[Facade19]

The Royal Concertogebouw is coming to Los Angeles being conducted by Mariss Jansons on the 29th and 30th of January of 2008. The second night they will perform Strauss' Don Juan and Mahler's 5th. Just purchased my tickets (I am taking my sister with me). I know that the concert is long time away, but I am so thrilled that I wanted to share my joy with all you Mahler lovers!

 

[DavidMahler]

Dude that is SO awesome. The Concertgebouw is THE Mahler Orchestra for me. Although the orchestra has changed drastically since Mahler was alive, Mahler actually conducted the Concertgebouw quite a bit. AND they have two astoundingly good cycles to their name - Chailly and Haitink. Congrats I'm jealous.

 

[DavidMahler]

Dude that is SO awesome. The Concertgebouw is THE Mahler Orchestra for me. Although the orchestra has changed drastically since Mahler was alive, Mahler actually conducted the Concertgebouw quite a bit. AND they have two astoundingly good cycles to their name - Chailly and Haitink. Congrats I'm jealous.

 

[mbhaub]

LIving in LA, you have plenty of opportunities for world-class Mahler. The LA Phil is no 2nd rate orchestra, after all. Next spring they're doing the 6th and Das Lied -- I'll be at both. In the past few years I've driven to LA to catch them doing the 7th, 10th, 2nd. And in November I'll go to San Diego to catch the 3rd. San Diego may not be a world class Mahler orchestra, but their conductor sure is a first-rate Mahlerian. He did the 3rd several many years ago in Cleveland that was utterly breathtaking. When the last chords died away, and after the tumultous applause ended, many of us sat there in stunned silence realizing we had heard a concert of a lifetime. I hope he does as well in San Diego.

 

[Facade19]

Actually in Feb 08 Eschenbach will be conducting Mahler's 6th.
Living in L.A. provides great opportunities, but additionally a great amount of expenses. To be honest I like going to concerts only a few times throughout a year. Monetary justification is one of the reasons, but a marginal one compared to the emotional strains live performances put on me. You might laugh, but when in July I went and saw Brahms' 4th I utterly wept and felt in emotional destitution. That is how powerful live performaces are for me. For days I was in a state of degration and depression. Yup I am sensational.
I can ensure right now that I will be left in awe, but also in tremendous despair after Mahler's 5th, but I need to experience it.

 

[Facade19]

Well months came and went by and patience paid off.
I just got back from the concert and Jansons and the RCO just performed the second best Mahler 5th I have ever heard! I will write more about my experience later on (when I am more awake), but let me just say that I had a blast at the Walt Disney Hall (hey I bought Nielsen's complete symphonies as a souvenir at the gift shop). I will definitely go more now.

 

[Sordel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Facade19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will definitely go more now.

If I'm going to a classical concert I usually aim for C20 or contemporary repertoire because it's so interesting to see performed. Last year, though, I did see Mahler's 9th performed at the Proms. Seeing any live classical music makes a huge difference ... more so than seeing rock or even jazz live.

 

[mbhaub]

This is so true -- unfortunately, many people get to addicted to headphones and cds that they never get dressed and go to the concerts. I must admit that in the past decade there have been many changes in society that make me less wanting to go:
People who talk during the concert. They should be hanged.
People whose cell phones go off. They should be beheaded.
People who open cellophane candy wrappers during music. They always do it in quiet passages, its seems. Boil them in oil.
People who come late or leave early and just have to be in your aisle.
The tickets are getting expensive.
COnductors talk. Don't -- just play.
Maybe I'm just getting grouchy in old age, but it just seems people used to be more civilized in public. Still, a great orchestra, great music, and great sound surpass any cd!

 

[DavidMahler]

I'm seeing the same concert on Wednesday at Carnegie Hall.....I'll leave my impressions on this thread.

 

[Facade19]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMahler /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm seeing the same concert on Wednesday at Carnegie Hall.....I'll leave my impressions on this thread.

David, if they perform like they did on Wednesday you will be in for a treat.
I should have posted sooner, but I have been very busy. Plus when I get the chance to glimpse by the forums, I am too exhausted too even write. I am sorry. I will leave impressions tomorrow. Just to let you know I am aiming to go to the WD Concert Hall to see the Beethoven's 5th Symphony performed. I am torn though, either the Beethoven night or Shostakovich's 7th. My sister really wants to see the 5th, I want to witness the 7th. Dang.

 

[DavidMahler]

Well I just got home from the concert. Here are the first things I have to say about it.....I had the worst possible seats in Carnegie Hall. They were up in the center balcony where if you are any taller than 5'6 you have to sit in an uncomfortable position. Well I'm 6'2 and I literally could not sit in my seat without my knees knocking into the person's head in front of me. I was FORCED to sit on the stair well. It was quite ridiculous and it put me in a stale mood.

That being said.......this performance of Mahler's 5th Symphony was easily the greatest I have ever heard.....I have 31 recordings of the work... Many with the concertgebouw. I was never convinced of Janson's Mahlerian gifts until tonight. I have two small criticisms of the performance but they are minute. One, the opening fanfare was slightly robotic, a little more rubato would have created a greater suspense. Two, in the B section of the Adagietto, I sensed a bit too much vibrato cause the piece to ever so slightly drag where I prefer it picks up tempo.

That being stated, there were things which occurred in this performance which I loved and have never heard on record. The section about five minutes into the opening movement where the fanfare is reasserted and announces the terrifying death march with the violins sky rocketing, was pulled off better tonight than on any recording I own. What Jansons did was, instead of being pensive at this moment he unleashed a slight adrenaline in the orchestra by picking up the tempo a bit. The effect was mesmerizing. If you are familiar with Bernstein's famous recording of this work on DG you are aware that he prefers to slow down at this moment. I was never convinced by this.

I'm going to skip ahead to the Scherzo which I feel was flawlessly played by the orchestra. Moreover I felt the trio sections were very inflected with the necessary Viennese affectations.

The adagietto was taken at a brisk tempo, the best tempo I've ever heard for the piece. It annoyed me to look over and see a woman nodding off into a sleep simply because the adagietto is not loud or fast.

I recommend that any mahler fan puchase a recording of Janson's 5th when it comes out probably next year. I think its for the ages. The best mahler performance I've seen thus far.

 

[DavidNY]

I was at Carnegie Hall last night as well. In summary it was a great venue (there's not a bad seat in Carnegie), a great conductor, a great orchestra with a strong historical tradition to Mahler, and a great symphony. A truly memorable experience. No recording or playback system can truly capture the magic of a live performance. This is what music is really all about!