Recent Concerts You've Enjoyed

Thought this might be a fun thread and a way to find out about acts on tour.

My wife and I saw the Smoke Fairies at the Tractor Tavern last evening as the opening act for Rasputina. The Smoke Fairies are a 'folk blues' duo from Wales and have been described as "Bob Dylan's dream." I thought that their debut release "Through Low Light and Trees" was one of last year's best. It was just the two principles singing and playing guitar. Really terrific concert with excellent acoustics and thankfully not too loud.

If you are ever in Seattle, the Tractor Tavern is a great venue in the Ballard neighborhood. Very fun people watching...I think my wife and I were the only ones without tattoos! I got to chat with them after their set and had my LP signed. I love the lilting Welsh accents!

Here's a video of "Hotel Room" from their debut LP:

[video]

concert3.jpg
 
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bonzo75
Hectic concert week they are all playing here in the same week before holiday season.

Heard Isabelle Faust perform Beethoven’s violin concerto at Southbank. Compared to the other two ladies, Lisa Batiashvlli and Nicola Benedetti that I have seen do this piece before, she was quite meh, though the orchestration was excellent.

Her violin was a bit muted and not as engaging. She moved away from the usually used Kreisler cadenza to the one accompanied by the tympani, which Christian Tezlaff had used. In old performances, this sounds very good when used by Schneiderhan on DG, but paled to Kreisler cadenza live.


On Wednesday was Carmen, a new production, at Royal opera house. I have been exploring various Carmen. Unfortunately there is no one great performance, you have to buy different ones to cover good versions of favourites like Habanera, Gypsy Song, and toreador

On Tuesday was Sheku Kaneh Mason and his sister performing various cello sonatas at the Barbican. The Chopin and Mendelssohn first were excellent. The Beethoven 5th cello sonata was disappointing but I don’t like it recorded either, not like his earlier ones, especially the third.
 
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marty
For the past 3 evenings, the NY Philharmonic concluded not only its season, but the final performances of its Music Director Jaap Van Sweden with a much celebrated run of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony #2. Jaap has led the NY Phil for 8 years and will leave to make room at the podium for Gustavo Dudamel as the NY Philharmonic’s next music director. Previous to leading the NYP, Jaap led the Dallas Philharmonic. I was a season ticket holder there and got to see him many times. I always thought his performances of Mahler symphonies were quite enjoyable, and M2 at Geffen Hall last night was no exception. From the funeral inspired music of the first movement to the glorious resurrection and redemption in the last movement, it is easy to understand why the symphony is so highly regarded and loved by audiences all over the world. (FWIW-BBC Music magazine surveyed 100+ conductors in 2016 who ranked it as the 5th greatest symphony of all time). Although he has not written an opera, Mahler scored for voices as featured prominently in about half his symphonies; 2,3,4,8,9 plus Das Lied. Mahler relied on the lieder lyrics of others to complement his music and bring many of his symphonies to a level that often conveys an exalted state for the listener to savor and cherish. M2 is certainly among the greatest of his towering achievements.

IMG_2166.jpeg
 
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marty said:
For the past 3 evenings, the NY Philharmonic concluded not only its season, but the final performances of its Music Director Jaap Van Sweden with a much celebrated run of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony #2. Jaap has led the NY Phil for 8 years and will leave to make room at the podium for Gustavo Dudamel as the NY Philharmonic’s next music director. Previous to leading the NYP, Jaap led the Dallas Philharmonic. I was a season ticket holder there and got to see him many times. I always thought his performances of Mahler symphonies were quite enjoyable, and M2 at Geffen Hall last night was no exception. From the funeral inspired music of the first movement to the glorious resurrection and redemption in the last movement, it is easy to understand why the symphony is so highly regarded and loved by audiences all over the world. (FWIW-BBC Music magazine surveyed 100+ conductors in 2016 who ranked it as the 5th greatest symphony of all time). Although he has not written an opera, Mahler scored for voices as featured prominently in about half his symphonies; 2,3,4,8,9 plus Das Lied. Mahler relied on the lieder lyrics of others to complement his music and bring many of his symphonies to a level that often conveys an exalted state for the listener to savor and cherish. M2 is certainly among the greatest of his towering achievements.

