NCPA's Western Classical Season

For the info of those inclined, the Chamber Ensemble of the Symphony Orchestra of India is going to have a concert of Charlie Parker's music on the 8th Aug 2015 at the NCPA. Details here:

ncpamumbai.com/events-festivals.aspx?e=1239&s=2151

And two days after that the same Ensemble will hold its monthly concert at the Prithvi Theatre in Juhu. I have attended the last two (held every second Monday of the month) and the performance and acoustics are top notch. I simply haven't heard a music system that equals the sound in this small and cosy theatre. Tickets are dirt cheap (300 Rupees) and are usually available at the venue even before the show.
 
For the info of those inclined, the Chamber Ensemble of the Symphony Orchestra of India is going to have a concert of Charlie Parker's music on the 8th Aug 2015 at the NCPA. Details here:

ncpamumbai.com/events-festivals.aspx?e=1239&s=2151

Thanks for the information.
My friend had informed me about this but he was not having exact information. So was not sure about it. But now I informed my friend and we most probably will go for it. [emoji106]
 
And two days after that the same Ensemble will hold its monthly concert at the Prithvi Theatre in Juhu. I have attended the last two (held every second Monday of the month) and the performance and acoustics are top notch. I simply haven't heard a music system that equals the sound in this small and cosy theatre. Tickets are dirt cheap (300 Rupees) and are usually available at the venue even before the show.

The Prithvi Theatre in Juhu is a cool venue. Prices are usually reasonable and the venue is very intimate.
Have seen a few plays but never heard a music concert in there.
 
The performance by Greg Banaszak on the saxophone was very good. Besides the Chamber Ensemble of the Symphony Orchestra of India, there were guest drummer (Sujoy Ghose, iirc - an unusually sensitive player in a world of crash boom bang), a pianist and double bass player). The Ensemble was very good as usual, and one could see a new lead violinist has taken over. There were also a couple of new (at least I've never seem them before) cello players, and one new face on the second violin section.

The two numbers before the break were dreary, sad, dark and slow. I was getting uneasy, and afraid that the whole show would turn out the same. How wrong was I. The very first track after the break was a lively number. The pace and happy mood continued till the end and right up to the second encore. Banaszak is an entertainer par excellence.
 
Hi JLS, perhaps you should remove the year and make it a current thread always!

Am sure most Western classical music lovers already have bought tickets - just in case, a reminder that the great Charles Dutoit is going to be conducting the SoI on October 1st and 2nd. Same programme on both days and a really good one too.

Kodaly's Dances of Galanta (Clarinet lovers rejoice), Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No. 3 (with its achingly beautiful 2nd movement) and the ever popular Dvorak's 9th (called the New World - inspired by Dvorak's stay in America).

Do not miss an opportunity to catch a living legend - Dutoit.
 
Not to rub it in, but this year has been a year of good concerts! We had Simonov doing Verdi's Requiem which, using an expression that may be sacrilege, "rocked", a staggeringly good piano concert by Balazs Fulei (Schubert, Liszt Sonata in B Minor), the classical/jazz concert that JLS mentioned and now fingers crossed on Dutoit blowing us away! The Kodaly quartet also had a lovely concert.

North Mumbai residents have also had an amazing series of concerts at Prithvi Theatre in Juhu with the members of the Symphony Orchestra of India playing usual and unusual pieces (Mondays - is that right JLS?).

We still have Zubin Mehta to come in - given his stature and his Mumbai background, it is as much of a Page 3 event as much as a concert! Last time around, had to queue up wee hours AM to get the seats - this time, wondering if I should resist and sleep over! Age!
 
North Mumbai residents have also had an amazing series of concerts at Prithvi Theatre in Juhu with the members of the Symphony Orchestra of India playing usual and unusual pieces (Mondays - is that right JLS?).

Every second Monday of the month, 8 pm.

BTW, the acoustic in Prithvi Theatre is very good. And the Chamber Ensemble of the Symphony Orchestra of India has been giving sterling performances at this cosy theatre. More people ought to go for this concert series. I, for one, feel so blessed:)
 
Yesterday at the NCPA, there was a talk by Zane Dalal on Western Classical music. It was a four hour talk (with a break for tea in-between).

What the talk did was to take the Western Classical out of the "pedestal' on which it is placed by people, making it inaccessible for many. He talked about how music related to the developments in other forms (e.g. church architecture) of the time, an introduction to orchestra and various instruments and finally, treat the composers and conductors as human being with foibles rather than Gods!

Very effective, and entertaining.

So remember, when you go to NCPA next or the people you are with talk in lofty terms about conductors (ah but Toscanini did this to Beethoven) as if possessing superior knowledge, remember it is all about the music and the connect you make with it, not some arcane knowledge that only a few gifted mortals can grasp.
 
