Sankt Peteresburg Philharmonic Orchestra-Yuri Temirkanov-Helene Grimaud - Palace Hall-17.09

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Palace Grand Hall
Series "Great Orchestras"
SANKT PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Conductor: YURI TEMIRKANOV
Soloist: HÉLÈNE GRIMAUD
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Program
Rachmaninov – Concerto no. 2 for piano and orchestra in c minor op. 18
Tchaikovski – Symphony no. 6 "Patetica" in h minor op. 74
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......And the Russians came. With the spirit and the powerful sound. They chose two very well known pieces. The concert is a masterpiece and each pianist plays it. Even Celine Dion picked some bars. When listening to the second part, don't you feel like singing? it's like you heard the notes before but you don't know where. It's All by Myself :).
......Helene Grimaud played it gently but it was obviously very difficul for her to overcome the orchestra. Even staying very close to the stage I couldn't hear the piano because of the doublebasses in front of me. They were on the left side of the stage instead of right. The orchestra sounded great, but they forgot there's not a symphony but a concert and they should let the piano be heard. It was like in those silent movies when you see the characters moving but there's no sound. The piano could be heard during the second part, from time to time.
.....The symphony was great. The third part was an explosion. I tried to make a bet before the concert and I could have won it easily. People applauded after this third part. This is what usually happens. The fourth part is not that noisy and it ends quietly.
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.....Yuri Temirkanov became the artistic director and chief conductor of St.Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra in 1988. Looking back into Temirkanov's early career, a key event was his victory at the 2nd National Conductors' Competition in 1966. From that moment onwards, Temirkanov, a graduate student of the Leningrad Conservatory (class of Professor Ilia Musin) overnight entered the ranks of the most sought-after conductors of his generation.

.....Together with Kirill Kondrashin and David Oistrakh he toured internationally and performed with orchestras from the US, France and Germany. In early 1967 Temirkanov conducted a concert in the Philharmonic Hall and after this performance Evgeny Mravinsky offered him the position of assistant conductor. From 1968 the maestro was head of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Philharmonia. He widened the orchestra's repertoire and took them on tour to Europe, Japan and the US.

.....In 1976 Temirkanov became the artistic director and chief conductor of the Kirov (Mariinsky) Theatre. Here he created classic productions of "War and Peace" by Prokofiev, "Eugene Onegin" and "Queen of Spades" by Tchaikovsky as well as and "Peter I" by Petrov and "Dead Souls" by Shchedrin. At this time Kirov also started actively performing abroad. The theatre toured the US, Japan and many countries of Europe, including England, for the first time in history. Temirkanov initiated symphony concerts by the theatre orchestra both in Russia and abroad.

......Despite the intensity of his concert schedule, Temirkanov has made the preservation and nurturing of St. Petersburg's spiritual and cultural inheritance the subject of an International Foundation for Cultural Initiatives in his name. In 1998 he created the Temirkanov award for talented young musicians, granted annually to outstanding students both of the Musical School of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and of the Conservatory itself.

......In 1999 Temirkanov founded a new international winter festival in "Arts Square", from which the festival takes it's name. This series of prestigious concerts which runs from the end of December into January, presenting the world's greatest soloists with the orchestra, has become a cultural highlight of life in St Petersburg.
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Helene Grimaud and Yuri Temirkanov at the end of the concert

Sankt Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Yuri Temirkanov
Yuri Temirkanov


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......Listen to Helene Grimaud playing Rachmaninov 2nd piano concert. Conductor: Claudio Abbado

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Berliner and Sir Rattle - Berlin - 21.06.2009

......Waldbuhne is a famous venue in Berlin, used during the summer for concerts. The annual end-of-season concert of the Philharmonic Orchestra always takes place here. One of the best known recording from here is the Domingo&Netrebko&Villazon concert, in July 2007, with maestro Armiliato conducting.
......The venue is huge. More that 20.000 people. And that night it was full. Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Simon Rattle managed to gather such a crowd.

......Sir Simon Rattle is the chief conductor of Berliner. in 2002 he replaced Claudio Abbado (who was chief conductor for 13 years. And before him, Herbert von Karajan was chief conductor for 34 years!!!) and in September 2009 he'll sign the new contract. 10 more years with Berliner. I dedicated him a special page. Sir Rattle in action.

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Program

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Russian Rhythms

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Berliner Philharmoniker

Sir Simon Rattle Conductor

Yefim Bronfman Piano
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Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker - Overture plus 1st Scene and March from Act 1

Sergei Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor

Igor Stravinsky - Le Sacre du printemps

Encore 1: Tchaikowsky/ The Nutcracker/ Pas de deux
Encore 2: Paul Lincke “Die Berliner Luft”

......It was a great experience and the heavy rain that evening didn't count. Below you have my comments.

......Nu a contat nimic altceva decat muzica. Nici frigul/vantul/ploaia… nimic. Atata pasiune pentru muzica pe o singura scena este complesitoare. Implicare totala.

