Following Elim Chan
Streaming Classical Music (1): Full Concert Pieces in HD, Scheherazade, Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5
Elim Chan Conductor Elim Chan's meteoric rise to stardom is amazing. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she became a music professional almost by accident (see The Guardian Interview). After she won the 2014 Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition, she apprenticed as Assistant Conductor of the LSO. She is now Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Chief Conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, two very good orchestras. "Be the Conductor of Your Own Life" is her motto.
Since my good fortune of having heard her in Hong Kong in 2017 (here), I have become a fan. Imagine my delight when I found on youtube two (HD 1080p) full performances of warhorses, recorded in one f the world's greatest halls, the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam. I sat transfixed watching them and so am relaying these to you here. Note that despite being in the same hall, the two orchestras sound quite different. I am going to do more of this in a new series, as titled above.
Rimsky Korsakov Scheherazade This is one of the top warhorses, and beloved by audience and musicians, for good reason. It is approachable even to a layman, and we tend to foget it really is a masterpiece. NPR here has conductor Marin Alsop introduce this piece. For even more info, see the wiki entry.
Tcahkovsky Symphony No. 5 Tchaikovsky is such a great composer that everyone knows a few melodies of his. Most people who are not into classical music do no know the tumultuous part of his life, as reflected in his Symphonies No. 4 to 6. In these pieces, the dark currents shall surprise those who think of his ballets. I'll let WQXR introduce the great Symphony No. 5.
If you have never heard these pieces but enjoyed the videos, drop me a word!
03 August, 2020
21 June, 2020
NCPA Spring Season 20 and thereafter
Reported by Vivek R.
February 28th: Collard and the magic of Chopin
While the world had to contend with virus and a meltdown, we were treated to a great recital by Jean Philippe Collard.
Started off with Chopin's preludes. Beautifully played with excellent dynamic shading, and great technique. If I were to nit pick, I only wish that the tempos were not so uniform through the pieces...for example, in Chopin Prelude No. 7 (1 minute plus of pure loveliness), I like to be lifted up, paused, before the final notes come. However, it was great playing, individual preferences aside.
The second half seem to play to his strengths even more. Started with Faure's Ballade, and finished with a collection from Granados Op 11 (Goyescas). The dance like stead rhythms, I feel, suited Collard's playing so much, and it was better than the versions that I have heard. Spectacular! (And who does not like Besame Mucho's inspiration!).
"Quejas, o la Maja y el Ruiseñor" Inspiration for Besame Mucho
March 1st: Fireworks are an appropriate end
Saint Saens Omphale's spinning Wheel
Saint Saens Piano Concerto 5 (Collard)
Franck Symphony in D.
Conducted by Laurent Petitgirard
This was a special concert. Texture was back with the orchestra and how!
Starting off was Omphale's spinning wheel, a piece I have not heard before. What was indeed very impressive was the conducting - very nuanced. I enjoyed the piece, though I was hoping it was Dvorak's Golden Spinning Wheel instead (now that is the kind of macabre symphonic poem that gets me going - and this one even with an "all is well that ends well").
The Saint Saens piano concerto was par excellence. So beautifully played by the orchestra and Collard - with its melodious first movement featuring runs on the keyboard, and very eastern sounding ("play piano like an Egyptian?") and filigreed second movement and the hurrah finish of the final movement - all were executed brilliantly! The strings in the second movement never did sound more silkier or precise.
The second half featured Franck. This is a piece I have never connected with emotionally - always feel wowed by the body of sound and so many instruments! This day too, was the same, but how magnificently it was played and conducted. The climaxes were all so well sorted and came together with adequate gusto and the brass section was in good form too. Overall extremely well played, and for me, enjoyable the way I enjoy Franck (like an audiophile, to be honest).
I do wish Laurent Petitgirard and Collard would come back to Bombay again.
March 11 - Not the NCPA season, but from the mouth of the babes..
I went to perhaps the last concert for a while - alas the virus has shut down concert halls. This was with Savitri Grier on the violin and Tom Poster on the piano. The concert was special although one cannot talk of it in ethereal terms. It started off with Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 3 followed by the familiar jewel Brahms Sonata 1. Though I am not so needing of a heart on sleeve approach, I wish the violinist played with a little more emotion. I felt she played very well, but more like an young person - all precision, little less emotion (the type that comes out of age). The pianist was great in that regard though the piano sounded a bit loud at times.
Post interval was Messiaen’s theme and variations which wasso all over the place that I enjoyed it after the orderly romanticism of early pieces. This was followed by Faure’s Sonata 1 - played very well. The encore was the slow movement of Beethoven’s Spring Sonata and played so well.
The charm of the two young people and their chemistry made it a very enjoyable concert. They also spoke about the pieces (why is it not done in regular concerts - sometimes the stiffness of classical concerts is stifling. It is meant to entertain too), and a fitting end (temporarily) to the concert season.
Reported by Vivek R.
