27 Apr evening concert: Bostridge's Britten Serenade

[Pulcinella]

He 'won' BAL this week (Schuman Liederkreis). Bostridge at his best? See posts under Record Review.

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...966#post617966

Another typo, I fear, ardcarp: Schumann (Robert) not Schuman (William). Now Schuman's Liederkreis just might have got me interested enough to listen.

[DracoM]

Thought it a bit tame as a BAL. Blasphemous thought: maybe the work does not justify a whole BAL?

[ardcarp]

Another typo, I fear, ardcarp: Schumann (Robert) not Schuman (William). Now Schuman's Liederkreis just might have got me interested enough to listen.

[Stanley Stewart]

Have a hunch that I've written about this before but I've just set aside for yet another viewing, an off-air video, now on DVD; Masterworks: Six Pieces of Britain, recorded on BBC 2,
31 July '99; a performance of Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, recorded in Blythburgh Church, Suffolk,with Ian Bostridge, free of mannerisms, Horn soloist, Timothy Brown, and Sir Colin Davis/strings of the BBC SO. The documentary with splendid coverage of the Suffolk coastline, presented by Michael Berkeley, includes a full performance of the work. Refreshing viewing.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Have a hunch that I've written about this before but I've just set aside for yet another viewing, an off-air video, now on DVD; Masterworks: Six Pieces of Britain, recorded on BBC 2,
31 July '99; a performance of Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, recorded in Blythburgh Church, Suffolk,with Ian Bostridge, free of mannerisms, Horn soloist, Timothy Brown, and Sir Colin Davis/strings of the BBC SO. The documentary with splendid coverage of the Suffolk coastline, presented by Michael Berkeley, includes a full performance of the work. Refreshing viewing.

Stanley: I'd be very interested in your views if you can manage to Listen Again to this week's performance!

[teamsaint]

LMP

still intrigued by your OP, ( and thanks for flagging this up and inspriring some listening), I've had listen on better kit now.

If somebody told me that Bosto was a bit under the weather, I'd believe them. There seemed to be a bit of a struggle in the third stanza of Nocturne, in particular, and certainly a couple of moments, such as the final " excellently" in Hymn, which is a tricky moment in any case. There was also an undeniable very harsh edge in some of the first lines of the stanzas in Dirge. I got the feeling that this was deliberate effect, but I could be wrong.

Also, certainly there was the the occasional odd pronunciation thing, but you have to wonder after 20+ years (?) of performing this work, perhaps there is a temptation to try new, different, or even more intense performance elements , that might not always work? Just a question, anyway.

I still wouldn't have been disappointed ( I think) if I'd been there, but I guess it may have been some way off his best.

( Better than this afternoons Saints game at any rate, by the sound of it. ........)

[Stanley Stewart]

Stanley: I'd be very interested in your views if you can manage to Listen Again to this week's performance!

Thanks, LMP. I'm not a musician but instinctively found the Britten Serenade rather fragmentary which is why I opted for the 1999 performance on DVD, particularly the rehearsal sequences with Colin Davis, as a more tempting alternative this weekend. I'm also keen to stay within the Aldeburgh precincts by listening to the remastered CD's; Rostropivich, Britten & Pears, Live at the 1961 Aldeburgh Festival, (Testament) as mettle more attractive.

[ardcarp]

There was also an undeniable very harsh edge in some of the first lines of the stanzas in Dirge. I got the feeling that this was deliberate effect, but I could be wrong.

I'm sure it was deliberate...or should I say, calculated?

Also, certainly there was the the occasional odd pronunciation thing

I think one could pick out quite a few 'odd pronunciation things' from Pears...some being of the Dudley Moore variety...but that's the way it became embedded in the memory. Mine anyway..