The Arts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/21/2009
Berlin Philharmonic Led by Sir Simon Rattle, the world’s greatest orchestra, at least by some estimations, returns to Disney Hall with a pair of programs devoted, though not exclusively, to Brahms. The first pairs Arnold Schoenberg’s vivid orchestration of Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 1 with the Symphony No. 1. The second features Wagner’s Overture to “Die [...]
Berkshire Review for the Arts (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009
By opening the Berlin Philharmonic's three-concert series at Carnegie Hall with Schoenberg's arrangement of Brahms' G minor Piano Quartet Sir Simon Rattle made a definite statement about what was to come and how we should listen to it, but just what this meant was not clear until we heard the performance. Since the arrangement has found a place in the repertory, conductors have succumbed all too easily...
Andrew Patner: The View from Here (Free subscription) | 11/18/2009
Here is my Wednesday November 18 Chicago Sun-Times review of the Monday November 16, 2009, Orchestra Hall concert by the Berlin Philharmonic, Sir Simon Rattle, principal conductor, in music of Wagner, Schoenberg, and Brahms. Berlin Philharmonic in Chicago: Once is...
Violinist.com (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009
By Mendy Smith: It was suggested to me, in a not so subtle way, that I've been spending entirely too much time with composers that start with the letter B: Bach, Bloch, Brahms, Borodin, Bruch, Bridge, etc. etc. As a remedy to my "B" fixation, a viola concerto by the composer Zelter was suggested. Another friend chimed in and recommended a piece called Embellie by Xenakis. The original instigator...
San Fransisco Chronicle (Free subscription) | 11/13/2009
RATING: (POLITE APPLAUSE) Classical For an inviting foretaste of this week's two-night Davies Symphony Hall visit by Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, you could hardly do better than their new box set featuring live recordings of the four Brahms...
The Arts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009
I drove home early last night. Traffic was lighter than usual. Things were starting to go my way. Greeted by the Junior Critic at the front door, I made a beeline to the study and fired up the laptop. Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmonikerawaited me therein — or thereon — courtesy of Deutsche Bank and [...]
The Arts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/09/2009
I’ve signed up (it took a few seconds). You get an e-mail in return, with a link to the Berlin Philharmonic free webcast. I plan to watch. According to the e-mail, the webcast begins streaming at 4:45 p.m., our time. Simon Rattle conducts the orchestra in the Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 by Johannes Brahms. related links: [...]
Summer is Coming In (Free subscription) | 11/08/2009
Brahms' Symphony No. 1 is one of those rare pieces I can listen to over and over again, without ever getting bored. There's so much drama, anxiety and (eventually) affirmation in the piece that I would gladly travel abroad to hear different performances of it. So I did. Brahms' First is often mockingly called Beethoven's Tenth, so it was a fitting conclusion to Bonn's Beethovenfest last month. The...
The Classical Beat (Free subscription) | 11/06/2009
Due to earlier deadlines because of breaking news, last night's NSO review is being held for tomorrow's paper, but here's the preview version for blog readers. Edited to add: Correction: the review did make it into today's paper, but there was a delay posting it to the Web. Cheap thrills: the NSO flirts with vulgarity in Russian program by Anne Midgette Perhaps it’s due to long years of habit...
The Arts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
The third movement of the Symphony No. 4 by Brahms, Carlos Kleiber conducting the Bayerisches Staatsorchester. There are so many good things about this performance, but one thing I especially like is the variety of tone colors Kleiber gets out of this orchestra and out of the piece. So many performances of Brahms are thick and [...]
AfriClassical (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
[“The Brahms Recital”, Eldred Marshall] On October 25, 2009 AfriClassical posted: “AfriClassical Interviews African American Pianist Eldred Marshall.” The pianist explained that in 2008 he made two CDs which are available for $15.00 each, including shipping and handling, at his website, http://www.eldredmarshall.net/ Eldred said the first to be recorded was “Eldred Marshall:...
The Arts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
Deutsche Bank will present a free webcast of the Berlin Philharmonic and conductor Simon Rattle performing Brahms’ Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 as part of a promotion of the orchestra’s upcoming U.S. tour (which stops at Disney Hall on Nov. 23-24). The webcast will be streamed at 8 p.m. EST on Nov. 9 (that would be 5 p.m. [...]
Cellomania (Free subscription) | 11/02/2009
Concert Notes The best part: I played the entire " In the Hall of the Mountain King " piece at tempo with no mistakes! I've mentioned before that this piece was my first "classical" favorite - from second grade. Being able to actually play this particular piece - with its intense cello part - in my first performance with a full orchestra is a milepost of sorts in my cellomania....
Classical Iconoclast (Free subscription) | 11/02/2009
Public bookings for the Wigmore Hall new season began at midnight but by 0015 some were already sold out. So if you want to hear Angela Kirschlager in an incomparable Strauss and Wolf concert, or on Schubert's birthday, you'll have to stand in line for returns. Ditto Matthias Goewrne's continuing Schubert series. Of three concerts, one's completely gone and the others very few seats left. By the time...
Violinist.com (Free subscription) | 10/28/2009
By Bram Heemskerk: Again a violincompetition till 27 year with Paganini, Ysaye and Bach in first 2 rounds and well known pieces in the final: -Bartók: Violin Concerto No.1+2 -Beethoven: D major, Op. 61 -Brahms: D major, Op. 77 -Prokofiev: D major, op. 19+ Tsigane Ravel -Prokofiev: G minor, op. 63 -Paganini 1 -Schostakovich: A minor, op. 99 -Sibelius: D minor, op. 47 -Tchaikovsky: D major, op....
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