kullervopete wrote:

Here in Manchester the famous Halle Orchestra is in pretty good shape thanks to chief conductor Mark Elder, and maestro Elder is a Sibelian to boot. Over the last few years I have been at quite a few of Elders concerts and now and again the maestro has spoken to the audience for 5 minutes or so about the piece and composer to be played. I think that more conductors should do this. Besides informing the paying public about the music, a rapport is established which contributes to the evenings performance. To often conductors can come across as elitist and remote figures.-kp

Paavo Jarvi does something similar: he makes a video of himself describing the music and composer, and plays it before the concert. It would seem more cold were he not sitting in a chair and the footage changing between the proper view and a view of him and some of the camera equipment as well, from another camera. It doesn't seem so elitist at all, and it's somewhat heartening to see the maestro stumble somewhat over his English and ponder a bit over a right word.

Last night at Manchesters Bridgewater Hall we heard another Japanese view of Sibelius [No.2] this performance shook me to the bone! Indeed not since Vanska's memorable account at the 2005 Lahti Fest. have I heard this mighty Symphony revealed in its full glory. Yutaka Sado directed the BBC Philharmonic, an orchestra which came across as world class. All four movements felt right with regard to tempo, phrasing, balance and execution. The audience in Manchester pretty soon realised that we were in for something special. I think that it was Robert Layton who remarked that Sibelius's music seems to get greater at every hearing. At climaxes Sado with his arms outstreched looked like a great bird in flight [he studied under Leonard Bernstein] The concert had opened with Takemitsu's 'Twill by Twilight', an interesting piece combining an array of percussion and producing some interesting sonorities. Ian Bostridge [tenor] was in remakable voice for Britten's 'Nocturne' but I must confess that one or two people were in danger of nodding off. But the night belonged to Sibelius and one of the most powerful and heart-rending performances that I have ever heard.--kp