Yundi Li gives phenomenal performance: review

24-year-old Chinese pianist Yundi Li gave a virtuoso performance last month in Toronto, to which he received a standing ovation.

At age 18, Li was the first person in 15 years to win first prize in the prestigious Chopin International Piano Competition in Poland.

This man is also a player with personality, much like superstars of yore like Vladimir Horowitz and Arthur Rubinstein. Like those 20th-century legends, Li imprints the music he plays with a personal esthetic that may not necessarily be true to the original score or to mainstream style.

In the case of last night’s program of crowd-pleasing dazzlers by Mozart, Schumann and Liszt, Li grabbed great handfuls of notes and shaped them into his own artworks with an iron will and breathtaking virtuosity.

But many of the results were odd, even off-putting.
In the case of Mozart’s popular Piano Sonata No. 10 in C Major, K.330, Li overlaid the Classical-era purity of sound with a Romantic sensibility. This made for a sweetness that became downright saccharine in the slower second movement.

Read the full review: Young pianist’s technique magical

Van Cliburn silver medallist Joyce Yang gives dazzling recital

Rocky Mountain News’ Marc Shulgold positively reviewed Joyce Yang’s recent concert, which included pieces by Chopin, Carl Vine, Medtner and Bach.

Yang was up to the challenge of stitching all the pieces together into a somewhat comprehensible whole.

Throughout the recital, she showed herself to be a totally committed artist, hunching over the keyboard, crunching her face into contorted expressions of concentration - allowing herself only one or two modest bows at music’s end before heading for the wings.

Yang will turn 20 next month, a reminder that this talented, interesting pianist has time to develop her budding musicality and intriguing stage presence.

Read the full review: Teen pianist’s recital dazzles

Concert Review: Talvin Singh

Richard Thomson reviews Talvin Singh at the New Zealand State Opera House:

As you’d expect, the festival promotion machine took care with their advance description of Talvin Singh’s set. “Low-fi electronica” was bang on, but while the audience was appreciative, you had to wonder whether many of them might have been unexpectedly challenged by the sounds produced by Singh and his Powerbook-shaking partner Oscar Vizan.

Live laptop techno is something fans of electronic music are going to hear a lot more of in years to come. But while the new technology regains something of the excitement of live performances, it comes raw and without the smoothing and compressing of harsh sonic edges that goes on in the studio.

And for people who quickly grew bored by the lush yet soporific noodling that typifies much electronic music, that can only be a good thing. Although Singh’s earlier work, such as the album OK which led to his winning the Mercury Prize in 1999, could never be described as noodling, its washes of synth chords and smooth drum’n'bass styles were rarely less than easy on the ear.

Read the full review: Arts Festival Review: Talvin Singh

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra 2006-07 schedule

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra 2006-07 season

Paavo Järvi, music director

All concerts are in Music Hall

Sept. 15-16 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Gil Shaham, violin. Brahms, Academic Festival Overture, Op.80; Brahms, Violin Concerto in D Major, Op.77; Brahms, Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op.68. 8 p.m.

Sept. 22-23 - Paavo Järvi conducting; William Winstead, bassoon. Duruflé, “Three Dances,” Op.6; Mozart, Bassoon Concerto in B-flat Major, K.191; Franck, Symphony in D Minor. 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Sept. 29-30 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Truls Mørk, cello. Tubin, Symphony No. 11; Schumann, Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op.129; Bruckner, Symphony No. 6 in A Major. 8 p.m.

Oct. 6, 8 - James DePreist conducting; Louis Lortie, piano. Persichetti, Symphony No. 4, Op.51; Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op.21; Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op.90, Italian. 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Oct. 13-14 - Andrey Boreyko, conducting; Hilary Hahn, violin. Tchaikovsky, “Voyévoda,” Op.78; Britten, Violin Concerto No.1, Op.15; Prokofiev, Suite from “Romeo and Juliet.” 8 p.m.

