Comments on: Dutilleux and Don Quixotte with the Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne https://albangerhardt.com/dutilleux-and-don-quixotte-with-the-gurzenich-orchestra-in-cologne/ Just another WordPress site Sat, 03 Jun 2017 09:20:39 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.3 By: Michael Chen https://albangerhardt.com/dutilleux-and-don-quixotte-with-the-gurzenich-orchestra-in-cologne/#comment-509 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:02:39 +0000 http://www.albangerhardt.com/blog/?p=187#comment-509 Hi Alban:
Are we talking about Mahler 3rd by Zubin Mehta and the Philharmoniker? Not Simon Rattle. right? I heard the first performance and it was very tight, controlled and the finale for me too slow- almost a bit dragging. Levine did the piece here in Boston last year and the pace was even slower – glacial, like his Pasifal. I prefer Abbado’s verison with the Lucerne in 2007 – available as a DVD now I think. Of course Berliner Philharmoniker played brilliantly and intensely, as always. Even within the same programme series, each performance can differ significantly from one another. Usually the first one is most intense….and nervous. And subsequent ones get more relaxed and expansive. May be what you heard Saturday evening was a bit different. I vividly remember attending the late Gunter Wand’s Bruckner 8th with the Philharmoniker in 2001. I went to all three performances and they were vastly different.
Michael, in a frozen Boston

]]> By: Thomas Walter https://albangerhardt.com/dutilleux-and-don-quixotte-with-the-gurzenich-orchestra-in-cologne/#comment-508 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:59:34 +0000 http://www.albangerhardt.com/blog/?p=187#comment-508 Hi Alban,
I listened to the concert monday evening.
The interpretation of Strauss was absolutly beautiful. Maybe it gave me such a great feeling because I didn’t know “Don Quixotte” before. After the concert I decided to not buy the cd because I thougt if I do so I will destroy the “magic” moment of those sounds.
I was really surprised how juicy a sound of a cello can be. There was one note (c sharp or d on the 4th string) which really made me breathless 🙂 When the first people began to clap I had totally forgotten the Dutilleux before, just remembered that there was something when I gave you the programm to have it signed and read it it again: Chabrier, Dutilleux, Strauss…

That concert was a real good “advertising” for cello with the Klengel as 3rd act wasn’t it? I heard much people talking about the Hymnus and they were nearly all lucky to have heard 12 celli in one ensemble 🙂

Sincerely
Thomas

]]> By: Alban https://albangerhardt.com/dutilleux-and-don-quixotte-with-the-gurzenich-orchestra-in-cologne/#comment-507 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:12:27 +0000 http://www.albangerhardt.com/blog/?p=187#comment-507 Hi Ellen, thanks for your ortographic corrections, they were highly appreciated! I corrected them in the text and deleted them from your comments 🙂 Oh, Alexej has nothing to do with photos, this I have to do myself, and I am very, very lazy with that kind of stuff. We are actually not much of photo people, hardly ever take photos. It’s always other people who would take photos of my family. Sorry…

Hi Michael,
no, I actually enjoyed the 3rd Mahler immensely, but I like in general what you call the “matter of fact” approach – for me especially in Mahler simpler is better; there is so much going on, so much incredible emotion, that if you “do” too much as interpreter, I think it gets very easily overdone. I was incredibly touched by that performance, I must say. Oh, we are talking here of a performance of Simon Rattle and Berlin Phil in December in Berlin, and I almost wrote a blog about it because I was so deeply moved by it. Funny how different people perceive the same concert so differently – but that’s the beauty of music, I’d say.

Hallo Isa, sure, the Dutilleux is much less easy listening than the Klengel Hymnus (for 12 celli), which is an incredibly charming piece of music, especially if one has never heard 12 cellos playing at the same time! But I think even for people who might not be so used to contemporary music the Dutilleux has something to listen to, hasn’t he? While it isn’t “easy-listening” I think it is quite approachable, don’t you think so? No, it wasn’t easy to memorize it, I agree, had a hard time re-learning it; must be age… 🙁

Hi Robert, yes, the Unusk Chin concerto will be finished by August 13, I already have in score three movements, and they are absolutely gorgeous. Hellishly difficult, but beautiful music, right at the same page as the Dutilleux, I think.

Best wishes, thanks for all the comments, have to get a nab before tonight’s last concert,
Alban

]]> By: Robert https://albangerhardt.com/dutilleux-and-don-quixotte-with-the-gurzenich-orchestra-in-cologne/#comment-506 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:49:31 +0000 http://www.albangerhardt.com/blog/?p=187#comment-506 I notice you’re scheduled to play the World Premiere of Unsuk Chin’s cello concerto at a Prom in London on 13 August 2009. I will certainly come to the concert, but what’s the betting you’ll play that piece?

]]> By: Isa https://albangerhardt.com/dutilleux-and-don-quixotte-with-the-gurzenich-orchestra-in-cologne/#comment-505 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:49:58 +0000 http://www.albangerhardt.com/blog/?p=187#comment-505 Gerade habe ich durch Zufall von der Gürzenichorchesterseite aus diesen Blog entdeckt.
Sehr interessant und witzig, die Hintergründe und Begleitumstände des Konzertes zu erfahren 🙂

Ich habe diesen Sonntag das Konzert in Köln genossen (und auch das Konzert im Jahre 2005, bei dem Sie so kurzfristig eingesprungen waren. War beides im Rahmen eines Abonnements)

Vom Musikstück her hat das 12-stimmige Cellostück des 3. Aktes zwar noch mehr meinen Geschmack als der Dutilleux getroffen, aber das liegt am Stück (halt klassischer), ist natürlcih reine Geschmackssache).
Dutilleux auswendig zu lernen möchte ich ja nicht machen müssen.. 😉 Ist bestimmt nicht so einfach…
Viel Glück/Erfolg für das restliche Konzert am Dienstag!

]]> By: Michael Chen https://albangerhardt.com/dutilleux-and-don-quixotte-with-the-gurzenich-orchestra-in-cologne/#comment-504 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:24:49 +0000 http://www.albangerhardt.com/blog/?p=187#comment-504 Thanks for letting us in on these “thrilling” episodes of your music life. In addition to being a delight to read about, they remind me that music making is very much a live and dynamic process with lots of down and panic moments but hopefully even more “up” moments when it was done right. What endurance one must have to function effectively as a concert artist! Dutilleux is a favorite here in Boston. BY the way did you find the Mahler 3rd a bit too “matter of fact” and tightly woven? I miss Dahlen still!:)) Michael

]]> By: Ellen S https://albangerhardt.com/dutilleux-and-don-quixotte-with-the-gurzenich-orchestra-in-cologne/#comment-503 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:15:38 +0000 http://www.albangerhardt.com/blog/?p=187#comment-503 Hi, Alban–
Today, Bill and I saw “Slumdog Millionaire,” the first film that we’ve seen other than on Netflix in a long time, and quite wonderful. (I hope that it wins at least one Golden Globe award tonight.) But we also watched, left over from yesterday, the second part of “Banlieue 13,” a picture featuring the discipline of parkour, and it occurred to me, after reading your “Dutilleux” blog entry, that your grueling schedule (however Gemini self-imposed; as another Gemini, I understand about finding new projects at the last second en route to something else) is nearly as demanding as what David Belle and his fellow “traceurs” do in parkour.
It’s always a special pleasure to read–and hear–what you’re up to.
An early happy tenth birthday to Janos (maybe you can send more pictures to Alexej to post?), and best regards to you.
Ellen

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