Though I loved the concert, I thought it a very strange way to present the music. The 4 different works were played not only with no intermission, but with almost no pause between them, not even one allowing for late seating after the Haydn, and no time even for listeners to digest a work, its thematic or tonal expression. Sitting close, I could see Schiff looked extremely tired and worn, even before he began, and wondered if he were simply trying to get it all done quickly and efficiently. But the encore piece made it obvious that even if he were sick or over-fatigued, he could bring incredible strength and musicianship to a complex and subtle work, even after playing nonstop for 95 minutes. I too was impressed by the embellishments to the Mozart. Schiff’s elegant control at times seems detached, and his emphases random. Unlike Igor Levit’s playing, it was impossible to detect any personality in Schiff’s. He strives to express only his musical perfectionism and a composer’s formal intention, as it is written, achieves it, and then he seems to disappear. Viewed up close, it can sometimes be disconcerting, if you’ll excuse the pun.

Excellent performances, of course. However, the programming was depressing and far too grim for Valentine’s Day. The Brahms in particular was a poor piece to open with, despite the wonderful singer.

One of the most intelligent and informed reviews I’ve read in a long time. I agree with most of what you say, but nevertheless loved the concert, the program and the energy and thought Levit put into the performances, even if over-interpreted certain portions of them. I like his attitude, not always his execution. I do agree that the Bach Gigue was over the top but believe Levit will get it right when he matures. He seemed very proud of himself when that was over. Gould wouldn’t have preened. We have already seen many artists who break down doors everywhere but in A2. I’m sure Schiff will do well. Limiting the size of the hall the doors open into may be the secret.

Exquisite, nearly perfect, as expected. Why a group like this programmed the Schubert – a trivial, boring work – is beyond me. The Mendelssohn was somewhat more interesting, but still juvenalia, unworthy of their sophisticated talenst. Luckily the Dvorak encore left me with the same joy, gratitude and admiration that the Mozart had. Let’s hope the next time they come they choose works that are all interesting as well as diverse.

That’s pretty funny! I felt exactly the opposite. I hope I never have to hear the Beethoven Violin Concerto again in my life – to me it’s one of his least accomplished works – and I thought Zuckerman’s interest in it as a performer sounded forced. I’m surprised he programmed it, but I suppose he felt most audiences want at least one thing they can sink into like an old sofa.

Thank you! It was the most perfect encore to a concert I’ve ever heard. Though I’ve loved Elgar for many years, I didn’t know he could create such beauty, and it seemed perfectly suited to the the Royal Philharmonic, and to Zuckerman’s masterful touch.

Of course they were wonderful, as expected, though I thought the programming could have been more diversified. But it doesn’t matter to me much any more how great the performances are in Rackham because after 30 minutes it gets to be freezing in there. I can feel cold blasts of air on me. Many people have complained about this over and over for years, yet UM and UMS continue to do nothing about it but smile and shrug their shoulders. Since most attendees at chamber concerts are older, it’s even more of an issue than it should be. As a result, I and others are less able to enjoy performances, and the situation becomes not only an insult audience members, many of us regulars, but to the performers. I’m tired of the situation and of the UM blithely ignoring its patrons, and will probably cut back on how many concerts I go to there.

By far the worst performance of any genre I’ve seen from UMS in at least three years. Cerebral, sterile, sonically offensive, incoherent, uninventive, slow and simply boring. The work of an artist long past her prime. Rarely have I seen such a lukewarm, almost embarrassed, response from a (small) audience. I assume they’ll never be invited back.

One of the great concerts of the last five years, drawing a crowd the likes of which is rarely seen in town. I was surprised by how terrific his band was, though the brilliant sax player overdid it (was expected to) a little in several songs, altering the mood unnecessarily. It’s hard to remember a performer in A2 who has made so many feel so good as Porter – he brought back memories of Marvin Gaye (of course), Stevie Wonder, and other musical leaders whose loving voice can captivate, change, carry and keep an audience. Bravo to UMS. I’d gladly trade 5 booked classical concerts for someone who works the jazz heartland of today.

