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HtoHe
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« on: 00:21:33, 13-09-2008 » |
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I thought I'd open a new thread. There should be enough material for it between now and the end of the season. I just got back from the opening concert of the RLPO's season and can be forgiven a slight feeling of déjà vu as it featured Vasily Petrenko conducting Kenneth Hesketh's Graven Image, followed by Paul Lewis in a Beethoven concerto and, in the second half, a major 20th century Russian Symphonic work. Shades of Prom 19 or what? I must now be one of the few people who have heard Graven Image performed live twice and I must say it bears a second hearing very well. I wonder if this will be the first work whose première I attended to enter the repertoire. It certainly went down well in Hesketh's home town. For some reason I'd got it in my head that Stephen Hough would be playing Beethoven's 2nd Piano Concerto at the Phil tonight. I really don't know where I got that idea - perhaps I read a mistaken notice but it's more likely that all the rushing back and forth to London has got me confused! In fact the soloist was Paul Lewis; and very good he was, too. I particularly enjoyed the slow movement where the rapport with the orchestra seemed especially close. The evening ended with a rousing performance of Prokofiev's 5th Symphony with which Petrenko, perhaps unsurprisingly, seemed very comfortable. I was gratified to find that my teenage nephew seemed genuinely to love all three pieces and is keen to go to the Verdi Requiem in Paddy's Wigwam on the 27th. As expected VP dedicated tonight's concert to the memory of Vernon Handley. For those who are interested the website carries a press statement containing several tributes: http://www.liverpoolphil.com/Resources//n/0/o/2008.09.11%20Vernon%20Handley%20CBE.pdf |
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #2 on: 22:13:48, 08-10-2008 » |
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I was a bit irritated that somebody on the BBC R3 board spoke loftily of 'some rather crude conducting', which was not how it felt at all.
It was wonderful to sing and now I've heard the broadcast, I thought it wonderful to listen to as well.
Of course, how it feels and how it sounds are often two different things. If you're singing, especially in such a huge group and such a "difficult" acoustic, you don't hear the overall effect, and are inevitably on an emotional high anyway. That said, I did think that was a silly comment. Petrenko said what needed to be said in the introduction before the broadcast. The score demands the fortissimos and pianissimos, and the difficult acoustic means that subtle conducting isn't really possible. In any case, that piece doesn't really need to be sung with the discipline of the Tallis Scholars. I didn't go to the performance, but I heard some of it on Listen Again, and although I couldn't hear it very well, it seemed reasonably together to me (unlike what my friend said, which I mentioned on the BBC boards). I've sung in there, I know what it's like! Soloists weren't too bad at all. Again, this is no place for Emma Kirkby - a bit of operatic swoop does no harm. I noticed Peter Hoare putting an Italianate sob into his voice. What I heard of the mezzo sounded good. Did anyone go to The Return of Simon Rattle? I thought the Berlin Phil concert was wonderful, but I was a bit disappointed with the RLPO one - the brass sounded poor, though he got some good sounds from the strings, I thought. |
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JeanHartrick
Posts: 41
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« Reply #3 on: 22:50:47, 08-10-2008 » |
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I did reserve judgment until I heard it on the radio, but I thought it came over very well.
I didn't go to either of the Rattle concerts - I know people who went to one or the other, but no-one who went to both, so I have heard no comparisons.
I did hear him conducting the Merseyside Youth Orchestra five or six years ago, but that event passed without comment!
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HtoHe
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« Reply #4 on: 00:02:14, 09-10-2008 » |
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I was gratified to find that my teenage nephew seemed genuinely to love all three pieces and is keen to go to the Verdi Requiem in Paddy's Wigwam on the 27th. And did he? And did you? And what did he think? Sorry, Jean, it was sold out before I could get to the box office. I have a rooted objection to using the online booking system, paying a booking fee for the 'privilege' and paying full price for under-25s tickets that can be had for a fiver if you buy them in Hope St. I'm glad you enjoyed singing in it and I shouldn't get too worried by comments on the BBC boards. He and I did, however, enjoy the concert I've just got back from: 10/10 and the Hilliards, also in the Met cathedral. I was very taken with Gary Carpenter's Closing Time and would like to hear it again in a more conventional hall. I don't know if it was the acoustic in the wigwam or the positioning of the tenor almost among the players, but I found it difficult to make out what he was singing at times. The song cycle (of which this was the WP) was, to my ear, very Brittenesque. I wonder if Mary was there to hear it. There were some lovely individual touches the most striking of which, in my opinion, was subtle use of saxophone. I hope it gets a wider hearing than the 200 or so present this evening. The concert was named for the other première, John Casken's The Dream of the Rood which I enjoyed rather less. It was a competent enough piece with good singing by the Hilliard Ensemble and an effective delivery of a rather claustrophobia-inducing score by 10/10 but I thought it a bit long for the material that was in it. I thought the same of the 12th century piece that followed the interval - Viderunt Omnes by Perotin; but my nephew enjoyed it very much. I'm afraid I'm going to be boring and say the highlight was Messiaen's Et Exspecto Resurrectionem Mortuorum. There was no danger of this piece seeming too long and the space was ideal for presenting it to advantage. Grandiose, glorious, terrifying in parts; it was a wonderful end to the evening. I see Martle has a piece on at St George's Hall on Tuesday. It's not yet sold out so if there are still tickerts available when I'm over there at the weekend I'll be in attendance. Also on the programme is a piece about a fish by Herr Schubert - I'm told it's quite good. |
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« Last Edit: 00:20:14, 09-10-2008 by HtoHe »
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JeanHartrick
Posts: 41
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« Reply #5 on: 09:13:20, 09-10-2008 » |
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You should have just turned up - everyone who did got in!
