R3 in Concert one-stop shop

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • silvestrione
    Full Member
    • Jan 2011
    • 1699

    What a pleasure to hear Tippett's Symphony 2 tonight on R3, with the LPO under Edward Gardner (who conducted it at Snape years ago the only time I heard it live). The wonderful sonorities, and creative use of the all the sounds of the orchestra, the drive, the lyricism...and as always with Tippett, the restraint at the end, the final trumpet characterised by Gardner in his intro as a 'blessing'. Almost as thrilling, for me, as an old Tippettian, as it were, was to hear the large audience so enthusiastic at the conclusion! The orchestra most certainly deserving the rapturous response. I do hope this can become a popular work.

    Comment

    • edashtav
      Full Member
      • Jul 2012
      • 3667

      Originally posted by silvestrione View Post
      What a pleasure to hear Tippett's Symphony 2 tonight on R3, with the LPO under Edward Gardner (who conducted it at Snape years ago the only time I heard it live). The wonderful sonorities, and creative use of the all the sounds of the orchestra, the drive, the lyricism...and as always with Tippett, the restraint at the end, the final trumpet characterised by Gardner in his intro as a 'blessing'. Almost as thrilling, for me, as an old Tippettian, as it were, was to hear the large audience so enthusiastic at the conclusion! The orchestra most certainly deserving the rapturous response. I do hope this can become a popular work.
      Oh yes what memories of the 1950s when Tippett's scoring was declared unplayable w.r.t. the string scoring in his second symphony (BBC SO leader Paul Beards) and the solo part in his piano concerto (putative 2nd choice soloist Julius Katchen). These days, Ed Gardner's genius can coax a better performance out of the Tippett's 'Vivaldi' symphony from the Royal Academy Orchestra (c.f.Youtube) than Sir Adrian Boult , assisted, or inhibited, by Paul Beards / an early-entry flautist, managed during the work's premiere by the BBC SO. The broadcast performance, last evening , was the finest I've heard and deserves to be issued on CD. (By the way, silvestrione , I'm told that he packed audience were recruited by the wonderful soloist ,
      Seong-Jin Cho, and the Beethoven G major piano concerto in the concert's first half: the evidence suggests that a number of ticket holders failed to return to the auditorium for Tippett's masterpiece. [More fool them.]

      I loved Seong-Jin Cho's brilliant, light and fleet fingered Beethoven, and was fascinated by Ed Gardner's partial period instrumental accompaniment. It disturbed me in the dialogue of Beethoven's slow movement when the orchestra's interjections were rather staccato and abrupt, in startling contrast to the soloist's limpid legato. Cunning programming, though. Was Beethoven's 4th concerto not an inspiration for Tippett's piano concerto?
      Last edited by edashtav; 22-05-24, 19:02. Reason: Typo

      Comment

      • Ein Heldenleben
        Full Member
        • Apr 2014
        • 6749

        Tonight’s In Concert….

        Dvorák: Scherzo capriccioso
        Stephen Hough: Piano Concerto (The World of Yesterday) - Hallé Commission and European premiere
        Butterworth: A Shropshire Lad - Rhapsody for Orchestra
        Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme, ‘Enigma’

        Sir Stephen Hough (piano)
        The Hallé
        Sir Mark Elder (conductor)


        ….Has been pretty much unalloyed joy from start to finish . Some superlative clarinet playing and woodwind generally . I must be in a good mood because I even enjoyed Stephen Hough’s encore on Feed The Birds - a song I pretty much can’t stand.

        Just as one despairs of what’s happening in this country along come Elgar , the Hallé and Sir Mark Elder to remind us of its glories. His comments on Nimrod - not a mournful dirge but a celebration of friendship - are absolutely right.

        Comment

        • LMcD
          Full Member
          • Sep 2017
          • 8406

          Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View Post
          Tonight’s In Concert….

          Dvorák: Scherzo capriccioso
          Stephen Hough: Piano Concerto (The World of Yesterday) - Hallé Commission and European premiere
          Butterworth: A Shropshire Lad - Rhapsody for Orchestra
          Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme, ‘Enigma’

          Sir Stephen Hough (piano)
          The Hallé
          Sir Mark Elder (conductor)


          ….Has been pretty much unalloyed joy from start to finish . Some superlative clarinet playing and woodwind generally . I must be in a good mood because I even enjoyed Stephen Hough’s encore on Feed The Birds - a song I pretty much can’t stand.

          Just as one despairs of what’s happening in this country along come Elgar , the Hallé and Sir Mark Elder to remind us of its glories. His comments on Nimrod - not a mournful dirge but a celebration of friendship - are absolutely right.
          I'm relying on Elgar, together with Sibelius, Vaughan Williams and Brahms, plus my weird sense of humour, to get me through the election campaign.

          Comment

          • Ein Heldenleben
            Full Member
            • Apr 2014
            • 6749

            Originally posted by LMcD View Post

            I'm relying on Elgar, together with Sibelius, Vaughan Williams and Brahms, plus my weird sense of humour, to get me through the election campaign.
            I was thinking more of the Post Office and Blood scandals . Say what you like about musicians but they tend not to imprison or poison the innocent.

