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]

 

My classical concert season ended tonight with a spectacular performance of the Ottorino Respighi's trilogy: Le fontane di Roma, le Feste Romane and I pini di Roma.
Great music in Torino; National RAI orchestra conducted by Robert Trevino.
Performance was also broadcast in FM by National radio, I suppose a greatly compressed music, I saw almost a dozen microphones in the concerto hall, horrible multi-microphone choice...

 

Ulysses Owens Jr Big Band at Dizzy’s was spectacular. First time hearing vocalist Charles Turner.

 

CSO wraps the year with festive program of French showpieces

Chicago Classical Review » » CSO wraps the year with festive program of French showpieces

chicagoclassicalreview.com

 

The New David Geffen Hall...Finally!

I've been waiting for last night for a very long time. It was my first visit to the newly remodeled David Geffen Hall, home of the NY Phil at Lincoln Center. This under budget, under time major renovation of Avery Fisher Hall has received plenty of accolades so I was curious if I would fall in line with the critics. In a word, it is certainly a major upgrade and a very enjoyable concert hall. I'm usually a season ticket holder at the NY Phil (as well as Carnegie) but I didn't subscribe this year because I had no idea what any seat would sound like. So I bought some single tickets and last night was my first visit. I heard an interesting program of Rossini, a modern piano concert by Magnus Lindberg commissioned by the NY Phil and played by Yuja Wang, and then good ol' Beethoven 's Symphony #2. The guest conductor was a guy named Santtu-Matias Rouvali who is currently in his second year conducting the London Philharmonia Orchestra.



I knew the old hall well, and it was a bitch to find a good seat in that hall (great ones were non-existent.). Since the best seats in the old hall were in the orchestra center rows K-N, and since the new renovation brought the stage forward 25 feet in what is no known as a "vineyard" type hall (named for its terraced seating- think Berlin Philharmonic), I picked center orchestra seats in row S for my first try. Not a bad guess! The sound was full,, pleasant and quite enjoyable. A minor criticism was that although the frequency response was extended, the definition, particularly from the upright basses, were just OK but not great. (The best I've heard in that regard are from the seats in the Lower Fadim balcony at Chicago's Symphony hall, where the sound of each bass is powerful and can be cleanly identified and the sound of the lower brass is in a class of its own). It hurts a bit to say this but from where I sat, Wang's 9 ft Steinway D sounded a bit more like the somewhat shorter model C. Ouch. Carnegie and Chicago have nothing to worry about there. But that caveat could easily be due to the particular seats I had. What Geffen does extremely well however is the sound and clarity of the woodwinds. Since they now use risers and since the entire hall is sloped upwards so that in the mid orchestra your ears are actually at the level of the player's instruments and not their shoes, the midsection of the orchestra is now beautifully rendered and well defined.

As far as the program, Rossini and Beethoven are always enjoyable. The Lindberg piano concerto was not my thing, but listening to Yuja Wang never gets old. I am however, eagerly looking forward her Jan 28th at Carnegie where she is performing with Yannick and the Philly Orchestra doing all 4 of Rachmaninoff's piano concertos in one concert! (This sort of programming was common in the 1800's but is rarely, if ever, seen today,) Timing the bathroom breaks will be critical. As far as the conductor (on the far left of the photo), all I can say is that it was like watching Doogie Howser (in a ladies wig) conduct. Actually, the more appropriate term for him was time-keeper. I've never seen a conductor basically move his baton precisely on every downbeat like this guy. In my book, that's not conducting. It was no surprise that nobody in the orchestra looked up at him once as far as I could tell.

The good news is that the hall is a definite success. I will probably try to choose seats 2 or 3 rows further back when I visit next. And then I'll give a balcony seat a try at some point before figuring out where to sit for next season.

 

Marty,

I'm glad to read that you were pleased with the newly renovated hall. I look forward to reading about your future concerts and seating locations - especially the rear balconies. I really enjoy being able to see all the musicians from an elevated perspective.