Concert 1: February 16th: An evening of second movements
Augustin Dumay, conductor
Maria João Pires, piano
Mozart: Concertone for two violins in C major, K. 190
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 3 in C minor, Op. 37
The Spring season opened with Mozart, which was a bit underwhelming - played and conducted by Dumay with Jane Cho as the other soloist. While Dumay’s violin was well projected, one could not clearly hear the notes from G and D Strings of Cho. The strings also seemed a bit recessed while the winds popped out a bit too much. The second movement was the best amongst the three.
Then came the Beethoven 4th. Forget the odd and even symphonies arguments, I love the gentleness of the 4th - as long as it is not over-interpreted, it to me, plays itself. The music I have on CD is with Walter and Vanska and I enjoy both - as I did the straight ahead interpretation of the day. If I could ask for something more, it would be more of a chamber feel to it bringing out more textures - like how Rizzi did it with Beethoven’s 5th a few years ago in Mumbai. The second movement was a standout one. The orchestra also seemed to have warmed up a bit - the winds did over project a couple of times, and I was not a fan of having the trumpets in a separate row by itself - the sound pops out separately. Overall very enjoyable.
Post intermission the great Pires took to stage. I think Mumbai guessed something special was coming as a loud cough (I will recognise you in a line up buddy, I was next to you) greeted her first notes. The version I know best is Pollini/Abbado but Pires made everything sweeter and more tender. Like the cadenzas and arpeggios in the first movement.
And what a fantastic second movement - the beauty of this was it was made to sound like a Sonata (borrowing from the chamber music example of earlier).
By the time the third movement came the sound had settled down so much. Rich strings. Well behaved winds. And Pires making gorgeous music. Splendid!
Concert 2: February 18, Pires and Dumay: It takes time for the concert hall to warm up!
Schumann Romance
Beethoven Violin Sonata 1
(Intermission)
Schubert Violin Sonata 2
Beethoven Violin Sonata 5 (Spring).
Do halls warm up like an audio system? At the start of the concert, Dumay seemed to be in finer fettle than Pires - however, I saw the magic happening at the second movement (is that just me? can't be!) of Beethoven Violin Sonata 1 (I must say I prefer the late Mozart to early Beethoven by a stretch). Suddenly the body started responding.
And then came the second half was Schubert's A minor Sonata (should Schubert be heard only in a minor key?*). Absolutely brilliant. Starting with the "soft piano, aggressive violin opening" and ending with the Allegro where the piano and violin literally hurl at each other.
What can I say about this Beethoven's 5th sonata? Firstly, an older Beethoven is so much better with all the harmonic richness making a strong appearance. I listened mostly with my eyes closed and when I opened it, I was actually surprised to see other people and musicians on stage - I had been transported! The absolute freshness of the first movement with the wonderful interplay between the instruments, the poignant second movement, the third movement (an afterthought?), COUGH COUGH COUGH (breaking previous records) and the sweet Rondo that closed it off. The chemistry between the musicians was just spot on.
I would go again, even if they played the second half alone! If they even played the Beethoven alone!
*The answer is no. I mean just listen to this opening movement, and the recording quality does not seem to matter. Also that old school style of playing where they slide into a note - wow!
Augustin Dumay, conductor
Maria João Pires, piano
Mozart: Concertone for two violins in C major, K. 190
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 3 in C minor, Op. 37
The Spring season opened with Mozart, which was a bit underwhelming - played and conducted by Dumay with Jane Cho as the other soloist. While Dumay’s violin was well projected, one could not clearly hear the notes from G and D Strings of Cho. The strings also seemed a bit recessed while the winds popped out a bit too much. The second movement was the best amongst the three.
Then came the Beethoven 4th. Forget the odd and even symphonies arguments, I love the gentleness of the 4th - as long as it is not over-interpreted, it to me, plays itself. The music I have on CD is with Walter and Vanska and I enjoy both - as I did the straight ahead interpretation of the day. If I could ask for something more, it would be more of a chamber feel to it bringing out more textures - like how Rizzi did it with Beethoven’s 5th a few years ago in Mumbai. The second movement was a standout one. The orchestra also seemed to have warmed up a bit - the winds did over project a couple of times, and I was not a fan of having the trumpets in a separate row by itself - the sound pops out separately. Overall very enjoyable.
Post intermission the great Pires took to stage. I think Mumbai guessed something special was coming as a loud cough (I will recognise you in a line up buddy, I was next to you) greeted her first notes. The version I know best is Pollini/Abbado but Pires made everything sweeter and more tender. Like the cadenzas and arpeggios in the first movement.
And what a fantastic second movement - the beauty of this was it was made to sound like a Sonata (borrowing from the chamber music example of earlier).
By the time the third movement came the sound had settled down so much. Rich strings. Well behaved winds. And Pires making gorgeous music. Splendid!
Concert 2: February 18, Pires and Dumay: It takes time for the concert hall to warm up!