Here's the details of the concert on 14 Sep 2015 at the Prithvi:

SOI

Quote:

Marat Bisengaliev in recital
Monday, September 14, 2015 at 8:00PM
Prithvi Theatre, Juhu
Marat Bisengaliev, violin >
Elgar: Salut d'amour, Romance Op. 1, La capricieuse, Chanson de Matin, Serenade, Intermezzo from The Crown of India, Valse, Bizarrerie
Wieniawski: Valse Cparice
Jenkins: Cantus Insolitus
Corigliano: Red Violin Caprice
Tulebayev: Poema
Albeniz: Asturias
SOI Music Director and world-renowned violinist Marat Bisengaliev will perform a solo recital, accompanied by Aida Bisengalieva on the piano. This will be Marats first solo recital at Prithvi Theatreone of the most intimate spaces in which to hear a renowned musician up close. The programme will include works by Elgar, of whose music Marat is a noted specialist, and others.

Please note: the SOI will not perform at this event.

Unquote
 
Ok, people in other cities can now truly be jealous - Dvorak/Dutoit's brilliant 9th at the NCPA yesterday.

It was amazing what he did and how the orchestra responded. The second movement was taken exquisitely slow, and while it took a minute to adjust to it (always end up referring to the version you have heard on cd), for the first time in my life, I totally got Dvorak's 9th - to date preferred his 7th and 8th.

Also a very colourful Kodaly and a great Saint Saens concerto no. 3 - Marat was superb in the 2nd movement, and lovely harmonies with winds.

Sadly, the concerto could even be called - Saint Saens concerto for violin and coughs. Think NPCA should examine throats before letting people in ; >
 
Truly outstanding performance!!!

SOI has 'matured'
I used to find the concerts over priced & over hyped.
Hence, I had 'stopped' going for them.

However, the Dvorak 9th is one of my all time top 5 symphonic works & I could not let the chance pass.
Hence I took the plunge - 1800/- [bit steep - for me at least] & I was there in F 23 seated & ready.
The 1st work I had never heard - so it was a good start to the evening;
The 2nd work - well the less I say the better - I was recalled of the memory I had of not wanting to go to SOI.

Interval - coffee & snack.

Then came the 'big bang'
This SOI under the Baton of C.D. is a 'reformed' orchestra.
Excellent Control. Super Timing. Restraint. Opulence - Boy O Boy !! What happened....

If I was blind folded & made to listen no way would I have guessed that this was not the Bavarian State or Hungarian National Philaharmonic Orchestra or any other of that level.

Excellent !
Simply super.
Dvorak 9th is a super piece of music & it was played wonderfully.
I was really satisfied & the Orchestra & the Conductor deserved the 80 to 85 % Standing Ovation they received.

Bravo !
 
Monday, October 12, 2015 at 8:00PM
Prithvi Theatre, Juhu
SOI Chamber Orchestra
Kreisler: Preludium and Allegro
Elgar: Salut damour
Albeniz: Asturias
Wiren: Serenade for Strings
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
Leroy Anderson: Suite
The SOI Chamber Orchestra returns to Prithvi Theatre for the October edition of SOI@Prithvi.
 
Went for the last day of Arties 3 day programme in Mumbai. They played Beethoven's early piano quartet, sang 3 Scottish Songs (beethoven) and then the Brahms Trio.

While and enjoyable evening in all, the Brahms No. 1 Trio, was wonderfully played and the interplay between the musicians added to the performance - an experience you'd miss when you hear the greats play on your favourite CD.

Like with Jerry McGuire's "you had me at hello', they had me when the cello and piano came on in the opening bars. But the piano riffs on the second movement gave this "Trio" something of a symphonic scale.

Great stuff.
 
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For those who can, please try come for the Andreas Haefliger concert on the 17th November.

Welcome to NCPA - National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai , India

Fantastic programme which includes Beethoven Sonata 27 and Brahms. Mozart and Bartok, I presume, are the two extremes!

The pianist may not be well known in Mumbai, but has played at the Wigmore, and his Perspectives 2 CD, which has great reviews, is what this programme seems much about.

I have posted web reviews below. The concert is at Tata Theatre and so seating should not be a problem


Andreas Haefliger Perspectives 2 AVIE AV2082 [CC]: Classical CD Reviews- March 2006 MusicWeb-International

Haefliger - Perspectives 2 | gramophone.co.uk
 
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last night - i went to the NCPA jamshed Bhabha Theatre for John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension...

some wonderful music... wicked base guitar and a master class by Ranjit Barot and ofcourse some delectable guitar work by John Mclaughlin and the versatile Gary Husband.

A memorable evening for me !

was anyone else from HFV there last night ?
 
Couldn't make that, but made time to hear Andreas Haelfiger play at the Tata Theatre - and he blew the relatively sparse crowd away - a pity that the crowd was sparse.

In fact, he got so many people interested in Bartok, which in itself for "if it is classical, it must be Bach, Mozart or Beethoven" crowd (ok an over simplification), speaks volumes for his musicality.

Apart from the programme listed above, he finished with an encore of Liszt's "St Francis preaching to the birds" which was brilliant.

If you ever get to hear him internationally, please don't miss.

Its been a great year - Dutoit's Dvorak with SoI, this concert, Balasz Fulei playing the Liszt Sonata, Bird with Strings, Arties, Kodaly quartet, Requiem with Simonov...
 
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