Cellists all across the city rejoiced on the 9th after a virtuositic performance of the quintessential Dvorak Cello Concerto by Johannes Moser with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. If you must know one thing about me, it should be that I absolutely love cello music and, let’s not try to bypass this, cello players. This experience was definitely reaffirming of that. Moser’s execution of the piece was very interesting, as he had made different stylistic choices when compared to other recordings of the famous concerto. However, his skill and expertise in execution made it a nice take on the piece. It was impressive how much he could project his sound. Sitting at the top and far back of the concert hall, everyone was in awe of his amazing range of dynamics that still allowed him to be heard.
Once his performance was finished, we rushed to the atrium of the Jack Singer in order to get his autograph. He was incredibly friendly and sociable, taking the time to speak to each patron. Afterwards, the person I had attended the concert with informed me that her friends that attend Julliard were jealous of the fact that we had gotten to meet him. This came as a surprise to both of us, since we were unaware of just how popular Moser was in the “elite” music scene.
At the end of the concert, the 2015/16 concert lineup was also announced, and many of the performances (and one especially) has me excited for what’s to come. As a reflection of their terrific 2014/15 season, which still has a few concerts left until its completion, I have compiled a short list of 3 of my favourite CPO concerts from the past year, as well as 3 concerts from the upcoming season that I am most excited to see.
2014/15:
New World Symphony and Jan Lisiecki
https://youtu.be/dz_tahEgMtI
Oh boy did I love this concert. The repertoire, which included Mozart’s famous Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Jan Lisiecki‘s take on Shumann’s Piano concerto in A minor (which remains one of my favourites), and Dvořák’s 9th symphony, was an amazing compilation that kept me interested all night.
Beethoven and Mahler with Stephen Hough
I was extremely excited about this concert since it was the first time I was going to see a piece I was working on at the moment being performed live. And by someone as amazing as Stephen Hough too! Needless to say, the night was incredibly inspiring.
Classic America: Rhapsody in Blue
I attended this concert with fellow blogger Katja, and I know that she, too, can offer confirmation to the fact that it was absolutely incredible. Rhapsody in Blue itself is a fun piece to listen to, and listening to it live added a new dimension to the famous tune. Andrew von Oeyen displayed virtuosity and the guest conductor, Carols Miguel Preito, got the entire audience clapping for the final encore. Now that’s a sight you don’t see much in classical music!
2015/16:
Entwined: Butterfly Lovers & A Midsummer Night’s Dream
I find it hard to put into words how excited I am about this concert! I remember wondering when the CPO was going to bring this beautiful concerto into the Jack Singer, and now they have. The Butterfly Lovers concerto is an incredibly famous work of music in Chinese culture, and I have grown to love it ever since I accompanied a friend on it for a performance. This is no doubt my most anticipated concert of the 15/16 season.
Romeo and Juliet & Rachmaninoff with Pavel Kolesnikov
https://youtu.be/VDQCuTDCNC8
Pavel Kolesnikov was the 2012 winner of the prestigious Honens International Piano Competition. Really, anyone who has won Honens is worth listening to. The video above sees him performing with the CPO in the 7th round of the competition in 2012. It isn’t hard to figure out why he won.
Greatest Classical Hits
I think it’s always really interesting to see famous tunes performed live. Luckily, this entire concert features classical hits that have been popular in TV and popular culture. Repertoire includes Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 performed by Sheng Cai, Debussy’s Clair de lune, and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony (1st mvt only).
To see more of what the CPO has to offer in its 2015/16 concert season, view the brochure here.