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Magdalena in Scotland
Posted by Michael Piepgras
|
Magdalena in Scotland April 15, 2009 03:33PM |
Magdalena will be in Glasgow (11. December 2009) and Edinburgh (12. December 2009) with SCO performing Mahler's songs "Des Knaben Wunderhorn".
For more informations go to page 12 of the pdf-files:
[sco.test.poptel.org.uk]
[sco.test.poptel.org.uk]
Michael
For more informations go to page 12 of the pdf-files:
[sco.test.poptel.org.uk]
[sco.test.poptel.org.uk]
Michael
|
Re: Magdalena in Scotland December 26, 2009 06:08PM |
Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 104 |
Here are some reviews from the two concerts with SCO:
SCO/Ticciati at City Halls, Glasgow
This concert said as much about the inexperience as the potential of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s new conductor
...
But the shadow of Rattle certainly hung over the first half. It comprised the First Symphony by one of Rattle’s most favoured contemporary composers, Hans Werner Henze, and six songs from Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn in which the soloist was Rattle’s wife, Magdalena Kozená. She sang suavely, with a wonderful legato — especially in the ghostly Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen. But there’s an emotional coolness about Kozená that seemed to inhibit her from engaging fully with the gathering horror of Das irdische Leben or the heavy irony of Lob des hohen Verstands. And Ticciati’s accompaniment, though flexible, needed more pungency. It was all rather genial.
...
The oddest moment was when Ticciati came out to conduct the Mahler, excused himself and rushed backstage, leaving Kozená standing like a lemon on the platform. He had forgotten his baton. What would Freud have made of that?
Richard Morrison in the Times – 14.12.2009
[entertainment.timesonline.co.uk]
CITY HALLS, GLASGOW
****
WHILE not wishing to play down the impressive debut appearance of 26-year-old Robin Ticciati as the SCO's new principal conductor, the unquestionable sensation of the evening was Czech-born mezzo soprano Magdalena Kozena's all-engaging, opulent and earthy performance of Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn.
Every aspect of the music was explored in a delivery heightened by evocative bodily gestures and genuine eye contact – operatic, yet never to excess. As a result, the delicacies of Mahler's score, from the magically understated fanfares of Die Schönen Trompeten to the eccentric animation of Lob des hohen Verstands, struck that magical middle ground between visionary rapture and dreamy intimacy.
Behind the aura of Kozena's captivating performance – who was visually stunning, too, in a glamorous golden ensemble – Ticciati elicited finely-etched support from his new orchestra.
...
Kenneth Walton in The Scotsman – 14.12.2009
[living.scotsman.com]
Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish National Orchestra at Glasgow City Hall, review
...
By the end the character of that slight tousled-hair figure on the podium was starting to emerge. Ticciati is alert to subtle shades of tone and meaning; he likes twilight and moments of doubt, but he can also galvanise a phrase with sudden energy. They were useful assets in the songs from Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn (sung by Magdalena Kozena, who registered the tender moments with great beauty but missed the songs’ satirical bite).
...
By Ivan Hewett in The Telegraph - Published: 11:08AM GMT 15 Dec 2009
[www.telegraph.co.uk]
Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Ticciati; Scottish Ensemble; Out of the Darkness
...
Indeed he was in the front row of the balcony to spur on the debutant and to watch his partner, the Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená, perform songs from Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn, settings of German folk poetry. Dressed in a gleaming gold fishtail sheath, even more dramatic than it sounds, and with a new richness to her vocal timbre, Kožená captured the variety of moods: teasing, lovelorn, martial, coquettish and ironic. Ticciati achieved good poise and tension, occasionally precarious, between soloist and orchestra, who shone, especially in "Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen", in which fate comes knocking at night on the young soldier's door.
…
Fiona Maddocks in The Guardian/The Observer – 20.12.2009
[www.guardian.co.uk]
SEEN AND HEARD UK CONCERT REVIEW
...
It was another coup for the orchestra to secure Magdalena Kožená as the soloist to share his debut – the Rattle connection, perhaps?! This always interesting mezzo brought her own unique brand of artistry to a selection from Mahler’s every-young Wunderhorn cycle. The lower register of her voice was less clear, but the middle and top are rich and full and, importantly, she tapped into the humour of Verlorne Müh and Lob des hohen Verstands. She also knew the tragedy of Das Irdische Leben, her singing becoming increasingly strident and urgent as the child gets hungrier. Rightly, however, it was Ticciati’s contribution that was the most individual. There was a lovely lilt to the string figure at the opening of both Rheinlegendchen and Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?, while the nasty string accompaniment to Das Irdische Leben caught the mood perfectly. The finest song of the cycle, however, was Wo die Schönen Trompeten blasen. The opening fanfares were laden with poignancy and both conductor and singer conjured a half-lit, melancholy sound world which contrasted dramatically with the songs on either side.
...
Simon Thompson in musicweb-international – 15.12.2009
[www.musicweb-international.com]
Henze: Symphony no. 1; Mahler; songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn; Brahms: Symphony no. 2
...
There is such a broad emotional palette in the songs, from the elemental terror of 'Das Irdische Leben' to the icy sarcasm of 'Lob Des Hohen Verstands', and maybe it's just greedy to regret that several of the songs in the set weren't performed. After all, Magdalena Kožená—resplendent in her brass mermaid gown—gave a delicious interpretation, rich with nuance and expression. Hers is a magnificent instrument, but her musical intelligence is more than just a gift of nature, and it is a real pleasure to encounter it.
...
Peter Cudmore in musicalcritisism.com – 17.12.2009
[www.musicalcriticism.com]
SCO/TicciatiUsher Hall, Edinburgh
4 / 5
...
