Elgar's Second - BBC Philharmonic, Juanjo Mena: Afternoon on 3 30/06/17

[Petrushka]

Yes, the incoherence stretches to pieces inserted from CD recordings, without any indication that that is what they are, in the listings. The (my) tendency is to assume that many are CD recordings, and therefore to miss what could be a better 'live' performance. (Not so in this case, as I don't think these forces have recorded the Elgar or the Walton to CD - perhaps they should!) The programme would benefit from some re-working. I suppose the main problem is that the slot is too long (except Wednesday) for the average concert to fill it. But there are ways of overcoming that!

The Radio Times listing merely states that the performances were given on a BBC PO tour of Austria, Spain and Germany though without any indication of dates or from where each performance was given. The afternoon slot on R3 needs a complete revamp and there would be time on most days to have two complete concerts minus any intervals. Really do need to see an end to the crazy flung together jumble of stuff that comes out in this slot.

[PJPJ]

The Radio Times listing merely states that the performances were given on a BBC PO tour of Austria, Spain and Germany though without any indication of dates or from where each performance was given. The afternoon slot on R3 needs a complete revamp and there would be time on most days to have two complete concerts minus any intervals. Really do need to see an end to the crazy flung together jumble of stuff that comes out in this slot.

I cannot for the life of me think of a good reason why the Peter Eotvos and Tan Dun pieces had to be aired on a different day from the Elgar.

I managed to record them all from iplayer, and the Elgar 2 also joins an earlier performance of Elgar 1. I see Juanjo Mena has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Kent Nagano in Montreal.

[seabright]

There's a 3-minute video clip of part of the finale played by the Berlin Philharmonic under Kirill Petrenko (presumably no relation to Vasily) which suggests they gave a fabulous performance of Elgar 2 under this highly demonstrative conductor. On the basis of this clip, if it hasn't yet been issued on CD or DVD then it ought to be ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aftq_Yrudv8

[gradus]

Lovely, lively excerpt dating from 2009.according to the comments (?).

[Petrushka]

Finally managed to listen to the Britten Violin Concerto and the Elgar 2 and I agree with the plaudits re the Elgar - a very fine performance indeed. I had a 'eureka!' moment when listening to the central episode of the third movement. I've complained before about the curious lack of impact at this point, the percussion usually quietened down as if in embarrassment, in just about every recording I've heard. Not so here. Mena and the BBCPO observed Elgar's wish that the percussion should drown out everything else and was here let off the leash to stunning effect. Yes, this is how it should go!

BBC Music Magazine have a 1964 BBCSO/Sargent CD on their roster but they could put us in their debt by issuing this performance as a future CD.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

BBC Music Magazine have a 1964 BBCSO/Sargent CD on their roster but they could put us in their debt by issuing this performance as a future CD.

IIRC, there have been no "modern" recordings of the Elgar Symphonies with the BBCMusMags - only (very good) Boult and Sargent archive versions? A more recent performance would be overdue - I would welcome this Mena, but would actually prefer the RLPO/(Vasily) Petrenko from the 2014 Proms; the finest Live performance of the work I've heard, it used to be available on youTube. (But, yes - Mena's percussion in the Scherzo was something else!)

Thanks to seabright, too, for that (Kiril) Petrenko/BPO clip - if that is characteristic of his conducting abilities, I can see why the orchestra wanted him! And isn't it marvellous that this work - for decades, my favourite of the composer's works - is getting more and more international performances!

[ahinton]

IIRC, there have been no "modern" recordings of the Elgar Symphonies with the BBCMusMags - only (very good) Boult and Sargent archive versions? A more recent performance would be overdue - I would welcome this Mena, but would actually prefer the RLPO/(Vasily) Petrenko from the 2014 Proms; the finest Live performance of the work I've heard, it used to be available on youTube. (But, yes - Mena's percussion in the Scherzo was something else!)

Thanks to seabright, too, for that (Kiril) Petrenko/BPO clip - if that is characteristic of his conducting abilities, I can see why the orchestra wanted him! And isn't it marvellous that this work - for decades, my favourite of the composer's works - is getting more and more international performances!

It certainly is!

