Tír Na HiFi

^^ another lovely picture, Fergus.... that's one of the things I really miss about not having a vinyl collection anymore; the covers and notes must be wonderful to leaf through... how many Classical LPs do you still own?

Tchaikovsky: Symph No.2
Arensky: Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky
Balakirev: Tamara

Noseda/ BBC Phil

Jared wrote:

Jose Echenique wrote:
I´ll be seeing Un Ballo in Maschera at the MET next week.

Pepe, I will be seeing it at a Met live screening, here in Hereford, on 8th December. Please let me know what you think.

Incidentally, when I went to see Verdi's Otello, there were 500 people in the audience, and I kid you not, at 44 year of age, I WAS the youngest!

I´m taking to NY my 26 year old nephew Gabriel who has just become a doctor. He is beginning to appreciate Classical Music, but of course I´ve been preparing him for a while. I gave him recordings of Missa Solemnis, Ballo in Maschera and Clemenza di Tito, and though it will take much more time before he "knows" the works, at least it is clear to him that Classical Music is worth the effort.
Earlier this year I took him to a Sondra Radvanovsky concert and he was thrilled. To hear a big, important, luscious soprano voice in the flesh immediately makes you realize that Celine Dion, Adele and Madonna are a joke. He can´t wait to hear her again in Ballo in Maschera. He also absolutely loved Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante last month. He was even willing to drive me 4 hours to the city of Guanajuato, where Biondi played.
We should all "adopt" a young idiot (ha, ha I hope Gabriel doesn´t read this) and try to give him something priceless in life: Classical Music.

^^ Pepe, I'm surprised you've even heard of Celine Dion, Adele or Madonna!! ...;-) although I hasten to add that if you played me a song by any of them, I'd probably struggle to tell you which is which, and I'd struggle to identify Adele in a line-up...

whilst I don't think that in the UK at least, an enjoyment of Classical Music is as 'class-based' as it is on your side of the pond, certain aspects of it only seem to appeal to an elderly section of the population. I know I've said this before, but a live Mahler Symph generally attracts a younger audience than Mendelssohn's Elijah, but Opera in the UK seems to come off worst... the average age for Otello had to be within the 75-80 bracket, which I find quite depressing...

Jared wrote:^^ Pepe, I'm surprised you've even heard of Celine Dion, Adele or Madonna!! ...;-) although I hasten to add that if you played me a song by any of them, I'd probably struggle to tell you which is which, and I'd struggle to identify Adele in a line-up...

whilst I don't think that in the UK at least, an enjoyment of Classical Music is as 'class-based' as it is on your side of the pond, certain aspects of it only seem to appeal to an elderly section of the population. I know I've said this before, but a live Mahler Symph generally attracts a younger audience than Mendelssohn's Elijah, but Opera in the UK seems to come off worst... the average age for Otello had to be within the 75-80 bracket, which I find quite depressing...

I´m not surprised Jared. Opera is very expensive, especially in these times when government subsidies have almost disappeared and ticket prices have rocketed to the Moon. 4 Tickets for Ballo and Clemenza costed me $1,200.U.S. though of course these were the priciest tickets.
Still, at least here you can see some, not many of course, but some young people at the Opera and many more for the HD MET cinema performances, in fact, surprisingly they are often sold out.

<and I'd struggle to identify Adele in a line-up...>

She is the chubby one :-)

Jose Echenique wrote: 4 Tickets for Ballo and Clemenza costed me $1,200.U.S.

Yes, one ticket would work out at very roughly £225, which is around 30% of my monthly salary after tax; 4 tickets would be more than I earn in a month, so it would be out of the question as an experience for me, if I lived in NY. The Met screenings in Hereford cost me £12.50 each (based on £50 for a block of 4 concerts) which is still a consideration, but is an affordable luxury.

calm descends.....

Finishing Mahler 7 previously interrupted by rugby. Pushing the volume as far as I dare!!

Jared wrote:^^ another lovely picture, Fergus.... that's one of the things I really miss about not having a vinyl collection anymore; the covers and notes must be wonderful to leaf through... how many Classical LPs do you still own?

Yes, they are lovely to handle Jared and, I find, provide a subtly different listening experience. I would have approximately 300 LPs and my problem until relatively recently was that I did not have a proper turntable on which to play them. That problem was resolved hence the proliferation of vinyl posts in the recent past.

Jose Echenique wrote:
I´m taking to NY my 26 year old nephew Gabriel who has just become a doctor. He is beginning to appreciate Classical Music, but of course I've been preparing him for a while....

Members should here read brainwashing LOL!!!