While I enjoyed the concert and thought very highly of the group, I felt the Kurtag was both a very poor choice in general, and in particular to this program – not because it was “modern” but because it was self-indulgent, emotionally flat and boring. The Elias again showed poor programming skills by following the exquisite Beethoven with a gloomy Scottish piece that nearly destroyed the atmosphere they had so beautifully created just minutes before. I don’t get it. Someone needs to clue them in.

Generally disappointing. While Mr. Rodriguez was a powerfully talented and dominating performer and pianist, he was not much of a nuanced or challenging musician. I’ve never witnessed an exodus before like I saw after Mr. Martinez began his set. This I attribute to awful sound management – harsh and unbalanced – to his unwillingness to vary his numbers, and to a poor decision to feature his pianist, who sounded inadequate and amateurish, following Mr. Rodriguez tour-de-force pianism. Plus, his electronic bass and keyboard sounded weak after hearing Rodroguez’ real, “analog” bass and keyboard. Too bad, since Martinez’ rhythm playing – bongo, conga, cowbell – was stellar and deserved a separate focus. Kudos anyway to UMS for bringing such rarely heard Latino music here to Llewyn Davis country, though once again, it was a shameful reminder of how little A2 has in the way of sophisticated, modern concert venues. Maybe UMS should bring vaudeville to the Michigan next time.

It seems to me that if you felt completely at ease while firing the final shot, it only proves that he wasn’t doing his job well, and that all my skepticism about his manipulative performance was justified. It was nice to see you on stage, though.

One of my problems with the trick, and the performance, was that when the first “live bullet” was fired at the plate, I didn’t believe the plate was shattered by a bullet at all, but by an explosion. It simply had the appearance of an explosion. I didn’t, and can’t, believe that Drummond or any volunteer would risk using a real bullet, in the practise or the real shot, and no matter who swears it was really so, I still won’t believe it. I agree, the buildup in suspense and fear, was masterful, but it was also much too transparently manipulative for my taste.

Why, because I didn’t like it and you did? No, I couldn’t tell that the audience liked it. I fully realize that being honest is always risky on this site.

I suppose you’re right, if you mean the human condition of being gullible and willing to put up with something just because you’re there. When I want the human condition, I go to a Beethoven concert, or to the DIA. This was not art, it was con.

In my opinion, Drummond’s act was 99& audience manipulation and 1% magic. The audience “participant” we had was as effective and appealing as yours, and thus, equally suspect.

While Mr. Drummond was an entertaining and charming man, it took no more than 5 minutes to realize he was a BS artist and that nothing amazing or fascinating was going to happen. He spent the entire time making the audience believe something would, which the printed program had already tried to do, interspersed with a few third rate, time worn tricks. Lukewarm applause followed. An extremely disappointing performance, almost a non-event, almost a fraud, and a waste of my time, especially after driving on icy, dark roads. It’s hard to believe UMS could sponsor this, and that one had to pay to watch a show half provided by an audience member (if that’s what she was). The U-M’s usual practise of ripping off people for free parking was also in effect.

Your reply, and others, point out one of the great deficits in Ann Arbor: the lack of a great music venue. If the UM truly cared about its community they would have built one decades ago, instead of pouring billions into new and rebuilt and un necessary sports stadiums and events and billboards. There’s no other place in A2 Blake could have performed, and being blasted by sound, or being forced to sit or stand in the beautiful but very decrepit Michigan Theatre was the only option. Can you imagine seeing Blake in Hill, or Power? I can’t. And don’t forget, there’s not a single good hotel in A2 that a top notch performer can stay in. We are an embarrassing venue, compared to many other small cities. There is simply no place for large active freeform concerts here that appeal to the young, except for 3 weeks in the summer. Don’t expect much ever from staid and greedy UM. They will do what they can via UMS, as long as they can get away with it (The Jason Moran concert here a few months ago at Home & Garden was another great but rare event). Detroit and its suburbs has far greater music options. When’s the last time you saw an A-list pop/rock performer in A2?

