Live in Concert 26.03.14 - LPO/Yannick Nézet-Séguin: French music

[Nick Armstrong]

That was probably the most enjoyable Poulenc Organ Concerto performance I have ever heard- the Nuits d Ete was a bit earthbound for my taste .

With you 100% Barbirollians over the Poulenc. It suited RFH organ, James O'Donnell, the LPO and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, its conductor, like a hand fits a glove. It was full of colour, power, humour, sharp rhythms and all the fun of the fair. An exceptional performance.

The Saint-Saens Organ Symphony received an astonishingly revealing performance.....

Once again O'Donnell and the LPO were in crackling form.

This was a really great concert, with an imaginative and satisfying programme, and I shall treasure it's memory. Well done, one and all!

[mercia]

lovely Durufle Scherzo (played by Mrs D) on the radio after the concert

[edashtav]

lovely Durufle Scherzo (played by Mrs D) on the radio after the concert

Agreed. It was a tonic, perhaps a necessary purgative after the bright, edgy, forward acoustic of the RFH: we were reminded of the eternal virtues of distance and ample reverberation.

[rauschwerk]

Agreed. It was a tonic, perhaps a necessary purgative after the bright, edgy, forward acoustic of the RFH: we were reminded of the eternal virtues of distance and ample reverberation.

From my seat in a box to the right of the performers, the acoustic didn't sound at all edgy. I thought it a very fine concert indeed, though I had only a side view of the singer and derived at least as much pleasure from the extraordinary subtlety and delicacy of the Berlioz accompaniments as from her singing. It really was like chamber music, perhaps because the performers could really hear one another (it used not to be so). As for the organ, it sounded magnificent. Perhaps the pedal department sounds improved partly because the hall acoustics are better than before. There used to be a lack of low frequency reverberation compared with the finest halls but I can't find any data on the acoustics since the 2007 refurbishment. I haven't been to the hall to hear the organ for more than 17 years so can't really remember in detail how it used to sound.

A great evening, with terrific playing from all concerned.

[Barbirollians]

It was an excellent performance of the Saint Saens and Mr O'Donnell again stood out . A very subtle performance of the organ part I thought .

[edashtav]

It was an excellent performance of the Saint Saens and Mr O'Donnell again stood out . A very subtle performance of the organ part I thought .

Me,too!

[ardcarp]

Just heard the Poulenc Organ Concerto. A fantastic performance, rhythmically alive, tempi judged to perfection, and with faultless execution by strings, timp and organist. Everything heard in clinical detail. This was surely the best 'showing off' of the RFH organ yet?

Oh for a bit more reverb in the hall though! It is a concerto for organ AND TIMPS, and sadly those timp strokes, especially the one at the end, just sounded dry...no-one's fault except the acoustic; the engineers did a great job, IMO.

Being picky,I feel the organ isn't French enough. I understand that Harrisons were prevailed upon to modify the reeds very early on in the organ's life, and I guess they are still not quite as R, Downes would have preferred. And maybe if Harrisons' tuner wasn't so bloody good, the foundation stops might have sounded a bit more Gallic. ( Poulenc made some comment, after hearing his motets sung by an English Cathedral Choir, that 'they needed more Maurice Chevalier'.)

Anyway, special congrats to James O'Donnell for a fine performance.

[amateur51]

( Poulenc made some comment, after hearing his motets sung by an English Cathedral Choir, that 'they needed more Maurice Chevalier'.)

Given that M. Poulenc died before several of the 'complexities' of M. Chevalier's long life became apparent, I guess that we have to take this comment at face value

[ardcarp]

the 'complexities' of M. Chevalier's long life

I've led a very sheltered life so......OK maybe don't try to explain!

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

Presumably the BBC again used the LPO's own feed for this relay which means that we are getting top notch sound on LPO concerts these days.

One for the LPO label?

Indeed. I met a friend who is a R3 studio manager later in the evening and she confirmed that the Beeb used a split feed from the LPO and the recording is destined for its own label.

Good luck with those lug-holes!

I'll be there too, in the stalls.

I spotted you, just returning to your Stalls pew after the interval, Caliban!

My thoughts: http://bachtrack.com/review-nezet-se...lpo-march-2014

[cloughie]

Given that M. Poulenc died before several of the 'complexities' of M. Chevalier's long life became apparent, I guess that we have to take this comment at face value

Did he remember it well?

[amateur51]

Did he remember it well?