One of our favorite ways to ring in the new year is by watching the Vienna Philharmonic's annual New Year's Day concert. As always, the concert was great. Enjoy!
Google is Combining Virtual Reality with Concerts
Google is experimenting with quasi virtual reality and performances. Google's Cultural Institute has recorded some performances from a number of groups like the Berlin Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra.
It looks just like a YouTube video, but you can manipulate the camera angle (with your mouse) and look like around as if you were there. We must admit we enjoyed feeling like we were sitting in front of the Low Brass section while listening to Peer Gynt. This is very early days for the experiment, but it could be interesting to see where this leads and what it might mean for attending a concert someday.
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Previewing the Boston Symphony's 2015-2016 Season
The Boston Symphony's new season starts soon. Here's what we're looking forward to.
Symphony #9-Shostakovich
Symphony #2-Brahms
Elektra-Strauss
Symphony #5-Shostakovich
Symphony #3-Beethoven
Petrushka (1911)-Stravinsky
Suite from Romeo and Juliet-Tchaikovsky
Symphony #1-Mahler
Symphony #9-Mahler
La Mer-Debussy
What are you looking forward to in the BSO's upcoming season? Let us know in the comments.
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Watch the Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2015
The PBS Program Great Performances has a must see concert coming tomorrow night. It's an outdoor concert from the Vienna Philharmonic and the program looks great. Here's a peek:
Richard Strauss
Wiener Philharmoniker Fanfare op. 109
Edvard Grieg
Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 16 (Buchbinder soloist)
Alfred Grünfeldt
Soirée de Vienne (Buchbinder)
Christian Sinding
Rustle of Spring, op. 32, Nr. 3
Edvard Grieg
Peer-Gynt-Suite Nr. 1, op. 46
Jean Sibelius
Finlandia, Tondichtung op. 26/7
Hans Christian Lumbye
Copenhagener Eisenbahn Dampf Galopp
Johann Strauss II
Wiener Blut, “Viennese Spirit” Waltz
Finlandia and other gems are always great from this orchestra. More than anything else though, we want to hear the Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare. This is an awesome piece written for this orchestra and it's awesome every time they play it. To be clear, if any orchestra within 100 miles plays this, we would go see it. If you only have 5 minutes on Friday night, be sure to watch this piece open the concert.
To give a preview, here's a video someone grabbed of the Vienna Philharmonic brass section playing the fanfare at a ball in 2011. It's like the tuba is going to peel paint off the wall ans it is glorious.
What are you thinking forward to on this program? Tell us in the comments.
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The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on Amazon
See the LA Philharmonic in 3D
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has an interesting project coming up that piqued our interest. Van Beethoven, which is not a band your dad was into in the 70s, is a virtual reality experience with the LA Philharmonic.
The experience will be offered in different locations in the LA area from September 29-October 13. The orchestra bills it like this on their website
“VAN Beethoven is a 4-minute virtual reality experience using new Oculus technology that allows you to experience a private concert with the LA Phil from our specially-designed touring truck, which is complete with authentic carpet and seating from Walt Disney Concert Hall. You’ll put on the headset and immediately be transported to Walt Disney Concert Hall to experience the opening minutes of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, with a few surprises.”
There's a number of things that intrigued us about this. First, the use of Oculus Rift stands out. Oculus Rift is virtual reality headset that Facebook bought some time ago. It's widely regarded as the best virtual reality out there, so far at least. To out knowledge, this is the most prominent use of the technology within this type of setting.
Over at PSFK, there's some pictures of the rig used to capture the recording. If it works as advertised, you'll be able to move your head around and change your viewing perspective of the orchestra.
The next thing that stood out to us is the use of binaural audio to record the orchestra. If you're not familiar with the concept, see the video below for a good explanation. If it works as advertised, when you move, the visual perspective as well as what you hear will change with your movements like in the actual concert hall. Binaural Audio has some drawbacks for recorded music, but the pairing with this setting it especially intriguing.
Will this work? It's hard to tell. It it does "work", it's only a 4 minute experience. There was undoubtedly conversations that broke out around the phonograph and what it meant for the live concert experience. We don't think anything ever replaces the live concert experience, but it could be fun to see them try. When we see Beethoven's 5th we always sit up in the seat during the 4th movement. Would it be the same sitting up with a virtual reality headset on?
We collaborated with the talented @GustavoDudamel and @LAPhil to bring Beethoven to #VR: http://t.co/DGbBerbs6f pic.twitter.com/fbArhfuQGe
— Secret Location (@secretlocation) August 6, 2015
Would you watch a concert through virtual reality? Tell us in the comments.
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Previewing the Chicago Symphony 2015-2016 Season
The Chicago Symphony's season starts soon. We take a look below at we're looking forward to this season. The National Brass Ensemble has a concert on the schedule in September. What better way to start the year?