Spectacular, moving, dazzling, spellbinding. One of the greatest concerts in A2 in the last five years. At last something for the under 30-somethings, I thought nothing and noone could match Schiff and the Goldbergs; I was wrong. This man is a brilliant musician. I hope UMS brings many more such performers to town, especially if they perform somewhere besides those stodgy campus venues. Welcome to the 21st century! It’s noisy. Thank you for honoring Blake’s world.

Wonderful! Spectacular! Nearly perfect. I never heard the Brandenburgs (minus one) performed as a group before. As well as I know them, much of the music sounded newly articulated to me, thank goodness. Apollo’s fire brought warmth, spirit, ease, community, freshness, even nerve to this music. I was sorry in a way they encored with an Irish (?) dance, as I would’ve loved to exit with Bach’s happy, inventive rhythms in my head. The superb balancing of instrumental sound on stage was very noticeable (especially with the high trumpet) and appreciated (and rare), and the sheer fun the performers were having was infectious. Their runaway love of the fast movements was also highly audible and a welcome relief from the older, sometimes stodgy renditions we’ve grown up with (and maybe one reason Brandenburg One was omitted). I still remember their 2011 concert with Jaroussky as one of the great musical events of the last ten years. Come back soon!

What a wonderfully articulated comment, true in so many concert situations. It deserves to be reprinted, locally and nationally. It remains puzzling why there are so many unsophisticated, self-absorbed concert attendees – especially at this kind of performance – in this most musical of cities.

A superb concert, of course. That much was expected. While Schiff doesn’t take possession of Bach the way Gould does, he is his own man, though not the last word in Goldberg performance (I own 80 versions, and Jeremy Denk just issued a new, extraordinary one as well). At first I bridled at his playing all the repeats, but after a while I got into the rhythm. And in some cases, you get to hear the variation more discriminately the second time. But some variations bore repeating more than others. Schiff seemed to relish playing fast, “magic fingered” variations more than slower ones, some of which he seemed not to understand. Five or six of the faster ones were done superbly, while 4 or 5 of the slower were, I thought, way off the mark, musically – played almost as if he were bored by them. One, near the end, was very Beethovenesque. I thought pairing the Diabelli Variations a very poor choice, since the Diabelli is basically a frivolous piece based on a short, boring, and uninteresting theme, unlike Bach’s beautiful aria. And it weighs itself down toward the end, as if Beethoven were desperately looking to make something more important emerge from the fluff. Schiff performed most of it well, but it was hard to hide the fact that most of the variations have little to offer other than Beethoven’s sometimes perverse genius for making musical mountains out of molehills. Schiff’s penchant for inserting long pauses between “sections” – mostly in the Bach – was quite effective the first time – giving the audience time to breathe, catch up, to reset – but then began to seem a little mannered, as was his letting the last note draw out for many seconds, like the the Beatles in “A Day in the Life” – done no doubt to delay the audience’s normal habit of ruining a performance by applauding and cheering too soon. The final repeat of the Goldberg aria was noticeably different from its first statement, and while I understood why Schiff did it, I wasn’t that happy with it.

Don’t apologize for writing negative reviews. It is GOOD to write them, read them and have them – good for the performers – who always tend to be wrapped up in the rigor of their own effort and value – for other viewers and good for the soul. Would you apologize for writing honest reviews? For having feelings or your own reactions, history or perspective? There are almost NO venues in Ann Arbor for critical commentary – on performances, restaurants, movies, or events. We sorely need them. Ann Arborites tend to congratulate themselves on everything and to effuse gratitude at the slightest effort made to entertain them, as if politeness, small-mindedness and passive approval were virtues and critical standards – as if we lived on Sinclair Lewis’ Main Street. A voice like yours is a valuable contribution and, sadly, a rarity in a town that mysteriously, incredibly, often shies away from honesty and calling out waste, pretense, cliche, and simple inferiority when it is most needed.

