What classical concert did you attend?

[bart]

Thanks Karl!
I don't know the John Adams piece. How was it?
I was just listening to Grieg's piano concerto (see the Classical Thread). Gorgeous isn't it?

[kfr01]

Originally Posted by bart

Thanks Karl!
I don't know the John Adams piece. How was it?
I was just listening to Grieg's piano concerto (see the Classical Thread). Gorgeous isn't it?

I didn't know the John Adams piece either. Our conductor and music direcotr (Edo de Waart) told us the story of how he and Adams became friends and decided to premiere Harmonielehre while de Waart was music director for the San Francisco Symphony. De Waart's story indicated that he and Adams are good friends, and de Waart seemed to conduct the piece with some real personal interest and passion.

That said, the Adams piece was a bit too contemporary for me and seemed to meander through the middle without much of a melodic theme. Parts were huge and exciting, but I'm partial to pieces that are a bit more cohesive and driving. I'll seek a good recording of the Adams piece to have in my collection, but it will not be frequently played.

The Grieg piano concerto, on the other hand, captured my attention and I lept from my seat with applause upon its completion. Trpčeski dominated the piece and the playing was at least as good as any recording of it that I own. I listened to multiple different versions of the Grieg piano concerto yesterday before the concert, and neither Trpčeski nor the rest of the players missed a beat. Trpčeski's playing was without hesitation and was fearless, two traits, I think, that are a must for the Grieg piano concerto.

[audiot servant]

I picked up the Simon Rattle - City of Birmingham Symphony recording of John Adam's Harmonielehre (Harmony Lesson) when it was released back in the 90's and am still really enjoying playing it - especially in the quiet hours. It also has great versions of The Chairman Dances, Tromba lontana and Short Ride in a Fast Machine, some real Adam's highlights. Both the performance and the recording are spacious and wonderful - definitely suggest adding this one to any shortlist of Adam's recordings to check out.

Coincidentally, at much the same time that I first heard Adam's we were also lucky enough to have Edo de Waart as the Sydney Symphony's Chief Conductor and Artistic Director and we miss him dearly ... any chance we can have him back when you are finished with him? :-) He is a gem...

Graham

[kfr01]

Graham: Thanks for your note. I'll have to pick up that version of the Harmonielehre, both to have a good version and to familiarize myself with Adams a bit more.

We are lucky to have de Waart in our mid-population market. I'm sure he'll move on at some point, but we might be lucky enough to have him for a few more years. From what I have read, de Waart is here in-part because his wife wanted to raise their children in Madison (good schools, low crime, clean air, etc.).

On another note, nice system! How are the Maggie 3.7's with classical such as Adams?

[audiot servant]

Karl - I do hope you like the Rattle version when you check it out, I am a bit aware of how well you know classical music from your many postings... I thought I'd better just put the music on again and then have a go at describing how it sounds thru the Maggies.

Magnepan do atmospheric and epic really well replaying the vastness of Adam's orchestral scale.

However, I think the difference with the arrival of the 3.7s over earlier Maggies is another level of 'cut from just one cloth' coherency and the bass has this new found confidence which makes Adam's use of rhythmic drive to pick you up and compel you along on the ride with him. Sometimes it is so eerily real it is like in the movies when having a bit of a flashback.

I love these new speakers with orchestral music - not as good as going to a live concert but more like being there live than anything else I have yet had... and so while you can enjoy Edo over there live (always best) I fortunately can still have part of him here as well thanks to the 3.7's.

Graham

[bart]

Originally Posted by audiot servant

I picked up the Simon Rattle - City of Birmingham Symphony recording of John Adam's Harmonielehre (Harmony Lesson) when it was released back in the 90's and am still really enjoying playing it - especially in the quiet hours. It also has great versions of The Chairman Dances, Tromba lontana and Short Ride in a Fast Machine, some real Adam's highlights. Both the performance and the recording are spacious and wonderful - definitely suggest adding this one to any shortlist of Adam's recordings to check out.

Coincidentally, at much the same time that I first heard Adam's we were also lucky enough to have Edo de Waart as the Sydney Symphony's Chief Conductor and Artistic Director and we miss him dearly ... any chance we can have him back when you are finished with him? :-) He is a gem...

