Harnoncourt and Lang Lang performing 1st pno Cto & 7th Symphony

[Ed C]

Went to see Nicholas Harnoncourt and Lang Lang perform Beethoven's 1st Piano Concerto and the 7th Symphony. 7th was fantastic - 1st Piano Cto not as much. I don't realy get why Lang Lang is such a star. He was off-sync with the orchestra most of the time. A lot of pushing and pulling of rubato. His 1st mvmt cadenza was good tho. I just don't like that B wrote that 10 years later, it doesn't quite fit with the rest of it but that's not Lang Lang's fault.

Harnoncourt is 80. Watching him last night I thought he was 60. He actually caught air in his leaps. He's hit and miss for me but last night was hit for sure. The Vienna Phil played but it was clearly a touring orchestra, maybe 60 players. Still - they rocked. All the members were playing full tilt - no lollygagging. My "home team" is the NY Phil but I have to admit I enjoyed the VPO more than when I saw the NYP do Egmont this Spring.

Official review here

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/ar...1carnegie.html

[Bonn1827]

This sounds just fabulous - lucky you!! (I've just sms two of my sisters who are in New York right now and told them to go see the VPO!!) I feel ambivalent about Lang Lang but at least he's brought art music to a younger generation - and who else is going to do that?

Hey Ed, what is "lollygagging"? This is a new word for me!

[Ed C]

My full review and blog post here.

Lollygagging? I think that means dawdling no? I know from friends in orchestras that if the orchestra is not inspired, then some of the members will only play the bare minimum to "look like" they are playing and some will not even play difficult fast passages and just let the principals carry the piece.

[Preston]

Sounds like a great evening, Ed! Also, I want to thank you for giving me more insight on sonata form, because of your analysis of Beethoven's symphonies on your blog. I really appreciate that blog.

[Ed C]

Sounds like a great evening, Ed! Also, I want to thank you for giving me more insight on sonata form, because of your analysis of Beethoven's symphonies on your blog. I really appreciate that blog.

Thanks Preston. Funnily enough, the analysis posts are not that popular based on my traffic stats, I get alot more hits with the "anecdote/funny" stuff. I hope that changes...