Prom 12 (23.7.12): Beethoven Cycle – Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6

[heliocentric]

The miniature Boulez pieces in this programme stand every chance of being swamped by the symphonies on either side. If I were Barenboim (perhaps with more rehearsal time) I'd have replaced them with Figures, doubles, prismes which somehow seems to me the closest Boulez comes to Beethoven's orchestral music.

[pastoralguy]

Symphony Nº 5:


But the most popular? The most played? Not in my experience. I can only recall two performances with Charles Groves and one under Hugo Rignold.

I knew a violinist in the BBCSSO who had NEVER played Beethoven's Fifth in over 30 years with the Orchestra!! Of course they did play it but it always landed at a time when she was either off or was not on the rotation for a cut down band when it was played.

Most odd.

[Bert Coules]

It's a strange and depressing fact, and I accept that it's my loss and probably my fault too, but I'm completely allergic to Barenboim's Beethoven. That "Force of nature" performance (to quote the announcer) has just left me completely cold, uninvolved and unmoved. The whole thing just felt dead and empty. Such a pity.

Bert

[amcluesent]

IHMO, didn't warrant the wild reception at the end of the 5th! And the programming was too eclectic

[Alison]

Lots of emphasis and pointing and shading yet my heart refused to be stirred by the fifth. Hated the piccolo.

[jayne lee wilson]

Was the heat, and/or fatigue, a factor in the approach tonight? Were conductor and orchestra playing well within themselves?

Interpretatively, the sweetest, softest, most romanticised view of the Pastoral I can imagine, let alone hear... "extreme", I noted re. the caressing legato coda to (i)... legato sostenuto through the peasants' dance and the storm too... the final climaxes in (i) and (iv) didn't radiate or blaze... and yes, obvious intonation problems even to my forgiving ears.

Very sad about saying all this, but the 5th... lacking almost all drama or bite, far too unvaried in dynamics, shorn (perhaps mercifully) of all repeats... and couldn't the engineers have done something about the thumpingly annoying timpani?

So (with possibly difficult conditions in the hall duly noted), the least successful concert for me in this cycle. After enjoying so much of 1-4 (reservations about Eroica (i) and (ii) as noted) it gives me no pleasure to report my negative, even dispirited, reaction.
(listening on HDs as usual.)

[pilamenon]

Hated the piccolo.

Well that was the only dubious bit for me in what I thought was a tremendous account that fully deserved the ovation it got. They really made the first movement sound revolutionary this time. The scherzo lead-in to the finale was exquisite - and those cellos in the trio section!

The second Boulez piece - Messagesquisse - was a revelation, had me gripped throughout. I'm totally signed up to this Beethoven/Boulez theme. And this orchestra plays so beautifully.

Negatives: A loose connection on a speaker during the Pastoral. Symphonies in the wrong order again. And the presenter needs to stop constantly over-egging the pudding, and quieten down.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

And the presenter needs to stop constantly over-egging the pudding, and quieten down.

Look on the BBC Radio 3 website. Pride of place for each concert is not the programme, the music or the performers. It's the presenter.
"Presented by Tom Service" is apparently more important than Boulez, Beethoven, Barenboim or the WEDO.

You may notice that I lift concern descriptions from the BBC website, but invariably edit out the presenters, whom I consider to be unimportant. However, the BBC must see things differently.

[waldhorn]

Hated the piccolo

Exactly WHY, Alison?
We normally never hear it except for the last few notes of its silly upward scales... maybe you hated it because
1) it was ( mostly) audible
and
2) It was playing at 'Berlin pitch' ( A=445) whereas the rest of the orchestra was sitting at about A=442 ( albeit a bit uncomfortably).

[amac4165]

Was the heat, and/or fatigue, a factor in the approach tonight? Were conductor and orchestra playing well within themselves?

Interpretatively, the sweetest, softest, most romanticised view of the Pastoral I can imagine, let alone hear... "extreme", I noted re. the caressing legato coda to (i)... legato sostenuto through the peasants' dance and the storm too... the final climaxes in (i) and (iv) didn't radiate or blaze... and yes, obvious intonation problems even to my forgiving ears.

Very sad about saying all this, but the 5th... lacking almost all drama or bite, far too unvaried in dynamics, shorn (perhaps mercifully) of all repeats... and couldn't the engineers have done something about the thumpingly annoying timpani?

I quite liked the 6th too although I am guessing not everyone's taste -

The 5th was a bit of a white knuckle ride - in the hall - plenty of drama but not necessarily the right kind !

The timpani are no better in the hall so I guess the engineers can only work with what they are given !

amac

ps complete kerfuffle as they changed the program to have the 2 Boulez before the interval but not many in the hall had cottoned on to this