Jump to content

Hugo

Members
  • Posts

    40
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Reputation Activity

  1. Thanks
    Hugo reacted to Pauling in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    I recorded the piece on Thursday, so you can compare.
     
     
  2. Like
    Hugo reacted to Thor in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    And so, here's my review as well, for anyone interested:
     
    http://celluloidtunes.no/john-williams-the-berliner-philharmoniker/
  3. Like
    Hugo got a reaction from Chewy in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    you can say that!! a beautiful photo, plus me and another member of the community are right there framed next to the Maestro. I'll frame it at home!
  4. Like
    Hugo got a reaction from crumbs in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    you can say that!! a beautiful photo, plus me and another member of the community are right there framed next to the Maestro. I'll frame it at home!
  5. Like
    Hugo got a reaction from Pauling in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    you can say that!! a beautiful photo, plus me and another member of the community are right there framed next to the Maestro. I'll frame it at home!
  6. Like
    Hugo reacted to GlastoEls in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    And now back to work in the home office here in overcast London.  How many unread emails, how many tasks to do — take me back to Grimm’s, Phiharmonie and Lindenbräu… 

  7. Like
    Hugo reacted to Chewy in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    Great picture!
     

  8. Like
    Hugo reacted to TownerFan in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    My own 2 cents:
     
    https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/10/19/john-williams-in-berlin/
  9. Like
    Hugo reacted to GlastoEls in 14th/15th/16th Oct. Meetup in Berlin   
    Fantastic! Let’s hope we are lucky.  And we have a local in our brother @Hugowhom I met in the Berlin hotel - he knows the Milan area well!
  10. Like
    Hugo got a reaction from GlastoEls in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    here https://www.instagram.com/p/CVGj7Zxg1J-/ and https://youtu.be/cBbdcP_jVDM
     
  11. Like
    Hugo got a reaction from Martinland in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    Simple incredible!! I just saw the video, you were great! In general I think that we all as an audience managed to convey to him in all the evenings our affection and our joy. And it seems to me that without any doubt JW realized this.
     
    it's me that must thank you @GlastoEls for being (even with a little patience and you know why...) my companion in one of the most memorable experiences of my life!
  12. Like
    Hugo got a reaction from Martinland in John Williams conducts Filarmonica della Scala, Milan, Italy, 12 December 2022!   
    exactly! also as I wrote in order to make the evening special and even slightly different from what has already been done on other European dates, the presence of the choir would be fantastic. And precisely being in Italy, and since the event will be held in an opera theater, it would be excellent the presence of the choir of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia one of the oldest musical institutions in the world (founded 1585), which in addition to numerous international awards has collaborated among others also with Ennio Morricone.
     
    It's just my opinion, of course but it would be nice and interesting to ear the result. For me it would turn out something spectacular!
     
  13. Like
    Hugo reacted to Marian Schedenig in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    Soloists are soloists. Orchestra/ensemble players are orchestra/ensemble players. If a member of an orchestra (or an ensemble, or a choir) performs like a soloist, you won't get a balanced and coherent orchestra (ensemble/choir) sound. That's not to say that orchestra players can't also be excellent soloists, but they're only good orchestra players if they don't stand out individually from the orchestra (except in solo passages, obviously).
  14. Like
    Hugo reacted to Marian Schedenig in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    These were once again outstanding concerts. I attended the Thursday and Saturday performances, both times close to the stage - on Thursday I had a seat in row 3, 2nd place from the left, with a good side view of Williams; on Saturday again row 3, but almost in the middle, only slightly to the left (which was in fact the 2nd row because the middle blocks start in row 2). That was the closest I've ever been to Williams.
     
    For some reason, I was under the impression that the hall was known for problematic acoustics, so I got a bit worried when I realised I was sitting to the left of even the rear violins on the first day. Needlessly, because the hall turned out to be stunning, and I could hear everything perfectly (plus extra harp, which was nice).
     
    My personal highlights were the Olympic Fanfare (always wanted to hear that live), Far and Away (much more fun than I'd expected, because I realised when the expansion came out that after all these years I don't enjoy the full score/album as much as I used to - but it's a fine suite), possibly the best live Raider's March I've heard (I usually find it a bit too much on the heavy side in concert - not this time), Throne Room (because it's Throne Room and because it wasn't in the previous Williams concerts I'd attended), and the three pieces that I thought suited the orchestra and the hall best: Nimbus 2000, Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra, and The Adventures of Han.
     
    Comparing it to Vienna, I'd say both concerts were sufficiently different that I don't feel the need to pick a "better" one. Pieces that relied on precision (like the three standouts I mentioned above) were spot on here, while the more lush and lyrical pieces stood out in Vienna. There simply is no match for the Viennese horns (the Berliners were excellent, but they just don't have the same instruments), but the Berliner trumpets were fantastic. The halls complemented those different strengths as well - the Musikverein with its warm, luxurious sound, and the Philharmonie with its incredibly powerful yet transparent acoustics. In Vienna, I could hear every tiny detail, which is a rare thing when you know the pieces more or less by heart (and also, as I mentioned at the time, something that I've very rarely experienced at the Musikverein). In Berlin, the balance wasn't always perfect to that effect (it may have been better with a little more distance to the orchestra than my seats, where I got the most direct sound of the strings), but the spaciousness was stunning (not just left and right, but also a three dimensionality between the strings up front and the various winds in the back). I've also never heard instrumental doublings so clearly, especially when the horns and celli were doubled. The Viennese Imperial March remains unmatched (both for its tempo and for the incredible horn section), while the Berliner Raider's March easily beats Vienna. Jurassic Park, despite a few inaccuracies, was a marvel in Vienna (and again the horn parts stood out in particular), whereas the Berliner version was excellently phrased in the B section of the main theme, but perhaps even faster than the usual (too) uptempo version. On the other hand, the Berliner precision in the Motorcycle and Han scherzos was marvellous.
     
