Attending Mahler's 2nd on October 9th with the BSO

[ack]

I'd be interested to hear about the concerts you'd be attending and your impressions. I will post mine after this superb event. Last time I heard this performance my wife broke in tears at the end, as Ozawa held up the score to a standing ovation...

 

[FrantzM]

I'd be interested to hear about the concerts you'd be attending and your impressions. I will post mine after this superb event. Last time I heard this performance my wife broke in tears at the end, as Ozawa held up the score to a standing ovation...

I hate you

> One of my favorite Western classical music piece...

 

[DonH50]

Ditto... This was also discussed on the trumpet forum I help moderate. Should be a great concert! - Don

 

[R Johnson]

The first Chicago Symphony performance I heard in Orchestra Hall was the Mahler 2nd. With Georg Solti conducting!

I'm looking forward to the Metropolitan Opera in the movie theaters - especially the opening with Das Rheingold. Hopefully Levine's health will permit him to conduct. And then Boris Gudunov with Gergiev conducting. I heard Boris at the CSO many years ago with, if I recall correctly, Abbado conducting. Stunning.

For the Met, see http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/hd_events_template.aspx?id=11964

 

[R Johnson]

NYT article for Sunday on James Levine: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/arts/music/12tommasini.html

Excerpt, especially pertinent for ack: "Yet this season, on Saturday, Oct. 9, he is to conduct “Rheingold” at the Met in the afternoon (an uninterrupted running time of 2 hours 35 minutes), then hop on a plane and conduct Mahler’s “Resurrection” with the Boston Symphony that night. Did Mark Volpe, the managing director of the Boston Symphony, sign off on Mr. Levine’s double-duty day in two cities?"

Edit: I just realized that the October 9 Rheingold is the Live in HD transmission to the movie theaters that I'm planning to attend.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I'd be interested to hear about the concerts you'd be attending and your impressions. I will post mine after this superb event. Last time I heard this performance my wife broke in tears at the end, as Ozawa held up the score to a standing ovation...

Years ago heard Rattle conducting the BSO doing Mahler's 7th at Symphony Hall. Now that was an experience and ain't no system ever going to that piece justice (kinda like Walton's Belshazzar's Feast and Britten's War Requiem). The sound literally washed over the audience!

 

[R Johnson]

NYT: James Levine Says He's Ready to Work Again
...
Despite evidence that working too hard in the past has contributed to his health problems, Mr. Levine, 67, is scheduled for a nightmarish week in October. He will lead the Boston orchestra in Mahler's huge Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection") at 8 p.m. on Oct. 7. On Oct. 8, he conducts a 1:30 p.m. repeat concert. Mr. Levine must then be in New York the next day for a 1 p.m. "Rheingold" and back in Boston that evening for another "Resurrection."

Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/18/arts/music/18levine.html

 

[ack]

Years ago heard Rattle conducting the BSO doing Mahler's 7th at Symphony Hall. Now that was an experience and ain't no system ever going to that piece justice (kinda like Walton's Belshazzar's Feast and Britten's War Requiem). The sound literally washed over the audience!

Well, the concert was simply ravishing - Don, what did you think? While the tempo slower than Ozawa's or Solti's, the performance and sound was just spectacular. I find the second balcony center to offer the best seats at Symphony Hall for such scale music, and someone at the concert told me that Ozawa's favorite seat was the very last row of the second balcony.

Myles' words of wisdom above reflect my sentiment, although this time I wasn't embarrased coming back home to my system, unlike 8 years ago - a lot has changed since then in terms of technology, but I am not sure that CD or LP have what it takes to reproduce such large scale music, that's why I am excited but 24/176 digital.

 

[R Johnson]

The NYT has a piece on Levine's marathon: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/james-levine-live-and-on-screen/?ref=arts Several readers commented on the Mahler. Being in Chicago, I only attended the Wagner in the movie theater.

 

[FrantzM]

Well, the concert was simply ravishing - Don, what did you think? While the tempo slower than Ozawa's or Solti's, the performance and sound was just spectacular. I find the second balcony center to offer the best seats at Symphony Hall for such scale music, and someone at the concert told me that Ozawa's favorite seat was the very last row of the second balcony.

Myles' words of wisdom above reflect my sentiment, although this time I wasn't embarrased coming back home to my system, unlike 8 years ago - a lot has changed since then in terms of technology, but I am not sure that CD or LP have what it takes to reproduce such large scale music, that's why I am excited but 24/176 digital.

Hi

I must say that this piece (Mahler 2nd) calls for MC. Actually Multi-Channel seems to be the only way to "wash the audience", IMO. I have not heard so far any MC recording or system that have held the promises of MC... The technology is still is in infancy and the public is not buying it ..literally so.. we are almost at a dead end but in such pieces one quickly become conscious of the limitations of 2-Ch...

Ack , I am with you on the 24/176 digital ...