            Comment

            • silvestrione
              Full Member
              • Jan 2011
              • 1699

              Originally posted by edashtav View Post

              Oh yes what memories of the 1950s when Tippett's scoring was declared unplayable w.r.t. the string scoring in his second symphony (BBC SO leader Paul Beards) and the solo part in his piano concerto (putative 2nd choice soloist Julius Katchen). These days, Ed Gardner's genius can coax a better performance out of the Tippett's 'Vivaldi' symphony from the Royal Academy Orchestra (c.f.Youtube) than Sir Adrian Boult , assisted, or inhibited, by Paul Beards / an early-entry flautist, managed during the work's premiere by the BBC SO. The broadcast performance, last evening , was the finest I've heard and deserves to be issued on CD. (By the way, silvestrione , I'm told that he packed audience were recruited by the wonderful soloist ,
              Seong-Jin Cho, and the Beethoven G major piano concerto in the concert's first half: the evidence suggests that a number of ticket holders failed to return to the auditorium for Tippett's masterpiece. [More fool them.]

              I loved Seong-Jin Cho's brilliant, light and fleet fingered Beethoven, and was fascinated by Ed Gardner's partial period instrumental accompaniment. It disturbed me in the dialogue of Beethoven's slow movement when the orchestra's interjections were rather staccato and abrupt, in startling contrast to the soloist's limpid legato. Cunning programming, though. Was Beethoven's 4th concerto not an inspiration for Tippett's piano concerto?
              It was indeed. Tippett recalls sitting at the back of a Gieseking rehearsal of the piece, and taking it from there..
              I assumed the marked staccato against legato contrast was how they'd agreed to do it - it was different, intriguing, I thought.
              On my equipment the piano was far too dominant, forward, in the sound stage, though.

              Comment

              • LMcD
                Full Member
                • Sep 2017
                • 8406

                Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View Post

                I was thinking more of the Post Office and Blood scandals . Say what you like about musicians but they tend not to imprison or poison the innocent.
                Elgar and Co, are helping me through both of these, and also helped me get through Covid and a series of more personal misfortunes. .

                Comment

                • smittims
                  Full Member
                  • Aug 2022
                  • 4078

                  I enjoyed Stephen Hough's concerto immensely and urge others to catch up on it. It's unashamed 'LIght Music' of the best sort, not sugary like Nigel Hess, but perky and cheerful like Lord Berners, RR Bennett et al. I'd rather hear this any day than earnest, laboured , so-called 'original' modern music which turns out to be dreary pastiche (Cecila MacDowell for instance)

                  Comment

                  • edashtav
                    Full Member
                    • Jul 2012
                    • 3667

                    Originally posted by silvestrione View Post

                    It was indeed. Tippett recalls sitting at the back of a Gieseking rehearsal of the piece, and taking it from there..
                    I assumed the marked staccato against legato contrast was how they'd agreed to do it - it was different, intriguing, I thought.
                    On my equipment the piano was far too dominant, forward, in the sound stage, though.

                    I agree with your well-made points, silvestrione .

                    Comment

                    • Ein Heldenleben
                      Full Member
                      • Apr 2014
                      • 6749

                      This Schubert A. Major D959 from Stephen Osborne at the Aldeburgh Festival is absolutely wonderful. Where do you start ? The touch , dynamics , phrasing, pedalling all perfect. That final movement with its ambiguous hovering between joy and sadness so beautifully done. He is an absolute master.

                      Comment

                      • smittims
                        Full Member
                        • Aug 2022
                        • 4078

                        Stephen Osborne is surely one of the finest pianistic interpreters today . I well recall his superb Ravel series in Manchester, utterly faultless and clear, and in Juanjo Mena's day he gave a very fine Nights in the Gardens of Spain.

                        I don't often listen to a live R3 concert these days but I did 'tune in' at 7.30 yesterday evening to listen to the Judith Weir pieces which opened the recital. Least said the better, I think!

                        Comment

                        • silvestrione
                          Full Member
                          • Jan 2011
                          • 1699

                          Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View Post
                          This Schubert A. Major D959 from Stephen Osborne at the Aldeburgh Festival is absolutely wonderful. Where do you start ? The touch , dynamics , phrasing, pedalling all perfect. That final movement with its ambiguous hovering between joy and sadness so beautifully done. He is an absolute master.
                          Thanks for the tip-off. Wonderful indeed. You're left marvelling, at the playing of course, but - the music! What a piece...

                          Comment

                          • Ein Heldenleben
                            Full Member
                            • Apr 2014
                            • 6749

                            The BBC SSO and Ryan Wigglesworth are playing Mahler 4 very well indeed. What with Osborne in Schubert and the Snape Maltings opening night concert I rather wish I was there taking in refreshment at arguably the best bar for bird watching in the UK….

                            Comment

                            • LMcD
                              Full Member
                              • Sep 2017
                              • 8406

                              Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View Post
                              The BBC SSO and Ryan Wigglesworth are playing Mahler 4 very well indeed. What with Osborne in Schubert and the Snape Maltings opening night concert I rather wish I was there taking in refreshment at arguably the best bar for bird watching in the UK….
                              I was astonished to learn that Daniel Pioro, the soloist in the first half, was playing the Britten concerto for the first time.

                              Comment

                              • jonfan
                                Full Member
                                • Dec 2010
                                • 1422

                                Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View Post
                                The BBC SSO and Ryan Wigglesworth are playing Mahler 4 very well indeed. What with Osborne in Schubert and the Snape Maltings opening night concert I rather wish I was there taking in refreshment at arguably the best bar for bird watching in the UK….
                                The same forces played a stunning Bruckner 7 in the same venue this last week. Highly recommended.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X