Archive September 2006
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September 29, 2006
Standing ovation hazard
Two explicit minimal music concerts is throwing me way back to the days I still studied at the conservatory.
First the combined De Volharding's and Percussion Group The Hague's birthday party for Steve Reich with old and new works in Het Muziekgebouw. Nice, but alas not as on the edge as Reich's music needs to come to live.
But it was grades better than the poor performance by the Erfurt Opera's performance of Philip Glass's Waiting for the Barbarians. Out of tune (very often), out of sync (choir and orchestra) and a weak storyline. Where opera could function as food for thought about some issue (as is the case with the canceled Idomeneo performance in Berlin at the moment), we, the audience stumble over flaws a professional opera company should not exhibit.
It was therefore incomprehensible that a larger part of the audience gave a standing ovation (which seems to obligatory at the moment in the Netherlands). Maybe people want to feel they get the best performance for their bucks (somewhere between 35 and 65 euros per seat) even when, considering the price tag, we had all reasons to boo at them full speed.
Posted by Renske at 12:12 UTC | permanent link
September 20, 2006
Tierkreis
On average I am not a fan of Karlheinz Stockhausen's music, since his brainpower has a habit of getting in the way. One of his compositions where brainpower and musical thinking seems to be well in balance is Tierkreis.
Last year I heard a performance of this composition by Calefax which was very impressive, and since today there is a version online for organ on orgelconcerten.ncrv.nl, that is great to listen to as well. Performance is by Klaas Hoek.
Posted by Renske at 14:27 UTC | permanent link
September 14, 2006
Walking distance
Bach statue (Photo RV) Apart from being a great talent himself, Felix Mendelssohn made himself a name by starting a tradition with the Mattheus Passion. What I never realized is the geographical and historical situation that made him the ideal man for the job.
His teacher was one of Bach sons and he lived only a five minute walk from the famous Thomas Kirche where Bach worked the larger part of his career.
Posted by Renske at 14:04 UTC | permanent link