Schumann Romance
Beethoven Violin Sonata 1
(Intermission)
Schubert Violin Sonata 2
Beethoven Violin Sonata 5 (Spring).
Do halls warm up like an audio system? At the start of the concert, Dumay seemed to be in finer fettle than Pires - however, I saw the magic happening at the second movement (is that just me? can't be!) of Beethoven Violin Sonata 1 (I must say I prefer the late Mozart to early Beethoven by a stretch). Suddenly the body started responding.
And then came the second half was Schubert's A minor Sonata (should Schubert be heard only in a minor key?*). Absolutely brilliant. Starting with the "soft piano, aggressive violin opening" and ending with the Allegro where the piano and violin literally hurl at each other.
What can I say about this Beethoven's 5th sonata? Firstly, an older Beethoven is so much better with all the harmonic richness making a strong appearance. I listened mostly with my eyes closed and when I opened it, I was actually surprised to see other people and musicians on stage - I had been transported! The absolute freshness of the first movement with the wonderful interplay between the instruments, the poignant second movement, the third movement (an afterthought?), COUGH COUGH COUGH (breaking previous records) and the sweet Rondo that closed it off. The chemistry between the musicians was just spot on.
I would go again, even if they played the second half alone! If they even played the Beethoven alone!
*The answer is no. I mean just listen to this opening movement, and the recording quality does not seem to matter. Also that old school style of playing where they slide into a note - wow!
February 28th: Collard and the magic of Chopin
While the world had to contend with virus and a meltdown, we were treated to a great recital by Jean Philippe Collard.
Started off with Chopin's preludes. Beautifully played with excellent dynamic shading, and great technique. If I were to nit pick, I only wish that the tempos were not so uniform through the pieces...for example, in Chopin Prelude No. 7 (1 minute plus of pure loveliness), I like to be lifted up, paused, before the final notes come. However, it was great playing, individual preferences aside.
The second half seem to play to his strengths even more. Started with Faure's Ballade, and finished with a collection from Granados Op 11 (Goyescas). The dance like stead rhythms, I feel, suited Collard's playing so much, and it was better than the versions that I have heard. Spectacular! (And who does not like Besame Mucho's inspiration!).
"Quejas, o la Maja y el Ruiseñor" Inspiration for Besame Mucho
March 1st: Fireworks are an appropriate end
Saint Saens Omphale's spinning Wheel
Saint Saens Piano Concerto 5 (Collard)
Franck Symphony in D.
Conducted by Laurent Petitgirard
This was a special concert. Texture was back with the orchestra and how!
Starting off was Omphale's spinning wheel, a piece I have not heard before. What was indeed very impressive was the conducting - very nuanced. I enjoyed the piece, though I was hoping it was Dvorak's Golden Spinning Wheel instead (now that is the kind of macabre symphonic poem that gets me going - and this one even with an "all is well that ends well").
The Saint Saens piano concerto was par excellence. So beautifully played by the orchestra and Collard - with its melodious first movement featuring runs on the keyboard, and very eastern sounding ("play piano like an Egyptian?") and filigreed second movement and the hurrah finish of the final movement - all were executed brilliantly! The strings in the second movement never did sound more silkier or precise.
The second half featured Franck. This is a piece I have never connected with emotionally - always feel wowed by the body of sound and so many instruments! This day too, was the same, but how magnificently it was played and conducted. The climaxes were all so well sorted and came together with adequate gusto and the brass section was in good form too. Overall extremely well played, and for me, enjoyable the way I enjoy Franck (like an audiophile, to be honest).
I do wish Laurent Petitgirard and Collard would come back to Bombay again.
March 11 - Not the NCPA season, but from the mouth of the babes..
I went to perhaps the last concert for a while - alas the virus has shut down concert halls. This was with Savitri Grier on the violin and Tom Poster on the piano. The concert was special although one cannot talk of it in ethereal terms. It started off with Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 3 followed by the familiar jewel Brahms Sonata 1. Though I am not so needing of a heart on sleeve approach, I wish the violinist played with a little more emotion. I felt she played very well, but more like an young person - all precision, little less emotion (the type that comes out of age). The pianist was great in that regard though the piano sounded a bit loud at times.
Post interval was Messiaen’s theme and variations which wasso all over the place that I enjoyed it after the orderly romanticism of early pieces. This was followed by Faure’s Sonata 1 - played very well. The encore was the slow movement of Beethoven’s Spring Sonata and played so well.
The charm of the two young people and their chemistry made it a very enjoyable concert. They also spoke about the pieces (why is it not done in regular concerts - sometimes the stiffness of classical concerts is stifling. It is meant to entertain too), and a fitting end (temporarily) to the concert season.
27 February, 2020
Two Mahler Fifth's
How would you like your Mahler 5th?
Even if Mahler's Universe is intrinsically huge, the varied instruments through which we gaze at it swell its size even more. Some attempt (rather improbably) to look at the big picture; others try to excavate the minutest details. Despite the detailed instructions in the scores, readings can sound astonishingly different. Among the canon, the 5th has always been the most problematic, being emotionally more ambiguous (or bipolar) than most others. That doesn't stop it from being the most performed. Here are two performances on consecutive days, presented in chronological order.
