Prom 57: 28.08.16 - Thomas Larcher, Wagner and Richard Strauss

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I thought it sounded closer than off-stage. The RAH is a venue where off-stage groups are possible (and frequently done). Would the off-stage voices in Neptune be placed in the hall?

Wasn't Ferretf talking about the performance he attended in Kendal?

[bluestateprommer]

I made it into the Arena for this by a whisker and am glad I did as it was a very fine Prom.

Rather disappointed not to see to see any word from bsp or edashtav on the Thomas Larcher symphony. This is a substantial work, premiered last June by the Vienna Philharmonic, which went down very well in the hall. I'm not up to any sort of critical analysis such as edashtav or JLW might give so I'll just say I enjoyed it. One general criticism I would mention is the tiresome excessive use of percussion. Now, I like to hear the percussion but sometimes less is more and I do wish that some modern composers would go easy on the batterings.

Well, since you were kind enough to ask , plus glad to hear that you made it into the Arena:

This was indeed a very fine Prom. I wasn't quite as taken with the new Thomas Larcher symphony as you were, since it felt too long for its material too often for me. It had some good moments, which turned out to be the faster music. But this is just my quick, lame opinion and I'm far from a new music expert. Plus, the BBC SO and SB did it justice, and it was good that Larcher was in the house to take a bow. Elisabeth Kullman was terrific with the Wesendonck-Lieder, with Bychkov generally balancing the orchestra (w/o baton) very well, only threatening to drown EK out at one point in the 4th song. But even when EK's voice was at its smallest, she projected the German text much better up to the Gallery than Barbara Hannigan the English text the night before with the CBSO, to make an invidious comparison.

Then, of course, the big kahuna for the evening, the Richard Strauss. Very, very fine rendition indeed, as Petrushka noted; for the record, the 'offstage' brass were in the Gallery at about 1:15 (with the organ at 12:00), which is why Ferretfancy got an earful. There were some very minimal smudges in the transitions between some sections, but nothing to hinder the sheer materialist enjoyment of it all. The pre-concert discussion was good at spelling out and reminding us what a philosophical materialist Richard Strauss was. If nothing else, in the climax of the storm scene, it was amusing to see Fiona Ritchie (I assume that it was her) really go to town with the thunder sheet. (One fears for her hearing, unless she had earplugs, which I'm guessing that she did.) Regarding the premature applause, it was unfortunately one fool who couldn't wait 5 seconds to let the quiet end sink in, so that unfortunately the Pavlov's dogs effect then resulted. It seemed to me that via his podium body language, Bychkov wasn't pleased that the one person applauded too soon, in which case he was probably in good company with much of the audience. Sadly, all it takes is one. But that aside, one shouldn't let that detract from the performance, with Bychkov giving various sections well deserved bows.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Wasn't Ferretf talking about the performance he attended in Kendal?

But the offstage band did sound only moderately distant on the radio.

[BBMmk2]

But the offstage band did sound only moderately distant on the radio.

What's your verdict, Alpie?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

What's your verdict, Alpie?

See post 8.

[PhilipT]

... Bychkov managed to disguise the repetitiousness splendidly.

Where I was standing I could see the leader's score, and it was clear that about half a page (in, I think, the "flowery meadows" section) had been crossed out.

For me, the evening in the hall was made by Elizabeth Kulman's beautiful voice in the Wesendonck-Lieder.

I quite agree.

[Ferretfancy]

I thought it sounded closer than off-stage. The RAH is a venue where off-stage groups are possible (and frequently done). Would the off-stage voices in Neptune be placed in the hall?

Just a small correction, the ear splitting off stage brass I was referring to was at the concert in Kendal, not in the RAH!

[BBMmk2]

See post 8.

Thanks, Alpie. I am sorry that you found the listening up to scratch but my reception was rather good, via Bluetooth from my PC to my stereo.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Just a small correction, the ear splitting off stage brass I was referring to was at the concert in Kendal, not in the RAH!

The error was mine. I didn't read your post carefully enough.