Afternoon Concert - general thread

[oddoneout]

I wonder what permutations they'll provide today...
John Williams listed first then Smetana in the schedule and, as so often now, an odd mix of music, at least to my way of thinking, but that may be because I don't know enough about the pieces to be able to make a connection? It's as if they're trying to do the morning programmes but with longer pieces - and no real thought. Somebody must have had a reason for scattering Buxtehude's Membra Jesu Nostri through 4 days in between symphonies and other smaller works last week, but what could it have been?

[french frank]

Update: Saint-Saëns' Bacchanale now appears at the end of the playlist for Lunchtime Concert, but it wasn't actually broadcast as part of that programme, and it doesn't play in Sounds for that programme, although it's listed there too. It appears at the beginning of Sounds for Afternoon Concert, but is not listed in its playlist and (possibly as a result) the beginning of the piece is missing in Sounds. (The programme's opening announcement is consequently missing.) My database has faithfully copied the error: I can correct that....

And curiously the running order shows the first piece as the Saint-Saëns Bacchanale, followed by Mozart, whereas the track list shows the first track as John Williams, followed by Mozart. And, yes, the first bit of the Saint-Saëns is missing but its end is followed by John Williams.

[oddoneout]

The AC effect is getting to the presenters as well it seems, Penny Gore doesn't seem to be herself...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0014g7p

[oddoneout]

Who thought that this

James Edward Davis/Roger Ramirez/Michael Abene Lover Man

was a suitable link between Bartok's Divertimento for Strings and Schubert 9?
I don't get as exercised as some about "non-R3" repertoire appearing in the schedules but this crossed my tolerance line for its subject and style irrelevance, also the dismal dirge sound grated and prompted swift recourse to the mute button.

[Frances_iom]

Who thought that this was a suitable link between Bartok's Divertimento for Strings and Schubert 9?
.

the playlist computer ? no doubt based on track length.

[cloughie]

Who thought that this was a suitable link between Bartok's Divertimento for Strings and Schubert 9?
I don't get as exercised as some about "non-R3" repertoire appearing in the schedules but this crossed my tolerance line for its subject and style irrelevance, also the dismal dirge sound grated and prompted swift recourse to the mute button.

I rather enjoyed it, however I think there is some not quite joined up thinking at R3 head office!

I thought the Bartok a very spirited performance.

[oddoneout]

I rather enjoyed it, however I think there is some not quite joined up thinking at R3 head office!

I thought the Bartok a very spirited performance.

Agreed, and I very much enjoyed it, but I think that was why I took agin what followed to the degree that I did - the contrast was too much, not helped that it's a kind of music I find unappealing anyway.

[oddoneout]

It's been mentioned before but I still don't understand the rationale (if indeed there is one) for splitting an opera up over more than one day - making a serial of it. Cesar Franck's Hulda is the lucky target this time. I assume there is some feature of the Act in question but Franck doesn't even get whole Acts - Wednesday was Acts 1 and 2, today has Act 3 and part of 4*, Friday is the rest of 4 and an epilogue.
I'm not a fan of either opera or Franck, but I still think this treatment does both a disservice. Using some form of 'listen later' would get the whole but seems convoluted to say the least, removing/skipping the fillers (as usual not fully listed on the schedule) - much easier for listeners to broadcast it whole for them to fillet if that's their thing? Is it really such a problem to devote an afternoon to an opera - didn't that happen in former times anyway? The awkward fillers could then be put into a more coherent assemblage on the other two days.
No point in airing this really but heat-induced time inside has once more highlighted how AC has changed and become something I don't especially want to listen to anymore - not so much the content per se or the surprising, and not to my ears always successful juxtaposition of items, but the scrappy way it is now put out with works or concerts split up and scattered through the two and a half or 3 hours. I have emailed several times with no result but haven't written, which might get a response, if not an answer.
* " to be concluded tomorrow" as a serial would have it

[BBMmk2]

I think the star if tonight’s concert, is the soprano soloist, Masabene Cecilia Rangwanasha. The replacement tenor soloist is marvellous!

