This was quite a short project, in fact only took me about four hours, helped my my regular attendance and reflection on live concerts.
Notes for this project attached:
23 Saturday Feb 2013
Posted 10. New Audiences
inThis was quite a short project, in fact only took me about four hours, helped my my regular attendance and reflection on live concerts.
Notes for this project attached:
23 Saturday Feb 2013
Posted 10. New Audiences
inI do regularly go to live concerts and write a review of each event I go to which can be found in the Research & Reflection category of this blog. For this exercise I will look back on the last concert I attended.
The concert was by the Philharmonia Orchestra, under the baton of Edward Gardener and was at St David’s Hall in Cardiff on February 13th. The programme was very suitable for this project as it was a programme of romantic music. The first half of the concert featured two works by Beethoven and the second half was a later Romantic work, Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony.
This concert offered music that covered the full range of the orchestra, and the piano in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 3. The opening piece was Beethoven’s Overture, Fidelio, op. 72 and was the final (fourth version) of the overture he wrote for his only opera. The work was written in 1814. The work that followed was Beethoven’s first mature piano concerto, No. 3, Op. 37 and was written at the earlier date of 1801 and links the early and middle periods of Beethoven’s output. His earlier concertos were from the classical period.
The Tchaikovsky work following the interval was an example of the later 19th century programmatic symphonies. Although not specifically set to a programme, the dark passages of parts of this symphony reflect the composers mood at the time, started before and completed after his failed marriage, which lasted only a few months, and was an attempt to quash rumours of his homosexuality. He attempted suicide during this time.
This is a wonderful symphony that is a fine example of orchestral work, with plenty of parts for all sections of the orchestra. Most the instruments you expect to find in a standard orchestra are represented with strings playing an interesting role in the third movement scherzo, where the entire movement is in pizzicato. The final movement is a great triumphant finish, which features leading solo parts for horn and trumpets and a variety of percussion is also featured. The woodwinds also feature strongly throughout, oboe having a particular role at the start of the second movement.
I always enjoy live performance and have been to quite a variety of live music since I began this course, including contemporary music, string quartets and other chamber music and my greatest passion, opera. Recorded or ‘live’ TV and radio cannot compare to the experience and more importantly the sound of attending live concerts. The acoustic advantages of concert halls and theatres give the sound a more natural resonance than can be found in recordings, even with enhanced technological features such as HD that are available now.
I always try to read programme notes and use the information about the works to help me write reviews of the works I see (I always credit the authors of the notes). I find the information, helpful in understanding the music and I like to know the background of the works as well. Programme notes do vary in content, and some are just free handouts, whilst other programmes can be as much as £5. The programme for the concert described above, part of the St David’s Hall International Concert Series, were well written and researched notes by Peter Reynolds with references to recommended CD recordings, further reading and relevant web sites. There were also detailed biographies of the conductor Edward Gardner, the scheduled pianist, David Fray, who unfortunately was taken ill and an insert on his replacement François-Frédéric Guy. There was also a brief outline of the work of the Philharmonia Orchestra. At the back of the programme is a preview of forthcoming events at St David’s Hall and a regular feature called “The Rough Guide to Classical Concerts”, which explains overtures. This programme was good value for the £3 cost. I do always keep programmes for future reference and research and have often found old programmes quite useful for this purpose.
23 Saturday Feb 2013
Posted 10. New Audiences
inWhilst the piano transcription does not possess the dramatic affect of the orchestral version, it is melodically almost identical and is at the same tempo. Naturally the biggest difference between the versions is the dynamics. The orchestral version is able to naturally increase or decrease the level of sound with far more authority than can be achieved on a piano, although the quiet section of the movement in the symphonic version does come across a little louder on the piano.
I think I would have to say that I prefer the symphonic version, as the piano can never replace the orchestration intended for the work. Beethoven’s symphony in the C minor key has an expression of heroic proportions to it, that does not quite get fulfilled on the piano. Liszt’s transcription, does though work very well and he does add a greater lyrical quality to the work on the piano than exists in the full orchestral version.