February 24, 2020, Geffen Hall
Budapest Festival Orchestra - Ivan Fischer - Gerhild Romberger
All Mahler
I adore the Budapest Festival Orchestra under Ivan Fischer and try to hear them as often as I can. The NYC audience love them too and they are yearly staples at Lincoln Center's Great Performers series (in the lousy Geffen Hall). The day before this concert, they played an all-Dvorak program that I wish I could have attended.
German Contralto Gerhild Romberger gave as perfect and sensitive a rendition of Kindertotenlieder as I have heard (on records), ecstatically received by the audience. It shows in these exquisite works, the proper inflection and diction are vitally important (even if you don't know the language, you feel it), an advantage for one native to the language - this is not to disparage her equipment, which is mighty fine, well spun on top and with just enough weight on the bottom, a rarity in contraltos.
Even though I am familiar with this orchestra in concert and on record, I was still astonished by the bigness of this performance of the Fifth Symphony. And it was not at all about punch, or delivering vital blows to impress (like what the CSO does for Solti), rather unabashed sensuality, physicality, even carnality. This would not have been possible were it not for the orchestral sensitivity and virtuosity on offer. Ivan Fischer had gone on record saying that he regards this symphony as Mahler's most Jewish, and perhaps those aspects of the performance reflect that belief.
The way the orchestra was placed and balanced (rather European) is central to its sound. Divided violins, cellos and violas in the center, and (unusually) double basses in the center back, on elevated platforms (the result was excellent, attesting to the ears of the conductor; perhaps the NY Phil should emulate). The sound can be definitely characterized as European, with a dark and solid bass foundation. Winds, brass, and strings were on equal footing - not easily achievable, as really strong and characterful wind players are needed to counter the rest of the orchestra.
As mentioned numerous times before in other reviews, Ivan Fischer has the ability of to bring out many details without hindering forward motion. This is generally true, but here and there I did think I'd have preferred a more straightforward propulsion - the constant "assault" of highlighted details can be tiring to hold on to - the listener has to have as much concentration as the musicians in order to receive what is given. The powerful orchestral sound projection also meant the divided violins, even when they were carrying the tune, were sometimes not as audible as I would like.
For further discussion, I'd like to refer you to the newyorkclassicalreview account of the same concert. I frequently read and cite this site, because the New York Times now has fewer reviews (and limits online free-browsing). Another is, I like to cross-check my views with others and align myself to reading reviews of concerts that I could not attend (like the Dvorak). In general, I have been in agreement with most of the reviews (and comments) of this site, but this time I have some reservations, though I am not at complete odds with the author's views.
Not that I think this was the ultimate performance of the piece. What is! In my following review of the Juilliard Orchestra, I shall detail the numerous disappointments of the performances of this piece that I have heard. Like that reviewer, I was not really carried away by this performance, and had some of the same reservations. However, I do think this performance showed me what I'd like to get more from this piece in performance. To me, this was one of the most illuminating performances of a Mahler symphony that I have heard, and it made me listen hard, not something an ordinary performance can do.
As I was leaving, I overheard someone say: "That was a lot of sound!" That described it well. Unfortunately, a lot of sound just made the lousy Geffen Hall stand out more for its failures. Would that it had taken place in Carnegie Hall!
February 25, 2020, Carnegie Hall
Juilliard Orchestra - David Robertson
Mackey - Mahler
I hesitated to attend this concert after the tumultuous performance of Mahler's 5th by the Budapest Festival Orchestra just a night ago, but curiosity got the better of me. So, how did the student orchestra compare? Not very well, I am afraid.
In contrast to the BFO, the performance of Mahler 5th by the Juilliard Orchestra was more commonplace. This was the first time I heard David Roberston. A little awkward and angular in his movements, he did seem attuned to the score. Surprisingly, the orchestra was seated also in the European way, differing from the BFO in that the double basses were behind the cellos, not in the center.
Sonically, this was a completely different orchestra. Despite the superiority of the acoustics, weaknesses were immediately apparent. Best were the lower brass, including a fearless trumpet (this fellow is destined for stardom!) The horns were tidy but a little characterless. The winds did not gel too well and lacked character and gravitas. The divided upper strings also struggled to be heard. But the most glaring fault to me was a lack of bass line. The cellos, with or without augmentation from the basses, simply lacked power. And so it became a lower brass dominated performance. The trajectory was clear enough, but the execution made it a humdrum performance.
Concert opened with Steven Mackey's Beautiful Passing, a violin concerto, well played by Stephen Kim. Written in an accessible style, it mixed minimalism with some surprising elements (I heard some Vaughn Willaims). Of course, there were lots of percussion, and all players did well.
