R3 in Concert one-stop shop

[silvestrione]

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.

[edashtav]

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?

[Ein Heldenleben]

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.

[LMcD]

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.

[Ein Heldenleben]

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.

[silvestrione]

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.

[LMcD]

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. .

[smittims]

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)

[edashtav]

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 .

[Ein Heldenleben]

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.

[smittims]

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!

[silvestrione]

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...

[Ein Heldenleben]

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….

[LMcD]

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.

[jonfan]

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.