I would have loved to hear last night's concert but I had a rehearsal I had to go to. Now I'm especially sorry I missed it.
I will be at the Rodewald next Tuesday, but who's Martle?
(Btw nobody calls it 'Paddy's Wigwam' any more!)
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #7 on: 10:37:57, 09-10-2008 » |
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I'd noticed, Martle, but very, very unfortunately I can't go that night. I have spies, however! I was about to post a reply to Jean saying it would be fairly easy to work out from the programme which one you were. (Clue: not Schubert, and not French  ) HtoHe: I notice you describe the Gary Carpenter piece, which I didn't hear, as "Brittenesque". That reminded me that every review I saw of the Brett Dean premiere Rattle conducted said it was like Britten. I didn't think it was at all - Britten would have set the words much better! It reminded me of Tippett's more awkward vocal works. Beautifully sung, though, by Peter Coleman Wright, who I last saw in the baritone multi-role in Death in Venice., |
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HtoHe
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« Reply #8 on: 15:54:15, 09-10-2008 » |
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You should have just turned up - everyone who did got in!
It's a fair old journey without a guaranteed seat, Jean. I saw the 'sold out' online and that was enough to put me off. I see the Schubert Ensemble is now sold out so, unless that changes, we won't be hearing Martle's piece. Sometimes they get tickets back so I will ask when I'm in town on Saturday. I sincerely hope the hall is full and is not a victim of Liverpool's rather shameful failure to get things right with regard to ticket distribution. As well as your evidence that everybody who turned up got in to the 'sold out' Verdi Requiem there is Mary's testimony that there were empty seats at the Berlin Phil concert despite the fact that there were no tickets to be had by ordinary mortals for months beforehand; and Ruth's failure to get tickets for Emilia di Liverpool because none of the publicity actually mentioned how/where to buy them (I guessed they'd be on sale at the Phil but how could non-locals be expected to know that? By the time I told her, it was too late to make reasonable travel plans). The list is almost endless: to get tickets for last night I went to the box office at 0930 last Friday and joined another couple of people who had taken the opening hours shown on the website at face value. In fact the office doesn't open to personal callers until 1000 so, as I had to catch the 1015 train, I was forced to walk up the hill again when I got back on Monday. I was lucky in being able to do that; one of the other people there was under the impression that he'd be first in line for tickets for David Byrne's concert next year and I left him worrying that people booking by phone might have snapped up all the best seats before the doors opened. To be fair they have now amended the website to reflect the true situation - as the box office clerk promised when I told her of the anomaly on Monday. But they really oughtn't to put themselves in that situation. In fact, for the sake of 30 minutes surely they could open the telephone and 'in-person' booking systems at the same time and avoid any confusion. |
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HtoHe
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« Reply #9 on: 16:06:04, 09-10-2008 » |
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HtoHe: I notice you describe the Gary Carpenter piece, which I didn't hear, as "Brittenesque". That reminded me that every review I saw of the Brett Dean premiere Rattle conducted said it was like Britten. I didn't think it was at all - Britten would have set the words much better! It reminded me of Tippett's more awkward vocal works. Beautifully sung, though, by Peter Coleman Wright, who I last saw in the baritone multi-role in Death in Venice.,
Oh, I wouldn't take my observations too seriously, Mary. The piece reminded by turns of Vaughan Williams, William Bolcom and various others but, most of all, of Britten. It's more a case of personal, possibly quite random, associations; but I couldn't help wondering what a Britten enthusiast like you would have made of it. As for the words (poems by Eva Salzman): well, let's just say I liked the music better! |
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« Last Edit: 16:18:16, 09-10-2008 by HtoHe »
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JeanHartrick
Posts: 41
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« Reply #10 on: 09:04:08, 10-10-2008 » |
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...Ruth's failure to get tickets for Emilia di Liverpool because none of the publicity actually mentioned how/where to buy them (I guessed they'd be on sale at the Phil but how could non-locals be expected to know that? By the time I told her, it was too late to make reasonable travel plans). That was the worst mess of the lot - early on they told us that all the tickets were being allocated by ballot, and I found out almost by accident that there were plenty available over the counter at the Phil. But there was very little publicity, and lots of people who might have been interested didn't even know it was happening. Eventually they were making tickets availavble for £5 and one of the singers gave me a free one to see the second cast as well! The European Opera Centre were very upset about it especially as they'd have done their own publicity if they'd known there wouldn't be any. I don't think they ever sell every possible seat in the Met, so it's always worth turning up - the same thing happened with the Taverner Requiem. The War Requiem at the Anglican cathedral also had empty seats as they made some more available in the Well shortly before the performance but didn't tell people about it. When I first returned to Liverpool about ten years ago, publicity for the normal orchestral concerts was terrible - almost as if the management was embarrassed that they even existed. Paradoxically, I expect that it was because they own the hall, and the management was obsessed with making money out of it, which they felt the orchestra wouldn't do. It's much better now as they put big pictures of Vasily everywhere (don't knock it - it's a great tactic, and it works!) |
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JeanHartrick
Posts: 41
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« Reply #11 on: 09:06:49, 10-10-2008 » |
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Hi Jean!  I see! I joined this board a long time ago but haven't visited it much so I did not know who you were. I will now listen with especially acute ears! |
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #12 on: 09:39:56, 10-10-2008 » |
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It's much better now as they put big pictures of Vasily everywhere (don't knock it - it's a great tactic, and it works!)
