Live in Concert 20.03.14 Philharmonia/Maazel - Strauss

[Nick Armstrong]

No, the sound is not the best. Too distant off me.

Tried to tune in online out of curiosity given previous comments but the stream is broken (both on iPlayer and via iTunes), perhaps there are technical issues in the hall...

[Alison]

Retire, Lorin.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Phew! 66 minutes, 42 seconds. I just don't understand it. His BRSO recording takes a little over 50 minutes, which is about average in length, but a far, far better performance.

[Simon B]

... .... ..... ..............

.............. a beat is due any hour now..... ...... ....


Argh!

Perverse to put the Alpine first, perverse to have the orchestra on the level, no risers (probably accounts for the strange sound you seem to be reporting on the broadcasts), and as for the c..o..n...d........u........c......t...........I.. ...

He looks ok healthwise, else I'd keep quiet. That was insane. In a bad way.

[pastoralguy]

Retire, Lorin.

The problem is that, while audiences like tonight's give him such rapturous applause, he's not very likely to.

I'd intended to switch off but there's a morbid fascination in hearing what he does with Also Sprach...

[Nick Armstrong]

Can't wait to hear what teamsaint thinks, having been in the hall...!

[marvin]

Wiil this poor audience expect to get home tonight. Also Sprach is getting slower and slower and feels so sterilised and sounds as though it's in need of a blood transfusion of a blood group that doesn't exist so god help them. Anaemia or pernicious anaemia I'd say.

[EdgeleyRob]

What time is the last train home?

I've not been listening, too long for me, even at the correct speed

[Hornspieler]

What time is the last train home?

I've not been listening, too long for me, even at the correct speed

It seems to me that some of our members had already decided to condemn this performance before they had heard a note!

There was some exceptional playing in the symphony and if Lorin Maazel wished to play it at that speed, that was his priviledge.

Give me a choice between a certain mediocre horn player and an internationally recognised conductor and I know who I would choose!

Hs

[edashtav]

I'm no Lorin Maazel fan, but I found some of the detail in the Alpine Symphony to be more sharply etched than heretofore.

I last heard Also Spracht, live, a year or two ago at the Proms but , once again, I found Lorin Maazel's exposition to be convincingly drawn with dramatic and crisp timpani and I preferred the brighter, sharper colours of the entry of the RFH organ to the huge miasma that came from the RAH beast. I agree that tempi tended to broaden, perhaps beyond the bounds of acceptability. But, overall, I thought the BBC did a fine job, given the scrawny nature of the original sound, which is poor, even in the refurbished RFH.

The Philharmonia played very well and the conducting was better than routine. A good but not stellar night?

[Flosshilde]

Thanks for that, ed (& hs). I thought the Alps rather wonderful & exciting - yes, slow can be exciting - & was beginning to think that I knew nothing about it until I saw your posts. & if it got slower at the end, well, that's exactly what I'm like when I climb a hill

[teamsaint]

Well, ................ We managed to catch the train home.......plenty dashed Out like us......and there were things to enjoy , especially the organ, which I thought was just excellent..............but the tempi really did push the limits.
More later when I have a proper machine to type on.
Worth going just to hear Smithy at the start of ASZ.

[cloughie]

Well, ................ We managed to catch the train home.......plenty dashed Out like us......and there were things to enjoy , especially the organ, which I thought was just excellent..............but the tempi really did push the limits.
More later when I have a proper machine to type on.
Worth going just to hear Smithy at the start of ASZ.

I heard part of the Alpine Sym and was not dismayed by what I heard - I think a broad work like this played by a good orchestra can take this treatment. Not heard Also yet but have it on my machine to listen later.

[teamsaint]

just back.........and boy do I need this cup of tea.
Seems most of you heard the concert in part at least, so just a few thoughts from me.
This was my first Alpine live. At the pace it was taken, i felt some of the drama was lost. The music can cetainly take a very broad reading, but this was well beyond the comfortable. But , for all that, there was some fine playing, moments of beauty, and i like the organ sound. The sections for organ and small groups of instruments were lovely .
I cannot figure the reaction of the audience. It was a terrific ovation, and this was quite clearly not an " terrific ovation performance". Were they cheering the conductor, or the piece? who knows. I have to say, the audience were one of the most attentive and quiet I have ever sat in.
The programming of ASZ second, which looked odd to say the least, simply didn't work. The performance was fine,but as you will have heard, with a somewhat ponderous feel. I got the very distinct impression that both Andrew Smith and the leader were trying to nudge things along. Perhaps I just wanted them to.
A question for those in the know. Were there some youngsters filling in (or adding to numbers) on the back desks of the first violins? Certainly looked like it from the stalls. Not that there was a problem , just curious.

Anyhow, one to stick in the memory at least....the longest ever Alpine? we have the man to tell us on our board......

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

....the longest ever Alpine? we have the man to tell us on our board......

I think it must be the opposite end of the spectrum from Oskar Fried's pioneering 1925 performance - a very convincing 41 minutes.

I suspect it sounded better in the hall than it did on the radio, where there was a very odd balance and the ensemble came across as disjointed.