    I'm especially happy I picked those two days because I got an excellent Leia's Theme on the first day and the insane closing ovation on the last day. Williams was in very good shape on the first day (notably fitter even than in Vienna, I would say). From comparing notes after the last concert, it seems that he was much more energetic on Saturday than on Friday, but the difference to Thursday was still apparent. I couldn't help getting a bit worried and distracted whenever he turned to the left to propel the violins and looked like he'd run out of breath any moment. I think he deliberately shortened his last few speeches, and didn't even turn around for the applause between Yoda and the Imperial March to make sure he'd get through the concert before running out of energy. But on the other hand, the actual energy he invests in these concerts is incredible, and at times he seems to work even harder than the orchestra. And it seems obvious to me that he does it because he is aware of what he can get out of these pieces with the orchestra if he doesn't compromise and gives them everything he can.
     
    I still find it hard to believe that only three years after I thought I'd just missed my last chance of ever seeing him live, I have now attended five Williams concerts, with perhaps more yet to come.
     
    I think he just realised that it takes too much energy. I'm glad I caught one excellent performance on Thursday - I hope it was properly recorded.
  15. Like
    Hugo reacted to GlastoEls in 14th/15th/16th Oct. Meetup in Berlin   
    Great place to have after concert drinks. Both for forum members but also for about 10 of the orchestra who came and sat on a big table upstairs at about 11pm!


  16. Like
    Hugo reacted to GlastoEls in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    This is a terrific post and I largely agree. 
     
    Vienna was the first.. which will always be significant.  It had grandeur, elegance, formality, and the peerless Mutter.  Vienna is gorgeous.
     
    But Berlin was joyous, free, emotional and overwhelming.  The audience was like nothing I’ve ever seen - 15 or so standing ovations, cheering - one felt overcome with happiness. 
     
    For that, and my little cherry on the cake singing Raiders to him, Berlin wins for me overall. 
  17. Like
    Hugo got a reaction from Jurassic Shark in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    No, they did not accept refunds as indicated in the sales agreements. At the limit and in a completely exceptional way, after talking several times with them explaining the situation, there could be the possibility of receiving a voucher not the money back (I didn't need a voucher) and in that case the place would be put up for sale by them. I then continued to leave the ticket for sale. So as I wrote I had two tickets, used only one so there was an empty seat. Maybe for others, the things went the same.
     
    However what a wonderful evening!! also my "best" seat turned out to be a great choice, I listened in an incredible way from that seat. In my ears imaging and "stereo" soundstage were perfect, and also the reverb relationship between direct sound, early reflections and decay was incredible (this also thanks to the Philharmonie Hall and its shape). A dream!
  18. Like
    Hugo got a reaction from crumbs in John Williams conducts Filarmonica della Scala, Milan, Italy, 12 December 2022!   
    exactly! also as I wrote in order to make the evening special and even slightly different from what has already been done on other European dates, the presence of the choir would be fantastic. And precisely being in Italy, and since the event will be held in an opera theater, it would be excellent the presence of the choir of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia one of the oldest musical institutions in the world (founded 1585), which in addition to numerous international awards has collaborated among others also with Ennio Morricone.
     
    It's just my opinion, of course but it would be nice and interesting to ear the result. For me it would turn out something spectacular!
     
  19. Like
    Hugo got a reaction from GlastoEls in John Williams conducts Filarmonica della Scala, Milan, Italy, 12 December 2022!   
    great news!
     
    I've already been to La Scala on several occasions. It's certainly more suited to opera than to symphonic music, but it doesn't matter, it will certainly be another great experience! JW is on fire despite age, a great example of passion and dedication to the music.
  20. Like
    Hugo reacted to GlastoEls in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    Another nice pic to see us all safely home! 
     

  21. Like
    Hugo reacted to Steve in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    The substitutes did well. Couldn't have sounded better with the other players....
  22. Love
    Hugo got a reaction from crumbs in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    Simple incredible!! I just saw the video, you were great! In general I think that we all as an audience managed to convey to him in all the evenings our affection and our joy. And it seems to me that without any doubt JW realized this.
     
    it's me that must thank you @GlastoEls for being (even with a little patience and you know why...) my companion in one of the most memorable experiences of my life!
  23. Like
    Hugo reacted to Damien F in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    Thursday was my 7th time seeing JW in concert (my first time seeing him in Europe) and there was something extra special about it. Probably a combination of John's talkative and relaxed demeanor, the musicians occasionally smiling at each other while performing, and the audience obviously being utterly delighted that JW was in their city.
  24. Thanks
  25. Like
    Hugo got a reaction from MfL85 in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    Simple incredible!! I just saw the video, you were great! In general I think that we all as an audience managed to convey to him in all the evenings our affection and our joy. And it seems to me that without any doubt JW realized this.
     
    it's me that must thank you @GlastoEls for being (even with a little patience and you know why...) my companion in one of the most memorable experiences of my life!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.