Joana Carneiro with the Stockholm Royal Philharmony

This program was one of the most fun concerts I've been to. Probably because I was sitting in the first row and totally feeling part of the orchestra, in particular the second violins, and also because of the program. It started with a very string-centric Mozart symphony, then a soprano with various pieces. After the intermission it was several movements from Bizet's Carmen, and finally Ravel. I think it was my first time to hear a Ravel symphony.

A very intriguing thing about this night was that it was a woman conductor Joana Carneiro. She was young and very Latin looking, and very suited for the pieces that were performed. I sensed a slight craziness in the crescendo moments of Bizet and Ravel, which was absolutely fantastic. The symphony had a very happy lead violinist too, like he was very thrilled to be there (no wonder, as there were lots of solo almost cadenza like parts especially in Bizet, which he played beautifully). Such a treat!

 

Photo credit: IMG Artists

 

 

Evgeny Kissin's Tchaikovsky piano concerto (first movement)

Brazilian classical music

Last night I went to a Brazilian music piano recital. The pianist Ernest So is a HK national who graduated from Julliard and has played as a concert pianist around the world. In HK, he plays at this Russian gallery called the Red Square Gallery, which was an excellent venue to feel very close to the pianist and his music. It was a very special night joining the pianist for dinner and drinking afterwards. Only in HK...

Ernest played pieces by the Brazilian composers Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), Radames Gnattali (1906-1988), and and Francisco Mignone (1897-1986). I especially liked Mignone's valse. Very interestingly, Brazilian classical music went its own way around the turn of the century from being so far away from Europe. Mignone in particular carries a very lyrical style, that some had criticized as mass population music. But when you hear it today, it's a very nice and soothing balance between being very modern and having the rigor of classical music.

Many of the pieces were something that I would like to hear more regularly. Please do try the below (valse no. 2 by Mignone). Ernest's next concert in HK (Music of Mexico and other countries) is on September 6-8 at the same venue.

Hikari

Notstalgia... I didn't realize until now that the entire song was dishwashing.

Typewriter piano

Everyone has probably heard of this typewriter symphony somewhere, sometime in their life. This pianist (I'm sure, or conductor) has done it so seriously and well, I watched it so many times.

A typewriter that plays piano tunes.

A slightly useless but hilarious interpretation of a piano typewriter by Igor Zimmermann (he's really funny!). It basically combines a piano and typewriter in a most non-functionable way.

Ryuichi Sakamoto's North America Tour 2010

Right this moment, there's a real-time live of Sakamoto's North America tour. I heard this is a one-off event (no recordings - but of course there's youtube), so that everyone has to tune in like, NOW. It gives me such a nostalgic feeling of my university days when and where I could encounter these kind of cool events quite often including a visit by Sakamoto.

Sakamoto is a musician and composer who uses a lot of computer music type sound in his composition that is easy and dramatic to one's ear. His piano playing is not classical yet he can provoke millions.

His music gives me a similar feeling as visiting a MOMA. It's less about the obvious technique or historical explanation of music, but more about space and the mix of different sounds, with the piano as the major instrument giving an earthy feeling too.

OMG. Now he's playing the Last Emperor, and now I can really feel why people go so crazy over him. I am getting multiple flashbacks of the little boy as the last emperor playing with his little tamamushi (the green, jewel looking bettle) in the grandiose palace that is about to be taken over.

Below is a more recent composition.

Denis Matsuev and James Gaffigan

I arrived in DC yesterday, and I couldn't resist going to the Kennedy Center already. It was such a special treat for me. This concert had two big pieces, both Rachmaninoff's No.2 Concerto and Tchaikovsky's No. 4 Symphony (I just read that Rachmaninoff composed this when he was 28 years old. Unbelievable!).

The pianist Gaffigan was the winner of the Tchaikovsky competition from 1998, and the conductor a very popular up-and coming American. The contrast of the monster-looking Russian on the piano vs. the tiny young American conductor added to the entertainment.

Between the two, I would usually comment on the pianist, but something was very comical about the conductor. He was doing a mini dance on the stage, and especially that I couldn't see from the back, he looked like he was not conducting but simply moving his bod.

I found his blog. He hasn't written much about the performance tonight, but it would be interesting to see what he has to say after a concert you see. I really liked his improvisation and ease of conducting.

Tonight was a very a nice introduction to my 7 weeks of stay in DC. Cannot wait for more!

Photo credit: artists' official websites.

Van Cliburn

You will die when you hear this. Whether it is because I am emotionally attached to Beethoven’s film Immortal Beloved, or because Cliburn has the JFK hair, I do not know. But I decided that this is the most beautiful youtube video as of now (sorry Evgeny Kissin, you are still my favorite pianist).

Second movement from the Beethoven Piano Concerto No.1

I first got to know about Van Cliburn through the Van Cliburn Competition, in which a friend from my music school, Andrew Armstrong entered as the youngest performer and received the Juror Discretionary Award. That is when I learned that this competition is as prestigious as the Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia, in which Cliburn won the first year during the Cold War.
The story is that Cliburn as an American was so good but that the US-Russia were in such a state that the judges had to ask the Soviet leader Khrushchev if it were ok to give Cliburn first prize. Apprently it went,

"Is he the best?" "Then give him the prize!"

I couldn't imagine Russians not recognizing and rewarding the best in the area of art anyway, but funny conversation. After all, the Tchaikovsky Competition sometimes would not give out the first prize!
By the way, as is very obvious from the clip, Cliburn had gigantic hands that could reach extreme chords. He plays the Rachmaninoch Piano Conerto No. 2 with such incredible ease. Past 7 minutes in, I cannot stop headbanging.

The Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 is also one of my favorites.

Apparently, Cliburn has been playing for every single President (other than Obama). How truly lucky of them Presidents!