 

I went to Carnegie Hall last night to hear the Cleveland Orchestra led by Franz Welser-Most. It was one of the weirdest programs I ever attended,. They played Alban Berg's three piece Lyric suite to start...but these pieces were not performed consecutively. Rather each part was interspersed with a finished movement of Schubert's "Unfinished" 8th symphony (there are only 2) making a 5 piece sandwiched extravaganza . Welser-Most wrote the liner notes himself in the program which is very unusual. His argument for the strange programming is that Berg and Schubert, although they were separated by 100 years were sort of brothers from another mother. Kindred spirits musically. I have no idea what the hell he was smoking when he came up with that as they are as different as pizza and Chinese food, at least to me. (Honestly, if I never heard another Berg piece again, I'd be fine with that). For me, the programming was like trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

After intermission, the orchestra performed Schubert's Mass in D minor, with 5 soloists and full chorus. This piece was written right before his death at age 31 from syphilis in 1828. Never heard it before. Really beautiful. Schubert was of course Austrian and so this was very different than masses by most German composers. Far more expansive and truly beautiful melodically (It's Schubert- what did you expect?) Welser-Most, who is sort of a permanent guest conductor with the Vienna Philharmonic, said in the program notes that the Concertmaster of the Vienna Phil once told him that the only problem with the piece is that it doesn't go on forever. After hearing the piece, I understand the sentiment.

But once again, the weirdness continued. The entire 130 member chorus wore black face masks. Nobody in the orchestra wore masks, nor did anyone in the audience as far as I could tell. What does a chorus in full voice sound like with masks covering their faces? Surprisingly, not bad at all! Perhaps even better than covering your speakers with a grill cloth? Not sure, but it certainly did add to the strangeness of the evening.

 

Sunn O))). Last night. Revolution Hall. Portland, OR.

A Sunn O))) live sound experience will turn your whole body into a tuning fork. It will split your atoms and make you one with the fundamental frequencies of the universe. Wear ear plugs.

 

Yuja Wang at Carnegie Jan 28, 2023

Last night was one for the ages. It was certainly a once in a lifetime event even for the storied Carnegie Hall, which has seen more than its share of historic one night stands over its 100+ year history. Yuja Wang came down from her spaceship and performed all four of Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos plus the Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The concert lasted over 4 ½ hours (not including her encore). Rachmaninoff, the last of the great romantic composers, was surely smiling from the beyond.

The concert had a wrinkle as the performance was stopped about a minute into the 3rd movement of the first piece (Rach 2) because someone in the audience had a heart attack. Fortunately, Yannick announced from the stage 3 hours later, that the man had surgery (probably a cardiac stent) and survived. (Considering the demographics of a classical music concert audience, I’m surprised I haven’t seen this before.) Yannick was so gracious by saying “we say music is life, but life itself is even more important” as he announced the man’s successful outcome. They restarted the concert from the beginning of the 3rd movement.

The concert was simply extraordinary. Sheer talent and artistry in the extreme. I’ve made over 70 trips around the sun and saw something I have never seen before. At the end of the last piece (Rach 3), Yannick got on his freakin’ knees on stage and bowed to Wang 3 times. Now that is something you don’t see every day and most likely I will never see it again. Just in case you needed convincing that we all just witnessed something very special, all doubt was removed when you saw the musicians going crazy at the end by banging their music stands with their bows and applauding as vigorously as the audience as if they just saw some imaginary concert that was a combination of a Beatles reunion on the Apple rooftop, Sinatra at the Sands, Fitzgerald in Berlin, Freddie Mercury at Wembley stadium and Van Cliburn in Moscow ( he received a 9 minute standing ovation). I lost count of how many curtain calls Wang took before her encore.

Her dresses may not be as famous as her playing, but she did not disappoint there either with a change during each intermission. Don’t be fooled by the fashion side show. (The Kinky Boots outfit brought down the house to thunderous applause before she played). This is an artist of immense substantive talent. She could wear a potato sack. Nobody would care.

Rach 2 (left) Rach 1 (right)
.

Rach 4 plus Rhapsody (left) Rach 3 (right)
.