View attachment 132401
Click to expand...
Great seats!
How do like the new hall
 
marty
pjwd said:
Great seats!
How do like the new hall
Click to expand...
Don't be fooled by my use of a zoomed-in and cropped iphone photo! However, the seats I had were quite good.

I've now had the pleasure of being in Geffen Hall many times and sort of figured out my seating preferences. To begin, its a very good sounding hall. I'm not a fan of sitting on the side, which is a requisite for the upper levels except for the very rear. I should do that at least once but have not. My preference is central orchestra rows N-V which is very different than Carnegie where the orchestra is the most undesirable because you are typically sitting below the level of the musicians feet until you get to the very rear of the hall. At Carnegie the higher you go in the hall, the sound gets better at the expense of immediacy. My preference at Carnegie is the central First Tier. (It's taken me 10 years to get seating there for all my series whereas for the renovated Geffen, I received my sought after seats in the second year of trying). At Geffen, most orchestral seating puts you at a level of the players' instruments and the resulting sound is very good, immediate and enjoyable. The power of the double bass and lower brass is just outstanding. (At M2, I heard the Geffen organ for the first time and the low end was equally powerful and impressive. No need to EQ anything! HA!) The rear of the orchestra seating at Geffen , starting at row Z, has risers for each row and I think that would also be great place to sit as well, again, at the expense of some immediacy. Interestingly, the rear 10 rows or so at Musikverein are also elevated a bit above the rest of the orchestra seating (and those seats cost more for that reason). Just for reference, I would mention that the front rows of the Lower Fadim Balcony at Chicago Symphony Hall (as well as the boxes immediately below that) are the finest hall seats in the US I've experienced as they are perfect combination of elevation plus immediacy which makes for a very engaging place to enjoy the music in that hall.

While the sound of Geffen and Carnegie are both very different and very good, once the music starts, these differences become trivial as it becomes clear the music is the reason you came in the first place. (Not unlike the tedious and weary digital vs analog issues we love to argue about endlessly for listening in our home environment.)
 
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mxk116
jazdoc said:
Such awesome musicians. Do you like their "Valentine" album?
Click to expand...
Yes, but there is some much of his music I enjoy. His 2022 recording "Four" is extraordinary but I am also attached to the music on "Gone, Just Like a Train" from 1998. He has musically morphed across decades without loosing his style and unique point of view. I think that is part of why I enjoy his music so much.
 
R
marty said:
Don't be fooled by my use of a zoomed-in and cropped iphone photo! However, the seats I had were quite good.

I've now had the pleasure of being in Geffen Hall many times and sort of figured out my seating preferences. To begin, its a very good sounding hall. I'm not a fan of sitting on the side, which is a requisite for the upper levels except for the very rear. I should do that at least once but have not. My preference is central orchestra rows N-V which is very different than Carnegie where the orchestra is the most undesirable because you are typically sitting below the level of the musicians feet until you get to the very rear of the hall. At Carnegie the higher you go in the hall, the sound gets better at the expense of immediacy. My preference at Carnegie is the central First Tier. (It's taken me 10 years to get seating there for all my series whereas for the renovated Geffen, I received my sought after seats in the second year of trying). At Geffen, most orchestral seating puts you at a level of the players' instruments and the resulting sound is very good, immediate and enjoyable. The power of the double bass and lower brass is just outstanding. (At M2, I heard the Geffen organ for the first time and the low end was equally powerful and impressive. No need to EQ anything! HA!) The rear of the orchestra seating at Geffen , starting at row Z, has risers for each row and I think that would also be great place to sit as well, again, at the expense of some immediacy. Interestingly, the rear 10 rows or so at Musikverein are also elevated a bit above the rest of the orchestra seating (and those seats cost more for that reason). Just for reference, I would mention that the front rows of the Lower Fadim Balcony at Chicago Symphony Hall (as well as the boxes immediately below that) are the finest hall seats in the US I've experienced as they are perfect combination of elevation plus immediacy which makes for a very engaging place to enjoy the music in that hall.

While the sound of Geffen and Carnegie are both very different and very good, once the music starts, these differences become trivial as it becomes clear the music is the reason you came in the first place. (Not unlike the tedious and weary digital vs analog issues we love to argue about endlessly for listening in our home environment.)
Click to expand...
I've attached a shot of the CSO Mahler 2 rehearsal from the Lower Balcony. I find the ability to SEE all the musicians a very important part of seating preferences. I suspect that this is acoustically beneficial too. As I usually have tickets at the top of the Gallery, I'll be interested to read about the sound from the rear of the upper levels when you try that Marty.
 

