Impressive virtuoso and at times moving Rachmaninov recital this evening with Nikolai Lugansky playing Etudes-Tableaux and some other works.
which venue?
Hi Kuma, the venue was the concerthall in Ede, a small church converted into a concert hall. Ede is a small town in The Netherlands, appr. halfway between Utrecht and Arnhem
Flamingods, at the Goods Shed, Stroud, last night. One of the best live acts I’ve seen. Had me on my feet throughout. One of my gigs of the year.
In connection with the F1 GP?
No, but it was all being set up when she was there. There were also some real high end cars at the Wynn hotel where she was staying. I guess it seemed like a mess and they were way behind schedule when she went (a couple weeks ago). Not sure how the race turned out but I saw the debacle from Thursday night/Friday morning in the practice run.
Samara Joy at the Barbican.
My thanks to @TheKevster for giving me the chance to hear Samara live.
All I’ll say is…WOW. What a singer. What a band behind her.
Bloody great. Exquisite. So young too, and already a classic singer. Humble too in respect of her peers past and present.
Go see.
Maxim Vengerov & Polina Osetinskaya
Program
Clara Schumann: Three Romances, Op. 22
Brahms: Scherzo in C Minor from the F.A.E. Sonata
Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 3 in A Minor
Prokofiev:
Five Melodies
Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 94bis
Encore
Rachmaninov: *Vocalise*Prokofiev (arr. Heifetz): March from The Love of Three Oranges
Rachmaninov (arr. York): Variation 18 from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
I enjoyed this recital in spite we were sitting at the Lower Balcony. So I did not get the usual intimacy and vibe off the artist you get from the front row, Vengerov’s warm tone was able to communicate with me. The pianist ( Polina Osetinskaya ) was wonderful, too! Very sensitive yet expressive. This duo worked very well together. Noone was overshadowing each other. Instead, enhancing each other’s performance. I was not sure about those Prokofiev pieces but after listening to them I was able to get into the tunes. Schumann, Brahms pieces also was enjoyable, too. Particularly Clara’s Three Romances Op.22. They also provided three wonderful encores. Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, Variation 18 Rhapsody on Themes of Paganini and Prokofiev’s March Op.99. ( my fave ) All crowd pleasers. I saw a lot of Russian speaking patrons tonight and many were humming the melody from the Variation 18 after the show.
So did the ABBA show yesterday. Absolutely amazing, and with a carnival atmosphere .
Having a live band definitely makes it. And the faster songs work best for the visuals. Great venue too.
I’d say go expecting “a show” rather than “a gig” - as obviously the spontaneity isn’t there. But still an exceptional experience.
Just two weeks to go for me - thanks for the positive report.
The Prodigy - First Direct Arena, Leeds on Saturday.
Not quite the same without Keith but still the usual carnage in the standing area, fantastic light/laser show. And yes - very loud!!
Indeed, this is it. Acoustics seem quite good. I was on a balcony, not sure how it sounds in the “ pit”
Thank you. I might check it out next time when I am in the NL.
Laurence Jones on a small stage in the Netherlands, but it was great!
Laura Veirs at Leaf, Liverpool, last night.
Met up with Jim (formerly Dan Steel of this forum) for a very enjoyable evening. Although promoting her new album Phone Orphans there was a nice mix of songs from different albums. The new songs worked better live than recorded.
How is Dan Steel these days.
Hi Pete, Jim was on good form although struggling with back pain, he’s using a cane at the moment awaiting surgery. I think he’s still getting to plenty of gigs though.
I use to enjoy his posts if you see him pass on my best wishes.