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What I really love is his violin concerto.  Heard it live on at least 2 continents, maybe 3!I heard it played by Gil Shaham in New York when he was still a very young man making his mark. I did hear Kyung Wha Chung playing it in Cardiff not long before we came to live in France but she was past her best by then [:(] Can't look around for it now as I have to get ready to go out.  Perhaps Norman will post a link?

Norman, I've just GOT to tell you.... My new computer has bluetooth, which means that I can buy those speakers sans fil for it!!! But, I don't know if I'd need speakers as the volume is very LOUD and very clear and I am operating it at only 50%. So, you can now bring on all the stuff you find on line that you post for me and everyone else to listen to and I won't be struggling with sounds that break up or, even worse, that don't even come out other than as NOISES!

Did you hear that American soprano last night on Last Night? I thought she was sensational!

Heard Schubert's octet a few days ago on the radio and that's reminded me how much I like it! Here's a clip though I do think listening to the whole work in one sitting is the best way to go on the octet....[:)] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNKZiRtLzRk

Beethoven's fifth live to finish off the evening!   OK, BBC, I forgive you all the rubbish you broadcast.... Keep posting, please.  It's good to know what you are enjoying!

Yes, yes, my dears, house is filled with music day and night.  Radio, TV, opera live from Orange, and I have even found someone to talk music to on my weekly walks!  Mais oui, he is a wonderful and joyful find and we shall be meeting each other's "other halves" soon. Uchida, yes, I met her years ago in London and you are right, she is wonderful! In the meantime, I heard a programme on French radio with Tito Gobbi's daughter being interviewed.  So, here is a clip of TG that I think you'd enjoy: http://www.medici.tv/#!/tito-gobbi-maria-callas-tosca Happy Listening![:D]

We really enjoyed the concert and thought the playing was superbe, as was Sarah Conolly. For me, the programme was a bit unusual and definitely out of my comfort zone in parts though OH, being more familiar with the music, had a very good experience.  

Norman, are you about? Less than an hour (3 pm UK time) a concert from Cardogan Hall, live on Radio 3 or on bbc.co.uk/proms.  With Sarah Connolly & the Britten Sinfonia. I thought perhaps Fantasia concertante on a Theme of Corelli or Phaedra might appeal? Edit:  shamefaced apology [:$]  I meant FOUR pm French time of course!  NOT very good to be getting increasingly muddle-y in the head.  I think I said elsewhere that I'd been here 8 years when I meant 6. Not only do I confuse days of the week, but often months and even YEARS.  It makes me very cross and I hope I can find a way of overcoming this stupid feebleness.  

The ordi doesn't like the heat much and refuses to play continuously. But still it brings back memories of concerts from the Cadogan Hall, including one very special violin debut many years ago.  Now I have cancelled a planned fortnight in London, I need to have all the compensation I can manage, so thank you for the link.

[quote user="NormanH"]I could have done without La Vie en Rose  ..[:(] [/quote] Yes, I know.......[:D][:D] OTOH, who is that chap who sang "les feuilles mortes" and hit each note right in the middle? I could listen to him lots more. Then, there's old Alagna absolutely murdering the marseillaise......[:'(]

TV France 2 en direct open air concert from Paris on NOW!  Excuse me whilst I go and watch[:D]

Thank you for reminding me....she was truly a deserving winner.

Oh, oh, I forgot to mention Olena Tokar, singing Korngold's "Gluck das mir verblieb"..............(sigh) And I am always a sucker for "Rusalka" and she sang that beautifully too. PS:  here's the divine Renee Fleming: http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=gl%C3%BCck%20das%20mir%20verblieb&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDoQtwIwAg&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8GrC0Im7chI&ei=H5nQUfX0OfL24QS5mYC4BQ&usg=AFQjCNFIg-jEFLgaKxbakxibaFjQD2Smxw

Oh, Norman, what perceptive comments[:)] I, too, would have loved to have seen the Portuguese soprano in the final. As for the Croat, his Figaro was indeed not enjoyable. Spot on about lieder.  I was hoping someone would sing some Berlioz, some of the nuits d'été songs which would have given them a wonderful opportunity to show off their range. And yes, I did feel the people having Markl were much luckier and certainly very sensitive playing from the National Orchestra of Wales. Anyway, Proms time now!!!