As I have mentioned at the top, M5 is, for me, difficult to bring off. This blog has few entries, recording only concerts that I have gone to in NYC or Hong Kong. I don't attend concerts that often (grant you, only for big pieces, like Mahler, Bruckner and Strauss), so it amazes me that this concert marked the TENTH (!) M5 I have heard since 2008 (inception of this blog). Too many M5, not enough of the others.
And I have heard the JO play the M5 twice before. Conlon (2008) was lackluster; DePreist (2011) was better but still routine (What is it with the JO? M5 as a test drive?) Lest one thinks better results are guaranteed with professional orchestras, that is simply not so either - witness Baltimore/Alsop (2016), HKPO/Sinaisky (2014), and Boston/Andris Nelsons (2018). Better, but still not memorable, was the recent Cleveland/Wesler-Most (2019). Two of the best M5's that I have heard are: NYPhil/Alan Gilbert (2011); and, amazingly, from a student orchestra, Asian Youth Orchestra/James Judd (2010).
And, lest one thinks the JO cannot play Mahler, that is not so either, witness Gilbert Mahler 9 (2011) and Roberto Abbado's Mahler 1st (2008) that I did not get to write about.
Even if Mahler's Universe is intrinsically huge, the varied instruments through which we gaze at it swell its size even more. Some attempt (rather improbably) to look at the big picture; others try to excavate the minutest details. Despite the detailed instructions in the scores, readings can sound astonishingly different. Among the canon, the 5th has always been the most problematic, being emotionally more ambiguous (or bipolar) than most others. That doesn't stop it from being the most performed. Here are two performances on consecutive days, presented in chronological order.
February 24, 2020, Geffen Hall
Budapest Festival Orchestra - Ivan Fischer - Gerhild Romberger
All Mahler
I adore the Budapest Festival Orchestra under Ivan Fischer and try to hear them as often as I can. The NYC audience love them too and they are yearly staples at Lincoln Center's Great Performers series (in the lousy Geffen Hall). The day before this concert, they played an all-Dvorak program that I wish I could have attended.
German Contralto Gerhild Romberger gave as perfect and sensitive a rendition of Kindertotenlieder as I have heard (on records), ecstatically received by the audience. It shows in these exquisite works, the proper inflection and diction are vitally important (even if you don't know the language, you feel it), an advantage for one native to the language - this is not to disparage her equipment, which is mighty fine, well spun on top and with just enough weight on the bottom, a rarity in contraltos.
Even though I am familiar with this orchestra in concert and on record, I was still astonished by the bigness of this performance of the Fifth Symphony. And it was not at all about punch, or delivering vital blows to impress (like what the CSO does for Solti), rather unabashed sensuality, physicality, even carnality. This would not have been possible were it not for the orchestral sensitivity and virtuosity on offer. Ivan Fischer had gone on record saying that he regards this symphony as Mahler's most Jewish, and perhaps those aspects of the performance reflect that belief.
The way the orchestra was placed and balanced (rather European) is central to its sound. Divided violins, cellos and violas in the center, and (unusually) double basses in the center back, on elevated platforms (the result was excellent, attesting to the ears of the conductor; perhaps the NY Phil should emulate). The sound can be definitely characterized as European, with a dark and solid bass foundation. Winds, brass, and strings were on equal footing - not easily achievable, as really strong and characterful wind players are needed to counter the rest of the orchestra.
As mentioned numerous times before in other reviews, Ivan Fischer has the ability of to bring out many details without hindering forward motion. This is generally true, but here and there I did think I'd have preferred a more straightforward propulsion - the constant "assault" of highlighted details can be tiring to hold on to - the listener has to have as much concentration as the musicians in order to receive what is given. The powerful orchestral sound projection also meant the divided violins, even when they were carrying the tune, were sometimes not as audible as I would like.
For further discussion, I'd like to refer you to the newyorkclassicalreview account of the same concert. I frequently read and cite this site, because the New York Times now has fewer reviews (and limits online free-browsing). Another is, I like to cross-check my views with others and align myself to reading reviews of concerts that I could not attend (like the Dvorak). In general, I have been in agreement with most of the reviews (and comments) of this site, but this time I have some reservations, though I am not at complete odds with the author's views.
Not that I think this was the ultimate performance of the piece. What is! In my following review of the Juilliard Orchestra, I shall detail the numerous disappointments of the performances of this piece that I have heard. Like that reviewer, I was not really carried away by this performance, and had some of the same reservations. However, I do think this performance showed me what I'd like to get more from this piece in performance. To me, this was one of the most illuminating performances of a Mahler symphony that I have heard, and it made me listen hard, not something an ordinary performance can do.
As I was leaving, I overheard someone say: "That was a lot of sound!" That described it well. Unfortunately, a lot of sound just made the lousy Geffen Hall stand out more for its failures. Would that it had taken place in Carnegie Hall!