Oct. 27-28 - Robert Porco conducting; Twyla Robinson, soprano; Kelly O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Stanford Olsen, tenor; William McGraw, baritone; May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director. Britten, “Cantata academica”; Bach, Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068; Schubert, Mass No. 2 in G Major, D.167; Vaughan Williams, Five Mystical Songs. 8 p.m.

Nov. 3-4 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Dmitry Sitkovetsky, violin. Bernstein, “Slava! A Political Overture for Orchestra”; Prokofiev, Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op.63; Shostakovich, Symphony No. 7 in C Major, Op.60, Leningrad. 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Nov. 10-11 - Paavo Järvi conducting. Messiaen, “L’Ascension: four méditations symphoniques”; Mahler, Symphony No. 9 in D Major. 8 p.m.

Nov. 16, 18 - Gianandrea Noseda conducting; Leon McCawley, piano. Schnittke, “Moz-Art à la Haydn”; Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K.466; Rachmaninoff/arr. Respighi, “Cinq Etudes-tableaux”; Respighi, “Pines of Rome.” 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Dec. 2-3 - Kwamé Ryan conducting; Colin Currie, percussion. Wagner, “Siegfried Idyll”; Christopher Rouse, “Der gerettete Alberich” (”Alberich Saved”); Schumann, Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op.61. 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday.

Jan. 12-13 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Thomas Zehetmair, violin. Sibelius, Symphony No. 4 in A Minor, Op.63; Berg, Violin Concerto, “To the Memory of an Angel”; Tchaikovsky, “Romeo and Juliet” Overture-fantasy. 8 p.m.

Jan. 18-20 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Hélène Grimaud, piano. Verdi, Overture to “I vespri siciliani”; Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op.15; Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op.74, “Pathétique.” 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Jan. 26-27 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Christine Brewer, soprano; Stanford Olsen, tenor; Eric Owens, bass; (another soprano to be announced); May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director. Webern, “Im Sommerwind”; Berg, “Sieben frühe Lieder” (”Seven Early Songs”); Mozart, Mass in C Minor, K.427, “The Great.” 8 p.m.

Feb. 9-10 - Yakov Kreizberg conducting; Julia Fischer, violin. Glinka, Overture to “Russlan and Ludmilla”; Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op.64; Shostakovich, Symphony No. 11 in G Minor, Op.103, “The Year 1905″ 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Feb. 16-17 - Michael Christie conducting; Leila Josefowicz, violin. John Adams, Violin Concerto; Copland, Symphony No. 3. 8 p.m.

Feb. 22 - Special Concert. Valery Gergiev conducting. Stravinsky, “Petrouchka”; Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op.64. 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 24-25 - Krzysztof Penderecki conducting; Chee-Yun, violin. Bruch, Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op.26; Krzysztof Penderecki, Symphony No. 2. 8 p.m.

March 2-3 - Eric Dudley conducting; Denis Matsuev, piano. Stephen Paulus, “Concertante”; Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op.26; Dvorák, Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op.13. 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

March 9-10 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Yefim Bronfman, piano. Prokofiev, Suite from “Lieutenant Kijé,” Op.60; Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op.30; Scriabin, Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, Op.29. 8 p.m.

March 15-17 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Vadim Gluzman, violin; Barber, Music for a Scene from Shelley, Op.7; Bernstein, “Serenade”; Prokofiev, Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, Op.100. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

March 24-25 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Piotr Anderszewski, piano. Smetana, The Moldau; Bartók, Piano Concerto No. 3; Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique, Op.14. 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday.

March 30-31 - Olari Elts conducting; Owen Lee, double bass. Prokofiev, Russian Overture, Op.72; John Harbison, Double Bass Concerto; Rachmaninoff, Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op.44. 8 p.m.

April 12-14 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Pekka Kuusisto, violin. Erkki-Sven Tüür, “Zeitraum” (U.S. Premiere); Sibelius, Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op.47; Nielsen, Symphony No. 4, Op.29, “The Inextinguishable.” 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

April 27-29 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Alison Balsom, trumpet. Sibelius, “Night Ride and Sunrise,” Op.55; Haydn, Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major; Sibelius, “The Bard,” Op.64; Schumann, Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op.120. 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday.