Christopher Martin will perform the Haydn Trumpet Concerto in October. This is one not to be missed. Also, the CSO will perform Alan Silvestri's score from Back to the Future. Now, on the future.
Symphony #5-Beethoven
Symphony #1-Mahler
Pictures at an Exhibition-Mussorgsky (Ravel)
National Bras Ensemble Concert-Various
Espana-Chabrier
Bolero-Ravel
Concert Music for Brass and String Orchestra-Hindemith
Trumpet Concerto-Haydn
On the Waterfront-Bernstein
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story-Bernstein
Til Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks-Strauss
Rhapsody in Blue-Gershwin
Symphony #7-Dvorak
Score from Home Alone-Williams
Chicago Symphony Brass-Various
Ein Heldenleben-Strauss
Symphonies #1 and #15-Shostakovich
Score from Back to the Future-Silvestri
Symphony #2-Sibelius
Sheherezade-Rimsky-Korsakov
An Alpine Symphony-Strauss
Enigma Variations-Elgar
The Sorcerer's Apprentice-Dukas
The Firebird-Stravinsky
The Planets-Holst
Score from Raiders of the Lost Ark-Williams
What are you looking forward to in the CSO's year ahead? Tell us in the comments.
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The Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Amazon
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra on iTunes
Previewing the Philadelphia Orchestra 2015-2016 Season
We're looking forward to the Philadelphia Orchestra's season. There's lots to look forward to including a children's concert with Blair Bollinger. All children should learn about the Bass Trombone, right?
Don Juan-Strauss
Bolero-Ravel
Pixar in Concert-Various
Symphony #3-Beethoven
The Planets-Holst
Symphony #5-Beethoven
Symphony #3-Brahms
Music from Fantasia-Various
Rhapsody in Blue-Gershwin
Symphony #5-Shostakovich
Finlandia-Sibelius
Appalachian Spring-Copland
The Firebird-Stravinksy
Symphony #6-Tchaikovsky
Symphony #4-Bruckner
Overture to the School for Scandal-Barber
Symphony #7-Dvorak
Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra-Britten
Symphony #8-Mahler
An American in Paris-Gershwin
Sound all Around Brass-Children's concert with Blair Bollinger
Symphony #7-Prokofiev
Various Film Works-John Williams
What are you looking forward to the upcoming season? Tell us in the comments.
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Philadelphia Orchestra on iTunes
Philadelphia Orchestra on Amazon
Previewing the Cleveland Orchestra 2015-2016 Season
The 2015-2016 season for the Cleveland Orchestra begins soon. Here's some things we're looking forward to hearing.
An Alpine Symphony-Strauss
Symphony #3-Mahler
Also Sprach Zarathustra-Strauss
Symphony Fantastique-Berlioz
Symphony #4-Shostakovich
Symphony #7-Dvorak
Symphony #4-Nielsen
Symphony #6-Bruckner
Excerpts from Gotterdammerung-Wagner
Symphony #3-Beethoven
Ein Heldenleben-Strauss
What are you looking forward to in Cleveland this year? Let us know in the comments.
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Previewing the Los Angeles Philharmonic 2015-2016 Season
The Los Angeles Philharmonic 2015-2016 season starts soon. Here's a sample of some things we're looking forward to hearing
Symphony #9-Beethoven
Symphony #3-Beethoven
Symphony #5-Beethoven
Symphony #7-Beethoven
The Rite of Spring-Stravinsky
An Alpine Symphony-Strausss
Symphony #5-Shostakovich
Symphony #4-Tchaikovsky
Symphony #5-Tchaikovsky
Symphony #8-Dvorak
Symphony #1-Mahler
Appalachian Spring-Copland
Symphony #3-Mahler
The Pine of Rome-Respighi
The Fountains of Rome-Respighi
Symphonie Fantastique-Berlioz
What else are you looking for to that we left out? Let us know in the comments.
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Previewing the NY Philharmonic 2015-2016 Season
The 2015-2016 season for the NY Phil begins soon. It also begins with continuing uncertainty for who will fill the principal trumpet chair. Time will tell where they land with that but on to the upcoming season and some things we're looking forward to hearing.
On the Waterfront-Leonard Bernstein
The Godfather-Nino Rota
Symphony #7-Beethoven
Ein Heldenleben-Richard Strauss
Symphony #5-Beethoven
Horn Concerto #2-Mozart
Symphony #4-Beethoven
Till Eulenspiegel-Richard Strauss
Finlandia-Sibelius
Symphony #6-Bruckner
Roman Festivals-Respighi
Fountains of Rome-Respighi
Pines of Rome-Respighi
Symphony #6-Mahler
Symphony #6-Beethoven
Symphony #9-Mahler
Symphony #2-Sibelius
John Williams Celebration-John Williams (Duh)
Tuba Concerto-John Williams
The Planets-Holst
Lots of good things to look forward to.
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New York Philharmonic on Amazon
New York Philharmonic on iTunes