February 25, 2020, Carnegie Hall
Juilliard Orchestra - David Robertson
Mackey - Mahler
I hesitated to attend this concert after the tumultuous performance of Mahler's 5th by the Budapest Festival Orchestra just a night ago, but curiosity got the better of me. So, how did the student orchestra compare? Not very well, I am afraid.
In contrast to the BFO, the performance of Mahler 5th by the Juilliard Orchestra was more commonplace. This was the first time I heard David Roberston. A little awkward and angular in his movements, he did seem attuned to the score. Surprisingly, the orchestra was seated also in the European way, differing from the BFO in that the double basses were behind the cellos, not in the center.
Sonically, this was a completely different orchestra. Despite the superiority of the acoustics, weaknesses were immediately apparent. Best were the lower brass, including a fearless trumpet (this fellow is destined for stardom!) The horns were tidy but a little characterless. The winds did not gel too well and lacked character and gravitas. The divided upper strings also struggled to be heard. But the most glaring fault to me was a lack of bass line. The cellos, with or without augmentation from the basses, simply lacked power. And so it became a lower brass dominated performance. The trajectory was clear enough, but the execution made it a humdrum performance.
Concert opened with Steven Mackey's Beautiful Passing, a violin concerto, well played by Stephen Kim. Written in an accessible style, it mixed minimalism with some surprising elements (I heard some Vaughn Willaims). Of course, there were lots of percussion, and all players did well.
As I have mentioned at the top, M5 is, for me, difficult to bring off. This blog has few entries, recording only concerts that I have gone to in NYC or Hong Kong. I don't attend concerts that often (grant you, only for big pieces, like Mahler, Bruckner and Strauss), so it amazes me that this concert marked the TENTH (!) M5 I have heard since 2008 (inception of this blog). Too many M5, not enough of the others.
And I have heard the JO play the M5 twice before. Conlon (2008) was lackluster; DePreist (2011) was better but still routine (What is it with the JO? M5 as a test drive?) Lest one thinks better results are guaranteed with professional orchestras, that is simply not so either - witness Baltimore/Alsop (2016), HKPO/Sinaisky (2014), and Boston/Andris Nelsons (2018). Better, but still not memorable, was the recent Cleveland/Wesler-Most (2019). Two of the best M5's that I have heard are: NYPhil/Alan Gilbert (2011); and, amazingly, from a student orchestra, Asian Youth Orchestra/James Judd (2010).
And, lest one thinks the JO cannot play Mahler, that is not so either, witness Gilbert Mahler 9 (2011) and Roberto Abbado's Mahler 1st (2008) that I did not get to write about.
31 January, 2020
Simone Young Alban Gerhardt
Simone Young Encore!
January 31, 2020, Geffen Hall
NY Phil - Simone Young - Alban Gerhardt
Britten - Dean - Elgar
Viva Simone Young, who now is a favorite of mine! After her cataclysmal Mahler 6th with the NY Phil (here) last year, I was an instant convert. This program is not one I'd go for usually, but I'd go hear Simone Young conduct anything! This was an early concert (11:00 am), which suits me well, but there were a lot of empty seats.
Britten's Four Sea Interludes has never done that much for me, but Simone Young paced it well and elicited excellent playing from the orchestra and for once I enjoyed the orchestral colors.
This was followed by Australian Brett Dean's Cello Concerto, played by the excellent German Cellist Alban Gerhardt (website), who is familiar to me and the Hong Kong audience (my experience with the AYO concerts here), but this was his NY debut. The enjoyable concerto, for lack of a better word, features sort of long chant-like utterances from the soloist, unusually without too much pyrotechnical display. The orchestration is highly accessible, and the audience seemed to really like it. Gerhardt gave the premiere and it was obvious he knew it well. I personally enjoyed the Hammond Organ, kinda funky.
Although I am crazy about his two symphonies and many of the tone poems, somehow Elgar's Enigma Variations, despite the famous Nimrod, eludes me most of the time. Part of it is my own intrinsic reservation about the style of Orchestral Variations (Brahms, Hindemith, etc), so different from the sonata form. But in this performance, Simone Young paced it beautifully and got things moving, and nothing got bogged down. In Nimrod, the NY violins was still not the sweetest, but otherwise the orchestra played beautifully. The last three variations were quite eloquent and, credit to Young, there was only one climax, and it was very well done.
One thing about Simone Young. The orchestra sounded musical under her baton, whereas under the likes of Jaap or Daniel Harding (post below) it could be overdriven and coarse. This lady knows exactly what she is doing - superb control, just the right amount.
As I have said, I'd go hear her do anything!
January 31, 2020, Geffen Hall
NY Phil - Simone Young - Alban Gerhardt
Britten - Dean - Elgar
Viva Simone Young, who now is a favorite of mine! After her cataclysmal Mahler 6th with the NY Phil (here) last year, I was an instant convert. This program is not one I'd go for usually, but I'd go hear Simone Young conduct anything! This was an early concert (11:00 am), which suits me well, but there were a lot of empty seats.
