Category Archives: Classical concert

Nicholas Angelich, Orléans

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A 14 of October to be definitely forgotten, apart from the recital given by Nicholas Angelich at the Salle de l’Institut in Orléans. It was even a struggle to get there and I arrived late…

But this did not prevent me from enjoying his fine rendition of Robert Schumann’s Kreisleriana – even if I missed the beginning of the piece as well as the opening pieces by Chopin, nor the absolutely remarkable performance of Franz Liszt’s Sonata, that I found even superior to the version he recorded some time ago, with this kind of sunrise at the very end of this dramatic piece.

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Christoph Eschenbach, the Orchestre de Paris and Maxim Vengerov

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Beginning of October, reunion between Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris. The German maestro was the musical director of the orchestra during 10 years, and he regularly comes back to conduct them. They were playing with violinist Maxim Vengerov, born in the USSR some 40 years ago.

Gathered at the Philharmonie de Paris, violinist, conductor and orchestra gave a very fine reading of Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, in its original version, with a 1st movement Allegro moderato absolutely fabulous, all performers being on the same page.

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Jean-Claude Pennetier and Christian Ivaldi at Bagatelle: 4 hands piano recital

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And what hands! Those of great musicians, astounding chamber players. The 2 partners had chosen a Schubert programme with pieces by Philippe Hersant for the contemporary part, and switched roles depending on the works.

First work, the Sonata D. 617 and its sublime Andante con moto ideally served, which was followed by the Allegro “Lebensstürme”, again a beautiful success.

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Robert Schumann: Scenes from Goethe’s Faust

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Another very successful concert at the Philharmonie de Paris from September 2016, was Robert Schumann’s Scenes from Goethe’s Faust, performed by the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Daniel Harding, the Orchestre de Paris Choir & the Orchestre de Paris Children Choir and an array of leading singers: Franz-Josef Selig (bass), Christian Gerhaher (baritone), Hanna-Elisabeth Müller (soprano), Mari Eriksmoen (soprano), Bernarda Fink (mezzo), Andrew Staples (tenor) and Tareq Nazmi (bass).

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Philippe Bianconi at Bagatelle

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The French pianist Philippe Bianconi is a regular guest at Bagatelle. After many years mainly spent in the USA, he has been more and more active in France, which is a chance for us! He is at home both in the French and Austrian/German repertoires and also enjoys playing some contemporary music. His Debussy and Ravel are as good as can be, his Schumann too, and one must remember that the great Hermann Prey chose the then 25 year old Bianconi to record the 3 Schubert lieder cycle with him.
Regarding today composers, I remember a fascinating moment at the “Les Solistes aux Serres d’Auteuil” festival – which are now a thing of the past due to the greediness of today’s world and the scandalous extension of the Roland-Garros stadium in these unique gardens – when he played Martin Matalon’s pieces.

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Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin – September 2016

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The season started early with Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin playing a series of concerts around Bruckner and Mozart in the Philharmonie de Paris.

On Sep. 2nd, they played Mozart 24th Piano Concerto (what a wonderful and pure Larghetto!) and Bruckner 4th Symphony, nicknamed “Romantic“. Remarkable interpretation, and an outstanding Andante!

On Sep. 8th they were back for Mozart 26th Piano Concerto (the high point being again the Larghetto) and Bruckner 6th Symphony. Another splendid slow movement, Adagio, and a brilliant Finale.

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3 great masters in Salzburg – August 2016

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Sir Neville Marriner, one of the most remarkable conductors of the last half century, was conducting Mozart’s superb 39th Symphony (with its wonderful Andante con moto) and his Violin Concerto No. 3 – the young and talented Alina Pogostkina being the soloist, who offered Bach’s Partita No. 3 Gavotte en rondeau as an encore – and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in a matinee concert.

A couple of days later, the not less remarkable Herbert Blomstedt, the great pianist András Schiff and the Gewandhaus Leipzig played an almost all Beethoven evening: what a fabulous 7th Symphony, what an Emperor Concerto (an Adagio for the ages!), what splendid Overtures (Leonore II) and encores: another Overture, Egmont, and a sublime Schubert Impromptu, No. 3 D. 899.

A huge thank you to these 3 great masters!

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The Artis Quartet at the Silvacane Abbey

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The Artis Quartet was programmed in the cloister of Silvacane Abbey as part of the “Festival International de Quatuors à Cordes du Lubéron”.

My 1st encounter with the Austrian Quartet goes back to the early 1990s, with a memorable concert at what was then known as the “Auditorium du Châtelet”, including a fabulous version of Beethoven’s 15th Quartet.

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Schubert’s Schwanengesang by Matthias Goerne & Christoph Eschenbach

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Matthias Goerne, Christoph Eschenbach, Salle Pleyel, Paris, May 11 2012

The Schwanengesang evening by Matthias Goerne & Christoph Eschenbach in Salle Pleyel was the last of 3 concerts dedicated to Schubert’s lied cycles.

Since the early retirement of Thomas Quasthoff a few months ago, Goerne is without doubt the most accomplished lied baritone singer of our time. Eschenbach – today mainly active as a noted conductor – remains an excellent pianist. His career as a pianist was always shared between “standard” repertoire and lied accompaniment: his recording of Schumann’s Dichterliebe with the legendary Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is among the very finest. I also keep in mind the Schöne Müllerin concert in Pleyel 2 decades ago – a memorable evening, fortunately available on DVD. Fischer-Dieskau, who taught both Goerne & Quasthoff, has died just a few days after this concert and 10 days short of his 87th birthday and will be sadly missed by all opera, religious music and lied lovers.

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