(Too long for Insta). Here I am, in my usual place, about to hear Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orch do Duke Bluebeard. In 1992 I was standing a few feet from here, and Fischer was about to come on and give the upbeat for the same piece. The BFO were playing at the #Proms for the first time, and it felt like a big deal. That day I had returned from my first Interrail trip. In fact 48 hours previously I had been in Budapest, traipsing around with my rucksack, soaking in the Gellert baths, eating goose scratchings at the market, doing the things you do. I must have stunk the Arena out, but everyone was too nice to say so. In the first half of the Prom Kocsis played the Liszt First Cto, with dazzling panache. Komlosi and Polgar were the singers in the #Bartok, and the rhythm of the piece as a musical conversation felt quite different from how I had come to know it - I had heard it first at ENO in 1991, when my school's head of music had taken the A-level music students (and me) on a trip. Dear Peter Woodward: he had been a trumpeter at the Coronation, then went to study in Hungary during dark times, and this music meant everything to him. Then I bought the Boulez LP with Troyanos and Nimsgern (2nd hand, of course, from one of the London emporia). This was something else, much less lush and Mahlerian, quicker and more direct. More Hungarian, of course. When Polgar began the narration it felt like we were staring down the mouth of a long black tunnel. Vigyazz, vigyazz mirank, Judit! Some years later, Polgar returned as Bluebeard - this time with #Boulez conducting! Everything comes around.
Mid Bucharest Opera Festival, a great pleasure to catch the season's final concert by the Chamber Orchestra of Romanian Radio. @jonathanbloxham rightly told the audience what a super #Beethoven orchestra they are after an Emperor Concerto as insightful and exciting as I've heard in a long while. @martinjamesbartlett made every note count. Entirely in his own way, but I couldn't help thinking of Brendel and how (i hope) he'd have appreciated it. Also some roosting ducks in my beloved Cismigiu Park.
Donizetti's Rita at the Bucharest Opera Festival - the Romanian premiere, with the Chamber Orchestra of Romanian Radio and super Italian cast. Fun times afterwards with Graziella Duma, deputy director of the orchestra. #Donizetti #Bucharest #bucharestoperafestival
Return to Bucharest! The first night of the Bucharest Opera Festival, and all of musical Bucharest has turned out. Gounod's Faust, done by the local company.
Saturday, and the climax of the Van Cliburn. But first! - a return visit to Barber's Bookstore, having accepted the invitation of the Confederate supporting proprietor to inspect his late father's library of organ books.
The reserve collection upstairs turns out to be an Aladdin's cave. I feel as though I'm rummaging through the sum of human knowledge, while picking my way around ad hoc sleeping arrangements and alarming grinders and sanders. I take away two huge volumes on Cavaillé-Coll, because... well, because. Mr Perkins is very kind, when not informing me that most of our British politicians should be taken out and hanged.
The final concert reinforces my enthusiasm for Philipp Lynov, who pulls out an enthralling Prokofiev 2. Aristo Sham is awarded the gold medal, to varying degrees of acclaim. He must have done something right, I suppose, because I can't get the Andante of Brahms 2 out of my head.
Then time for drinking, and fireworks, and happy times with dear friends old and new.
Friday at the Van Cliburn. Return to the Chinese cafe to banish the hangover with a fry-up. Bus to the Modern Art Museum. Patchy, but a wonderful Bacon self-portrait. Then the other half of the Kimbell. More extraordinary treasures. This Friedrich is pure Bruckner 8. And one of the classic existential Munchs. Then my first In-N-Out. Been looking forward to that for years, and it didn't disappoint. Chocolate milkshake out of shot. Very fine Beethoven 4 from Evzen Ozel. More drinking.
Highlights from the extraordinary riches of the Kimbell Collection, led by this Supper at Emmaus by Bellini. Then the daily cattle drive laid on for the tourists to tell the origin story of Fort Worth 150 years ago.
Not too late, I hope, to post highlights from Day 2 of Basel last week. The Münster - all very fine, but what grabbed me were the misericords. Of uncertain date (?) and utterly delightful, esp the lady with the b00bies worn shiny over the centuries by (again ???) bored and horny monks and clerics. Basel Zoo is very spacious and full of special creatures, including three of my best friends #giraffes #Basel #loveBasel #rheingold #wagner
Parsifalreise, Day 4 - Berlin State Opera. The most sophisticated stagecraft and storytelling so far, and outstanding lead roles, especially Schager as Parsifal and Baumgartner as Kundry. #Parsifal #Berlin #Wagner
Parsifalreise, day 3 - day off yesterday. Have a giraffe from Budapest Zoo. My last visit was 20 years ago and they've smartened the place up. Sam the alligator is still there, now almost 80, but I remember snakes twining themselves around the guardrails on the walkways above him. Now they keep them behind glass, including a pair of *massive* anacondas. And Komodo dragons! And wombats! (They're v proud of their Australian section). All the cool creatures, in fact. But obviously the giraffes win.
Berlin was deserted when I arrived off the night train. High Mass at St Hedwig's Cathedral was fabulous. Complete with the Coronation Mass, and the Hallelujah chorus (in Englisch?!). You know what's coming at the Staatsoper.
Good Friday, Parsifal, Hungarian National Opera, Budapest.
Another staging that cycles back and across time, with multiple Parsifals and moments where several things are happening at once, 30 years apart. Moments of extreme silliness, too! On to Berlin...
#Parsifal #wagner #karfreitagszauber #Budapest
