Tag Archives: Berg

a controversial video

Posted on October 15, 2009 by vhk10

I went with a friend to the performance of Berg’s Wozzeck at the Royal Festival Hall which ended the Philharmonia and Esa-Pekka Salonen’s City of Dreams season. I did some background reading for this by digging out my copy of … Continue reading →

Posted in going to concerts, going to operas | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

six gunshots

Posted on June 30, 2009 by vhk10

The audience for the ROH’s recent production of Lulu were warned that they would hear these towards the end of the first scene of Act II (though if you don’t already know that this work contains gunfire, you probably also … Continue reading →

Posted in opera | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

City of Dreams

Posted on June 7, 2009 by vhk10

I was back at the Royal Festival Hall on May 28th for another programme combining Berg and Mahler, in this case the Violin Concerto (with Christian Tetzlaff as soloist) and the Sixth Symphony, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. I last heard … Continue reading →

Posted in going to concerts | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

the work I’ve waited ten years to hear

Posted on March 28, 2009 by vhk10

A few years ago I took a ‘Which major work of Alban Berg are you?’ test*, and came out as the Chamber Concerto. I’m not sure this was very flattering, as the Chamber Concerto has the reputation of being the … Continue reading →

Posted in going to concerts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Doric/Lyric/Lydian

Posted on March 11, 2008 by vhk10

I went with my daughter to the final concert of the Doric String Quartet’s residency at the Wiltshire Music Centre. The hall was full, and there were few people I recognised, so there is clearly a distinct audience here from … Continue reading →

Posted in going to concerts | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

at the school jumble sale

Posted on March 27, 2007 by vhk10

This year I helped to run the bookstall at the school jumble sale. Among all the chick-lit, thrillers, airport reading and the like there was just one book relating to music: the Cambridge Opera Guide to Wozzeck. As I withdrew … Continue reading →

Posted in category-defying, repertoire | Tagged , | Leave a comment

a service and a recital

Posted on October 23, 2006 by vhk10

On the Tuesday of my visit to New York, I felt in need of a reminder of the old country and went to a service of evensong at St. Thomas’ Fifth Avenue, a church known to me from BBC evensong … Continue reading →

Posted in going to concerts, going to services | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

the back of the conductor’s head

Posted on March 24, 2006 by vhk10

I went to the final performance of the revival of Wozzeck at the Royal Opera House. I shan’t attempt to review the performance here, but reviews are available online: e.g. the Guardian‘s or the Observer‘s. As I saw the opera … Continue reading →

Posted in going to operas | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Proms 30 and 33

Posted on August 6, 2005 by vhk10

On Thursday my husband and daughter went to Prom 30 (Gothenburg SO, Dudamel, Von Otter). This was my daughter’s first so she probably now thinks that they all begin with an hour of sorting out feedback noise. It was worth … Continue reading →

Posted in going to concerts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

encountering the ringtone

Posted on May 16, 2005 by vhk10

A couple of years ago I finally got a mobile phone, which allowed programmable ringtones of a rather limited kind (monophonic, and with equal note values). I set it up to play the principal tone-row from Lulu, and have used … Continue reading →

Posted in going to operas | Tagged , | Leave a comment