[concert] Prokofiev, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky: RFH, 12.12.10
Monday, December 13th, 2010 09:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaranthAlexander Lazarev (conductor), Benjamin Schmid (violin)
Lieutenant Kijé Suite (Prokofiev), Violin Concerto (Mendelssohn), Nutcracker suite (Tchaikovsky)
A very Christmassy concert, with Lazarev's joviality and comic gesticulation adding to the seasonal cheer. Being in the choir for this meant (1) I could work out where the lone, distant trumpeter was standing during Lt Kijé -- back of the balcony, doubtless a shock for those in the other cheap seats; and (2), we were just behind the percussion, which is considerably more Slavic than on my recording.
The Mendelssohn was gorgeous (and luckily the woman next to me only hummed along with the first few bars!). Schmid's sheer intimacy with the music -- he knew it well, it felt like a conversation between him and his instrument -- was fascinating: his playing was smooth with familiarity but never hackneyed. Also, enviable posture :)
Nice long interval, due to the relative shortness of the actual concert, which gave me a chance to drink wine and chat to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ladymoonray and her mum. Then Tchaikovsky, which was lovely but for some reason I didn't connect with it. Still, good creative space :) and overall an excellent Last (Classical) Concert of 2010.
though travel:event ratio not good: 3 hrs 40 mins travel, 2 hrs concert inc interval ... Must make effort to Do London Stuff when I'm down for culture
Lieutenant Kijé Suite (Prokofiev), Violin Concerto (Mendelssohn), Nutcracker suite (Tchaikovsky)
A very Christmassy concert, with Lazarev's joviality and comic gesticulation adding to the seasonal cheer. Being in the choir for this meant (1) I could work out where the lone, distant trumpeter was standing during Lt Kijé -- back of the balcony, doubtless a shock for those in the other cheap seats; and (2), we were just behind the percussion, which is considerably more Slavic than on my recording.
The Mendelssohn was gorgeous (and luckily the woman next to me only hummed along with the first few bars!). Schmid's sheer intimacy with the music -- he knew it well, it felt like a conversation between him and his instrument -- was fascinating: his playing was smooth with familiarity but never hackneyed. Also, enviable posture :)
Nice long interval, due to the relative shortness of the actual concert, which gave me a chance to drink wine and chat to
ladymoonray and her mum. Then Tchaikovsky, which was lovely but for some reason I didn't connect with it. Still, good creative space :) and overall an excellent Last (Classical) Concert of 2010.though travel:event ratio not good: 3 hrs 40 mins travel, 2 hrs concert inc interval ... Must make effort to Do London Stuff when I'm down for culture
