Cool! Even better than a backstage pass! 
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It was both, actually… The buffet was elegantly set in a beautiful ‘terrace hall’ upstairs in the theatre. 
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I was just thinking he looks like Keith Emerson… (R.I.P. Keith, you’ve been a hero of my teenage years)…
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I was at the Barbican last night to celebrate the composer Gavin Bryars’ 80 th birthday ( photo from Barbican )
The programme was:
Ramble on Cortona
Duets from Doctor Ox’s Experiment
After Handel’s Vesper
Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me (with full choir)
Epilogue from Wonderlawn
Played by the Gavin Bryars Ensemble including the great man himself on double bass. Superb harpsichord playing by Mahan Esfahani.
I have to confess to a large speck of sentiment in my eye during ‘Jesus’ Blood’.
It was a very special concert
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It was a while back now, but Slowdive in Auckland in July was one of the best gigs I’ve been to in years. Great sound mixing (loud enough, but not so loud that it was uncomfortable with the ear plugs out), and the mix of old and new songs were perfect.
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Handel’s Messiah
Performers
Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis/CSO
Soprano: Jolie Harvey
Mezzo: Jennifer Johnson Cano
Bass: John Relyea
Tenor: Mathew Polenzani
This concludes the concert for 2023. I was not keen on the cheezy embelishments ( tambourines? seriously? 
) Sir Davis added but he looked good for a 80 years old. The star of the show was the Soprano Jolie Harvey. Tho she does not have a Wagner level stamina her rendition of 'I know that my Redeemer liveth’ was sung in a delicate yet full of underlying emotion.
Lovely Jolie Harvey with a see through warm tone.
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Went to see Suzanne Vega at the City Winery in New York last night.
Beautiful venue (lamps and table service) and the acoustics were exceptional.
Tried not to take many photos as it was an intimate venue but did grab the setlist and a signed album.
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Looks like Bowie guitarist Gerry Leonard on guitar.
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Yeah - he’s been with her for a while now.
Very talented, technical guitarist with a very Brian Eno sound. That’s his setlist I managed to get.
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Caramel… I remeber that tune so well. So 90’s!
I remember co-worker brought me this CD to tell me this is what he’s liking lately. Thought it was a nice album cover.
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I only really knew “Tom’s Diner” which really isn’t a good reflection IMO of her style.
Then I saw her do an acoustic rendition of “Marlene on the Wall” on a BBC Glastonbury set a few years and was blown away. Seen here a few times since as she regularly does theatre tours in the UK.
Outstanding live and always has some good stories to tell.
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Mäkelä + *Concertgebouworkest*
Klaus Mäkelä: conductor
Javier Perianes: piano
Program:
Tawfiq:
M.C. Escher’s Imagination (Commissioned by the Concertgebouw ) (Nederlandse première)
Falla:
Nights in the Gardens of Spain (‘Noches en los jardines de Espana’)*
Moesorgski:
Pictures at an Exhibition
The first concert to kick off 2024.
I could definitely feel the love for their new Music Director to be Makela from the Dutch audience.
I was a bit shocked to see Perianes looking rather different from what I rememberd from a CD cover I have. ( aren’t we getting all older 
) I thought he was great for the passionate lively Spanish program despite a few missed keys. I can’t claim it was a clean reading but I appreciated his brash style. ( His encore piece was also enjoyable )
All familiar Musorgsky piece was a big of a mixed bag for me. The tempi was a bit on a slower side for me and he elaborated too much on some instances. Altho their horn section gave beautiful rich and colourful tones, a poor trumpet player missed a note in intro and the band was not completely together.
A bit of surprised for me as last time when I saw Makela was with CSO playing Stravinsky’s Fire Bird and it was one of the best live concert I have experienced.
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Borodin Quartet
**Program**Shostakovich String Quartet No. 1
Borodin String Quartet No. 2
Tchaikovsky String Quartet No. 2
![IMG_20240115_202105|666x500]
Terrific performance by finely tuned old guard quartet. Together they produced a huge warm sound filling the hall ( Utrecht Tivolivredenburg Hertz) coupled with a spot on timing and incredible cohesion.
I particularly enjoyed an acrobatic and showy Tchikovsky’s piece. It was almost symphonic. Every member’s playing contributed to produce this massive result.
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Beethoven: Klavierkonzert Es-Dur und 5. Symphonie
Jakub Hrůša Dirigent
Lukas Sternath Klavier
Ludwig van Beethoven Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr. 5 Es-Dur op. 73
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphonie Nr. 5 c-Moll op. 67
It was another great concert. I didn’t know the artist playing the piano, but het played well……
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Nice!
I read that Hrusa has extended the Bamberger contract to 2028-29.
There goes my hope for the Chicago MD spot for him. 
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I am happy for that as he is doing a great job in Bamberg. So I see him regularly….
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He is plenty busy between Philharmonia, ROH and Bamberg!
Bruckner Symphony 7 + Concertgebouworkest
Myung-whun Chung: conductor
Due to some box office screw up, they seated us right behind the fleet of bass players. It was an interesting experience sitting so close amongst the orchestra players.
Chung was great directing the band but at the same time giving them a plenty of freedom to breath. Excellent control when it’s needed and great organisation where all those repeats never sounded dull or repetitive. Brass and horn sections sounded beautiful except just one little note miss. The massed strings in a high register even at tutti was never congested sounded utterly effortless. It was a Nowak version with a cymbal crush in Adagio.
It really was thrilling to hear the Scherzo amongst the bass players!
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