Graham

Thanks Graham!
I've put it on my wish list.
Will be something for my next order.

[audiot servant]

Pressures on now - really hope you like it Bart :-)

The next concerts I will venture down to the Sydney Opera House for in November to hear Anne Sophie Von Otter sing Canteloube Chants d'Auvergne and then later Vladimir Ashkenazy conduct Mahler 2 Resurrection Symphony...

I feel a bit bad about saying how we miss Edo on the concert platform in Sydney... we have had the extraordinary privilege of having Ashkenazy as Principal Conductor and Artistic Director since 2009 and he has just agreed to stay on till 2013.

I also had the pleasure of staying in Belgium (at Ghent and Brussels) for a month in the late 80's at a tender age when I was spending my meagre backpackers budget on fritten rather than concert going... I should have stayed hungrier.

Thanks for this great thread reminding us how magical the real thing is.

Graham

[bart]

Originally Posted by audiot servant

Pressures on now - really hope you like it Bart :-)

The next concerts I will venture down to the Sydney Opera House for in November to hear Anne Sophie Von Otter sing Canteloube Chants d'Auvergne and then later Vladimir Ashkenazy conduct Mahler 2 Resurrection Symphony...

I feel a bit bad about saying how we miss Edo on the concert platform in Sydney... we have had the extraordinary privilege of having Ashkenazy as Principal Conductor and Artistic Director since 2009 and he has just agreed to stay on till 2013.

I also had the pleasure of staying in Belgium (at Ghent and Brussels) for a month in the late 80's at a tender age when I was spending my meagre backpackers budget on fritten rather than concert going... I should have stayed hungrier.

Thanks for this great thread reminding us how magical the real thing is.

Graham

Wow, Von Otter!
She's really great.
I recently heard her in a duo with Brad Mehldau (Love Songs)

Even this genre, she handles with ease.

[bart]

GRIGORY SOKOLOV - CONCERTGEBOUW BRUGES - OCT 25, 2011



Grigory Sokolov, whom many regard as the most important pianist of our time, is finally coming back to Bruges. ‘A recital by Grigory Sokolov is like a vision of a lost age of Russian pianism,’ wrote the British paper The Guardian. Time after time Sokolov surprises his audience with the wealth of his repertoire and his immense musical power. Using little pedal, and thus superior finger-work, he draws an immense variety of sounds from the concert grand. The rhythmic freedom and elasticity of his phrasing are unequalled. Those who have heard Sokolov at work will primarily remember the naturalness of his interpretation – the core of his artistic credo. No matter which repertoire he plays, from Bach to Chopin, from Beethoven to Ravel, it always sounds brand-new. Le Figaro summed it up as follows: ‘There are pianists, and there is Sokolov.’

Grigory Sokolov: piano

Johann Sebastian Bach (1675-1750)
Clavier-Übung II
Italian Concerto, BWV971
Overture in the french style, BWV831

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Variationen über ein Thema von Händel, opus 24
Three intermezzi, opus 117

This was a very special experience.
Sokolov played Bach with such finesse, such timing, such feeling for the music.
Unfortunately, the sound was often a bit disturbed by high peeping sounds. These came from... hearing aids!
This seems to be a common problem with some piano notes, interfering with these little devices.
During the pause, a member of the staff dealt with this issue, asking the public to readjust their "ear amps", so that we could enjoy an undisturbed Brahms.
Sokolov is like an dancer: his fingers, his arms and even the rest of his body move so elegantly while he's playing so dazzlingly accurate.
The public reacted very enthusiastically, and the pianist came back for 4 encores, clearly enjoying the standing ovation.
Together with Rahman El Bacha, Grigory Sokolov is the best classical piano player I've seen in action.
So far, he has recorded only 10CD's.
These were nicely presented in a box, which of course I couldn't resist...

[AudioNut]

Originally Posted by bart

GRIGORY SOKOLOV - CONCERTGEBOUW BRUGES - OCT 25, 2011



So far, he has recorded only 10CD's.
These were nicely presented in a box, which of course I couldn't resist...

You are so lucky Bart to have such extraordinary musical experience so near to you.

I really don't think our local orchestra is quite up to the standards of Bruges.