Po3 24/11/2010 - CBSO/Nelsons

[maestro267]

Felt this needed its own topic, as the first Performance on 3 under our new forum.

WEIR: Storm*
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5

CBSO Youth Chorus*
CBSO Children's Chorus*
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Simon Halsey conductor*
Andris Nelsons conductor

What did you think of this performance? (Still ongoing as I write, a few minutes into the fifth movement of Mahler 5)

[johnb]

I missed the broadcast so I am keen to hear whether I should listen to it on iPlayer.

[Bryn]

I missed all but the last few minutes of the Mahler, too, but am HiDownloading it now. I might listen it on headphones in a little while.

[johnb]

I'll be interested to read your thoughts, Bryn. (I'll have to get used to your old name again )

I heard a bit of the Weir as I drove to a piano lesson - seemed a curious piece though it was hardly an ideal way of listening.

[Chris Newman]

Hi Maestro, sadly I missed it too but will try to catch up on Iplayer and let you know later.
bws
Chris

[Bryn]

I have to admit that after about 5 minutes I fast forwarded through "Storm". Not my cup of tea at all. Nelsons's direction of the Mahler 5 was o.k., on the whole, but nothing particularly special as far as I'm concerned. Not a wasted 75 minutes or so, by any means, but not a recorded performance I am likely to return to in the near future. The final movement came off the best, I think. I now await the flak.

[Cellini]

I have to admit that after about 5 minutes I fast faorwarded through "Storm". l Not my cup of tea at all. Nelsons's direction of the Mahler 5 was o.k., on the whole, but nothing particularly special as far as I'm concerned. Not a wasted 75 minutes or so, by any means, but not a recorded performance I am likely to return to in the near future. The final movement came off the best, I think. I now await the flak.

I have to say Bryn (not having heard that concert though) that I've been very dissapointed recently by the CBSO performances and I've never been impressed with Nelsons at all. So far anyway.

[Alison]

Actually I only caught the last movement and though it was pretty ghastly: playing to the gallery, manipulative of tempo, superficial, glassy. Maybe it would have made more sense in the context of the whole though I doubt it.
For further info, I refer you to Simon Baynham's brilliant summation of Nelsons Mahler at TOP.
What on earth was Stephen Johnson on about afterwards ??

[johnb]

Alison,

Silly question: what is 'TOP'?

(Good to see you here )

[Bryn]

I.n not absolutely sure whether Alison is using r3ok parlance. Over there it stands for The Other Place, meaning the now cndemned BBC Radio 3 Message Boards.

[maestro267]

Maybe this forum will be the new TOP.

[Bryn]

I doubt it. It's a very different situation. Neither this Radio 3 Forum, not r3ok.com comprise 'refrugees' from the other, as was the case w.r.t. the BBC Radio 3 Message Boards.

[Alison]

I never used to like that phrase and now find myself using it.
Such are the times we live in.

Interesting to hear of your piano lessons, John.

[johnb]

Alison,

I only started the piano a year ago after a 40 year gap, during which I played the classical guitar, off and on (or perhaps I should say 'tried to play the classical guitar' - and it was more often 'off' than 'on').

I've had my ups and downs but I've just had Janacek's "Our Evenings" from "On an overgrown path" signed off by my teacher after having worked on it for a few weeks, though, of course, that is only the start of really being able to playing the damned thing (actually I love the piece and I am very happy to live with it over time). Now on to something else.

(Actually I am pretty crap - I can't stand listening to a recording of my playing. It's just too depressing. Pity as I had the romantic fantasy of an elegant grand piano nestling in the house.)

[bluestateprommer]

thread diversion: Andris Nelsons, debut with Boston SO @ Carnegie Hall soon

Sort of diverting the original topic of this thread, in the wake of the sudden announcements of James Levine (a) withdrawing from his Boston Symphony concerts for the rest of this season and then (b) resigning as their music director after this summer, one substitute for Levine is Andris Nelsons, making his debut with the Boston SO at no less a venue than Carnegie Hall on Thursday, 3/17/11:

http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/box_office/events/evt_14329.html?selecteddate=03172011

Cue for jokes on "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?", of course. Anyone from Birmingham, or elsewhere, have any thoughts on this?