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  • cso mahler 2 rehearsal.jpg
    cso mahler 2 rehearsal.jpg
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P
marty said:
Don't be fooled by my use of a zoomed-in and cropped iphone photo! However, the seats I had were quite good.

I've now had the pleasure of being in Geffen Hall many times and sort of figured out my seating preferences. To begin, its a very good sounding hall. I'm not a fan of sitting on the side, which is a requisite for the upper levels except for the very rear. I should do that at least once but have not. My preference is central orchestra rows N-V which is very different than Carnegie where the orchestra is the most undesirable because you are typically sitting below the level of the musicians feet until you get to the very rear of the hall. At Carnegie the higher you go in the hall, the sound gets better at the expense of immediacy. My preference at Carnegie is the central First Tier. (It's taken me 10 years to get seating there for all my series whereas for the renovated Geffen, I received my sought after seats in the second year of trying). At Geffen, most orchestral seating puts you at a level of the players' instruments and the resulting sound is very good, immediate and enjoyable. The power of the double bass and lower brass is just outstanding. (At M2, I heard the Geffen organ for the first time and the low end was equally powerful and impressive. No need to EQ anything! HA!) The rear of the orchestra seating at Geffen , starting at row Z, has risers for each row and I think that would also be great place to sit as well, again, at the expense of some immediacy. Interestingly, the rear 10 rows or so at Musikverein are also elevated a bit above the rest of the orchestra seating (and those seats cost more for that reason). Just for reference, I would mention that the front rows of the Lower Fadim Balcony at Chicago Symphony Hall (as well as the boxes immediately below that) are the finest hall seats in the US I've experienced as they are perfect combination of elevation plus immediacy which makes for a very engaging place to enjoy the music in that hall.

While the sound of Geffen and Carnegie are both very different and very good, once the music starts, these differences become trivial as it becomes clear the music is the reason you came in the first place. (Not unlike the tedious and weary digital vs analog issues we love to argue about endlessly for listening in our home environment.)
Click to expand...
Great info thanks Marty
I would normally go fir the front1/3 of stalls ( for some pinpoint imaging :) ) and that is very interesting re Carnegie.. I have only been in the new hall there.. right up the back.
Like many hear I try and book some concerts on any trip and it's wonderfull to have some tips on seating (planning 12 years ahead is a bit tough tho)
I have wondered why there are no concert hall tourist ventures .. at least I haven't found any.. there seems to every other micro category catered for ..
Cheers
Phil
 
jazdoc
Beck had previously flown under my radar. Saw him live at Chateau Ste Michelle backed with an 80 piece orchestra. Excellent concert

IMG_2264.jpeg
 
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Argonaut
A nunber under my belt over the last few months . Working backwards chronologically from yesterday evening :

Technical error

Technical error
www.rbo.org.uk www.rbo.org.uk

Whilst perhaps not a particular favourite work for my part , a champaign pre performance dinner served in the Balconies Restaurant being thrown in as an incentive , tipped the balance for me, that said the performance was quite enjoyable , Ludovic Tézier ‘s Scarpia in particular.


ae7fa71c-cc5c-428f-a131-c373fd1ef48f.jpeg
 
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Argonaut
The last weekend in April served up a tremendous assault on the senses , in a most efficacious way , with a touch of Wagner .
Our immediate Wagnerian proving to be a well regarded English stage actor with performances branching into Film and TV , extra house points for a correct identification ;0}

www.southbankcentre.co.uk

What's on | Southbank Centre

Browse our brilliant live gigs, classical concerts, comedy, exhibitions, family shows and free events, and book tickets now.
www.southbankcentre.co.uk www.southbankcentre.co.uk

a70f80ef-5f39-4a59-aead-fc99331e6044.jpeg
fd282d35-d17e-4af0-8e4b-2164cd823a81.jpeg

www.southbankcentre.co.uk

What's on | Southbank Centre

Browse our brilliant live gigs, classical concerts, comedy, exhibitions, family shows and free events, and book tickets now.
www.southbankcentre.co.uk www.southbankcentre.co.uk
 
R
Last Friday my wife and I heard a performance of L’Histoire du Soldat at the Baker Baum Concert Hall (481 seats) in La Jolla, CA. Thomas Ades conducted with the required 9 players along with an actor for the spoken part and with cutout puppetry operated in front of the audience and projected to a screen. In 60 years of frequent concert going I have never heard this performed live. To have heard it in a theater so perfectly sized to boot was a real treat.
 
