Mahler 2 reviews

I will edit this list if more appear.

EDIT: Sunday Times

EDIT: Guardian

The Times

Manchester Evening News

Nottingham Evening Post

The Classical Source

I'm not convinced any of these has captured the full wonder of the concerts. And I take exception to the one that says we NEEDED the organ to keep us in tune. Oh, and the one that claimed the Matthews was in six parts. And both the ones that implied Markus Stenz wasn't PERFECT. Foolish critics - what do they know?!?

Nottingham, last night, was just as good as Manchester. They also had just as many inconsiderate coughers. (I considered urging the powers that be to include a page in every programme about what steps to follow if you HAVE to cough (and we all do, sometimes!) The steps would be as follows:

1. WAIT FOR A LOUD BIT.

(I'm thinking it could be in a really large font size.))

Finally on Mahler 2: I mentioned the series of posts by Kenneth Woods. He did a great post last week which concentrates on one particular aspect of the symphony - the keys. And this post really fascinated me, because I hadn't realised his main fact before he pointed it out. Summary: You know the series of brass chords in the last movement, immediately after the really loud "Was vergangen auferstehen" bit? Well, that chord sequence ends in E flat major, and that's the first time we reach E flat major in the WHOLE SYMPHONY. Which may not seem like a big deal, but the point is that since the symphony is in C minor, you would expect to have gone through E flat major (the relative major of C minor) quite a few times. But Mahler deliberately goes to unexpected keys instead, and saves the E flat major for the very end of the piece. I love facts like this :-)

Anyway, the next Mahler is Mahler 8. (Remember the tickets for the open rehearsal have gone on sale today - don't miss out!) I dug out my score last night and am excited already. For those of you who don't know it, you should be aware that (unlike in Mahler 2) the choir sings ALL THE WAY THROUGH. It's double choir, and the parts split occasionally within the two choirs. There is a separate part for boys' choir as well, and a million soloists (well, eight). And although most of it is in German, the whole of the first movement is in Latin just to confuse you! And there are some REALLY tricky bits. In case you want to listen, I've put the mp3s for the whole symphony on my download page (well, I'm actually uploading them now, so if you look and they're not there yet, try again in half a hour and they will be).

A few other links:

Rolando Villazon gives a very reasonable response to the people who are criticising Popstar to Operastar. (Latest news: Danny didn't have his best week, but he's still in it, while Jimmy Osmond is out. And Marcella Detroit did, as I predicted, finally sing the Queen of the Night aria.)

I'm a bit taken aback by another reality show story: a competitor from Britain's Got Talent is filing a discrimination complaint because she has a "condition affecting her ability to hear her own singing voice". And she entered a talent contest as a singer. *boggle*

There's a show at Earls Court in which you can perform with Abba holograms.

Great post about Bruckner from the ever-wonderful BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra blog.

On an Overgrown Path tells us about the Arabian Passion.

Intermezzo brings us the shocking truth about the classical charts. And it IS shocking.

Intriguing post by John Brough on ChoralNet about possible uses of the Apple iPad in choral music.

Manchester Confidential has some more detailed (and official) information about the Manchester Central Library renovation.

Here's another story about people wearing pyjamas outside the house: Tesco doesn't like it.

You'll already be aware that the Opera North production of Ruddigore is at the Lowry at the end of this month, but you may be even more inclined to get a ticket after you see this five-star review of it.

And talking of five-star reviews, Mariza is at the Bridgewater Hall this Saturday. She's a Portuguese fado singer, and I have an album of hers which I really like. Wish I could go this weekend: look at this review of her at the Festival Hall recently!