It is worth noting that there is a long history of Rachmaninoff and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Rachmaninoff first conducted his masterpiece 2nd symphony with the Philly Orchestra in 1909, where it remains a signature work for the Philadelphians to this day. (He was a triple threat as composer, conductor and one of the greatest pianists of his era). The Philly connection is also augmented by the fact that Yuja Wang is Curtis Music School graduate and has played with Yannick and the Orchestra many times. The same program was performed in Philly the previous 2 nights (as opposed to all 4 concertos plus the Rhapsody in 1 concert as done yesterday) which prompted Yannick to say in an interview that the magic of their chemistry could never have happened if they did not know each other well musically, which they surely do.

 

Saw her in December with Leonid Kavakos at Wigmore hall. They are a good pair together with sonatas, has seen them at Barbican back in 2014 or 15 do Brahms sonatas too

 

The concert had a wrinkle as the performance was stopped about a minute into the 3rd movement of the first piece (Rach 2) because someone in the audience had a heart attack. Fortunately, Yannick announced from the stage 3 hours later,

I apologize for asking you to entertain a diversion at this exact point to explore the.. continuum.

As you say, this is inevitable by how the odds are arranged. I duly lament this occasion, no doubt in tune with yourself. I do however find requesting of the observer these events how the interim transpired is worthy a few sentences. With respect, are you allowed fresh air and some amount of freedom within this intermission?

I'm unaware the current state Carnegie. In many capitals there is occurring a polite reinstallation of a garden or other place to cycle through for a moment. A small protected walk for those seeking fresh air and perhaps a bit of attention.

Please continue to recount your experiences here.

 

As an audience member with a full view from the first tier above of the incident which occurred on the mid left side of the orchestra (parquet), there was some commotion that seemed to involve 3-4 people. When the wife (presumably) cried out "David, David..oh no..David", the entire audience knew immediately there was a serious issue. Wang stopped playing and while attention focused on the patient, Wang and the conductor quietly left the stage. Everyone else stayed put including the audience. Some physician patrons moved immediately to try and help the gentlemen, and somebody rendered barrel chest compression (huge hugs) to the sitting patron (which I have never seen before in medical practice). The patron was then removed from the hall and the paramedics treated him in the adjacent corridor (that could not be seem). All this occurred within minutes, which likely may have accounted for his rescue and good outcome. The program was halted for about 10-15 (long) minutes in total. It would have been a logistical nightmare to evacuate 2800 people into the streets of NYC. Once the corridor doors were closed and the man presumably put in an ambulance, Yannick then came back on stage with Wang and announced from the stage the man was breathing and that the piece would begin from the 3rd movement (of Rach 2), which just began until the incident occurred.

That man was very fortunate. Perhaps the good lord is a Rachmaninoff fan or a fan of the pianist and didn't want her heroic efforts to be marred by tragedy!

 

Back in November we say Haydn's Alcina at the Royal Opera House. The lady behind us at the first interval said Aw-something. I asked my gf, did she say awesome or awful? Apparently it was awful. After that she kept complaining to her partner this is such a long sit I should never have come. Seems it was her first time to a classical concert. I forgot to check with her if she was an audiophile.

 

Last week Janice Jansen was fabulous on Sibelius concerto with the LSO at the Barbican, conducted by Noseda.

 

Last week Janice Jansen was fabulous on Sibelius concerto with the LSO at the Barbican, conducted by Noseda.

Ked, I've been to Babican but have no earthly idea where the musicians are in your video. Were you in the men's room?

 

Ked, I've been to Babican but have no earthly idea where the musicians are in your video. Were you in the men's room?

Phone is in the lap so pointing upwards. As you will find in all my live videos. In one of them you can look up my nostrils.

 

Last week Janice Jansen was fabulous on Sibelius concerto with the LSO at the Barbican, conducted by Noseda.

Janine Jansen is fab… she did an album recently with great performances and featuring 12 different Strads… I’d bet she can extract amazing sounds even if she was playing them in the men’s at the Barbican

As always a bit jealous of the music available in London sigh… will have to go to the beach instead.

