Prom 67: Bernstein – Stage & Screen (5.09.15)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

17:30
Royal Albert Hall

Louise Dearman (vocalist)
Lucy Schaufer (mezzo-soprano)
Scarlett Strallen (vocalist)
Julian Ovenden (vocalist)
Maida Vale Singers
John Wilson Orchestra
John Wilson (conductor)

John Wilson and his orchestra are an annual Proms highlight, bringing the glitz and glamour of old-time stage and screen to the Royal Albert Hall. The second of their two performances this year is all about Leonard Bernstein - America's multitalented conductor, pianist and composer. He reinvented the musical with the anger, energy and feral beauty of West Side Story, his updated take on Romeo and Juliet. A starry cast of soloists including Proms favourite Julian Ovenden and the West End's Louise Dearman join the John Wilson Orchestra and Maida Vale Singers for a tribute to the composer that includes Bernstein's biggest hits as well as a selection of rarities.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Oh dear - "vocalists again".

(Apart from Lucy Schaufer)

[Rolmill]

Oh dear - "vocalists again". :sad face:

(Apart from Lucy Schaufer)

Well yes, my heart sometimes sinks when I see this term. However, Julian Ovenden is definitely a singer, being a very good (IMO) tenor, especially in music theatre repertoire - I see from Wikipedia that he was a choral scholar at New College (also that he is married to Kate Royal). So maybe no cause for alarm here.

[makropulos]

Oh dear - "vocalists again". :sad face:

(Apart from Lucy Schaufer)

I'm not so sure about the sad face - this is a concert of music from shows, after all. And the last thing West Side Story and Wonderful Town need (on past experience) is singers described as "soprano" and "tenor" (though I thought Frederica von Stade in On The Town was a wonderful exception to the rule). Julian Ovenden is usually splendid, vocalist or not. In fact all the singers listed here look promising - more so than is often the case with Wilson's line-up.

[doversoul1]

I’d put the sad face to yet another Prom with vocalists.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

There you are.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm not so sure about the sad face - this is a concert of music from shows, after all. And the last thing West Side Story and Wonderful Town need (on past experience) is singers described as "soprano" and "tenor" (though I thought Frederica von Stade in On The Town was a wonderful exception to the rule). Julian Ovenden is usually splendid, vocalist or not. In fact all the singers listed here look promising - more so than is often the case with Wilson's line-up.

Marni Nixon (dubbing for Natalie Wood) on the WSS film soundtrack was surely a true soprano.

[seabright]

Well yes, my heart sometimes sinks when I see this term. However, Julian Ovenden is definitely a singer, being a very good (IMO) tenor, especially in music theatre repertoire - I see from Wikipedia that he was a choral scholar at New College (also that he is married to Kate Royal). So maybe no cause for alarm here.

Julian Ovenden has been superb in some previous John Wilson Proms, as per this clip ... He also popped up briefly in 'Downton Abbey' in a non-singing role ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQCBMYP97lg

[Nick Armstrong]

NB our very own makropulos on Proms Extra at 18.30 talking about his book about the LB correspondence

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b068rs24

[Pulcinella]

Oh dear! La Derham talking over the music, and the hand-picked orchestra seemingly incapable of 'swinging'!
Never mind: there's the Bach to look forward to later.
:-)

[makropulos]

[COLOR="#0000FF"]NB our very own silvestrione on Proms Extra at 18.30

Slight case of mistaken identity That was me - makropulos - not silvestrione. The most enjoyable bit was the questions afterwards, which don't get broadcast... Now I'd better give it a listen on iPlayer.

[Nick Armstrong]

Slight case of mistaken identity That was me - makropulos - not silvestrione. The most enjoyable bit was the questions afterwards, which don't get broadcast... Now I'd better give it a listen on iPlayer.

Apologies!!!! got me noms-de-forum in a twist.... I think it's the "-one" ending what confuddled me...

Correction made!

That link again: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b068rs24

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Just the sort os interesting programme Radio 3 should be broadcasting on a frequent and regular basis.

[Bax-of-Delights]

Attended this concert yesterday (a Mrs B-o-D choice primarily but I didn't put up resistance) and was amazed to see the Hall absolutely ram-packed from Promenade pit to rafters.
A lively entertainment with Candide overture taken at quite a lick. Bernstein's musical output was patchy so there was a concentration on Candide and West Side Story but the charming Peter Pan song (not heard before) was a revelation. Trouble in Tahiti and 16000 Pennsylvania Avenue probably deserve their relative obscurity but the Suite for On the Waterfront showed how powerful Bernstein could be on occasion.

I enjoyed the evening and the outstanding vocalist was Julian Ovenden who richly deserved a "Bravo" from one section of the audience.

(But you can see why R3 see this Prom as evidence of pumping more and similar light classical into the programmes. Filling the RAH - every single seat - must be very enticing.)

[makropulos]

Attended this concert yesterday (a Mrs B-o-D choice primarily but I didn't put up resistance) and was amazed to see the Hall absolutely ram-packed from Promenade pit to rafters.
A lively entertainment with Candide overture taken at quite a lick. Bernstein's musical output was patchy so there was a concentration on Candide and West Side Story but the charming Peter Pan song (not heard before) was a revelation. Trouble in Tahiti and 16000 Pennsylvania Avenue probably deserve their relative obscurity but the Suite for On the Waterfront showed how powerful Bernstein could be on occasion.

I enjoyed the evening and the outstanding vocalist was Julian Ovenden who richly deserved a "Bravo" from one section of the audience.

(But you can see why R3 see this Prom as evidence of pumping more and similar light classical into the programmes. Filling the RAH - every single seat - must be very enticing.)

I enjoyed the concert a lot too - and was pleased to run into several friends who are all very definitely "serious" musicians - and who had come simply to have a good evening out. I'd agree with most of your judgements on the music (though 1600 PA does have some music that is much better than the Jefferson March) and was only sorry that there was nothing from "Mass".

One little story about the "Peter Pan" song, "Dream With Me" (which I think is a delight too) that might amuse. It was cut from the original music for the show. Bernstein seldom wasted a good idea, though, and it was nearly used in West Side Story. There's a note in a song list among Bernstein's earliest sketches that says "Balcony Scene: Dream with me?" - which he then crossed out. The music for the Balcony Scene is a whole, complicated saga of its own, but it's fun that LB first thought of that tune before composing - of all things - One Hand, One Heart for it, until finally reverse-engineering the tune from the Quintet as the duet version of "Tonight").