Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to The New Coffee Room. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Rach III concert update
Topic Started: Mar 19 2006, 08:50 PM (454 Views)
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

I'll post some pictures later, but it was awesome.

Long story short? Olga Kern played it PERFECTLY, out of all the dozens of recordings I've heard, her live performance today is probably the 2nd best (accuracy + interpretation) that I've ever heard. Just amazing to hear something like that live.

Ok, more later...12+ hours of driving in one day is enough. :snooze:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Axtremus
Member Avatar
HOLY CARP!!!
Oy, stop teasing, and SPILL!

What did she wear?
How was her do?

Post pictures, and we want close-ups!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

I'll put it this way...

She was wearing a red dress.

And when I was walking out of the theater, she had already left, but she had the manager of the Bardavon personally deliver an autographed picture, to me. :cool:

More details later... :devil:

Tired.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

Ok, here's the long story:

Aqua and I left at 8am, drove 5 or 6 hours to the Bardavon Opera House, and got there with much time to spare, so that was good.

We wore jeans and a casual shirt in the car, and when we got there, although there were many old folks all dressed up, there was also a significant amount of people dressed with jeans and what not, so we decided not to change, and just went in.

We had front row center seats (although not the angle where you can see the keys). The maestro answered questions for a bit and then the orchestra came out and everyone got ready.

First of all, it was a concert grand Yamaha piano - probably the nicest piano I'll ever see!! Since the top of the piano was lifted up, we could actually see the reflection into the piano where the hammers are, so that's basically what I watched the whole time.

Olga came out, wearing her nice red dress, and started up. Let me tell you, there's nothing like hearing it live! It's absolutely amazing to hear a piano get sucha work out, I dont know how the hammers moved up and down so fast. Physically, it seems impossible. Olga has STRONG hands and played parts very loud and it was just awesome. I sat there mesmerized watching this. It was also nice to hear the philharmonic play their part live as well, definitely an awesome experience.

Olga played it perfectly. SO accurate, but she also interpreted certain parts her own way which sounded wonderful. It was honestly probably the second best "recording" I've ever heard, and I saw it live.

So, I have some pics, and I'll show them later when I get home, but it was well worth the trip. I need to keep on the lookout for more local performances of it, but it's honestly just a surreal experience to see the piano played so well - using probably the hardest piano piece for any concerti.

Afterwards, she was in the lobby giving autographs, so Aqua and I went in line to just say hi, shake her hand, and she signed our program too. She has STRONG hands, (man hands from seinfeld), but I guess you need them. She also has a thick russian accent. I told her we drove up 7 hours this morning to see her and some other quick chit chat. I had my camera with me and I asked if Aqua could take a pic of her and I quickly, she actually said no because the line was moving, but said we could later, so I didn't think much of it, and didn't expect anything later anyway.

We went back in for another symphonic piece, but afterwards we were walking out of the Bardavon, and I saw the owner of the place and told him "good job" etc and he said he hoped we liked it. I told him, yeah we did and we drove up 7 hours this morning to see it. That sparked his attention. Apparently Olga Kern signed two photos and gave them to the owner to give to "the guys who drove 7 hours this morning", so we lucked out and he delivered them just as she asked! She is a class act!!!!

Anyway, awesome time, and I would totally do it again.

Again, just so surreal to see/hear it in person and to think someone can play the piano so fast, well, long, etc. I was sitting there the whole time, but after the performance I just felt wiped of energy! What a good time...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Phlebas
Member Avatar
Bull-Carp
I think I heard her banging from my house in NYC. :D

Just kidding. Glad you liked it. She is a gracious and exiting performer (just wish she didn't bang so much).
She played her NYC debut at Lincoln Center last week, and I heard her interviewed on WQXR while I was driving to work. She had some interesting things to say about the Russian school of piano playing.

How was the orchestra?
Random FML: Today, I was fired by my boss in front of my coworkers. It would have been nice if I could have left the building before they started celebrating. FML

The founding of the bulk of the world's nation states post 1914 is based on self-defined nationalisms. The bulk of those national movements involve territory that was ethnically mixed. The foundation of many of those nation states involved population movements in the aftermath. When the only one that is repeatedly held up as unjust and unjustifiable is the Zionist project, the term anti-semitism may very well be appropriate. - P*D


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

The orchestra did a very good job. I'm not too experienced with orchestra education, so I don't know what to look for. They sounded fine (and it's interesting to hear it live as compared to a CD where the sound is mixed), so they actually sounded quieter than I usually hear on CD.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

I totally forgot to mention!