It’s hard to know just how good the dancers were in last night’s concert – I suppose they were good – since they were burdened with having to perform with Glass’s awful, overpowering, repetitive music, horribly, dull unimaginative choreography, an absence of any costuming that honored the human body, an absence of color, the lack of anything but the most abstract of sets, an over-intellectualized thematic conception, scant, uninteresting lighting, and an embarrassingly childish descent from the roof by an actor suspended by a halter spouting the most cliche-ridden, mawkish, irrelevant gibberish heard since Dr. Joyce Brothers emerged as a deep thinker. The entire production was dominated by monotony, lack of sensuality, glib creativity, self-satisfaction and, again, easy, one-dimensional music that left no room for nuance, thought, rhythm, subtlety, contrast or touch.

This was the best jazz concert venue I’ve seen in A2 in many years. A wonderful group, super good vibes everywhere,a real clubby atmosphere, an occasion for serious jazz lovers, sophisticated grownups, wine and beer lovers. Love the in-out options. It should become a permanent concert venue. Complaints: the concert was WAY too short and ended incredibly early. The introductory dancercize person was obnoxious and unnecessary, almost an embarrassment (teaching people “how to be hip”). As I was expecting the M’Shell I know as a serious musician and bass player, I was very disappointed she didn’t figure in – it seemed to be a deliberately misleading use of advertising. It also appeared that not all entrants paid the large UMS price. Seating was quite poor and also seemed deliberately misrepresented. Sound quality was iffy.

I was very disappointed in the concert. I saw McFerrin in his prime, maybe 25 years ago. What a diferent performer he is now. He hasn’t lost his musicianship, his spirit and warmth. But he has lost his voice, most of his creativity and certainly any idea of how to program a concert. The four solo numbers he did that highlight his vocal pyrotechnic specialty were wonderful. But with one or two exceptions, mostly thanks to his excellent band, his other songs were uninspired and uninspiring, about half of them religious treacle or cliches gussied up as jazz. A few songs were simply awful and unworthy of this once-brilliant artist. If I’d known what the theme of the concert was going to be I wouldn’t have gone.

Hi “Bill.” Your comments gave me the best laugh of the day.

More’s the pity. I don’t think of healers, scholars and students as victors, nor as conquerors, fighters, champions or heroes. There’s a great deal to admire about the U of M (not to mention Ann Arbor) without having to inflate our vision with metaphors of war and measure our achievements against muscles, winnings and battles. There is nothing to conquer: we all live in this one world. If art is not the great leveller it is nothing. If victory is what some people need to hear to make themselves feel important, then they can sing it in their showers, not in my face. Do you think any visiting performer would perform “The Victors” if he didn’t sense how much an audience needed to hear it before they – audience and artist – felt truly accepted? And by the way, how many people think of women – of the Victorias – when they hear about those conquering heroes?

My mistake: I misread a prior post. As I said I wasn’t there. I’ve heard numerous musicians do “The Victors” after a performance – I’m not singling out the NHYPhil. For whatever reason they did it. I find it embarrassing for the reasons I’ve stated, no matter who plays it, why or when, at a classical music concert – or even at any concert here. It’s as if locals can’t bear to go unrecognized for a moment – and not even for the best of reasons. Does the “Victors” celebrate the UM world class medical and social research reputation? Its high academic and pedagogical standings in national college rankings? Its graduation rate? I’ll lighten up when not only world class performers but local music lovers stop turning every performance into an homage to the holy U of M football team. Next we’ll be standing for a moment of silence to celebrate our appetite for war.

