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Joined: Sat Jul 12, 2008 4:22 am Posts: 562 Location: Cambridge, MA
Boston Ballet presents Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker
Grade: B-
Pros: Some amazing dances and catchy, memorable music. Good costumes and staging. The dancers were incredible, graceful and powerful throughout.
Cons: The steps get repetitive after awhile. Some of the dances go on seemingly forever. Despite all this, the play still seems short.
Bottom line: While the ballet dancers were definitely the highlight, the play is insubstantial and this is not something I'd really want to see for a few years. For now, I'll stick to occasionally putting on the Nutcracker Suite.
MIT Symphony Orchestra, Adam Boyles present Beethoven's Eroica
Grade: B+
Pros: Nice, quick tempo on the first movement. Boyles captures perfectly the solemnity of the second movement. The orchestra thunders out a capacious third movement.
Cons: The horns section, as usual, is terrible. Why, oh why, can't jazz be less popular . The fourth movement was good, but not great. I imagine everyone must have been worn out by then, since it was the last part of the two-hour concert, especially the strings sections. Up and down, up and down - furiously for Beethoven's eroica.
Bottom line: I was blown away by seeing the Eroica live. From the opening chords to the final cadences, this was a damning experience. I need to spend more time in the company of Beethoven.
TOMORROW: New England Conservatory performs Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro
_________________ Vengeance is a pleasure meant only for the intelligent. - Bartolo from Le nozze di Figaro
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2007 11:24 am Posts: 13232 Location: London, England
Thanks for the reviiews V, it's been about 15 or more years since I last saw the Erioca live (at the Royal Festival Hall along with the 4th Concerto). So long a go in fact I cant recall who was playing or whether I liked it!
_________________ "If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:45 am Posts: 5668 Location: Los Angeles, California
Just got back from my church's 30th (:!:) Annual Weihnachtskonzert. It's always well-done, though I could do without the jazzier, contemporary numbers. The man who arranges all the music is far too Hollywood in style for my tastes, with lots of mushy violin playing, cymbals, chimes, etc. The thing I didn't like the most is his allowance of a drum set, which is not justified under any circumstance. I also had a group of old ladies sit next to me, the one closest nearly squashing me when she sat down then proceeding to sing throughout the show, nearly overwhelming me with her rancid breath in the process.
I can't really complain, though; there was some truly magnificent music performed. The highlights were the Christmas-themed overture (which made use of a harpsichord that I couldn't pinpoint on stage, leading me to suspect it was pre-recorded), the two arias for tenor, chorus, and orchestra (the soloist being the Metropolitan Opera House's Philip Webb, an attendee of my church who received a vigorous standing ovation this year), and, of course, Handel's glorious chorus, 'Hallelujah,' from HWV 58. To sum it up, good times were had by all.
Ok, I haven't been yet, but this morning, you will all be pleased to learn that I purchased a ticket for a New Year's (well, Jan 3rd anyway... ) candlelight Baroque Concert at St Andrew's Church in Presteigne, just up the road. In aid of the local hospice, the Vale Of Glamorgan Ensemble will be playing works by Albinoni & Pachelbel before the interval, and The Four Seasons afterwards. I don't think I've ever been to a 'Baroque' concert before, so I'm looking forward to it, and the fact that I will (probably) be familiar with all the music, should ease me in...and I shall ensure I report on it after the event...
...in the mean time, are you all bracing yourselves for a Strauss Waltz with Radio 3??....
Joined: Sun May 04, 2008 5:44 pm Posts: 2169 Location: Old Blighty
fandango wrote:
I don't think I've ever been to a 'Baroque' concert before, so I'm looking forward to it, and the fact that I will (probably) be familiar with all the music, should ease me in...and I shall ensure I report on it after the event...
Don't forget to take your wig and snuff box!
_________________ "To burn always with this hard, gem-like flame, to maintain this ecstasy, is success in life. " - Walter Pater
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 7:34 am Posts: 3967 Location: Idaho Falls, ID
fandango wrote:
Ok, I haven't been yet, but this morning, you will all be pleased to learn that I purchased a ticket for a New Year's (well, Jan 3rd anyway... ) candlelight Baroque Concert at St Andrew's Church in Presteigne, just up the road. In aid of the local hospice, the Vale Of Glamorgan Ensemble will be playing works by Albinoni & Pachelbel before the interval, and The Four Seasons afterwards.
You ought to enjoy the Albinoni at least. I've never been able to enjoy Pachelbel. The Vivaldi ought to be fun as well. As Meatloaf once said "Two out of three ain't bad baby".
_________________ "I learned more from a three minute record, than I ever did in school."
I'm very sorry for the dreadfully belated 'report' on last weekend's concert, but I've been quite busy this week....
Firstly, I'd just say that it was the first 'baroque' concert I've ever been to, so I have nothing to base it on, but I enjoyed everything about it, immensely... the best £12.50 I've spent on an evening's entertainment in some while...
Ok, to the facts... a candlelight concert was held in St Andrew's Church, Presteigne, by the Vale of Glamorgan Ensemble, who performed for free (well, a meal and travelling expenses) to raise funds for the local hospice. All ten musicians also play for other ensembles, and most in the orchestra of the Welsh National Opera (inc Simon Lewis, its co-leader), so was a very high standard.
The ensemble consists of: Lead Violin, 2nd Violin plus 2 others, Violas (x2), Cellos (x2), Double Bass & Harpsichord (organ for Albinoni).
The programme was:
Corelli: Concerto Grosso in D major op.6 no.4
Pachelbel: Canon in D major
Albinoni: Adagio in G minor for Organ & Strings
Bach: Concerto for 2 violins in D minor BWV 1043
Interval (free wine!!)
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
OK, so the programme was incredibily well known, but that was quite good for me, as the Corelli was the only piece I wasn't completely familiar with, so I got a lot out of it...
The church looked fabulous with just the candles everywhere, and the only spots shining down on a small, impromptu stage for the players. I detected a couple of 'off' notes at the beginning of 'Autumn' by Simon Lewis, lead violinist, but overall his playing was marvellous... truly expressive and warm...
overall, my only regret is that of the 80(ish) people in the audience, only about 5 were under retirement age... I'm not sure what can be done about that, though...
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- These things are sent to try us, as they say. A delightful piece of reportage. 