I hate to tell you, Norman, but that was just about at the stage when OH said that he had some problems with the selection of the jury![:-))] He wondered why the glamorous judge (German?) who was some big shot with some opera company was there?! Still, in the end, they chose someone who wasn't, in their own words, exactly "contractable". The English tenor did deserve his prize but, where is the German soprano (?) who we thought was very good and deserved to be in the final? Anyway, to coin a phrase, "it isn't over until the fat lady wins"! No problems with the winner, her voice, technique, etc were "unfaultable". What we did think remarkable was that OH's son and his daughter-in-law, both members of the ECO, picked the right winner BEFORE the winner was announced. Still, all things considered, it was a wonderful competition and some of the singers were beyond sublime. Would welcome further thoughts you might have.     

Tonight's winner not my choice! Anybody else agree?

OK, Norman, iplayer at the ready please. I have now heard the full-length, main stream version and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I liked all 5 voices, if not all the pieces chosen.  You won't like the Handel! The orchestra played beautifully and I recognised a couple of friends there. PS  Thank you for my "little consolation"![:D]  Gemonimo coming to see me tomorrow so no doubt some of the conversation will be "camino talk".

Simon Russel Beale; can't stand the man, a real turn-off. I think I know the moment you mention about the Bach programme.  Was that also the one when they have some "handwriting expert" to make assumptions about what malfunctioning bits of the composer were hidden in his handwriting? Actually, having now walked the dog and complained to OH, emphasing and enlarging on some of the complaints I have made here, I am told that that was the BBC Wales version that I watched and that the "mainline" version was likely to be better. Now I don't know whether to feel even more infuriated and insulted than I did!  Although I am not Welsh, I have lived in Wales for large parts of my adult life.  I fail to imagine why the BBC would feel justified in feeding this unsavoury pap to the poor old Welsh people.  They really don't deserve it! 

Oh, Norman, I want you to imagine my disappointment and, NATURALLY, to sympathise....[:(] Last night, I rushed home from the gym, prepared myself to enjoy Cardiff singer, poured a nice chilled glass of Sardinian wine (excellent, on sale at Lidl at present BTW) and got myself some bits of toast and paté (well, I like to gratify ALL my senses at once whenever possible!) and .....how to describe the horrendous experience? They only showed bits of the the singers' performance, not enough for you to make any sort of informed judgement and leaving you totally dissatisfied.  They have some light-weight and badly out of their depth presenters and one of the experts is definitely not someone of consequence in the music world.  I think the BBC should now have another letter added to their name, a pre-fix as in the "Bl***y BBC" Why do they now think that we all suddenly need to be kept "entertained" by measures that hint at contempt for their audience and that we all have the attention span of gnats? 

Thank you, Norman.  The recent hot weather has had the computer in sultry and contrary mood. But, once I mentioned Wolf to OH, he went scurrying down to the sous-sol to see what we have of Wolf's.  He's turned up with a vinyl of Kiri te Kanawa singing some Wolf so that's to be enjoyed later. In the meantime, I heard Ileana Contrubas on France music a couple of days ago and so I am posting this for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtR6qUTU6Go Such a young Domingo!

Oops, sorry, I meant to post this link as well: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r2q2h/profiles/2013-competitors

Norman and anyone else who might be interested: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qn4b/features/2013-schedule  

And I thought you might like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J5cdzTw838

This evening, BBC TV Channel 4, "The genius of Verdi" with Villazon presenting.  For once, the word "genius" is appropriately applied, not to footballers or to pop song writers. I have a couple of Villazon DVDs and I am an admirer.  But, to have Renee Fleming as Violetta.........! OH and I, not having had the best of days, were dragged into nostalgia; thinking about all the Traviatas and Rigolettos we'd attended and where....o, la, la![:D][:D][:D]. My favourite Traviata was in New York and my favourite Rigoletto was in, believe or not, Cardiff! Happy days, lovely memories and makes the present a lot more bearable and somehow also more precious.....

yeah, I reckon, though I can't access it. It was strange to hear PD singing the bass baritone part but he does produce a very rich sound! I loved all 3 sopranos (well, 1 mezzo).