Thank goodness I left before the Phil played “The Victors!” There are few things I find more embarrassing than having to hear this from world class performers who I know are pandering to the provincial pride of Ann Arborites. Not to mention having to take this trivial “song” away from a concert that played Brahms’ First so movingly and spectacularly (as many attested). Surely I’m not the only person living here who finds this practise distasteful and embarrassing. Speak up if you’re with me! I’m sure many won’t be. I’m amazed that the NY Phil felt it had to do this.

A breathtaking Brahms, but not your grandfather’s Mozart.
With a few rare exceptions, I think the horn parts should,be deleted from every orchestral composition prior to 1850.

Five comments in three days for this mind-and-body boggling event? This for us was akin to a religious experience, completely immersive in its discipline, rhythmic sophistication, syncopation, balletic intensity, athleticism, sensual beauty, suggestiveness, creativity and accomplishment. Unless you’re a true scholar of taiko, there’s no way for a Westerner to really love this music other than to abandon yourself to it completely, absorb the energy and power, and listen to every note and phrase and tone. To hear 3 minutes of it is to discredit hip hop and techno forever. Long live Kodo!

I didn’t like the comment about the Brahms, since they played it exactly the way it’s meant to be played (at least by an orchestra) and heard. And I was put out by the comments last season about the incredible programs – which received much attention nationally – that the S.F. Symphony put on over four days. Ann Arbor is a world class town for music, musicians and music lovers (after all, we have Bolcom and Daugherty!) but as an ex-East Coaster I’m still dismayed at the conservative reactions of many of its listeners – though some of that can be attributed to advancing age.

Always astonishing to me how, in their comments, many Ann Arbor “classical” music lovers seem to prefer their music as if it were heard rom inside a loosely nailed coffin…..

One of the best concerts in recent memory. A wonderful diverse program, superb ensemble, great, warm, interactive soloist and leader, exhilarating music, especially the ever-surprising Bolcom, The Strauss transfixed, the two encores perfect and moving. Not a soul left before the final encore. I can’t wait till they return next year. They’d better!

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I understand your policy and generally support it. I felt this was a separate issue, as this person was particularly annoying – very aggressive, totally self-centered, without any sense of rhythm, in-your-face, even though he was technically on the side of the aisle. I think that 5 minutes after he began (and he never stopped) he lost whatever “freedom” to express himself he inherited. He abused his rights and the audience’s tolerance. The next time he won’t be so lucky.

I loved the music, though the sound system, particularly the boosted bass, distorted much of it and nearly ruined reception of the proper blending of instruments and singing. Particularly distracting and infuriating was the “dancing” of a young self-centered jackass in the front right side aisle, who deliberaly made a spectacle of himself. His absolute lack of rhythm or musical sense, constant jumping up and down for 90 minutes as if on a trampoline, his disregard for anyone near him, and hogging of attention (maybe he was high or mentally disabled?) made many people uncomfortable. But what was most puzzling and almost unforgiveable was the inaction by any usher, Michigan Theatre or UMS employee to stop this person from ruining the pleasure of many dozens of audience members, and probably distracting the performers who were only 20 feet away. Next time I’ll take action myself.

from Alex Ross’ blog “The Rest Is Noise” (New Yorker music critic)

“In a Rest Is Noise exclusive, I can reveal to an anxiously waiting world the contents of the smoothie that Michael Tilson Thomas prepared onstage at Carnegie Hall the other night, during a rendition of Song Books and other works by John Cage. To wit: cucumber, celery, carrots, apple, and banana. Leaving nothing to chance, Maestro Tilson Thomas brought his own Cuisinart from San Francisco for the occasion. The above photo — a still life or nature morte taken by Oliver Theil, the director of public relations at the San Francisco Symphony — hauntingly captures the ingredients before their glorious disintegration.”

I’ve enjoyed your comments a great deal. Really funny stuff! They remind me of when I used to feel free to proudly show everyone how much I didn’t understand, and blame the world for it.

