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I'm not sure if a thread about concerts has been made before, but I thought "why not make one". So this thread will be about concerts you have attended and thought were awesome, bad, interesting, etc.

Yesterday night I went to see the Ying Quartet perform. They are a group of 4 siblings (3 brothers and a sister) that somehow formed a quartet in 1988 and has been one of the premier young quartets in America.

The theme of the concert was music by South Americans, with works by Villa-Lobos, Ginastera, and even a work commissioned by the Yings for a project to call upon composers to write about America.

Overall the program was outstanding, being a string player (cello) for some time when I was younger, I was amazed at the flexibility and power strings are capable of doing, and how powerful they sound (although I suppose sitting in the second row from the stage contributed to this). The first work was a piece by Joaquin Turina (Spanish here not a S. Am.)titled "La Oracion del Torero" and from the start I knew I was in for something great for the rest of the concert. The next work was Villa-Lobos String Quartet No. 6. Being somewhat familiar with his music (via Bachianas Brasilieras) hearing this quartet was new to me. It's hard to keep attention at all the individual voices going on and putting them together in the head to make out the whole. The third piece was the commissioned work by Paquito D'Rivera called "The Village Street Quartet" which I think was the most daring piece of the concert. A wild kaleidoscope of styles and playing mechanics that show how diverse the American melting pot is, even going so far as having a sequence using the instruments as percussion! After intermission, Alberto Ginastera and his Quartet No. 1 was played, a rather schizophrenic work I think (I liked the highly whimsical final movement). And finally a Tango by Astor Piazzolla which didn't sound danceable in my opinion, and I thought wasn't that great. Due to the audience's overwhelming appreciation they had an encore of an arranged of a Mexican folk ballad which was beautiful.

After the concert I had a quick chat with the cellist and lead David Ying about the prospects of amateur composers and musicians. What he told me was rather encouraging saying that there are many amateur groups and organizations in the country and with applications like Hyperscore, music making can be put in the hands of people who wouldn't otherwise had thought of making music. He also found it nice to know that there are some young hobbyist composers around.

A very good concert.

Next time, I will be seeing Chinese pianist virtuoso Lang Lang play in April. Review of the concert forthcoming, but the program already has a rundown of what will be performed: Mozart, Chopin, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, and Liszt.

biggrin I have'nt been to many concerts , unfortunately.

In Ireland , Simon and Garfunkel , Fleetwood Mac , Bob Dylan , Andrea Bocelli , a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons by the London Chamber Orchestra , Handel's Messiah.

In London , Mahler.

In Munich , an Italian Baroque concert.

I've seen the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the opera "Of Mice and Men" (yes, they did make it into an opera), Hedley (twice), several Pro Coro Canada concerts, a Cantilon concert, the U of A Mixed Chorus, the Julliard String Quartet, ummmm, a whole bunch of other choirs, and some christian rock/pop concerts.

Oooo! Mozart's Requiem? I'm sooo jealous. I've heard a couple of movements from it, but those were enough for me to fall in love.

I've performed Faure's requiem and Durufle's requiem. I am in love with requiems in general though... maybe I missed my calling as a goth. lmao.