[seabright]

The K Petrenko / BPO clip on You Tube is an advertising "taster" for the whole performance on the BPO Digital Concert Hall site. The link is provided, so I took the plunge and for 9.90 Euros I have a week of wading through all their archived videos, including the complete Elgar 2. I have to say it is absolutely marvelous, superbly played and conducted by a Russian who clearly knows the music inside out, as he barely glanced at the score in front of him. More to the point, I think he must have listened to Elgar's own recording, as his performance has that same kind of exultant forward drive and none of the longeurs one finds in some performances which hold everything up from time to time.

Interestingly, in view of the remarks earlier about the percussion in the scherzo, when we get to that passage the camera switches to the percussion section and we see the timpanist giving both kettle-drums almighty thwacks sufficient to bring the roof down. What was interesting was that the German audience were clearly completely bowled over by a work they can't have been all that familiar with. Their bravos rang out for nearly five minutes which meant that the diminutive conductor had to return to the rostrum several times to acknowledge the ovation. Anyway, for just under 10 Euros it, and several other Elgar performances in the BPO archive, are well worth investigating.

Memo to the Proms organisers: please invite K Petrenko and the BPO to repeat this performance at next year's Proms!

[Barbirollians]

I can handle a few longueurs in Elgar 2 especially in the Halle/Barbirolli account from the 1960s - no performance of the Larghetto has the emotional charge of that one .

[BBMmk2]

IIRC, there have been no "modern" recordings of the Elgar Symphonies with the BBCMusMags - only (very good) Boult and Sargent archive versions? A more recent performance would be overdue - I would welcome this Mena, but would actually prefer the RLPO/(Vasily) Petrenko from the 2014 Proms; the finest Live performance of the work I've heard, it used to be available on youTube. (But, yes - Mena's percussion in the Scherzo was something else!)

Thanks to seabright, too, for that (Kiril) Petrenko/BPO clip - if that is characteristic of his conducting abilities, I can see why the orchestra wanted him! And isn't it marvellous that this work - for decades, my favourite of the composer's works - is getting more and more international performances!

Even though these are very good, they need to update the catalogue of the BBC MM CDs.

[pastoralguy]

I wonder if Barenboim's advocacy of Elgar's music in Berlin has raised an interest. I'm hoping his new 'Gerontius' is going to pop through my door on Friday.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I wonder if Barenboim's advocacy of Elgar's music in Berlin has raised an interest. I'm hoping his new 'Gerontius' is going to pop through my door on Friday.

The bits of that DoG that I've heard suggest excellent performances from the orchestra and chorus, real affinity with the Music from the conductor (as I'd expected), and a very good Tenor soloist indeed; but the Mezzo and Bass both sounded way past their best - so much so that I decided not to buy it.

[Barbirollians]

Even though these are very good, they need to update the catalogue of the BBC MM CDs.

The live Proms Boult Elgar 1 which also appeared on Pickwick and another label more recently , is in my opinion one of the great recordings of the work and any new BBCMM will need to go some to be within hailing distance of it .

[EdgeleyRob]

Finally managed to listen to the Britten Violin Concerto and the Elgar 2 and I agree with the plaudits re the Elgar - a very fine performance indeed. I had a 'eureka!' moment when listening to the central episode of the third movement. I've complained before about the curious lack of impact at this point, the percussion usually quietened down as if in embarrassment, in just about every recording I've heard. Not so here. Mena and the BBCPO observed Elgar's wish that the percussion should drown out everything else and was here let off the leash to stunning effect. Yes, this is how it should go!

BBC Music Magazine have a 1964 BBCSO/Sargent CD on their roster but they could put us in their debt by issuing this performance as a future CD.

[bluestateprommer]

And I read somewhere that the 2017-18 season will be Mena's last as chief conductor of the BBC Phil .

This is indeed the case, as indicated by the blurb for the BBC Phil's season opener this coming September at the Bridgewater Hall, Mahler 3:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e6mhj5

"Juanjo Mena will be joined by a vast ensemble of musicians and singers as he begins his final season as the BBC Philharmonic’s Chief Conductor."

Elaborating on PJPJ's separate comment, I've read the same thing from one of the Montreal papers on-line about JM being in the running for the OSM. In the province over, the Toronto Symphony is also looking for a new music director, and JM has a date with them next season. Toronto has signed up Sir Andrew Davis as music adviser, but they might want to act fast if they think that JM is on the musicians' radar there.