May 3-5 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Olli Mustonen, piano. Charles Coleman, “Deep Woods” (World Premiere); Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op.37; Beethoven, Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op.68, Pastorale.” 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Jerome Rose in concert, review

The San Diego Arts site has a review of an intimate piano performance by Jerome Rose at the Athenaeum on Monday night.

Van Cliburn receives four standing ovations: Concert review

Betty Webb in Get Out Arizona reviews Van Cliburn’s recent performance at the Symphony Hall in Phoenix.

his impassioned rendering of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 brought him four — count ’em, four — standing ovations, along with an audience-wide chorus of screams, whistles, yodels and hollers.

That’s because the audience wouldn’t let him go until he’d performed three encores — snippets from Rachmaninoff, Chopin and Schumann.

Read the full review: Van Cliburn brings Symphony Hall crowd to its feet� 4 times

Works for Piano Duo: Concert review

Martin Ball in The Australian reviews “Team of Pianists: Works for Piano Duo” in Melbourne last week.

PIANO duets are the ugly duckling of pianistic performance, loved by their composers and performers, but generally spurned by audiences in favour of the more brilliant solo repertoire. Piano duets are rarely heard on our concert stages, and duos such as the Labeque Sisters are the exception that proves the rule.

In the right hands, of course, piano duets can blossom into beautiful works of art. The venue is important too, as these pieces are much more at home in the intimacy of a drawing-room soiree. Just imagine the premiere of Brahms’s Variations on a theme by Haydn for two pianos, played by Brahms himself and Clara Schumann, to friends in the salon at home.

Read the full review: Piano duet just delivers

Elton John plays present and past in triumphant three hour live show

ChartAttack has written a review of Elton John’s fine live performance at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Fans were treated to three hours of virtuoso musical performance, including tracks from his current album Peachtree Road—accompanied by eight-piece choir “The Voice of Atlanta”—and then took the audience back to his ‘classics’ including a ten-minute rendition of Rocket Man, and Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word which he dedicated to the late Ray Charles.

After battling drugs and alcohol for many years, John admitted to the crowd that it was no wonder none of his relationships worked. Now, the only drug he’s addicted to is his Canadian partner. John dedicated “My Elusive Drug” from Peachtree Road to the love of his life.

Read the full article: LIVE: Elton John Takes Trip Down Memory Lane

Tori Amos live in Chicago: Positive Review

The Illinois Entertainer writes a positive review of Tori Amos’ concerts at the Millennium Park, Chicago.

The article concludes;

Yet even with these shortcomings, there’s still something remarkably engaging about listening to Amos sing stories throughout her highly ethereal repertoire. Even after a decade and a half making music, she remains unpredictable and ambitious despite many of her peers having long since fizzled. Even more amazing is the fact that Amos is putting on significantly different concerts each night of this tour. Rather than riding out rote song orders, she’s mixing, matching, adding, and subtracting each and every engagement, keeping diehards on the edges of their seats. And that dynamic, along with her aforementioned abilities to fill a place as sizable as Millennium Park, indicates a thriving future to go as far in any direction this songstress chooses to stroll.

Read the full article: Tori Amos 8/31

Music for Airports by Bang On A Can

Brian Eno’s Music for Airports became a cult classic since its conception in 1978, and New York’s ‘Bang On A Can‘ decided to create a version that could be performed live.

The idea to do ”Music for Airports” came from Michael Gordon, one of Bang on a Can’s composers.

”Eno’s music was carefully crafted, but his intention was to create something that would remain in the background,” Gordon said. ”In that respect, he failed — the music is more interesting than that.”

MIT’s Evan Ziporyn, composer and clarinetist, recalled that after the first live performance, in New York’s Lincoln Center, someone came up to him and said he had listened to the album every night for three years.

Artists in other fields were particularly attracted to the record. Composer David Lang remembered, ”It was on the heavy rotation list in every painter’s studio — you could listen to it and still keep working.”

Read the full article: Background music brought to the fore

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