The first concert for 2022 is CSO/Muti performing Vivaldi and Handel.
Program
Vivaldi
Concerto for Four Violins in B Minor, RV 580
Flute Concerto in G Minor (La Notte), RV 439
Concerto in C Major (Per la solennità di San Lorenzo), RV 556
Handel Water Music, Suite No. 1
Smaller scaled and intimate than usual but the band produced warm and rich tonal colours. It’s not the HIP school of playing so no sharp corners. What I enjoyed the most was the Flute Concerto La Notte. CSO Principal flute player Stefan Ragnner Hoskudlsson played with an excellent control and precision impressive sustain of low notes in Largo created an eerie mysterious mood. The other two concertos were upbeat and nice to listen to but after a while they all started to sound like Four Seasons.
Muti stretched Suit No.1 by playing repeats lasting over 30 min. I Wish he did the entire Suites as the music started to sound a bit monotonous towards the end.
My first concert this year was on Thursday night. We went to the Royal College of Music for a concert of Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 8, and Ruth Gipps’ Symphony No.4, conducted by Martyn Brabbins. This is VW’s 150th anniversary year and, as both an alumnus and erstwhile professor, the RCM are running a series of concerts featuring VW’s music.
New to me was the piece by Ruth Gipps, an oboist and pupil of Vaughan Williams who went on to become a composer, conductor and teacher. I must seek out more of her music.
Always fun to discover new music, isn’t it?
I still need to get into Willam’s catalogue. For some reasons his music has not been played much in Chicago which their program is always skewed towards German composers.
A local charity (which focuses on improving life for people with dementia and related issues) held a fundraising folk night last night, 3 excellent local folk acts, Ghost School, The Bromleys and Alice Jones. It’s great to hear live music, and they’re all really good, wonderful fun night.
Vondráček was note perfect tho at times perhaps too mechanical ( not much use of pedals ) and too obvious rubato calling too much attention to himself. In the beginning Alsop made sure the band was together as he kept shifting the tempo in odd places.
Alsop was excellent for both Barber and Elgar programs with and excellent showman ship. ( chaneling Lenny ? ) This was the first time I listen to the Enigma Variations and whilst I appreciated the scale and weight perhaps I missesd some intimacy and charming short tunes such as Dorabella and G.R.S. (supposed to be a little bulldog swimming but Dan was supersized with a full orchestra! )
The house was packed to night and not a single cough during the concert!
Sold out concert. Poignant given the current geopolitical climate. Muti made a short speech before the performance.
Some patron sneaked in a video recording of it and posted on Youtube.
The performance was tense and I felt an added intensity. Tempi were fast for the fist two movements but then Adagio was slower than normal. The weak point was that the Mezzo did not have enough projection so her voice was mostly drawn into the massive chorus. The tenor, Issachah Savage, OTOH, was terrific. What a reach, power and clarity! He made a debut pinch hitting for someone else. I missed the fearless speed of Furtwangler in Coda. Packed house and after the last note the entire audience roared. The longest standing ovation I experienced at the Orchestra Hall.
Oddly the hall was not filled unusual for Trifonov program as he usually packs the house.
Interesting collection of the program and I enjoyed the first half. Szymanowski was vivid and brightly lit, he did a good job creating magical and mysterious atmosphere. This is a beutiful sonata remind me a bit of Prokofiev. Not as cool as Richter set nonetheless I enjoyed it.
Contrasting Debussy it was muted and blurry like impressionist painting a la Arrau. Proofiev’s short piece Sarcasm was very similar to his album ‘silver age’. I was hoping he’s put a bit more sense of humour but as the album release, it was played out straight. Laser sharp note articulation and not one misplaying but somewhat monotonous.
The biggest disapointment was Brahms’s No.3. All technical and no emotion. He puts in his own decorations and elaborations but they sounded rather trite and not necessary. I guess I am more old school. My imprint of this piece is by Curzon where his slow movement digs out so much more emotions and underlying yearning. Unfortunately Trifonov’s set failed to engage.
J.S. Bach arr. M. Reger
“Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ,” BWV 639 [Mar 12. Encore]
Finally got to hear Blomstedt conduct a Bruckner program! 94-year-old maestro donning a blue and yellow ribbon on the lapel showing solidarity still has it! Up in the podium without any chair or a score, the symphony was well organised with excellent tension and dynamic expressions throughout.
Bruckner must be heard live. It is so tremendous and powerful to experience of Bruckner symphony in full colour. CSO brass rose to the occasion with that bronzy amber hues yet adding necessary bite. My friend, OTOH, this was his first Bruckner outing and he was not too happy. Claiming Bruckner has nothing to say and it was a complete waste of his time. Well, that’s what most people thought, including Bruckner’s critics back then. One needs patience when you listen to Bruckner.
Lyric’s new production Tosca was terrific! Both leads Michelle Bradley ( Tosca ) & Russell Thomas (Cavaradossi ) made the Lyric debut along with a young Korean conductor Eun Sun Kim. Powerful and forever extended open voice on both, particularly Bradley reminded me of Leontyne’s husky warm tone. What a power couple~ Bradley also managed to portray vulnerable side of Tosca who’s madly in love with Cavaradossi. This power duo, Bradlley and Thomas, hitting every high note with a dramatic flair.
I also loved the set. Nothing out of ordinary ( sure beats some Euro-trash sets ) but beautifully executed. Seen at the Lyric for the first time it was done by '72 San Francisco Opera by a French director and designer Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. Rather traditional but opulent and hyper realistic especially inside the church in the ACT1.
Last week the ever fantastic Grigory Sokolov, he plays it in such a great manner you can’t imagine it should ever sound different. And as always a generous number of encores (6)….
Yesterday concert with the solist Albrecht Mayer, good but not so much preferred as solo instrument. Program with Mozart - starting with Symphony Haffner…., after the break also an excellent rendition of the first symphony of Prokofiev. At first I was skeptical on how Mozart would combine with this, but it was actually quite fitting as it’s a classic symphony….
The conductor is one to watch, Riccardo Minasi……
Many of my favourites from Tori’s catalogue played with her usual passion and talent. The fluidity of her voice is still there but when she needed to power through, she seemed more restrained than I remembered her being. Perhaps this was the crowd which I felt was unusually quiet for one of her shows or maybe it will take time post the Covid lay off - only her fourth show. The band has to be tight to match her amazing piano skills but Jon Evans on bass is so fluid.
NIce.
Where was the venue?
I had ticket to go see him last December at Philharmonie Luxemburg but sadly he cancelled due to illness!
Argerich, Sokolov and Zimerman are my three bucket list.
I really miss seeing him. I went to see him every year from 2004 to 2018. Went to see him 3 times in one year. Victoria hall Geneva, Nancy in France and the usual haunt Alte Oper in Frankfurt for some Schubert impromptus and Beethoven Hammerklavier sonata. Sadly i missed a few gems after 2018 before covid set in.
I almost completed your bucket list. I have seen Sokolov and Argerich already multiple times. So far Zimmermann is missing.
The Venue is the Meistersinger Halle in Nuremberg, just 25 km away from my home.
