Philharmonia/Ashkenazy April 19 2015

[Petrushka]

Tonight's concert live from the Royal Festival Hall, London.

Scriabin: Rêverie
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219
Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony

Eric Silberger (violin)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Vladimir Ashkenazy

A rather swift return visit of Tchaikovsky's Manfred from Ashkenazy and the Philharmonia. Last given by them in the RFH in November 2013, they will now have the benefit of the refurbished organ. An excellent Sunday night programme, I think.

[johnn10]

A double first from Katy Derham tonight. I have never heard Maazel pronounced the way she does. Secondly she managed to crash the opening of the Mozart with her witterings. Never heard that before in several decades of listening to live concerts and operas.

[Petrushka]

A double first from Katy Derham tonight. I have never heard Maazel pronounced the way she does. Secondly she managed to crash the opening of the Mozart with her witterings. Never heard that before in several decades of listening to live concerts and operas.

Disappointing on both counts I agree. Absolutely no excuse for crashing the opening like that, after all she can see what's going on. Be interesting to see if the I-player repeat can be corrected.

[johnn10]

At the end of the broadcast Katie Derham said that tomorrow evening's broadcast of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk would be live. This is definitely not the case -it is a recording from last November. She also said that there was live music every evening on Radio 3 . Again this is not the case. Who wrote her script?

[Petrushka]

The contributions from Katie Derham aside, this was a thrilling performance of Tchaikovsky's Manfred. It's long been an Ashkenazy speciality and it didn't disappoint.

As it seems as if only johnn10 and I tuned in tonight do catch this on the I-player. Stunning playing throughout but a special bravo for the timpani player (Andrew Smith or has he retired?)

Presentation aside (something Mr Davey needs to sort out) this was the kind of evening that Radio 3 is all about. Magical.

[EdgeleyRob]

The contributions from Katie Derham aside, this was a thrilling performance of Tchaikovsky's Manfred. It's long been an Ashkenazy speciality and it didn't disappoint.

As it seems as if only johnn10 and I tuned in tonight do catch this on the I-player. Stunning playing throughout but a special bravo for the timpani player (Andrew Smith or has he retired?)

Presentation aside (something Mr Davey needs to sort out) this was the kind of evening that Radio 3 is all about. Magical.

I listened too Pet,well the Manfred ,missed the 1st half.
Not sure it could have been done any better,super stuff.
Bonus Rachmaninov preludes and a Smetana snippet followed,marvelous.
Not a lot we can do about the amateurish presentation,seems we are stuck with it.

[Beef Oven!]

Glad to see that Vladimir is getting some well deserved latter day recognition.

[johnn10]

And I thought the two main pieces worked very well together. Not an obvious coupling (to me at least) but it made for a very satisfying if rather short evening.

[Petrushka]

Glad to see that Vladimir is getting some well deserved latter day recognition.

I remember seeing him in a very early conducting engagement, well out of the limelight, with the RLPO in the Victoria Hall, Hanley in 1977. Mozart PC 17 and Rachmaninov 2nd Symphony were on the programme.

[Simon B]

Stunning playing throughout but a special bravo for the timpani player (Andrew Smith or has he retired?)

Technically retired, but still fairly regularly appearing. He was there (in no uncertain terms) last Thursday for Fountains/Festivals/Pines and by the sounds of it also in this Manfred. Hopefully he'll be the Maurice Murphy of the timps and have multiple unsuccessful retirements that mostly involve carrying on playing for years!

That said, auditions for a successor are imminent.

[Irrelohe]

Disappointing on both counts I agree. Absolutely no excuse for crashing the opening like that, after all she can see what's going on. Be interesting to see if the I-player repeat can be corrected.

And, if I remember rightly, she managed to get Ashkenazy's first name wrong, stressing the first rather than the second syllable (though she's hardly unique in that respect).

[gurnemanz]

Glad to see that Vladimir is getting some well deserved latter day recognition.

I don't think he has lacked latter-day recognition.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I don't think he has lacked latter-day recognition.

I've noticed, over the years, the number of times his recordings come recommenced, or at least, in the final selection. And he will perform outside the cities - e.g. in Bedford with the Philharmonia. My respect for him only increased hearing the interview on Music Matters, 4 April, still available on the iPlayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05pqp6b

[gurnemanz]

We very much enjoyed an Ashkenazy concert a few years ago at the Anvil Basingstoke with the Philharmonia doing Rachmaninov 3 + Vadim Repin in the Sibelius Concerto. Our first visit to that venue with its excellent acoustic.