......Dar sa o iau putin de la inceput. Eu nu stiam ca la Waldbuhne se merge ca la picnic. Am avut bilet in fata scenei. Unde se sta jos. Pe patura. ceea ce eu nu am avut. Eram complet nepregatita ceea ce aveam sa constat ulterior. M-am asezat pur si simplu pe iarba. Doamna de langa mine avea ditamai patura. Si mi-a dat si mie un fel de presulet. Am zambit, am multumit si l-am luat. Lumea in jur manca de zor. De toate. Picnic in toata regula. Spre ora 8 cand trebuia sa inceapa au aparut 3 persoane, mama cu fiica si prietenul respectivei. Langa mine mai era loc. Au venit acolo. Norocul meu, as putea spune. Si ei erau dotati cu paturica, mancare, cos…

......A aparut orchestra pe scena la 8 fix. Pentru incalzire, acordare, etc. Lumea a inceput sa se agite imediat. Aplauze, urale. Iar orchestra in frunte cu concertmaistrul au inceput sa faca valul. Care s-a raspandit foarte repede in amfiteatru. Si aparitia lui Rattle a fost salutata cu ropote de aplauze. Desi pentru nemti este de-al casei. Il pot vedea cel putin o data pe luna. Pentru mine insa a fost altfel.

......Uvertura.. apoi concertul. Rachmaninov 3 este printre cele mai grele daca nu cel mai greu concert din serie. Nu am cuvinte sa descriu. Pianistul a dat tot ce avea el mai bun.

......E, imediat ce s-a terminat prima parte a inceput polaia. O ploaie ca cea din Bucuresti din ieri. Muuuulta apa. Dar… ii aveam pe cei 3 nemti alaturi. Care m-au vazut in tricou si sandale (proasta inspiratie dar veneam de la 35 de grade). Ei aveau 2 umbrele mari. una am tinut-o eu. cu doamna mama nemtoaica langa mine. Dar am socializat, ca vorbeau toti engleza. a pouat toata pauza. 20 de minute. iar fata nemtoaica a scos din cosulet… ce credeti.. o bluza cu maneca lunga. la fix. deja era greu de suportat frigul. am uitat sa spun ca m-au invitat si la picnicul lor. dar am refuzat politicos.

......Asadar, imbracata si sub umbrela am inceput partea a doua a concertului.Le Sacre de Printemps pare o galagie la inceput. Dar o galagie organizata si foarte greu de coordonat. Rattle a reusit. A fost maret. Nu as fi vrut sa se termine. Cantau oamenii aia cu atata bucurie… Cei de la contrabas, 8 la numar, erau practic in picioare. Nimeni nu putea sa stea jos pe pasajele rapide. Si concertmaistrul facea genoflexiuni. O partida de suflatori de nota 10. toti o data, in forte sau pianissimo.Din pacate s-a terminat.

......Dar au dat 2 bisuri. inainte de primul bis Sir Rattle a luat microfonul si a multumit oamenilor ca stau si asculta. Intre timp s-a oprit ploaia. Primul bis a fost din Spargatorul de Nuci. Al doilea, un fel de imn al Berlinului. Of, iar a pornit ploaia. Dar de data asta oamenii nu au mai deschis umbrelele. in loc de umbrele jumatete din cati erau acolo au aprins artificii. Probabil ca asa se face la ei. Melodia asta are si versuri. Pe care ei le stiau. Instant mi s-a facut pielea gaina. Si nu de la frig. Rattle nu a mai dirijat. A mers in spate la percutie si a admirat de acolo. oamenii au cantat cap-coada. a fost minunat.
......Concluzia. Nu imi pare rau ca am fost. Imi doream de mult sa ascult combinatia Berliner/Rattle pe viu. Cei mai buni dintre cei mai buni. Nu ocoliti simfonicul. Poate produce surprize foarte placute.

.....Before the pictures, a few words on how you can get there. It's easy but somebody has to tell you where to get off the train. Take S9 to Spandau from the city (Alexanderplatz, Zoo...) and get off at Pichelsberg. From there 10 minute walking to Waldbuhne. If you're going to a concert, be there at least 2 hours before. The entrance system is very slow. Take more than 2 hours if you have a front stage standing ticket. But be careful! Don't go too close to the stage. It's 2 meter high and you won't see anything. Stay about 10 meters away and you'll see everything. And something else. If you could run down the stairs when you got it, prepare for a loooong wait for the exit. If you're coming from the stage, about 15-20 minuts to the gate.

Waldbuhne - 20.000 people seated + standing + seated on the stairs. Before the concert

Mr Bronfman practicing, before the concert


The picnic I was telling you about earlier
The venue was full

Ready for broadcast. This show was broadcasted live at Sony Center in Berlin, for those who couldn't find a ticket
Another picninc
A very good looing double bass player :)
8pm. The orchestra is on the stage. First thing they did when they came was to create the WAVE. Small video here. Not very clear, but everybody was moving around me.

Couldn't help myself :)

Camera 1 - ready

Orchestra practicing before the concert
And here he is!
Maestro, please join us
Before the first part. Great man, great smile

Excerpt from The Nutcracker

Mr Bronfman



Great Rachmaninov 3~


Just to have an idea of how it sounds...

End of part one. The piano is taken back to the left side of the stage

The clouds. Right on time... heavy rain to follow
And it started...

The second part. Le Sacre du Printemps


Here he told us that he's sorry they won't play Singing in the Rain.






During the second encore. People brought crackers from home
Sir Rattle went to the percussion section. No need for the conductor :)
A small video I took. To capture somehow the joy of the people.

The entire Berliner Luft, from a concert back in 2007

And it was over. Sooooooooooooorrrrrryyyyyyyy

...... Another great evening. After Tosca, one night before at the Deutsche Oper and the visit to the Parliament and Charlotenburg, this concert really made my trip worth.

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