Works you would love to hear performed live.

[Nick Armstrong]

That's a very kind thought! Whether Bbm's Mahler arrangement would fit comfortably as an encore would presumably depend upon which of Richard's works and which of mine were to be included in the programme and no suggestions have been made for that yet.

Casting modesty aside, perhaps you could nominate which of yours would befit the occasion?

[ahinton]

Casting modesty aside, perhaps you could nominate which of yours would befit the occasion?

I'm not sure that I could, really; much would presumably depend on which of Richard's works would be on the programme (not least in terms of the forces required to perform them)...

[DublinJimbo]

Two things:

1.
I've been fascinated by the discussion about Khachaturian's 3rd Symphony, and managed to track down the Chandos recording with the BBC Phil under Fedor Glushchenko and have a listen. David Nice's booklet notes make interesting reading. He speaks of the symphony's "deliberately bludgeoning way" and describes what follows the brass and organ opening as the composer's "more familiar, very personal brand of synthetic melody". We don't come across many booklets these days with such less-than-enthusiastic notes.

2.
A work I'd dearly love to hear performed live is Luciano Berio's Sinfonia. I know it featured in this year's Proms, but I wasn't able to get over to London for the performance. Interestingly, a new recording has just been released by Hannu Lintu and the Helsinki Philharmonic, which I've downloaded and heard. In this case, the booklet notes include this: "Berio stressed that this ensemble must not be prominent but rather a section of the orchestra among others, an equal partner rather than an ensemble to be accompanied by the orchestra. Berio also said that understanding the text is not really the point but that the text should organically blend into the music."

This new recording on Ondine certainly sticks to the composer's wishes (and is dramatically clear and impressive in terms of orchestral sound), but neither it nor any of the other non-Berio recordings in my collection match the impact of the composer's own recording from 1969 with the Swingle Singers and the New York Philharmonic. Having listened to Lintu I went back to the composer and have to say that I'm glad he disregarded his own admonitions and allowed the voices and the text to register strongly. It may well be that I'm prejudiced in favour of the 1969 recording (which, incidentally, uses the original four-movement form) because it was through it that I got to know the work, but I can't help feeling that a live performance would be more in line with it than with Lintu or Boulez or Chailly or Eötvös.

Hannu Lintu spent three years as Chief Guest Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and was responsible for some wonderfully adventurous concert programming. During his tenure we had performances of such works as Rautavaara's percussion concerto and Christopher Rouse's Der gerettete Alberich. It's a shame that he didn't give us Berio's Sinfonia while he was here.

[Ferretfancy]

Two things:

1.
I've been fascinated by the discussion about Khachaturian's 3rd Symphony, and managed to track down the Chandos recording with the BBC Phil under Fedor Glushchenko and have a listen. David Nice's booklet notes make interesting reading. He speaks of the symphony's "deliberately bludgeoning way" and describes what follows the brass and organ opening as the composer's "more familiar, very personal brand of synthetic melody". We don't come across many booklets these days with such less-than-enthusiastic notes.

2.
A work I'd dearly love to hear performed live is Luciano Berio's Sinfonia. I know it featured in this year's Proms, but I wasn't able to get over to London for the performance. Interestingly, a new recording has just been released by Hannu Lintu and the Helsinki Philharmonic, which I've downloaded and heard. In this case, the booklet notes include this: "Berio stressed that this ensemble must not be prominent but rather a section of the orchestra among others, an equal partner rather than an ensemble to be accompanied by the orchestra. Berio also said that understanding the text is not really the point but that the text should organically blend into the music."

This new recording on Ondine certainly sticks to the composer's wishes (and is dramatically clear and impressive in terms of orchestral sound), but neither it nor any of the other non-Berio recordings in my collection match the impact of the composer's own recording from 1969 with the Swingle Singers and the New York Philharmonic. Having listened to Lintu I went back to the composer and have to say that I'm glad he disregarded his own admonitions and allowed the voices and the text to register strongly. It may well be that I'm prejudiced in favour of the 1969 recording (which, incidentally, uses the original four-movement form) because it was through it that I got to know the work, but I can't help feeling that a live performance would be more in line with it than with Lintu or Boulez or Chailly or Eötvös.

Hannu Lintu spent three years as Chief Guest Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and was responsible for some wonderfully adventurous concert programming. During his tenure we had performances of such works as Rautavaara's percussion concerto and Christopher Rouse's Der gerettete Alberich. It's a shame that he didn't give us Berio's Sinfonia while he was here.

DublinJimbo

The Proms performance of the Sinfonia was only a qualified success, i'm afraid. The performers sat as directed, each singer with a hand mike, and no doubt the balance was good on air. From my vantage point in the Arena, about thirty feet away, much of the vocal interplay was lost in the Albert Hall acoustic, and many of the musical quotes were buried. Altogether rather an odd experience. I absolutely agree with you re the Swingle Singers and Berio, I was lucky enough to see them perform the work at the Royal Festival Hall some years back, and all was beautifully clear.

[Flosshilde]

Much as I enjoyed listening to Strauss' Ein Alpensinfonie on CD last night, I think it is a work that needs to be heard live to be appreciated properly. In Glasgow I think the central hall of the Kelvingrove Museum would be the best venue - it has a splendid organ (lacking in the two concert halls) & plenty of galleries for the off-stage brass, & the storm would roll & echo round the vault wonderfully.

[Nick Armstrong]

Much as I enjoyed listening to Strauss' Ein Alpensinfonie on CD last night, I think it is a work that needs to be heard live to be appreciated properly. In Glasgow I think the central hall of the Kelvingrove Museum would be the best venue - it has a splendid organ (lacking in the two concert halls) & plenty of galleries for the off-stage brass, & the storm would roll & echoe round the vault wonderfully.

Yes I've heard a few in the RAH which is made for the piece!

There was a pretty impressive recorded performance on at the start of TTN in the early hours this morning, btw

Richard Strauss
Eine Alpensinfonie (Op.64)
Conductor: Ondrej Lenárd. Orchestra: Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra.