Bach Mass in B Minor Po3 on Friday 13 May

[doversoul1]

As mentioned in the Lufthansa Festival thread:
Bach Mass in B Minor performed by Collegium Vocale Gent, conductor Philippe Herreweghe.

I hope this will make up for the messed-up broadcast of St Matthew Passion (I know it was no one’s fault but I still haven’t forgiven R3 for starting at 6.00).

[pilamenon]

Dorothee Mields soprano
Hana Blažíková soprano
Damien Guillon counter-tenor
Thomas Hobbs tenor
Peter Kooij bass
Collegium Vocale Gent
Philippe Herreweghe conductor

And just take a look at the quality of the soloists, too! <swoonsmiley>

[salymap]

I'm looking forward to my favourite Bach Mass tonight. Should be good.

[Bryn]

This HIPP approach, 'tis all the vogue
but Bach's not the same without a Moog.

Love the idea of doing the B minor Mass in a deconsecrated church.

Oh, and I'm lapping it up. Great stuff.

[mercia]

I'm finding the trumpets somewhat distant to the point of inaudible, whilst strangely the timpani are rather dominant. But apart from that ......... erm, triff.

[Bryn]

Brilliant piece of scheduling to have this live performance broadcast on Radio 3 at the same time as the Sacred Music programme on Bach's Lutheran influences is on BBC4. Fortunately the latter gets a further repeat at 03:05 tomorrow morning.

[mercia]

Very enjoyable. Sorry, I like my trumpets more prominent than that.

[doversoul1]

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done Radio3. Didn’t they even adjust the mikes for the trumpet and the timpani in the second part? I thought the timpani were less prominent after the interval.

[pilamenon]

Great stuff, indeed. A real sense of occasion. Collegium Vocale Gent are an absolutely outstanding group in this music, surely on a par with the Monteverdi. I enjoyed the tenor Thomas Hobbs in the Benedictus very much. The opening was tremendous, but I didn't hear the Gloria and came back in for part two.

Exemplary presentation by R3 last night, too, with informative, discreet commentary, well chosen interval music and some gorgeous Villa Lobos Bach transcriptions after the concert. The evening schedules are absolutely transformed.

[johnb]

Exemplary presentation by R3 last night, too, with informative, discreet commentary, well chosen interval music and some gorgeous Villa Lobos Bach transcriptions after the concert. The evening schedules are absolutely transformed.

That reminds me of something I've been musing on.

To me, having music during the interval is a major irritant. The last thing I want to hear between the two parts of the B min Mass is a selection of 'relevant' CD recordings. I want to have the first part still in my mind when the first part starts.

This new policy of R3 of playing music between two halves of a concert is the equivalent of having another orchestra/chamber group playing in the bar while you take your interval refreshments when you go to a live concert. A bad idea.

The 20 minute interval slots used to be variable (though some were very good) but I must prefer that format to filling the interval with music.

Having said that I thought it was a really fine performance and it came over with a real sense of the atmosphere and the presence of a live event. Martin Handley's presentation was also very good indeed.

[austin]

To me, having music during the interval is a major irritant. The last thing I want to hear between the two parts of the B min Mass is a selection of 'relevant' CD recordings. I want to have the first part still in my mind when the first part starts.


Having said that I thought it was a really fine performance and it came over with a real sense of the atmosphere and the presence of a live event. Martin Handley's presentation was also very good indeed.

Yes! I agree totally. And the excellent "performance" is available on iPlayer! WOW!!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This new policy of R3 of playing music between two halves of a concert is the equivalent of having another orchestra/chamber group playing in the bar while you take your interval refreshments when you go to a live concert. A bad idea.

Definitely a bad idea - but better than adverts.

[doversoul1]

Re: Music at the interval

It could spoil the whole thing but I thought yesterday’s programming was well judged. I find most interval programmes are less than averagely interesting, some are plain boring. Yet I daren’t turn the radio off (I have no mute button) or I’ll be sure to miss the beginning of the second part. I much prefer listening to carefully selected music. Some of the short stories were very good though.

[pilamenon]

I wouldn't want music as the default for every interval, but agree with doversoul that when carefully selected, and providing some kind of contrast with the main fare, it works well. Radio 3 often used to do this, and of course it was 18th century practice to perform organ concertos during intervals in Handel oratorios, so there's lots of good precedent.

Far preferable to the gushing backstage interviews that TV viewers will have to endure at the Proms, and similar interval chat with performers on radio.

[mercia]

of course if the schedule had been left as it was, there would be no need for any interval talk or music ...........hey ho ................