Live in Concert 30.03.14: LSO/Gergiev - Scriabin, Liszt

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

7.30 p.m.
LSO and Chorus - Scriabin, Liszt

Valery Gergiev conducts the LSO in Scriabin and Liszt, with pianist Denis Matsuev

Live from the Barbican in London

Scriabin: Symphony No 1
Liszt: Piano Concerto No 2
Scriabin: 'The Poem of Ecstasy'

Denis Matsuev, piano
London Symphony Chorus,
London Symphony Orchestra,
Valery Gergiev conductor

Valery Gergiev launches a cycle of Scriabin's symphonies with the LSO. The first symphony, completed in 1900 is an epic piece for huge orchestra and voices in praise of Art. His 'Poem of Ecstasy' is sometimes called his fourth symphony, and sums up his conviction of the value of an ecstatic response to music.

Denis Matsuev won the 11th International Tchaikovsky Competition. He performs here the second of Liszt's two piano concertos; less flashy than its predecessor but arguably deeper and more compelling.

[BBMmk2]

A great programme. I hope Gergiev be able to pull this one off. not many conductors, imo, apart from Riccardo Muti, can do these works justice?

[mercia]

shame its not the RFH (organwise) but I'm looking forward to this - not heard Scriabin 1
Scriabin being discussed on Music Matters today

[edashtav]

I listened only to Scriabin's First Symphony and Liszt's "nd P.C. after the interval. Both were well chara cterised by Gergiev who seemed fully engaged - sometimes I'm maddened by him when he seems to relapse into automatic pilot mode. I was impressed by Matsuev who brought poetry and bravado to the concerto. I understand that the Barbican was packed for this concert. Big names can persuade an audience to attend concerts of a recherche nature.

Radio 3 has recovered some of its old form through its selection of concerts it has relayed from the RFH and Barbican in recent weeks, and I note that the Jansons Bruckner concert that I'm attending this coming Friday is being broadcast, too. It's important that we boarders say what we like as well as what we dislike about the direction that R.3 is taking. For instance, in the past been there has been a cri du coeur for more organ broadcasts. Well, we've had a gorgeous feast in the past couple of weeks via the RFH Gala.

[mercia]

It's important that we boarders say what we like as well as what we dislike about the direction that R.3 is taking. For instance, in the past been there has been a cri du coeur for more organ broadcasts. Well, we've had a gorgeous feast in the past couple of week via the RFH Gala.

I agree with that.(though I didn't like the Gala Concert itself much )
I didn't take to Scriabin1 too much - he obviously went through some fundamental harmonic re-think before reaching the Poeme d'Extase (for the better IMO)

[Irrelohe]

The Barbican was indeed packed for this concert - with Russians! It seemed as if the whole Russian population of London - and probably more besides - was present. Nothing particularly wrong with that, but it does put things into perspective - big Russian names can perhaps persuade a Russian audience to attend concerts of Russian music of a recherché nature, but how many of them would have been present if there had been a different programme and/or conductor/soloist? (Equally, if you took the Russians out of the audience the concert would have been quite sparsely attended despite the big names).

[ardcarp]

They're not massing on the borders of Greater London are they?

[Irrelohe]

Well, take a trip to Weybridge and make up your own mind...

[edashtav]

They're not massing on the borders of Greater London are they?

Time to scrub out the yellow line that guides one to/from the Barbican - then they'll never find a way out and some Beefeaters can frog-march them to the Tower.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

The Barbican was indeed packed for this concert - with Russians! It seemed as if the whole Russian population of London - and probably more besides - was present. Nothing particularly wrong with that, but it does put things into perspective - big Russian names can perhaps persuade a Russian audience to attend concerts of Russian music of a recherché nature, but how many of them would have been present if there had been a different programme and/or conductor/soloist? (Equally, if you took the Russians out of the audience the concert would have been quite sparsely attended despite the big names).

Not just any "big Russian names" here, though. Is the LSO deriving a direct commercial benefit from the controversy about Gergiev's (and Matsuev's) stance on Ukraine?

[BBMmk2]

I hope to catch up on this on iplayer, an by the looks of it, it sounds as if Gergiev was on top form!