Ligeti shines, despite pageantry, in Han Chen's centennial recital

By Kurt Gottschalk, 25 September 2023

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“Ligeti happens within the world, in spite of the world, because of the world”

Reviewed at National Sawdust, Brooklyn on 24 September 2023

Fung, White on Black (world premiere)

Ligeti, Étude no. 15 "White on White"

Ligeti, Etude no. 8 "Fém"

Joyce, Push and Pull (world premiere)

Hsu, Intricate rhythm on an Amis song (world premiere)

Ligeti, Étude no. 1 "Désordre"

Morrison, No way out but through (world premiere)

Ligeti, Étude no. 4 "Fanfares"

Chang, New work (world premiere)

Wang, Shadows, trailing… (world premiere)

Ligeti, Étude no. 10 "Der Zauberlehrling"

Ligeti, Étude no. 17 "À bout de souffle"

Bentz, Machine #1 (world premiere)

Fulmer, New work (world premiere)

Ligeti, Etude no. 12 "Entrelacs"

Ligeti, Étude no. 5 "Arc-en-ciel"

Razaz, Fragmentation of Memory (world premiere)

Ligeti, Étude no. 16 "Pour Irina"

Ligeti, Étude no. 18 "Canon"

Cox, Black Noise Canon (world premiere)

Cheah, Étude: months (world premiere)

Kim, New work (world premiere)

Ligeti, Etude no. 11 "En Suspens"

Ligeti, Étude no. 2 "Cordes à vide"

Evans, Campanology (world premiere)

Ligeti, Étude no. 9 "Vertige" (Vertigo)

Miller, Prelude (world premiere)

Ligeti, Étude no. 3 "Touches bloquées"

Young, New work (world premiere)

Ligeti, Etude no. 6 "Automne à Varsovie"

Vendil, Pag-aaral: galing na ibon (world premiere)

Ligeti, Etude no. 7 "Galamb Borong"

Irfan, Columna finita (world premiere)

Wang, L’escalier du Parnasse (world premiere)

Ligeti, Etude no. 13 "L'escalier du diable

Ligeti, Étude no. 14 "Coloana infinită"

Han Chen, Piano

Frank Dupree's Liverpool debut has the audience crying out for more

Glyn Mon Hughes, 14th May

A concert celebrating the 250th anniversary of the USA saw Liverpool audiences treated to a sumptuous Copland as well as a symphony as well as a barn-storming performance of Gershwin and Duke Ellington, performed by Frank Dupree who was making his debut with the RLPO.

*****

Energetic Currentzis and Utopia at the Elbphilharmonie

Mengguang Huang, 12th May

From Berg’s crystalline intimacy to Dionysian Mahler, Teodor Currentzis and Utopia defy orchestral tradition with standing musicians, spatial acoustics and an emotional intensity that breathes new life into the concert life.

****1

Korngold and Mahler from Ray Chen, Vasily Petrenko and the RPO

Roy Westbrook, 12th May

Few violin concertos soar from the first bar as Erich Korngold’s does, especially as in Ray Chen's high-wire account at the Royal Albert Hall.

****1

Petr Popelka delivers a thrilling opening for Prague Spring

Frank Kuznik, 12th May

With Petr Popelka on the podium, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra brings a native feel and colorful exuberance to a cultural icon.

****1

Clara Yang’s immersive piano recital gets lost in the clouds

Kurt Gottschalk, 11th May

Prerecorded acoustic guitar, soft beats and more piano accompany video of jittery yellow circles and masses of illegible text in a concert that feels both meditative and too much to take in

**111

Era-defining string sound in the Liverpool Phil’s Mahler 9

Rohan Shotton, 10th May

Domingo Hindoyan nears his five-year anniversary at the RLPO with Mahler's Ninth Symphony.

****1

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Kurt Gottschalk

Kurt Gottschalk is a journalist and author based in New York City. His writings on contemporary and classical music, jazz and improvisation have been published in outlets throughout Europe and America and he has two volumes of short fiction to his name. He produced and hosted the Miniature Minotaurs radio programme on WFMU and currently hosts Afternoon New Music on WKCR.