[Ein Heldenleben]

I think the star if tonight’s concert, is the soprano soloist, Masabene Cecilia Rangwanasha. The replacement tenor soloist is marvellous!

Wrong thread but you’re absolutely right !

[smittims]

This may be the place to mention that Andrew Manze conducts Elgar's First Symphony in this afternoon's programme at about 1540 GMT I guess.

His performances and recordings of Vaughan Williams' symphonies have been widely praised and I heard him do Elgar's Introduction and Allegro at the Festival Hall in 2015 , but I can't recall him conducting an Elgar symphony. I first heard this symphony around 1966 played by the Radio Frankfurt S.O. , unusually, conducted by Colin Davis, a very good performance.

There weren't many available recordings then; it was mostly a choice of Barbirolli or Barbirolli! How times change. Andrew Manze will find himself compared with many interpreters , from the composer himself to Tony Pappano and Vasily Petrenko, to name only two fine recent performances I've heard.

[cloughie]

This may be the place to mention that Andrew Manze conducts Elgar's First Symphony in this afternoon's programme at about 1540 GMT I guess.

His performances and recordings of Vaughan Williams' symphonies have been widely praised and I heard him do Elgar's Introduction and Allegro at the Festival Hall in 2015 , but I can't recall him conducting an Elgar symphony. I first heard this symphony around 1966 played by the Radio Frankfurt S.O. , unusually, conducted by Colin Davis, a very good performance.

There weren't many available recordings then; it was mostly a choice of Barbirolli or Barbirolli! How times change. Andrew Manze will find himself compared with many interpreters , from the composer himself to Tony Pappano and Vasily Petrenko, to name only two fine recent performances I've heard.

Should be interesting - is the money on a sub 50’ performance? Interesting comment about availability of recordings in 1966 - Elgar’s own recording was not on LP, nor maybe Boult’s 1949. His Lyrita and EMI recordings were later. But JB’s two recordings are excellent - even now topping my list alongside Bryden Thomson’s! (Other very good ones are available).

[Master Jacques]

Should be interesting - is the money on a sub 50’ performance? Interesting comment about availability of recordings in 1966 - Elgar’s own recording was not on LP, nor maybe Boult’s 1949. His Lyrita and EMI recordings were later. But JB’s two recordings are excellent - even now topping my list alongside Bryden Thomson’s! (Other very good ones are available).

Alas, "interesting" is not the first word that comes to mind for me, thus far, with this Elgar 1. "Efficient", at best; "pedestrian", in places; "scrappy", at times. Mind you, it's much better than the Sibelius VC which preceded it: tuning in just after that started, so without knowing anything about the personnel, I thought this the worst performance I'd heard of the piece - so floppy as to make it sound like a bad work. Which it isn't, though it evidently doesn't play itself. Conductor was giving way far too much to the soloist, I thought, producing a stop-go effect without momentum. Perhaps you had to be there.

[cloughie]

Alas, "interesting" is not the first word that comes to mind for me, thus far, with this Elgar 1. "Efficient", at best; "pedestrian", in places; "scrappy", at times. Mind you, it's much better than the Sibelius VC which preceded it: tuning in just after that started, so without knowing anything about the personnel, I thought this the worst performance I'd heard of the piece - so floppy as to make it sound like a bad work. Which it isn't, though it evidently doesn't play itself. Conductor was giving way far too much to the soloist, I thought, producing a stop-go effect without momentum. Perhaps you had to be there.

I found the Elgar 1 lacked the love it really needs! I agree with the patchwork of descriptions you applied MJ.

[gradus]

I didn't hear it all, only the end of the slow movt and finale both of which reminded me how wonderful it is. The music worked its magic on me and the closing pages were so stirringly played, what a piece!