Britten's Four Sea Interludes has never done that much for me, but Simone Young paced it well and elicited excellent playing from the orchestra and for once I enjoyed the orchestral colors.
This was followed by Australian Brett Dean's Cello Concerto, played by the excellent German Cellist Alban Gerhardt (website), who is familiar to me and the Hong Kong audience (my experience with the AYO concerts here), but this was his NY debut. The enjoyable concerto, for lack of a better word, features sort of long chant-like utterances from the soloist, unusually without too much pyrotechnical display. The orchestration is highly accessible, and the audience seemed to really like it. Gerhardt gave the premiere and it was obvious he knew it well. I personally enjoyed the Hammond Organ, kinda funky.
Although I am crazy about his two symphonies and many of the tone poems, somehow Elgar's Enigma Variations, despite the famous Nimrod, eludes me most of the time. Part of it is my own intrinsic reservation about the style of Orchestral Variations (Brahms, Hindemith, etc), so different from the sonata form. But in this performance, Simone Young paced it beautifully and got things moving, and nothing got bogged down. In Nimrod, the NY violins was still not the sweetest, but otherwise the orchestra played beautifully. The last three variations were quite eloquent and, credit to Young, there was only one climax, and it was very well done.
One thing about Simone Young. The orchestra sounded musical under her baton, whereas under the likes of Jaap or Daniel Harding (post below) it could be overdriven and coarse. This lady knows exactly what she is doing - superb control, just the right amount.
As I have said, I'd go hear her do anything!
13 January, 2020
Paul Lewis Daniel Harding Parker Quartet Andrew McGill New York Baroque Inc
The Biggest and the Smallest Bands: 3 Concerts
Click pics to enlarge.
Big comes at a cost, in this case literally, as I had to pay for my NYPO ticket, whereas the other were free concerts given during the holiday season. In this case, it is definitely not "you gets what you pays for".
Jan 10, 2020
New York Philharmonic - Paul Lewis - Daniel Harding
Grieg - Strauss
I am familiar with both artists' work on record. In the case of Daniel Harding, I heard him last in Strauss almost a year ago in a magnificent Ein Heldenleben with the Concertgebouw (here), so I was really looking forward to the even bigger Alpine Symphony. The stage was jam packed, and I was expectant. Alas, the woodwinds played tentatively, and the big Sunrise was just brute and piecing in sound. After that, the orchestra was not very cohesive nor alluring during the ascent. Things started to get much better around and after the Summit, which was powerful. The descent led to some foreboding, a fierce storm and then a calmer summing up. I managed to enjoy the second half of the piece, but the orchestral sound and acoustics of the Geffen Hall were not a patch on the Concertgebouw in Carnegie Hall, so perhaps it was not Harding's fault. Maybe a 2:00 pm concert is too early for the NYPO players to wake up!
Paul Lewis played distinctively in Grieg's Piano Concerto, and the orchestral contribution was very good. To me, the pianist's refinement and rhythmic emphasis sounded somewhat idiosyncratic, but not uncomfortably so. The performance was definitely not in the romantic tradition, but was dramatic. From my third tier seat I found the piano sound to be bass shy, and although I found it enjoyable I cannot be as ecstatic as another review (here).
Jan 6, 2020
Advent Lutheran Church
Parker Quartet and Anthony McGill
Salonen - Shostakovich - Mozart
I was very happy when I found out the Parker Quartet was giving a free concert! I heard them in 2011 (here) in another free concert in Flushing and was mightily impressed (it shocks me that it was almost a decade ago, as it just seemed like yesterday, sigh, how time flies!).
The Advent Lutheran is a nice church, but not very big. However, it has a substantial music program, Music Mondays, which I didn't know about until I read about the event in the NYT. On this occasion, due to the publicity (and perhaps the star attraction of the guest soloist), people had to be turned away in order not to violate the fire code. I was lucky I got there a little early.
As is usual with the Parker, there is a substantial piece of new music, Salonen's Homunculus (the word means little man, for what that is worth). It was well crafted and well played, but not quite as challenging as some of his larger works, like the violin concerto (I heard the DG version, played by Leila Josefowicz). It sounded really nice in the church though, and happily there was no undue reverberation.
Shostakovich's Quartet No. 9 is a masterpiece and part of the trilogy that is No. 7-9. This is much less played than No. 8 and undeservedly so. The Parker was thoroughly idiomatic and probing, equally captivating in quieter passages and the motoric finale.
After the intermission came Mozart's Clarinet Quintet with New York Philharmonic's Principal Andrew McGill, who played very beautifully. He was ably supported by the Parker, but overall the rendition did not quite have the "time stood still" feeling that the best performances can imbue in us. Nonetheless, the concert was admirable, and the reception afterwards, where we enjoyed a glass of red wine, certainly was a plus! I shall be attending more events!
December 18, 2019
Angel Orensanz Foundation
New York Baroque Inc.
All Bach
NYC is amazing! I have never heard of the venue nor the Band, but learnt of the free event from the NYT. I was very happy to get to hear Bach orchestral works in a church!
