Category: concert review

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Concert Review: Treasures from Eastern Europe

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 or 斯拉夫系列：東歐瑰寶   I have pretty much fallen in love with our biggest symphony orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra (translated from the Chinese: 國家交響樂團, but more often referred to in English as the Taiwan Philharmonic). I’d heard them in the past, but the real moment was hearing them perform Mahler’s ninth back in September. It was… almost spiritual. Just wonderful, and so I’ve been eager to attend as many of their performances as possible. This performance was the orchestra I’d come to love with a special guest conductor. Just as 呂紹嘉 seemed perfectly at home conducting Mahler and Schoenberg after … Continue reading Concert Review: Treasures from Eastern Europe

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Concert Review: Nieuw Ensemble in Taipei

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Sonic Portraits (aka This century part 2: The modern experience) In part two, we’ll be discussing the actual concert that kind of got me to thinking about all this to begin with. I was invited sort of last minute (actually about a week ahead of time) by a friend of my piano teacher’s (who is/will be my music theory/composition teacher) to attend this concert on a Saturday evening. I vaguely remember seeing it listed in December’s program, but it was a two-night thing, and I was unavailable the first night, so I didn’t give it a second look. The main reason, … Continue reading Concert Review: Nieuw Ensemble in Taipei

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Concert Review: TSO’s Passion for Tchaikovsky

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Taipei Symphony Orchestra under Gilbert Varga Anna Vinnitskaya, piano November 15, 2014 I shamefully have waited over a month to get around to writing some little bit about this performance. It’s a bit of a break from our Germanic thing we’ve been on for a while, and now it’s been so long that I may not be able to do it justice, but it must be written! It was not at the National Concert Hall, where most performances take place, but was down the road a bit at another venue. I’ve attended there before, and while it doesn’t have the … Continue reading Concert Review: TSO’s Passion for Tchaikovsky

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Concert Review: A Ninth to Remember

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National Concert Hall, Taipei, Taiwan A while back on this post, I discussed somewhat of an issue with being so excited to hear Mahler’s ninth live. I’ve mentioned it in way too many places to link to the posts, but I’ve become rather enamored with Mahler’s music in the past year or so, and it is now bordering on an obsession. It started with the fifth, the first of his works to appear here, and then the second, then the first, then the sixth. And I am realizing either because of context (understanding of a greater portion of the man’s … Continue reading Concert Review: A Ninth to Remember

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Concert Review: Evergreen Symphony- An evening of concertos

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Welcome back to another Tuesday of concert reviews. After the abomination of horns that severely marred Mahler’s fourth, I was pleased to be sitting in front of the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra again. Heard their Mahler before. It was some Lexus-sponsored program or something. I really only bought the ticket because I saw Liszt’s E major concerto and Sibelius’ second symphony on the program. I was concerned the program had changed or I’d bought the wrong ticket when I saw a cellist featured on the program that Saturday night. I was sick, but wasn’t going to miss the concert. I was … Continue reading Concert Review: Evergreen Symphony- An evening of concertos

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Concert Review: 臺北世紀青年管弦樂團- An Evening of Mahler

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  I went a few weeks ago to hear this ensemble (see my remarks below about the name) play in our National Concert Hall here in Taipei. This past year or so, I’ve been working through an obsession with the works of Mahler. I still haven’t cracked into Das Lied or some of the song cycles much, but have gotten my head around most of the symphonies. It’s mostly three and nine that are left to really be explored, as well as whatever exists of the tenth in its various forms. I spent most of the summer not going to … Continue reading Concert Review: 臺北世紀青年管弦樂團- An Evening of Mahler

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Concert Review: Asian Youth Orchestra

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Last month, I had the last minute opportunity to see the Asian Youth Orchestra live here in Taipei from just about the best seats in the concert hall (and for free, no less). I had originally planned on attending that evening’s performance, but of the four events I had decided to go to, it was the least enticing program (up against the likes of Mahler and Sibelius, two of my favorites), so it got the hack. Also, it was a Monday night, which tends to be somewhat more inconvenient. As it turns out, a coworker had two extra tickets (center … Continue reading Concert Review: Asian Youth Orchestra

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Concert Review: Valentina Lisitsa in Taipei

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I am working on kind of a two-part post I started last week. Been through a few listenings of each work, and am preparing more thoughts, but there is something else to share firstly. I was thrilled to buy tickets to see Ms. Valentina Lisitsa here in Taipei in our very own national concert hall. I went ahead and bought better seats. “Second floor” is the first floor of the auditorium, at the same level as the stage, and we were on the 19th row, just left of center, perfect place to see the blurs that were Ms. Lisitsa’s hands … Continue reading Concert Review: Valentina Lisitsa in Taipei