Concert review: NSO’s Fireworks from Russia
This is another one of those concerts I have (very proudly, I might add) managed to gather people together to attend. Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin enjoyed quite a fantastic turnout on its opening night, and I was very glad at that performance to have been … Continue reading Concert review: NSO’s Fireworks from Russia
Concert Review: NTSO’s ‘Resurrection’
This is the actual part that talks about the concert. It’s the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra’s 70th anniversary, and what better piece (well, aside from like, Mahler 8) to commemorate than something as huge and glorious as the Auferstehung?! I talked earlier … Continue reading Concert Review: NTSO’s ‘Resurrection’
Thoughts: NTSO’s ‘Resurrection’
or Thoughts in preparation for attending my first live performance of one of the greatest symphonies ever written My goodness. How long I’ve been waiting for this concert. And I know it’s not Vienna or New York or Chicago or anything, but it’s still Mahler, and it’s still one of the most respected (or at least oldest) ensembles in the country. And I don’t have to travel down to 台中 to hear them. In any case, this was the Mahler work that made me fall in love with Mahler, and I’m not entirely sure why. (Also, if you’re unfamiliar with this … Continue reading Thoughts: NTSO’s ‘Resurrection’
Scriabin Symphony no. 1, op. 26
performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Riccardo Muti or here, by the Radio Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt under Eliahu Inbal, who (and which recording) I like muchly, especially in the final movement We’ve finally gotten around to something other than Scriabin’s … Continue reading Scriabin Symphony no. 1, op. 26
Influential People: Alexander Scriabin
“No one was more famous during their lifetime, and few were more quickly ignored after death.” – Faubion Bowers “No composer has had more scorn heaped on him or greater love bestowed.” -The Great Soviet Encyclopedia So this is another … Continue reading Influential People: Alexander Scriabin
Concert Review: TSO’s Trumpet Calls on the Wasteland
with Håkan Hardenberger The takeaway from this concert: Håkan Hardenberger is a classy, really nice dude who makes beautiful sounds on the trumpet. Like a Swedish George Clooney. As with every Taipei Symphony performance Maestro Varga leads, this one is … Continue reading Concert Review: TSO’s Trumpet Calls on the Wasteland
Concert Review: Munich Philharmonic and 曾宇謙
And the third in a series of two-night features that will continue through into next year. The only difference is that I’m not going to both evenings this time. I can only attend the second night, but a good friend is … Continue reading Concert Review: Munich Philharmonic and 曾宇謙
Concert Review: NSO and Neville Marriner
This season with the NSO is one of big-name guests. Actually, the Taipei Symphony has invited some pretty great soloists to play, a recent visitor being Sabine Meyer. I didn’t actually know a whole lot about Neville Marriner until right up … Continue reading Concert Review: NSO and Neville Marriner
Rachmaninoff Symphony no. 1 in D minor, op. 13
performed live by (again) the USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra under Gennady Rozhdestvensky, or in a very nice performance below by the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra (perhaps before they were ‘Royal’?) under Vladimir Ashkenazy This, this other terrible first. The … Continue reading Rachmaninoff Symphony no. 1 in D minor, op. 13
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto no. 1 in F#m, op. 1
as performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Jascha Horenstein; Earl Wild, piano Wait, what? A piano concerto? Yes. So it just now occurred to me that this is the composer’s opus no. 1. And that is only another supporting reason for … Continue reading Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto no. 1 in F#m, op. 1
Concert Review: Parabola (Taipei Symphony)
I’m going to start this discussion by talking about bad excuses for Italian food in Asia. Italian food in Asia usually isn’t. It’s Taiwanese, or Japanese, or Chinese Italian food. It’s sufficiently different from the local food that it makes for a nice change of pace now … Continue reading Concert Review: Parabola (Taipei Symphony)
Vasily Kalinnikov: Symphony no. 1 in G minor
(this piece is featured on a list of pieces I heartily recommend to music directors for inclusion on their season programs. Check out the article here.) While I felt Arensky’s symphony last week had its shining moments (particularly the fourth … Continue reading Vasily Kalinnikov: Symphony no. 1 in G minor
Alexander Glazunov: Symphony no. 3 in D, op. 33
performed by the USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra under Gennady Rozhdestvensky “[Tchaikovsky] also knew my Third Symphony, which is dedicated to him. Much in it found his approval and, at his request, I often played the scherzo of the … Continue reading Alexander Glazunov: Symphony no. 3 in D, op. 33
Concert Review: Taipei Philharmonic
It’s time to give the Taipei Philharmonic another chance. Let me explain. A few things. First, our ‘National Symphony Orchestra’ (from the original Chinese: 國家交響樂團) is referred to both in Chinese and English as the ‘NSO,’ but outside of Taiwan, … Continue reading Concert Review: Taipei Philharmonic
Opera Review: Eugene Onegin
This is only my third opera, but after my incredibly awesome experience with Fidelio back in the summer, I was eager to revisit the National Theatre. This time, we enjoyed Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, the Taiwanese premiere, with the never-ceasing-to-impress Taipei Symphony Orchestra and lots of other … Continue reading Opera Review: Eugene Onegin
Concert Review: The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
How quickly things happen. Just a few weeks ago, I was able to enjoy my first two-night concert set ever, and who better to enjoy it with than the Vienna Philharmonic? I’d gone to separate concerts back-to-back before, but never the … Continue reading Concert Review: The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Arensky Symphony No. 1 in B minor, op. 4
performed by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra under Stanislav Vavrinek or here by the people sourced for this video (USSR Radio & TV something?) “In his youth Arensky did not escape some influence from me; later the influence came from … Continue reading Arensky Symphony No. 1 in B minor, op. 4
Influential People: Anton Arensky
So this article comes along far more because of who the man taught than any other influence his compositions had. We’ve talked about Anton Arensky only once before, with regards to his piano concerto. It was a work unabashedly modeled after … Continue reading Influential People: Anton Arensky
Borodin Symphony no. 2 in B minor
performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under Gennady Rozhdestvensky (or in the other recording below by Concertgebouw under Karel Mark Chichon) Heaven forbid! Do not touch it; alter nothing. Your modulations are neither extravagant nor faulty. Your artistic instinct … Continue reading Borodin Symphony no. 2 in B minor
Revisit: Borodin Symphony No. 1 in E flat major
performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under Gennady Rozhdestvensky At this point, it’s incredible to believe the blog has been going for more than two years. I have been planning for some time to get around to revisiting some … Continue reading Revisit: Borodin Symphony No. 1 in E flat major
Tchaikovsky Symphony no. 1, op. 13, ‘Winter Dreams’
performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink “although it is in many ways very immature, yet fundamentally it has more substance and is better than any of my other more mature works.” So, here we are at arguably … Continue reading Tchaikovsky Symphony no. 1, op. 13, ‘Winter Dreams’
Fugue for Thought 