Emmanuel Pahud and Berlin Baroque Soloists
Berlin Baroque Soloists
Rainer Kussmaul, violin and director
Emmanuel Pahud, flute
Wolfram Christ, viola
Raphael Alpermann, harpsichord
Tuesday 16 Oct 2007
All Vivaldi programme consisting of:
Concerto Grosso in D minor (Rv565)
Concerto for Viola d'amore in D (Rv 392)
Concerto for Four Violins in B flat (Rv 553)
Concerto for Strings in G minor (Rv 156)
Concerto for Two Violins in A minor (Rv 522)
Concerto for Flute in D "Il Cardellino" (Rv 428)
Concerto for Flute in G minor "La Notte" (Rv 439)
Concerto for Flute in F "La Tempesta di mare" (Rv 433)
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Pisendel: Sonata in C minor
Telemann: Viola Concerto in G (TWV51.G9)
J.S Bach: Bradenburg Concerto No. 5 in D (BMV 1050)
Telemann: Concerto Ripieno in E flat (TWV43:Es1)
Handel: Suite from Alcina (HWV34)
Telemann: Concerto for Transverse Flute in D (TWV51:D2)
blogger with Emmanuel Pahud
The Berlin Philharmonic virtually came to the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas hall in form of Berlin Baroque Soloists. You can say it is the biggest event happening early in 07/08 season in light of absence of at least two big foreign orchestras that used to grace the hall every season without fail. Not even one, but hey we brought for ye a chamber group consisting of Berlin Philharmonic members! (present or former) Emmanuel Pahud is arguably the successor to Jean-Pierre Rampal as the prince of the flute instrument. He is still playing for the Berlin Philharmonic and used to play in superband Lucerne Festival Orchestra under Claudio Abbado. Joined him is a less-renowned but very experienced ex-Berlin Philharmonic member, violist Wolfram Christ who was a former principal violist selected by late Herbert von Karajan 19 years under BPO starting from 1978 until 1999. He is a founding member of Lucerne Festival Orchestra and no wonder I spotted a recognisable "Einstein"-like figure (minus the moustache) who starred in DVDs of LFO, latest being the stunning Mahler 7th.
The first night was a Vivaldi feast, the term itself might sound dreadful for those who thinks he is the most unoriginal, repetitive composer ever. Some critics argue his over 500 concertos sounded like one single material recycled the same number of times over. But miraculously the BBS made each piece sounded very different one after another. One of my favourite highlights is the Concerto for two violins (Rv 522) in which Rainer Kussmaul and another violinist (I assume probably was Rudiger Liebermann) grinded out sounds imitating nature. Vivaldi is one of the earliest composers who knows how to churn out special sound effects from the orchestra (notably the Four Seasons). Another is watching Wolfram Christ tackling the 13-stringed viola d'amore. In addition to six or seven strings on the fingerboard are another additional seven sympathetic strings below it o_O Despite being a very different instrument from the conventional viola, he produced a virtuosic playing for the concerto, which occasionally made my jaws drop. Holy moley!
Emmanuel Pahud played "Il Cardelino" concerto before the interval and the remaining two afterwards. Listening to him live, he proved to be a successor to Jean-Pierre Rampal's mantle. He produced instant warm, vibrant sound that very, very few professional flutists can boast and one colleague remarked he was born to play the flute, because the word "emboschure" doesn't exist in Pahud's vocabulary. Flutter-tonguings, staccatos, legatos and various articulations that many flutists struggle with he made it effortless. In masterclass I went next day, he often remarked that it is not the lips that produce the sound, it is the air itself.