We met someone from Piano World!

His name is "Rach 3 Freak" I think, and he's 14, but kinda crazy to meet someone who also posts on that forum.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DivaDeb
HOLY CARP!!!
I'm glad you guys had such a great time. We heard Kern play the Rach 3 with the Warsaw Phil here in town last season. I thought she was a remarkable player. Passionate.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

Nice!

I'm thinking about traveling up to Trenton, NJ (3 hour drive) to see it again on May 12th. Different pianist though...Brondoff or something? :shrug:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
***musical princess***
Member Avatar
HOLY CARP!!!
Sounds like you had great fun, Isaac!!

Where's Aqua? What did he wear (edit - sorry - i clearly can't read :doh: :P )? :P

And where are those photos!!! :sword: :P

x
x Caroline x
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

Photos are still at home (and I'm still at work :mad:), and Aqua wore same as me. Jeans and a shirt...

Definitely a fun time. I'm already looking into other rach 3 performances!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

Ok here are some pics...

Me outside the Bardavon:
Posted Image

In front of the concert grand:
Posted Image

The concert grand (LD, it's a Yamaha!!! :woot:), and probably the nicest piano I will ever see!
Posted Image

This is the view we had. The picture came out small, but I tried to write on the picture that this is where you could see (since the piano top was open during the performance), where you could see the "reflections of the piano hammers", so that's what we watched the whole time...really cool to watch those piano hammers move so quickly!!!
Posted Image

Olga and the Maestro after the performance:
Posted Image

Where she initially signed my program:
Posted Image

The personal autograph she gave us later!! :woot: "With Love, Olga"
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
***musical princess***
Member Avatar
HOLY CARP!!!
That's so cool!


You totally don't look like you in that first picture! Have you had your hair cut recently?

x
x Caroline x
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

Yeah, got a haircut about a week ago. :P
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Phlebas
Member Avatar
Bull-Carp
89th,

I can't begin to tell you how well you fit in with downtown Poughkeepsie.

:sombrero:
Random FML: Today, I was fired by my boss in front of my coworkers. It would have been nice if I could have left the building before they started celebrating. FML

The founding of the bulk of the world's nation states post 1914 is based on self-defined nationalisms. The bulk of those national movements involve territory that was ethnically mixed. The foundation of many of those nation states involved population movements in the aftermath. When the only one that is repeatedly held up as unjust and unjustifiable is the Zionist project, the term anti-semitism may very well be appropriate. - P*D


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

I'm not sure what you mean? :confused:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DivaDeb
HOLY CARP!!!
cool pix!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Phlebas
Member Avatar
Bull-Carp
The 89th Key
Mar 21 2006, 07:08 AM
I'm not sure what you mean? :confused:

I was just kidding.
Great pictures.
Random FML: Today, I was fired by my boss in front of my coworkers. It would have been nice if I could have left the building before they started celebrating. FML

The founding of the bulk of the world's nation states post 1914 is based on self-defined nationalisms. The bulk of those national movements involve territory that was ethnically mixed. The foundation of many of those nation states involved population movements in the aftermath. When the only one that is repeatedly held up as unjust and unjustifiable is the Zionist project, the term anti-semitism may very well be appropriate. - P*D


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
George K
Member Avatar
Finally
Red Dress. VERY RED!

Cool.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

Phlebas
Mar 21 2006, 10:28 AM
The 89th Key
Mar 21 2006, 07:08 AM
I'm not sure what you mean? :confused:

I was just kidding.
Great pictures.

I'm sure I could take some guesses as to what you meant! :P
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The 89th Key
Member Avatar

Just got 2 more tickets to hear Branfman play Rach3 in Trenton, NJ on May 12th!!! :woot: :woot:

Great seats too!!! :D :D
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
***musical princess***
Member Avatar
HOLY CARP!!!
The 89th Key
Mar 21 2006, 02:10 PM
Yeah, got a haircut about a week ago. :P

You seem, women notice these things.

:sombrero:

x
x Caroline x
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · The New Coffee Room · Next Topic »
Add Reply