The Angel Orensanz Foundation is an Arts Organization that rents out its space, a former Synagogue, for events. The New York Baroque, Inc apparently is an established period-instrument band.
On this occasion, the conductor was the estimable Richard Edgarr, director of the Academy of Ancient Music. Before each piece, he gave a little speech which invariably illuminated the piece. More musicians should do this.
Orchestral Suites 1 and 3, and Brandenburg Concertos 6 and 5 were played. The orchestra was certainly not perfect, but the spirited playing and earthy sonorities of the period instruments were absolutely delightful. Highlights included the mesmerizing interplay by the 2 violas in the Concerto No. 6, and of course, the racuous Gigue of the Suite No. 3 (not to mention the heavenly Air)!
Great concerts in unusual spaces!
Click pics to enlarge.
Big comes at a cost, in this case literally, as I had to pay for my NYPO ticket, whereas the other were free concerts given during the holiday season. In this case, it is definitely not "you gets what you pays for".
Jan 10, 2020
New York Philharmonic - Paul Lewis - Daniel Harding
Grieg - Strauss
I am familiar with both artists' work on record. In the case of Daniel Harding, I heard him last in Strauss almost a year ago in a magnificent Ein Heldenleben with the Concertgebouw (here), so I was really looking forward to the even bigger Alpine Symphony. The stage was jam packed, and I was expectant. Alas, the woodwinds played tentatively, and the big Sunrise was just brute and piecing in sound. After that, the orchestra was not very cohesive nor alluring during the ascent. Things started to get much better around and after the Summit, which was powerful. The descent led to some foreboding, a fierce storm and then a calmer summing up. I managed to enjoy the second half of the piece, but the orchestral sound and acoustics of the Geffen Hall were not a patch on the Concertgebouw in Carnegie Hall, so perhaps it was not Harding's fault. Maybe a 2:00 pm concert is too early for the NYPO players to wake up!
Paul Lewis played distinctively in Grieg's Piano Concerto, and the orchestral contribution was very good. To me, the pianist's refinement and rhythmic emphasis sounded somewhat idiosyncratic, but not uncomfortably so. The performance was definitely not in the romantic tradition, but was dramatic. From my third tier seat I found the piano sound to be bass shy, and although I found it enjoyable I cannot be as ecstatic as another review (here).
Jan 6, 2020Advent Lutheran Church
Parker Quartet and Anthony McGill
Salonen - Shostakovich - Mozart
I was very happy when I found out the Parker Quartet was giving a free concert! I heard them in 2011 (here) in another free concert in Flushing and was mightily impressed (it shocks me that it was almost a decade ago, as it just seemed like yesterday, sigh, how time flies!).
The Advent Lutheran is a nice church, but not very big. However, it has a substantial music program, Music Mondays, which I didn't know about until I read about the event in the NYT. On this occasion, due to the publicity (and perhaps the star attraction of the guest soloist), people had to be turned away in order not to violate the fire code. I was lucky I got there a little early.
As is usual with the Parker, there is a substantial piece of new music, Salonen's Homunculus (the word means little man, for what that is worth). It was well crafted and well played, but not quite as challenging as some of his larger works, like the violin concerto (I heard the DG version, played by Leila Josefowicz). It sounded really nice in the church though, and happily there was no undue reverberation.
Shostakovich's Quartet No. 9 is a masterpiece and part of the trilogy that is No. 7-9. This is much less played than No. 8 and undeservedly so. The Parker was thoroughly idiomatic and probing, equally captivating in quieter passages and the motoric finale.
After the intermission came Mozart's Clarinet Quintet with New York Philharmonic's Principal Andrew McGill, who played very beautifully. He was ably supported by the Parker, but overall the rendition did not quite have the "time stood still" feeling that the best performances can imbue in us. Nonetheless, the concert was admirable, and the reception afterwards, where we enjoyed a glass of red wine, certainly was a plus! I shall be attending more events!
December 18, 2019Angel Orensanz Foundation
New York Baroque Inc.
All Bach
NYC is amazing! I have never heard of the venue nor the Band, but learnt of the free event from the NYT. I was very happy to get to hear Bach orchestral works in a church!
The Angel Orensanz Foundation is an Arts Organization that rents out its space, a former Synagogue, for events. The New York Baroque, Inc apparently is an established period-instrument band.
On this occasion, the conductor was the estimable Richard Edgarr, director of the Academy of Ancient Music. Before each piece, he gave a little speech which invariably illuminated the piece. More musicians should do this.
Orchestral Suites 1 and 3, and Brandenburg Concertos 6 and 5 were played. The orchestra was certainly not perfect, but the spirited playing and earthy sonorities of the period instruments were absolutely delightful. Highlights included the mesmerizing interplay by the 2 violas in the Concerto No. 6, and of course, the racuous Gigue of the Suite No. 3 (not to mention the heavenly Air)!
Great concerts in unusual spaces!
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