Eugene Ysaÿe

Sonatele lui Eugene Ysaÿe: audiţie completă la Cluj. Premieră în România: Alexandru Tomescu este primul român care le interpretează în acest format.

Paganini. Ysaÿe. Ce urmează?

Dream Theater @ Budapest

All photos by ColourOfAir (c) 2012.

Boris Berezovsky playing Bela Bartok in Cluj

Fabulous evening last night in Cluj: piano virtuoso offered a great Bela Bartok moment (concert no.2 for piano and orchestra in G major) being acompaigned by the national hungarian orchestra lead by Zoltan Kocsis.

DBE3: Dordeduh

Blue&yellow

(c) LiftingShadows, 2011

 

My little angel

(c) LiftingShadows, 2011

Neal Morse: Testimony 2 in Budapest

On the 11th of June 2011 in Budapest I have seen the best progressive rock concert ever. I used to say that Neal Morse is the best progressive music composer in the world: but now I think he’s better.

The venue: Diesel club – in what seemed to be one of the suburbs of Budapest. It was a small place but the sound was good and there was no smoke inside. The place was not overcrowded but the public was from the quality area. J I do not think Neal was disappointed with us.

 

The show: This was the best show ever; the people in the Diesel club must have been the most inspired ones from Hungary. The band played for over three hours although this was the fifth gig in a row with no brake day. But none of the players looked tired to me. They had so much energy, so much precision and they displayed so high skills.

Neal Morse was of course the heart of the show. Fabulous keyboard playing and mind blowing guitar solos. I knew him master of the keys but man! I have never seen him play the guitar like this. He was a god – and if you think that’s heretic check out psalm 82. Neal had so many joyful moments on the stage: when he sang true joy could be read from his face. He put his heart in every line his singing was such a powerful testimony. But also when the others play he blended in so well and was really enjoying the music, the good prog. It was a thrill seeing him so passionate about music. Where do you get all that energy Neal?

 

Colin Leijenaar. His drumming was awesome: the powerful style, good rhythm and amazing skill. Seeing him play made me think that he really burns slow music.

Kristoffer Gildenlow was a great presence in this set. He completed the great rhythm section and I think he was exactly what a bass player should be: not very visible on the scene but essential to a good performance.

Paul Bielatowicz. His guitar was a thrill to listen. Great technical skills, good vibe on the rhythm section and much emotion on the slower parts and solos.

Nathan Brenton was a good partner for Paul, as can be seen in the photo. He also played the cello.

  

Ben Mathot. He seemed to be a very talented violin player and really got the attention of the crowd in some moments.

Jessica Koomen. She had a good contribution to the rhythm section (tambourine) and had a nice voice. Great to hear so fine voices on the acapella part.

Ola Heden. I did not see him very much as he was placed in the rear of the scene, but I think he was responsible for those lovely fusion sounds.

So, if you could have come to Neal’s concert and did not, then it was one of your biggest misses. A fabulous band led but the greatest composer out there. Symphonic sound, awesome virtuous music, great progressive composition. Thank you Neal and God bless! Although this has just ended I already want to see you again.

Here’s a video I took:

Rating: 10/10

Alexandru Tomescu la Cluj

Chiar dacă mâine nu voi putea să merg la concertul lui Alexandru Tomescu – Paganini: Înger sau Demon – 24 Capricii, am reuşit să aud minunatul sunet al viorii Stradivarius azi la TedxCluj. A cântat Bach şi un capriciu al unui compozitor polonez al cărui nume nu l-am reţinut.

Alexandru Tomescu –  Photo by LiftingShadows, (c) 2011

Îmi cer scuze pentru mâna tremurândă:

Ready 4 Neal

Concert anulat

De săptămâna trecută de când am luat biletul pentru concertul Bartok-Enescu am avute emoţii văzând numărul redus de bilete vândute: vreo 20 (?). Azi m-a incomodat o premoniţie legată de o eventuală anulare a concertului. Şi mă întreb dacă lipsa de interes a publicului poate fi motivul pentru această dezamăgire. Şi cât de rar se cântă Bartok la Cluj.

Dacă s-a anulat… corect?

Playlistul trebuia să fie:

Bela Bartok – Sonata pentru vioara si pian, op. posth

George Enescu – Sonata nr. 2 pentru pian si vioara in fa minor, op.6

Bela Bartok – Cantece populare maghiare (ar. de Joseph Szigeti)

George Enescu – Sonata nr. 3 pentru pian si vioara in la minor, op. 25 – “In caracter popular romanesc”