Sad, but true.  |
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HtoHe
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« Reply #13 on: 11:36:08, 10-10-2008 » |
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It's much better now as they put big pictures of Vasily everywhere (don't knock it - it's a great tactic, and it works!)
I've no intention of knocking it - any more than I knock Ms Mae and her wet frock - but I have my reservations on the extent to which it works. One can. of course, go to a concert (or listen to a disc) for the wrong reasons and stick around for good reasons; but I suspect this doesn't happen very often. I'd hate to think that Petrenko's good work - and he does seem very committed to making the RLPO a major force once again - could be ruined if he were to be replaced by a less photogenic principal conductor! That's a minor point, though. Let's have posters of Vasily everywhere but, please, let's have a proper follow-up system in place; like a phone number that actually gets answered. I haven't called the box office for a while so it might have improved; but earlier in the year I found it was almost impossible to get through. So: punter sees big pin-up of Vasily and details of a tempting concert, phones the number displayed and gets put in an interminable queue with the same intensely irritating recorded message being played every 30 seconds; how many times will (s)he put up with this before giving up (especially if (s)he's calling on a pay-as-you-go mobile and running down the credit listening to said irritating message)? This is by no means the only example of eye-catching publicity with poor access to information. On Wednesday night my nephew and I saw the huge banners publicising the 'Le Corbusier' exhibition: banners which, as far as we could tell, didn't actually say where the exhibition was being held! I don't think they ever sell every possible seat in the Met, so it's always worth turning up I didn't know that and, as far as I can tell, there's no way I could have known that by looking at the website - which just said 'sold out'; iirc, venues like the RAH and ROH which have places reserved for sale on the day make that clear in their publicity. The Proms makes a very big deal of the fact that tickets are always available on the day. The War Requiem at the Anglican cathedral also had empty seats as they made some more available in the Well shortly before the performance but didn't tell people about it. Actually, they did tell people about the seats in the well - it was on the website. Are you saying that seats in the nave were made available because of the release of seats in the well? If so, that was certainly kept quiet. I declined the opportunity to buy tickets in the well because the acoustic is unreliable at the best of times - and I didn't fancy going to a live concert to watch a screen! I'd have bought tickets in the nave but was told none were available. I think the best we can hope for from 2008 is that people will learn lessons from all the things that have gone wrong. It started on New Year's Day when, quite amazingly, all the buses stopped at 1800! I don't think a single performance of Emilia di Liverpool sold out (no wonder the EOC was livid) and artists we'll never see again like Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner & Joe Lovano played to halls that were nowhere near full. Ian Bostridge singing the Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings with the late Vernon Handley on the podium also failed to sell out (I saw him sing the same piece to a full house at De Doelen in Rotterdam fgs!). Those are just the things I know about and can immediately recall. We can safely assume there are many other examples. The opportunity presented by the year as 'capital of culture' should have been better used than this. |
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JeanHartrick
Posts: 41
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« Reply #14 on: 12:11:33, 10-10-2008 » |
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I've no intention of knocking it - any more than I knock Ms Mae and her wet frock - but I have my reservations on the extent to which it works. One can. of course, go to a concert (or listen to a disc) for the wrong reasons and stick around for good reasons; but I suspect this doesn't happen very often. Who knows why people go to concerts? What is a 'good reason' anyway? When the Rodewald concerts moved from the Phil to St George's Hall, the audience doubled at a stroke. So it's not just pretty conductors that do it, but pretty concert halls as well! |
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