Tag Archives: Berg

City of Dreams

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

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the work I’ve waited ten years to hear

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

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Doric/Lyric/Lydian

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

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at the school jumble sale

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

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a service and a recital

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

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the back of the conductor’s head

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

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Proms 30 and 33

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

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encountering the ringtone

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

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Ni’r tlodion

On Friday we went to the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff to see Welsh National Opera’s new production of Wozzeck. As something of a veteran of productions of this opera, I shan’t comment further on either its degree of musical … Continue reading

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why is spam like opera?

As I’ve mentioned before, I have modified the Movable Type code to block spammers’ comments, at which I’m reasonably successful (to judge by the record of failed attempts in the activity log). The conditions of use of this software don’t … Continue reading

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