I have no answer. The ranks were swelled enough. The series was, or should be treated as, a loss leader. The many people here who loved the music deserve it and won’t forget it. We’re grateful! Many other symphonic concerts here have sold and will sell out. We love those too. I’ll concede that 4 such SFS concerts in a row may have been too much for people here: two would have done. Still, it’s wonderful that there was so much interest, enthusiasm and love for these concerts – not merely for the music but for the musicians, who at times far outshown the music.

I couldn’t possibly disagree with you more. First of all, booing, though crass and mildly unpleasant to hear, is what it is: hopefully an honest (not planted) response, indicating live, reactive listeners, however clueless and unashamed they may be to display their narrow-mindedness. Second, if Ann Arbor can’t sustain the honor of having this brilliant, world-class orchestra and conductor play here for four days, and play a uniquely designed program of “modern” music rarely performed elsewhere, especially closely together, when the experience is most likely to enlighten, instruct, and energize listeners, then it doesn’t deserve the reputation it has as an enlightened, intellectually adventuresome city. It is completely absurd to question the appropriateness of programming this concert series on the basis of some imagined limits of musical tolerance and “balance.” Let Fox News be “balanced.” A great many people loved all these concerts and made it very clear at all performances. That is all that matters, and more than enough proof of what a great gift it has been to have the the SFS here. I can only hope UMS continues the intense and brave programming the SFS embodies for all kinds of listeners and of all kinds of music. If you don’t like a program, don’t buy a ticket.

Without a doubt one of the greatest concerts and performances I’ve ever seen anywhere (even though I sat four rows from the stage, far left). I can’t get enough of the SFS. I thought I hated Cage but seen as performance art, not music, his Songbook was entrancing, perfectly staged, engaging, funny, adventuresome, and balanced. Some people booed at the end. Were they set up, or only demonstrating their own cluelessness? Adams’ new piece was mesmerizing and brilliant, a lecture of sorts. He’s one of the greats, much more inventive than Cowell. I can’t wait until it’s recorded – it deserves and demands multiple hearings. I’ve often felt he does what Glass only wishes he could do. But maybe Glass made him possible, (as did Beethoven!).

I think it’d be best for all if the m-word were dropped from the conversation as well as the concert series. It’s kind of patronizing – needlessly academic – especially when it comes to Beethoven, whose genius and accomplishments were really beyond classification and, in my opinion, beyond judgment. Performances like the Hagen’s only remind us of that.

Sheer perfection! I thought I knew these quartets really well, but the Hagen showed me I only knew the music, the framework that Beethoven’s incomparable mind used to show itself and seek companionship. The imagination, immersion, verve and discipline the Hagen bring to their reading and performance allows Beethoven to stand above all the music he created and bring us past it, closer to the world he alone inhabited. Incredible to think the Hagen Qtt hasn’t been here for 14 years. How long will we have to wait again?

I’d been looking forward to this concert for six months. And the music, pianist and performance were perfection, everything I could have hooped for. What I did not expect was the amateurish, distracting, poorly lit, pointless video projection. The idea to do it may have been good but the execution was execrable – boring, colorless, unimaginative, random, deliberately ugly, perverse, and worst of all, willfully or ignorant counter to everything Messiaen intended with his music. It’s as if if Landau disdained or completely misconstrued Messiaen. Why Landau was chosen is a mystery, an insult to the audience, and devalued the cost of the tickets. I was embarrassed for the Hamburg orchestra that they had to put up with his incoherent visual rambling (or had they agreed to it, and why?). Let’s hope this “video artist” never again shows his work in Ann Arbor (superior video art can be found virtually anywhere you look in any venue and over the past 50 years). And let’s bring back the real Messiaen as soon as possible!

Incomparable perfection, not only Jaroussky, but Sorrell, the orchestra, choice of music, ambience, the tenderness and joie de vivre. One of the all-time great A2 concert events.

All I can say is, Bring them back to A2 as soon and as often as possible. This is a world class company and everything about the Beckett production showed why. Incomparably great! Moving, funny, challenging, deeply felt, timeless, consummate skills on display. Bravo!