Earlier in the concert, Ticciati demonstrated his attention to detail with the gossamer colours of Henze's First Symphony and showed himself to be a sympathetic accompanist for Magdalena Kožená, not exactly the ideal interpreter of Mahler's Wunderhorn Songs, particularly in a large space.
...
Rowena Smith in guardian.co.uk, Monday 14 December 2009
[www.guardian.co.uk]
SCO/Ticciati at City Halls, Glasgow
This concert said as much about the inexperience as the potential of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s new conductor
...
But the shadow of Rattle certainly hung over the first half. It comprised the First Symphony by one of Rattle’s most favoured contemporary composers, Hans Werner Henze, and six songs from Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn in which the soloist was Rattle’s wife, Magdalena Kozená. She sang suavely, with a wonderful legato — especially in the ghostly Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen. But there’s an emotional coolness about Kozená that seemed to inhibit her from engaging fully with the gathering horror of Das irdische Leben or the heavy irony of Lob des hohen Verstands. And Ticciati’s accompaniment, though flexible, needed more pungency. It was all rather genial.
...
The oddest moment was when Ticciati came out to conduct the Mahler, excused himself and rushed backstage, leaving Kozená standing like a lemon on the platform. He had forgotten his baton. What would Freud have made of that?
Richard Morrison in the Times – 14.12.2009
[entertainment.timesonline.co.uk]
CITY HALLS, GLASGOW
****
WHILE not wishing to play down the impressive debut appearance of 26-year-old Robin Ticciati as the SCO's new principal conductor, the unquestionable sensation of the evening was Czech-born mezzo soprano Magdalena Kozena's all-engaging, opulent and earthy performance of Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn.
Every aspect of the music was explored in a delivery heightened by evocative bodily gestures and genuine eye contact – operatic, yet never to excess. As a result, the delicacies of Mahler's score, from the magically understated fanfares of Die Schönen Trompeten to the eccentric animation of Lob des hohen Verstands, struck that magical middle ground between visionary rapture and dreamy intimacy.
Behind the aura of Kozena's captivating performance – who was visually stunning, too, in a glamorous golden ensemble – Ticciati elicited finely-etched support from his new orchestra.
...
Kenneth Walton in The Scotsman – 14.12.2009
[living.scotsman.com]
Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish National Orchestra at Glasgow City Hall, review
...
By the end the character of that slight tousled-hair figure on the podium was starting to emerge. Ticciati is alert to subtle shades of tone and meaning; he likes twilight and moments of doubt, but he can also galvanise a phrase with sudden energy. They were useful assets in the songs from Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn (sung by Magdalena Kozena, who registered the tender moments with great beauty but missed the songs’ satirical bite).
...
By Ivan Hewett in The Telegraph - Published: 11:08AM GMT 15 Dec 2009
[www.telegraph.co.uk]
Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Ticciati; Scottish Ensemble; Out of the Darkness
...
Indeed he was in the front row of the balcony to spur on the debutant and to watch his partner, the Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená, perform songs from Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn, settings of German folk poetry. Dressed in a gleaming gold fishtail sheath, even more dramatic than it sounds, and with a new richness to her vocal timbre, Kožená captured the variety of moods: teasing, lovelorn, martial, coquettish and ironic. Ticciati achieved good poise and tension, occasionally precarious, between soloist and orchestra, who shone, especially in "Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen", in which fate comes knocking at night on the young soldier's door.
…
Fiona Maddocks in The Guardian/The Observer – 20.12.2009
[www.guardian.co.uk]
SEEN AND HEARD UK CONCERT REVIEW
...
It was another coup for the orchestra to secure Magdalena Kožená as the soloist to share his debut – the Rattle connection, perhaps?! This always interesting mezzo brought her own unique brand of artistry to a selection from Mahler’s every-young Wunderhorn cycle. The lower register of her voice was less clear, but the middle and top are rich and full and, importantly, she tapped into the humour of Verlorne Müh and Lob des hohen Verstands. She also knew the tragedy of Das Irdische Leben, her singing becoming increasingly strident and urgent as the child gets hungrier. Rightly, however, it was Ticciati’s contribution that was the most individual. There was a lovely lilt to the string figure at the opening of both Rheinlegendchen and Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?, while the nasty string accompaniment to Das Irdische Leben caught the mood perfectly. The finest song of the cycle, however, was Wo die Schönen Trompeten blasen. The opening fanfares were laden with poignancy and both conductor and singer conjured a half-lit, melancholy sound world which contrasted dramatically with the songs on either side.
...
Simon Thompson in musicweb-international – 15.12.2009
[www.musicweb-international.com]
Henze: Symphony no. 1; Mahler; songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn; Brahms: Symphony no. 2
...
There is such a broad emotional palette in the songs, from the elemental terror of 'Das Irdische Leben' to the icy sarcasm of 'Lob Des Hohen Verstands', and maybe it's just greedy to regret that several of the songs in the set weren't performed. After all, Magdalena Kožená—resplendent in her brass mermaid gown—gave a delicious interpretation, rich with nuance and expression. Hers is a magnificent instrument, but her musical intelligence is more than just a gift of nature, and it is a real pleasure to encounter it.
...
Peter Cudmore in musicalcritisism.com – 17.12.2009
[www.musicalcriticism.com]
SCO/TicciatiUsher Hall, Edinburgh
4 / 5
...
Earlier in the concert, Ticciati demonstrated his attention to detail with the gossamer colours of Henze's First Symphony and showed himself to be a sympathetic accompanist for Magdalena Kožená, not exactly the ideal interpreter of Mahler's Wunderhorn Songs, particularly in a large space.
...
Rowena Smith in guardian.co.uk, Monday 14 December 2009
[www.guardian.co.uk]
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