Mon Feb 01, 2010 12:36 pm
#829358
Last June for my birthday Pat bought me tickets to see Daniel Barenboim and also Lang Lang for the following Jan/Feb
Last Saturday was the day for Barenboim who with the Staatskapelle Berlin was to play Verklarte Nacht and No5 The Emperor piano concerto.
We had been to the Symphony Hall (BSH) once before to see Christy Moore (who was disappointing musically) and we were delighted with the ease of access to the centre of Birmingham along with the surrounding facilities and the facilities in the hall compared to London venues such as the RAH. We also knew the acoustics were very good.
Our seats (for both concerts) which were difficult to obtain were a bit of a Hobson's choice and for this evenings performance we found ourselves on the 5th floor abeam the stage left.
The seats were very comfortable, not fixed in position and there was loads of room around us. Next to us was a nice chap (84 years old) and ex civil engineer and a regular attendee of the BSH. Talking to him he explained that we were in one of the best positions for orchestration at this venue and he talked us through all the best places to sit for various types of performance.
Anyway the Transfigured night is not a fav of mine, Ive heard recordings of it and its a bit Tess of the D'Urbervilles for me leaving me a bit depressed. But I love the piano playing on The Emperor and we settled down on the 5th floor staring at Barenboim's bald patch for the proceedings to start.
Verklarte Nacht started and I was hit with this wall of the most beautifully executed string music that caught me completely by surprise. Barenboim and the Staatskapelle must be one of the best Conductor/Orchestral combinations going. The acoustic quality of the BSH far outstrips anything I have heard in my short musical experience. The start of the 2nd movement was just utterly amazing.
Having attended St Albans Art College on a special day release from school from age 13. I sometimes like to kid myself that I still have an appreciation of fine visual art despite being an ignorant grunt. What struck me about this "thing" that was happening this evening was, I'm hearing some of the very finest of art.
Art that was riding on air and could only be experienced within a short moment of time and only ever shared between the listeners and performers present at this very moment of time. There is no recording on any medium so far invented that could replicate what I was experiencing.
For the Emperor, I was in a the most fantastic postion to watch Barenboim play as well as aurally and for the encore Barenboim appropriately played some Chopin
Last Saturday, Daniel Barenboim, The Staatskapelle and the BSH took me to another level and my life has been changed. Also The Birmingham Symphony Hall just rocks imho!!!
This morning I wasted most of my piano lesson today enthusing to my teacher about my experience and then paid her for the privilege!!!
Anyway, this Thursday its Lang Lang, The Appassionata and............ the wrong seats
Sorry to bore you I just have to keep telling someone, anybody.
Jim
Last Saturday was the day for Barenboim who with the Staatskapelle Berlin was to play Verklarte Nacht and No5 The Emperor piano concerto.
We had been to the Symphony Hall (BSH) once before to see Christy Moore (who was disappointing musically) and we were delighted with the ease of access to the centre of Birmingham along with the surrounding facilities and the facilities in the hall compared to London venues such as the RAH. We also knew the acoustics were very good.
Our seats (for both concerts) which were difficult to obtain were a bit of a Hobson's choice and for this evenings performance we found ourselves on the 5th floor abeam the stage left.
The seats were very comfortable, not fixed in position and there was loads of room around us. Next to us was a nice chap (84 years old) and ex civil engineer and a regular attendee of the BSH. Talking to him he explained that we were in one of the best positions for orchestration at this venue and he talked us through all the best places to sit for various types of performance.
Anyway the Transfigured night is not a fav of mine, Ive heard recordings of it and its a bit Tess of the D'Urbervilles for me leaving me a bit depressed. But I love the piano playing on The Emperor and we settled down on the 5th floor staring at Barenboim's bald patch for the proceedings to start.
Verklarte Nacht started and I was hit with this wall of the most beautifully executed string music that caught me completely by surprise. Barenboim and the Staatskapelle must be one of the best Conductor/Orchestral combinations going. The acoustic quality of the BSH far outstrips anything I have heard in my short musical experience. The start of the 2nd movement was just utterly amazing.
Having attended St Albans Art College on a special day release from school from age 13. I sometimes like to kid myself that I still have an appreciation of fine visual art despite being an ignorant grunt. What struck me about this "thing" that was happening this evening was, I'm hearing some of the very finest of art.
Art that was riding on air and could only be experienced within a short moment of time and only ever shared between the listeners and performers present at this very moment of time. There is no recording on any medium so far invented that could replicate what I was experiencing.
For the Emperor, I was in a the most fantastic postion to watch Barenboim play as well as aurally and for the encore Barenboim appropriately played some Chopin
Last Saturday, Daniel Barenboim, The Staatskapelle and the BSH took me to another level and my life has been changed. Also The Birmingham Symphony Hall just rocks imho!!!
This morning I wasted most of my piano lesson today enthusing to my teacher about my experience and then paid her for the privilege!!!
Anyway, this Thursday its Lang Lang, The Appassionata and............ the wrong seats
Sorry to bore you I just have to keep telling someone, anybody.
Jim
Last edited by Jim and Pat Dalton on Mon Feb 01, 2010 4:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jim
Blissfully crawling very slowly through a man made ditch somewhere in the UK
Blissfully crawling very slowly through a man made ditch somewhere in the UK