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Video of the Day – Jansen and Gergiev Play Szymanowski

By Paul E. Robinson on 14 October 2013 Contemporary, Orchestral, Video of the day, Violin

Valery Gergiev recently wowed audiences in Montreal and Toronto with his Mariinsky Orchestra. He is also music director of the London Symphony. With the LSO last month at the Barbican in London he collaborated with violinist Janine Jansen in the Violin Concerto No. 1 by Karol Szymanowski (1883-1937). To judge by this video it was a beautiful performance of a neglected masterpiece. The work was composed in 1917 when Szymanowski was 34.Note that Gergiev appears to be using the shortest baton ever used by a major conductor. Why bother with any baton at all?Paul E. Robinson

Video of the Day – Dallas Concertmasters Play Prokofiev

By Paul E. Robinson on 22 July 2013 Contemporary, Orchestral, Video of the day

Jaap van Zweden has dramatically improved the Dallas Symphony since he took over as music director. In addition to his unique conducting skills, he has made significant changes in personnel. Among the major changes have been the appointments of two concertmasters: Alexander Kerr and Nathan Olsen. Van Zweden knows a thing or two about violins and violinists. For many years he was concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and had an important solo career. It is probably not a coincidence that Alexander Kerr was also concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at one time.Here are the two concertmasters together playing Prokofiev’s…

This Week in Montreal: July 8 to 14

By La Scena Musicale Team on 8 July 2013 Contemporary, Orchestral, Romantic, This Week in Montreal

Festival de Musique de Lachine: Verdi, Wagner And PoulencWith programming inspired by composers’ birthdays, this year’s festival will heavily feature the voice. The opening concert on June 29 stars Étienne Dupuis and conductor Jordan de Souza, performing works by Verdi and Wagner. Poulenc takes the spotlight on July 6 in a performance by soprano Pascale Beaudin, accompanied by Olivier Godin and François Zeitouni. Two rising stars and competition winners, bass-baritone Gordon Bintner and soprano Florie Valiquette, will participate in the Discovery Concert on July 4. Artistic Director Richard Turp is thrilled to offer a program with Canadian oboist Louise Pellerin,…

This Week in Montreal: June 24 to 30

By La Scena Musicale Team on 24 June 2013 Baroque and Early, Contemporary, Dance, Scena Jazz, This Week in Montreal, Vocal

Discovery and Exploration at the Montréal Baroque Festival In addition to their Grand concerts series, the Montréal Baroque Festival will offer festival-goers more intimate programming, including a recital by this year’s artist-in-residence, Brazilian born Cléa Galhano, and a concert of sacred cantatas by Manuel de Zumaya performed by Mexican ensemble La Fontegara. This festival is a place of exploration and discovery; Soirée sans frontièreswill push the limits of baroque experience by combining early music with the digital arts. This year’s closing event is Élémens, a divine ballet by Jean-Ferry Rebel depicting the Creation, featuring dancers and acrobats. www.montrealbaroque.com – Renée…

Video of the Day – The Aldeburgh Connection Presents Its Final Concert

By Paul E. Robinson on 13 May 2013 Chamber Music, Contemporary, Piano, Video of the day

After more than 30 years of distinguished music-making, the Aldeburgh Connection has decided to pack it in. This month it will give its final concert. The organization was created by pianists and life partners Stephen Ralls and Bruce Ubukata, and presented most of its concerts at Walter Hall at the University of Toronto. The “Aldeburgh Connection” relates to the close relationship the organization always had with the Aldeburgh Festival and its founders Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. Ralls worked at the festival as a rehearsal pianist for Britten’s opera Death in Venice, and both Ralls and Ubukata were frequent visitors…

This week in Montreal: April 29 – May 5

By La Scena Musicale Team on 29 April 2013 Baroque and Early, Choral, Contemporary, Orchestral, Romantic, This Week in Montreal

Literary and Musical Premiere at ECM+Under the artistic direction of Véronique Lacroix, ECM+ offers a visionary program: Alban Berg’s Chamber Concertoand a premiere by Nicolas Gilbert, Vertiges. Among the soloists are Jimmy Brière, piano, and Jean-Sébastien Roy, violin, as well as four acrobats and narrator Jean Marchand. Salle Pierre-Mercure, May 1 at 7:30 pm. www.ecm.qc.ca- Renée BanvilleQuatrix and the Forests of Resonance (“Forêts de résonances”)Composed of two pianists (Jean-Fabien Schneider and Irina Krasnyanskaya) and two percussionists (Corinne René and Julien Compagne), Quatrix presents the “classics” of the repertoire, comissioned works, and musical arrangements for this little-used formation. Conservatoire de Musique,…

Video of the Day – Billy Mayerl: a Light Music Master

By Paul E. Robinson on 1 April 2013 Contemporary, Piano, Video of the day

Billy Mayerl (1902-1959) was an English pianist and composer, well-known for his contributions in the field of light music. His specialty may have been “light music” but he was a master. He appeared as piano soloist in the first UK performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in 1925. He wrote some memorable songs including “Marigold” which he plays in this video. He was also tremendously inventive at the keyboard, as you will also see in this video.Paul E. Robinson

Maestro Peter Bay/ASO: Heroic, Soaring Sibelius Second!

By Paul E. Robinson on 22 March 2013 Concert Reviews, Contemporary, Orchestral

by Paul E. RobinsonMaestro Peter Bay (photo by Marita)Beethoven: Leonore No. 2 OvertureGinastera: Harp Concerto Op. 25Sibelius: Symphony No. 2Yolanda Kondonassis, harpAustin Symphony/Peter BayAustin, TexasLong CenterMarch 8, 2013It’s not often that one hears a harp soloist with a symphony orchestra. There are good reasons for that; most importantly, it is not a fair fight. The harp by nature can produce only a modest amount of sound, and is easily drowned out by even the smallest orchestra. The sound a harp makes is produced by the fingerpicking of strings and even a player with strong fingers can do only so much.…

Video of the Day – Bychkov Conducts Shostakovich

By Paul E. Robinson on 18 March 2013 Contemporary, Orchestral, Video of the day

This is some of the most terrifying music ever written; the scherzo from the Symphony No. 8 by Shostakovich. Here is a performance that is exemplary in every respect, not least of all, as a master class in conducting. Semyon Bychkov not only understands this music like few others but he knows how to get an orchestra to play it magnificently. The tempo is fast and the character of the music is intense and savage. Yet Bychkov is intense but incredibly controlled in his demeanor and gestures. Much of the time he is using little more than his right wrist…

Beethoven & Britten at the Movies

By Paul E. Robinson on 21 December 2012 Classical, Concert Reviews, Contemporary, Orchestral

by Paul E. Robinson From left to right: Mark Ivanir, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener A Late Quartet Director: Yaron Zilberman Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman/Christopher Walken/Catherine Keener/Mark Ivanir Music: Beethoven: String Quartet Op. 131 Moonrise Kingdom Director: Wes Anderson Cast: Bruce Willis/Bill Murray/Ed Norton/Frances McDormand Music: Britten: Noyes’ Flood/Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Songs for Friday Afternoons/A Midsummer Night’s Dream (excerpts) Films about classical music composers and performers are nearly always risible in the extreme. Think Song Without End (1960) with Dirk Bogarde as Liszt or Humoresque (1946) with John Garfield as an unlikely virtuoso…

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