La Nature est un temple

25/09-2023

Performed by Solistes Européens Luxembourg in Philarmonie Luxembourg, pianist Jan Lisiecki and conducted by Christoph König.

I had a great time going to these concerts. It started off with Rossini's overture, a charming prelude which I absolutely love and went on to the Temporale. The intensity and passion of the orchestra was stunning. I think the opera as a whole is extremely catchy and memorable. I particularly enjoyed the wide variety of orchestral instruments which all contribute to make it sound very layered and well made. It’s also very familiar to me, because its so popular and iconic.

However, the focus of the performance was Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20. I really enjoyed this as well. The absolute highlight of the concert was seeing the pianist Jan Lisiecki’s captivating performance. Since I was positioned in the third row, I could clearly see Lisiecki's dramatic and physical aspect of his performance. I could see him sweating wildly as his fingers surged over the piano, which absolutely highlighted the emotional experience of Mozart’s piano concerto.

Concluding the evening was Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony. Prior to the concert I had read about how Beethoven enjoyed depicting nature's landscapes as he spent a great deal of his time with walks, which really helped the expression of his symphony for me.

La clemenza di Tito

26/10-2023

Directed by Fabio Biondi in the Grand Theatre of the City of Luxembourg.

I had a great time going to these concerts. It started off with Rossini's overture, a charming prelude which I absolutely love and went on to the Temporale. The intensity and passion of the orchestra was stunning. I think the opera as a whole is extremely catchy and memorable. I particularly enjoyed the wide variety of orchestral instruments which all contribute to make it sound very layered and well made. It’s also very familiar to me, because its so popular and iconic.

However, the focus of the performance was Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20. I really enjoyed this as well. The absolute highlight of the concert was seeing the pianist Jan Lisiecki’s captivating performance. Since I was positioned in the third row, I could clearly see Lisiecki's dramatic and physical aspect of his performance. I could see him sweating wildly as his fingers surged over the piano, which absolutely highlighted the emotional experience of Mozart’s piano concerto.

Concluding the evening was Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony. Prior to the concert I had read about how Beethoven enjoyed depicting nature's landscapes as he spent a great deal of his time with walks, which really helped the expression of his symphony for me.

Schwanensee

26/10-2023

Performed in TRIFOLION Echternach

Tonight’s performance was very eventful. I haven’t seen many ballets before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I still held great excitement due to how famous Swan Lake is, how much I’ve heard about it, how much I’ve listened to it myself, and for being one of the first compositions I performed in a recital (even though it was during my beginner years).

Overall, the ballet felt incredibly colourful, energetic and lively, which I really enjoyed. However, I was a bit disappointed because there wasn’t actually a live orchestra, and I didn’t realise it until I had gotten there. I had to make do with a recording from speakers from the ceiling. The music was still great, but the main reason I go to these sorts of performances is because I can listen to however much Tchaikovsky I want at home and going to a room where I can personally witness a real orchestra is something I find very captivating. There’s just something about the vibrations in the air.

Still, the performance was good. I felt as if the dancers were extremely skilled. They moved so comfortably and with so much confidence it looked like they knew exactly what they were doing. One thing I noticed and particularly enjoyed was how animated the performers were. Their body language was just so clear, and it really helped in understanding what was happening on scene. For example, someone in the background of what I think was Prince Siegfried’s court, a nobleman, asked someone for a dance by getting on one knee and very visibly showing they were inviting them out to the ballroom.