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mxk116
103 degrees at showtime, Tedeschi Trucks Band, live on tour, July 24, 2024, The Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park, Grand Junction, Colorado


 
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marty
IMG_2344.jpeg

The Telluride Jazz Festival at the “Church of Telluride” is one of my favorite places on earth and my wife already knows to spread my ashes at the sound booth there when I’m gone. This year’s showstopper was Christian McBride and his new band called Ursa Major. An eight time Grammy award winning bassist, composer, band leader and Artistic director of the Newport Jazz Festival, McBride needs no introduction as he is widely regarded as the pre-eminent upright bass jazz player in the world today. Although I have heard him several times before at the Blue Note in NYC, he blew the roof off the place (Telluride Park has no roof). It is no surprise that he surrounds himself with musicians of the highest caliber and the Ursa Major band is as good as it gets. Although each musician was stellar, the guy who impressed me the most was a young Israeli guitarist named Ely Perlman who is currently a 3rd year music student at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He sure seems like a truly generational player to me with incredible virtuosity and technique. If you listen hard, you can hear everyone from Wes Montgomery to Pat Metheny to Grant Green to John McGlaughlin in his playing that is still uniquely original. It’s only a matter of time before this kid becomes a household name in the jazz world. But for tonight, there was no question that McBride owned the house. Incredible virtuoso and ensemble playing. This was modern jazz at its highest art form and I felt lucky to have been there to hear it live.
 
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marty said:
View attachment 134880

The Telluride Jazz Festival at the “Church of Telluride” is one of my favorite places on earth and my wife already knows to spread my ashes at the sound booth there when I’m gone. This year’s showstopper was Christian McBride and his new band called Ursa Major. An eight time Grammy award winning bassist, composer, band leader and Artistic director of the Newport Jazz Festival, McBride needs no introduction as he is widely regarded as the pre-eminent upright bass jazz player in the world today. Although I have heard him several times before at the Blue Note in NYC, he blew the roof off the place (Telluride Park has no roof). It is no surprise that he surrounds himself with musicians of the highest caliber and the Ursa Major band is as good as it gets. Although each musician was stellar, the guy who impressed me the most was a young Israeli guitarist named Ely Perlman who is currently a 3rd year music student at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He sure seems like a truly generational player to me with incredible virtuosity and technique. If you listen hard, you can hear everyone from Wes Montgomery to Pat Metheny to Grant Green to John McGlaughlin in his playing that is still uniquely original. It’s only a matter of time before this kid becomes a household name in the jazz world. But for tonight, there was no question that McBride owned the house. Incredible virtuoso and ensemble playing. This was modern jazz at its highest art form and I felt lucky to have been there to hear it live.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the review. He's got some new blood in the band that I'm not familiar with. Your comments are hign praise indeed. Not certain if you are a Coloradan but Christian McBride and Ursa Major will be playing in Denver (Dazzle @ the Arts Complex) in February 2025. Terrific venue. Already have my tickets.
 
bonzo75
bonzo75 said:


Glyndebourne yesterday, to watch Semele (Handel). Beautiful place, owned by the organiser of the opera festival, and husband of the soprano Danielle de Niese.

885416c2-167f-4d01-8055-65c59713f758-jpeg.113929

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Glyndebourne again last Sunday, to watch Hansel’s Giulio Cesare. One of the best opera I have seen with all good singers and acoustics.
 
marty
mxk116 said:
Thanks for the review. He's got some new blood in the band that I'm not familiar with. Your comments are hign praise indeed. Not certain if you are a Coloradan but Christian McBride and Ursa Major will be playing in Denver (Dazzle @ the Arts Complex) in February 2025. Terrific venue. Already have my tickets.
Click to expand...
It'll be interesting to see if Ely Perlman will be playing with them in February. It's hard to imagine how he can go to music school and tour at the same time. I live in NJ so won't be there to find out. Let us know!
 
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