 

CSO wraps the year with festive program of French showpieces

Chicago Classical Review » » CSO wraps the year with festive program of French showpieces

chicagoclassicalreview.com

they may have wrapped up their year in ChiTown but they've taken their show on the road! I really enjoyed their concert last night in Toronto's more intimate Koerner Hall. They are there again tonight with a different program. I gotta say that for 81 years or age, Muti can still move things along!
I didn't take pics but there are some in this link. https://cso.org/experience/gallery/12521/day-11-first-concert-in-toronto

 

Heard Yo La Tengo live for the first time last night. Ira Kaplan is a hella great guitarist and the new LP is terrific

 

So true yet funny that my first thought when Yo La Tengo is mentioned is that precious bit they did with Daniel Johnston, 'speeding motorcycle'. Their catalog is so great outside of that ....

 

Yuja Wang at Carnegie Jan 28, 2023

Last night was one for the ages. It was certainly a once in a lifetime event even for the storied Carnegie Hall, which has seen more than its share of historic one night stands over its 100+ year history. Yuja Wang came down from her spaceship and performed all four of Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos plus the Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The concert lasted over 4 ½ hours (not including her encore). Rachmaninoff, the last of the great romantic composers, was surely smiling from the beyond.

The concert had a wrinkle as the performance was stopped about a minute into the 3rd movement of the first piece (Rach 2) because someone in the audience had a heart attack. Fortunately, Yannick announced from the stage 3 hours later, that the man had surgery (probably a cardiac stent) and survived. (Considering the demographics of a classical music concert audience, I’m surprised I haven’t seen this before.) Yannick was so gracious by saying “we say music is life, but life itself is even more important” as he announced the man’s successful outcome. They restarted the concert from the beginning of the 3rd movement.

The concert was simply extraordinary. Sheer talent and artistry in the extreme. I’ve made over 70 trips around the sun and saw something I have never seen before. At the end of the last piece (Rach 3), Yannick got on his freakin’ knees on stage and bowed to Wang 3 times. Now that is something you don’t see every day and most likely I will never see it again. Just in case you needed convincing that we all just witnessed something very special, all doubt was removed when you saw the musicians going crazy at the end by banging their music stands with their bows and applauding as vigorously as the audience as if they just saw some imaginary concert that was a combination of a Beatles reunion on the Apple rooftop, Sinatra at the Sands, Fitzgerald in Berlin, Freddie Mercury at Wembley stadium and Van Cliburn in Moscow ( he received a 9 minute standing ovation). I lost count of how many curtain calls Wang took before her encore.

Her dresses may not be as famous as her playing, but she did not disappoint there either with a change during each intermission. Don’t be fooled by the fashion side show. (The Kinky Boots outfit brought down the house to thunderous applause before she played). This is an artist of immense substantive talent. She could wear a potato sack. Nobody would care.

Rach 2 (left) Rach 1 (right)
View attachment 103674. View attachment 103675

Rach 4 plus Rhapsody (left) Rach 3 (right)
View attachment 103676. View attachment 103677

It is worth noting that there is a long history of Rachmaninoff and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Rachmaninoff first conducted his masterpiece 2nd symphony with the Philly Orchestra in 1909, where it remains a signature work for the Philadelphians to this day. (He was a triple threat as composer, conductor and one of the greatest pianists of his era). The Philly connection is also augmented by the fact that Yuja Wang is Curtis Music School graduate and has played with Yannick and the Orchestra many times. The same program was performed in Philly the previous 2 nights (as opposed to all 4 concertos plus the Rhapsody in 1 concert as done yesterday) which prompted Yannick to say in an interview that the magic of their chemistry could never have happened if they did not know each other well musically, which they surely do.

Not sure where to post this but since Yuja Wang was discussed here recently, this seems like a reasonable location.
I love Rick Beato's videos. His insights into music ands musicians is outstanding and I always learn a lot. His videos focus on pop and jazz genres 95% of the time, so I was surprised to see this post of his on Yuja Wang. A fun clip.

I can spend hours watching Beato. Try his YouTube video on Joe Pass' album, Virtuoso!