I was rather excited by the Kodaly - Istvan Kertesz's famous recording with Decca is one of my favourites, and I adore the sound of the Cimbalom.  Unfortunately the Cimbalom on Thursday evening was somewhat drowned out by the rest of the orchestra.  We were sat front row, so it's possible that those sat further back may have had a better balance (the cimbalom was given helper microphones).  Still, it's a treat to hear the Hary Janos suite played live, and the Mother Goose Suite was lovely too.

Richard,

I wish they played Hary Janos. I am not much of Berlioz fan. :/

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Coliseum on Saturday. My third Britten opera and very enjoyable in this production though Oberon took a while to find his voice.

Looking forward to Daniil for tomorrow in Munich

Tschaikowsky: Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr. 1 b-moll op. 23
Strawinsky: „Le baiser de la fée“ („Der Kuss der Fee“)

2012 veröffentlichte ein gerade mal 21-jähriger Pianist mit dem Mariinsky Orchester St. Petersburg eine CD-Aufnahme mit dem ersten Klavierkonzert von Peter I. Tschaikowsky. Plötzlich hielt die Klassikwelt den Atem an – und kam aus dem Schwärmen nicht mehr heraus. Bei einem Kritiker des Guardian etwa hinterließ der junge Virtuose „mit seiner Mischung aus Zärtlichkeit und Furor einen unvergesslichen Eindruck“. Daniil Trifonov heißt der Künstler, dessen unbegreiflich reifes und tiefgründiges Klavierspiel damals in scharfem Kontrast zu seinem knabenhaften Äußeren stand. Der eigentliche Startschuss für seine Karriere erfolgte jedoch bereits ein Jahr zuvor und führt ebenfalls zurück auf den russischen Komponisten: 2011 gewann Trifonov den 1. Preis des Internationalen Tschaikowsky-Wettbewerbs, der als weltweit bedeutendster und wichtigster Wettbewerb gilt. Mit Vladimir Jurowski und dem London Philharmonic Orchestra hat der russische Pianist bei seinem Münchner Konzert im März 2018 in Sachen Tschaikowsky-Interpretation zwei ebenbürtige Partner zur Seite.

London Philharmonic Orchestra
Daniil Trifonov, Klavier
Vladimir Jurowski, Leitung

Didn’t yet report on my experience last Friday with Daniil, as before very high quality - also well connected by the orchestra. He plays things so thoughtful and so without effort it look like. I again saw with his encore that he has a bit of restrained interaction with the audience. Looking like if he doesn’t like to bring an encore and he also didn’t shoot for a 2nd encore. The Strawinsky piece after the break was well executed, however I was very tired - so it was difficult for me to appreciate it to the fullest. All in all a good end of the season in Munich, luckily I still have some concerts in Nürnberg ....., including Sokolov.....

Tuesday, 23rd January, and to the Ritzy in Brixton for the launch of "Dynamite", the first EP from Ese & The Vooduu People. Support was there in the shape of DJ Steph and [Ese & The Vooduu People drummer] Pharoah Russell's band.

E&TVP themselves did a great (if ever-so-slightly ragged) 45-minute set to an appreciative local crowd, fiollowed by a 30-minute jam session with all manner of SW2 luminaries and ne'er do wells joining in; afterwards there was the chance to meet the band and get your CD signed. And plenty of people took advantage of that opportunity:

Bert Schurink posted:

 

Trifonov/Jurowski's Tchaikovsky's No.1 PC would have been interesting!

kuma posted:

Bert Schurink posted:

 

Trifonov/Jurowski's Tchaikovsky's No.1 PC would have been interesting!

It was indeed a very good combination.