PO3 Philharmonia from the RFH

[Guest]

`I'm very fond of Kodaly's music and The Galanta Dances made a fine opening to last night's live concert.
A pity then, that the balance at the very first few bars was such that I was not sure the piece had started, but this seems to be a problem with the Royal Festival Hall.

I found the same problem with the Bartok 2nd violin concerto which to me is not the best example of the composer's work, (I prefer the piano concertos to those written for the violin) but the young soloist seemed very technically assured throughout (what I could hear of him, that is)

The Concerto for Orchestra is, to me, one of the finest works of the 20th Century and was superbly played by all sections of the orchestra.
What a pity that there was not enough programme time to compare it with Kodaly's Concerto for Orchestra; another wonderful example of that composer's sadly neglected output.

Having played them at least a hundred times at various schools concerts, I could have done without those Romanian Dances during the concert interval (whatever format they were presented in). An interesting discussion on the culture and influence of Hungarian music would have been far more to my liking.

VH

[salymap]

Thanks for that VH, I missed the concert after a tiring day but I shall certainly listen later on iPlayer, hopefully to all but certainly to the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra which was played so much in my early concert going days that I often sing it silently right through. A lovely work.

[antongould]

Thank you both I was looking for something to spend the last 3 quid of my emusic download allowance on and I now have the Bartok Concerto ready for my lunchtime walk. I have no fears salymap has given me some "belters" in the past months!

[hmvman]

I didn't hear the start of the dances but I heard the rest and thought it an excellent concert. I didn't have any problems with the sound balance other than thinking that the brass section seemed a little distant but that gave the 'soundstage' a good, deep perspective. I didn't know the 2nd violin concerto and I enjoyed it very much so that's going 'on the list'. The opening of the concerto was magical in my opinion.

[salymap]

Isn't Bartok's 2nd vln concerto the one that was known as THE Bartok vln concerto years ago?

Can't hear iplayer until later to check that.

[3rd Viennese School]

This concert was actually good! Very enjoyable. Heard it from the start. And it was good having the Folk music during the interval (far better than what they usually do!) Didnt recognise the tiune that you were supposed to recognise however.
Was going to tape record the Violin Con 2( The only con I have is Piano 1) but couldnt do this in time.
Yes, I didnt understand all of the violin con 2- very different from the usual violin cons out there- so it would be intersting to hear it some more times. what about that as an idea for Discovering Music?

3VS

[salymap]

I see the Bartok Concerto for orchestra is still available on the Discovering Music archive page. Hard to find [for me] but it is there with full analysis and then a performance. Via BBC R3 page and search for archive.

[salymap]

I think the best performance I have ever heard of the Bartok Concerto for orchestra. I have tinnitus but headphones enabled me to hear the inside of passages that I have never heard before. I wish it could be issued on a CD, much better than my present recordings.Will listen to the vln concerto later.

[arcades]

Isn't Bartok's 2nd vln concerto the one that was known as THE Bartok vln concerto years ago?

Yes it is. Wikipedia gives the story of the 1st (or the '1st' :)) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_...o._1_(Bartók)

[salymap]

Thanks for that arcades, I never knew the reason for the change until now. No 2 is a lovely work, still have to iplayer it.

[Petrushka]

Solti is my benchmark in the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra. I heard him do it several times and associate him with the piece in a way that I don't with other pieces and other conductors. Having said that, I very much enjoyed this concert. I can't identify with the comment about the poor sound balance at all. I was listening via Freeview and found the sound full and rich. First rate engineering.

I thought some of the transitional moments in the Bartok C for O were a tad on the slow side otherwise there was tremendous drive and energy propelled with some incisive timpani playing (Andrew Smith?)

If you didn't catch it make your way to the i-player.

[Bryn]

Ancerl and Ivan Fischer are the two I find myself spinning most often. I haven't listened to any of the three Solti recordings of the work on my shelves for some years. Perhaps I should change that situation. I listened to last night's concert via the HD Sound stream and found no particular problems of balance. I wasn't that taken with the performance of the 2nd Violin Concerto. Zehetmair and Ivan Fischer it was not.

[Chris Newman]

Fritz Reiner is my Concerto for Orchestra benchmark. I think the Philharmonia these days can give Reiner's CSO a good run for their money. Some of the internal details in the CfO and the Dances of Galanta were miraculously played.

[salymap]

My benchmark for Kodaly is an EMI 'Duo', 2 CD box with Adam and Ivan Fischer conducting their orchestras in several works, 5 or 6 I think.
It also is the prettiest case/box I know with peacock wings all over it. Sorry, off topic.

[Daring Tripod]

What a concert! All the previous concerts in this series have been exceptional and the combination of Essa Pekka and the Philharmonia
playing Bartok is a real winner.

Having heard this combination play the Concerto for Orchestra once before I guessed that this would be an outstanding performance and what with a superb performance of the 2nd Violin Concerto with Christian Tetzlaff made this one of the great concerts of the season for me.