Soda Blonde, Secret Show #2, O’Regans, Dublin
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It was a mixture of his own music and Utopia.
Fraid not. I have been to an open air Elton John gig ad various classical concerts.
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Was at a great concert with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Kristjan Jarvi. Main piece was Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker……, a completely refreshing version - very very enjoyable.
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Just a quickie:
Tonight, at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, Ese And The Vooduu People headlined the evening’s Jazz festival ( I don’t remember offhand the title of this current celebration across a few venues).
Just to say, they proved mighty headliners tonight.
Simply rocked the joint.
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Daniel Harding/CSO: The Planets!
Program
Schumann : Overture to Manfred
Brahms : Schicksalslied
Holst : The Planets
This was the first time I got to hear the Planets live for the first time. Indeed The Mars live was tremendous especially when that organ kicks in it is overwhelmingly scary. Daniel Harding is not particularly my favourite but he did a decent job moving the tunes along I sort of missed the Karajan/Berliners swagger. The last movement, Neptune’s slowly disappearing chorus was exquisite and moving.
CSO actually had a US premier of the piece by Frederik Stock back in December 1920. But it has not been played that often at the Orchestra Hall in Chicago since. This might be a good program for Mäkelä/Concertgebouw!
Daniel Harding checking out the original The Planets score used by Stock at the US premier in 1920.
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Ese looks so elegant! 
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I bet that was fun! Giving a good 'ol Nutcracker a new life.
It was a real great concert, this was also the way of presenting classical music which can attract a new audience….
The Australian Pink Floyd - Hull Connexion - 10th Nov
50th Anniversary DSOTM tour. Never got to see the original band unfortunately. A great night,superb set list and great musicians. Can highly recommend for those that haven’t seen them.
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Here in the US various orchestra halls are doing film based music to attract wider audience base. I guess The Planets also fit into that category I guess. I was told that the Mars was used in the film Gladiator? I saw more young folks at the Planet concerts which I suppose is a good thing. I try to bring my different friends to concert to get exposed to the live classical concert. ( my usual concert goer friend refused to go to any Bruckner or Mahler concerts so I have to enlist others ) 
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The Cookers tonight at Cadogan Hall, London. David Weiss, Eddie Henderson, Billy Harper, Donald Harrison, George Cables, Cecil McBee and Billy Hart. A truly all-star jazz lineup and a well deserved standing ovation.
At the age of 88 years, the incredible Cecil McBee must be on monkey glands !
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John Storgards/CSO + Karen Gomyo
Program
Sibelius : Pohjola’s Daughter
Glass: Violin Concerto No. 1
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3
Rarely played Rachmaninov’s Symphony No.3. I see why it was a flop when it was premiered back in 1936. This is more transitional piece than his earlier ultra romantic works. It it still lush and dense, starts to sound like a soundtrack from the 40s Joan Crawford film. I liked Storgards strong and decisive handling of the band. Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto was not as bad as I thought it would be albeit it was still overly repetitive. I thought Gomyo’s fine lined style was well suited for the piece.
I kept thinking Storgards would have been more interesting than Harding on The Planets.
Storgards was bursting out of his trousers.
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Saturday Night Dinner with my wife at Jazz Alley in Seattle and than the rest of the evening listening to Pat Methany.
(Photo from Pat’s Facebook page)
A solo performance and it was fabulous!
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Saw yesterday late afternoon beginning evening a great concert with Jan Lisiecki and Manfred Honeck. They played the 9th piano concerto of Mozart and the 4th symphony of Franz Schmidt.
They also announced that Manfred Honeck would be honorary conductor of the orchestra.
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Yazz Ahmed with Victor Plimmer and Ralph Wyld at Kings Place, London, yesterday evening. Superb electro-jazz, played for a solid hour without a pause. Wonderful surround sound system, and the trippiest light show - David Lynch meets early Floyd. Wonderful gig.
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Lots of bands over the weekend at a prog rock festival in Gt Yarmouth. A holiday camp is a bit warmer than a field is in Nov. in the UK! Excellent overall, lots of new discoveries, and finished off with Fous and Tangerine Dream. Wonderfull
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Honeck is visiting Chicago next year conducting Bruckner 7. I just hope he won’t be the next music director of CSO…
Heaven 17 - De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Sea 13th Nov 2023
It took a couple of songs to get the sound mix right but once sorted it was a great performance playing The Luxury Gap in full along with some old favourites.
Martyn Ware still has the old synth dating from 1974 that he used when he was in The Human League, and when he used it on their version of Being Boiled, the sound it made was just fabulous.
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