Ironically the hall was expected to be packed, but only 80% of audience were in the hall at Tuesday night. The hall was full house on Wednesday, but the performance wasn't as enlightening as previous night. J.S Bach's Concerto for Flute, Violin, Harpsichord and Strings in A minor was omitted which was a crying shame from very generous eight offerings of Vivaldi last night. Still it was a joy to watch Raphael Alpermann playing the harpsichord cadenza in the Bradenburg Concerto no 5. My flute teacher remarked that they didn't give our Malaysian audiences enough respect they reserve. Regardless listening to the Berlin Baroque Soloists for those two nights were a very enlightening experience. At least the Berlin Philharmonic did come to Kuala Lumpur, though not in full! =P
blogger with violist Wolfram Christ
Rainer Kussmaul, violin and director
Emmanuel Pahud, flute
Wolfram Christ, viola
Raphael Alpermann, harpsichord
Tuesday 16 Oct 2007
All Vivaldi programme consisting of:
Concerto Grosso in D minor (Rv565)
Concerto for Viola d'amore in D (Rv 392)
Concerto for Four Violins in B flat (Rv 553)
Concerto for Strings in G minor (Rv 156)
Concerto for Two Violins in A minor (Rv 522)
Concerto for Flute in D "Il Cardellino" (Rv 428)
Concerto for Flute in G minor "La Notte" (Rv 439)
Concerto for Flute in F "La Tempesta di mare" (Rv 433)
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Pisendel: Sonata in C minor
Telemann: Viola Concerto in G (TWV51.G9)
J.S Bach: Bradenburg Concerto No. 5 in D (BMV 1050)
Telemann: Concerto Ripieno in E flat (TWV43:Es1)
Handel: Suite from Alcina (HWV34)
Telemann: Concerto for Transverse Flute in D (TWV51:D2)
blogger with Emmanuel Pahud
The Berlin Philharmonic virtually came to the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas hall in form of Berlin Baroque Soloists. You can say it is the biggest event happening early in 07/08 season in light of absence of at least two big foreign orchestras that used to grace the hall every season without fail. Not even one, but hey we brought for ye a chamber group consisting of Berlin Philharmonic members! (present or former) Emmanuel Pahud is arguably the successor to Jean-Pierre Rampal as the prince of the flute instrument. He is still playing for the Berlin Philharmonic and used to play in superband Lucerne Festival Orchestra under Claudio Abbado. Joined him is a less-renowned but very experienced ex-Berlin Philharmonic member, violist Wolfram Christ who was a former principal violist selected by late Herbert von Karajan 19 years under BPO starting from 1978 until 1999. He is a founding member of Lucerne Festival Orchestra and no wonder I spotted a recognisable "Einstein"-like figure (minus the moustache) who starred in DVDs of LFO, latest being the stunning Mahler 7th.
The first night was a Vivaldi feast, the term itself might sound dreadful for those who thinks he is the most unoriginal, repetitive composer ever. Some critics argue his over 500 concertos sounded like one single material recycled the same number of times over. But miraculously the BBS made each piece sounded very different one after another. One of my favourite highlights is the Concerto for two violins (Rv 522) in which Rainer Kussmaul and another violinist (I assume probably was Rudiger Liebermann) grinded out sounds imitating nature. Vivaldi is one of the earliest composers who knows how to churn out special sound effects from the orchestra (notably the Four Seasons). Another is watching Wolfram Christ tackling the 13-stringed viola d'amore. In addition to six or seven strings on the fingerboard are another additional seven sympathetic strings below it o_O Despite being a very different instrument from the conventional viola, he produced a virtuosic playing for the concerto, which occasionally made my jaws drop. Holy moley!
Emmanuel Pahud played "Il Cardelino" concerto before the interval and the remaining two afterwards. Listening to him live, he proved to be a successor to Jean-Pierre Rampal's mantle. He produced instant warm, vibrant sound that very, very few professional flutists can boast and one colleague remarked he was born to play the flute, because the word "emboschure" doesn't exist in Pahud's vocabulary. Flutter-tonguings, staccatos, legatos and various articulations that many flutists struggle with he made it effortless. In masterclass I went next day, he often remarked that it is not the lips that produce the sound, it is the air itself.
Ironically the hall was expected to be packed, but only 80% of audience were in the hall at Tuesday night. The hall was full house on Wednesday, but the performance wasn't as enlightening as previous night. J.S Bach's Concerto for Flute, Violin, Harpsichord and Strings in A minor was omitted which was a crying shame from very generous eight offerings of Vivaldi last night. Still it was a joy to watch Raphael Alpermann playing the harpsichord cadenza in the Bradenburg Concerto no 5. My flute teacher remarked that they didn't give our Malaysian audiences enough respect they reserve. Regardless listening to the Berlin Baroque Soloists for those two nights were a very enlightening experience. At least the Berlin Philharmonic did come to Kuala Lumpur, though not in full! =P
blogger with violist Wolfram Christ
posted by Corgan Sow at 10:21 am
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