Rachmaninoff Live - concerts, broadcasts etc

[70percentcocoa]

I though I'd start a thread for people to post information about concerts and broadcasts (including their own reviews), which may be of interest to everyone else.

So here goes. After two years of very slim SVR pickings, the forthcoming PROMS at the Royal Albert Hall in London are scheduled to deliver a real Rach-fest: all the piano concerti, Symphonies Nos.1&2, the Paganini Variations, the Vespers... (and a curiosity: orchestral arrangement of the C# minor Prélude - on 4 August. I'm going to that one...)

I highly recommend Stephen Hough's performance of the Second Piano Concerto on 6 September. Having recently seen him play No.1, he combines unfailing musicality with a great deal of intelligence. And a big sound.

All concerts are broadcast live on www.bbc.co.uk/radio3.
Full programme on www.bbc.co.uk/proms.

One happy Londoner.

[RACHBOY]

That all sound VERY promising, wow. You are lucky indeed!

I though I'd start a thread for people to post information about concerts and broadcasts (including their own reviews), which may be of interest to everyone else.

So here goes. After two years of very slim SVR pickings, the forthcoming PROMS at the Royal Albert Hall in London are scheduled to deliver a real Rach-fest: all the piano concerti, Symphonies Nos.1&2, the Paganini Variations, the Vespers... (and a curiosity: orchestral arrangement of the C# minor Prélude - on 4 August. I'm going to that one...)

I highly recommend Stephen Hough's performance of the Second Piano Concerto on 6 September. Having recently seen him play No.1, he combines unfailing musicality with a great deal of intelligence. And a big sound.

All concerts are broadcast live on www.bbc.co.uk/radio3.
Full programme on www.bbc.co.uk/proms.

One happy Londoner.

[70percentcocoa]

One of the Society's US members has sent in information about a major Rachmaninoff Festival to take place in Pittsburgh, PA during April 2009 with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
The festival will start with concerts April 3-5 featuring the Rhapsody (with Simon Trpceski, who is EXCELLENT in this piece), Spring Cantata and Symphony #1 under Gianandrea Noseda and will end with concerts April 17-19 featuring the Third Concerto with Denis Matsuev, Vocalise and Symphonic Dances under Leonard Slatkin.
Sandwiched between these concerts will be other events (presumably recitals, lectures, chamber music, etc). Watch for developments at the Pittsburgh Symphony website.

Wish I had the money and the time...
Anyone in the vicinity of Pittsburgh likely to go?
Views and reviews will be very welcome!

[Risha]

For any other Rachmaninoff fans in Oregon, the Corvallis/OSU Symphony is performing the third piano concerto next Tuesday (May 20). Not a professional orchestra, but not half bad either (and free tickets for me ). Yuri Rozum is the soloist, R. Strauss and Shostakovich are also on the menu - should be a great concert.

The Oregon Symphony also has some Rachmaninoff on the schedule for next year - Piano Concerto #2 in October (with the much maligned (on this site) Lang Lang), Symphony #3 in November and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini next April.

[Daniel]

Looks like people around here didn't care much about this topic...
Last week I attended a performance of the 2nd Sonata, given by the young Italian pianist Vincenzo Baglio. The performance was good enough but, unfortunately, it was the revised version. Anyway, I'd listen to him again, also hoping for an improvement!

[Risha]

Looks like people around here didn't care much about this topic...

I suspect the main problem is that we're all so spread out. As much as I would have loved to see the Proms concerts, I can't afford to cross eight time zones just for a music festival. Still, it's fun to hear about other people's experiences.

[RACHBOY]

The Rachmaninoff Society is delighted to announce a study afternoon organised jointly with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London (UK) on 30 November. The focus of the event will be Piano Concerto No.3, which will be at the heart of that evening's performance. More details will be posted soon on the members-only pages. To attend this event, featuring Rachmaninoff Society member Ian Flint and renowned expert Geoffrey Norris, you need to be a member of the Rachmaninoff Society or a Friend of the Philharmonia Orchestra.



And we will soon be organising our 2009 Conference. Watch this space!

[70percentcocoa]

And there are discounts available to Society members for concerts of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and their energetic, intense and inspired principal conductor Vladimir Jurowski. Dates: 12 and 26 November 2008. More details on the main Society website.

Join the Society - it's only £15 for a year, you get to go to special events, get discounts, and receive the fantastic bi-annual journal 'The Bells'.

We need your support to continue doing all this!

(and by the way, I'll be at the first concert tomorrow, wearing my Rachmaninoff Society badge!)

[70percentcocoa]

Was I the only one of the Forum contributors at today's concert?...

Well, for my money Jurowski is a talent to watch.
The first half of the concert I did not much care for - because of the music not the playing (Debussy's 'Jeux' really is not my cup of tea, ditto Stravinsky's Violin Concerto).

In the second half, Stravinsky's Scherzo Fantastique was, well, fantastic. Beautifully detailed playing from the orchestra, and music that bears some resemblance to the Firebird.

What about the Symphonic Dances, I hear you ask? Well...
Again, Jurowski conjured up wonderful sounds from the orchestra, who followed his very clear indications at all times. Jurowski shapes every musical phrase with extreme care, which makes the details of the orchestration more noticeable than usual. The problem is that, in the process, he looses track of the structure of the piece. This was not an isolated occurence: I have observed this at previous concerts, and this is the way it comes across to a friend of mine who plays in the orchestra too.
But hey, the man is in his 30s; he might yet develop.

The first movement started incisive and dramatic. The way it should be. But before the saxophone entry, the woodwind-only passage lacked delicacy. Jurowski's pulling back of the strings after each phrase in the slow passage that follows sounded forced. It broke the flow of the music.

The second movement benefited from ravishing colour from the orchestra, but for sheer sweep and sadness, nobody beats Ashkenazy (or, on CD, for those who can stand the execrable Melodiya sound, Svetlanov). The slow and quiet repeat of the second theme was beautifully built, but the ensuing climax was more mortal paralysis than desperate flight.

The third movement was more together structure-wise, with mighty playing from the trombones and tuba in particular. It reminded me of a performance of the Isle of the Dead by the same conductor and orchestra about 2 years ago, which floored me.

[StewH]

Sorry to have missed the concert, but London is a long plane ride from my home here in California!

[Daniel]

And an expensive plane ticket away from me here in Romania...

[Marianne]

And rather far away from Saint-Petersburg, Russia

All the same thank you for the review)
As soon as I will go to the concert with Rachmaninoff in the programme I will also write few words. Hope this will become a good tradition on this board

[70percentcocoa]

The Rachmaninoff Society is delighted to announce a study afternoon organised jointly with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London (UK) on 30 November.

And what a fantastic event that was! Thanks to all the members and their guests who came. Pity there were not more members from London and the South East (where were you?...).

Great talks, great performances, great atmosphere. All of what the Society is for!

Ian Flint performed his usual magic with a blend of deep insight, great playing, and wit (no-one is ever going to forget his 'Velvet Psychosis' creation - the fictitious piece of contemporary music you would get if you took the dissonances in the Concerto out of their Rachmaninoff context. Brilliant. Had the 127-strong audience shaking with laughter).

[StewH]

Too bad the rest of us won't be able to hear Mr. Flint's presentation.

[Daniel]

I've seen what Ian Flint can do so I can somehow imagine what went on there. I think we should find a way to record these events and share them between members.