Afternoon Concert - general thread

[Roslynmuse]

Thsi programme has come in for so much criticism that it's pleasure to say how much I enjoyed the complete S. John Passion from the Bridgwater Hall in Manchester in yesterday's programme. I found it moving, and it took me back to my first aquaintance with the work in David Willcocks' Argo recording. Yesterday's performance was a triumph for Nickolas Kraemer and the BBC Philharmonic, and the long applause at the end was well-deserved.

I was there in the audience, and it was indeed a very fine performance - communicative without being operatic; most of the (solo) singers were off-copy, and the Manchester Chamber Choir were on fine form (as was the orchestra). Nicholas Kraemer conducted unobtrusively, allowing the music to speak for itself.

[oddoneout]

Thsi programme has come in for so much criticism that it's pleasure to say how much I enjoyed the complete S. John Passion from the Bridgwater Hall in Manchester in yesterday's programme. I found it moving, and it took me back to my first aquaintance with the work in David Willcocks' Argo recording. Yesterday's performance was a triumph for Nickolas Kraemer and the BBC Philharmonic, and the long applause at the end was well-deserved.

I was only able to hear part of this but I agree, a fine performance. Having seen most of the first part of Gareth Malone's St.J project in the morning, it was also a reminder of the scale of the challenge facing those singers.
If Afternoon Concert had concentrated on doing 'what it says on the tin' with broadcasts such as yesterday's it wouldn't have come in for so much criticism.

[smittims]

Thsi programme has come in for so much criticism that it's pleasure to say how much I enjoyed the complete S. John Passion from the Bridgwater Hall in Manchester in yesterday's programme. I found it moving, and it took me back to my first aquaintance with the work in David Willcocks' Argo recording. Yesterday's performance was a triumph for Nickolas Kraemer and the BBC Philharmonic, and the long applause at the end was well-deserved.

[oddoneout]

The online information was particularly unhelpful today.
The same Chopin Intermezzo played 6 times according to the "Music Played", only one movement of the Carwithen not the whole suite, and post the 3pm slot, RVW, JSB and Wieniawski items not mentioned in the preliminary blurb. Luckily, I had put the radio on about 3-15pm without checking the schedule first and left it on, despite the Sibelius not being of interest, and so could enjoy the JSB and RVW which I would otherwise have missed.
If they can't cope now what's going to be like from April onwards when there will be even more music pieces to itemise? Perhaps they'll abandon the attempt altogether on the assumption that "everyone" has the scrolling playlist on their chosen music device and in any case won't be bothered about knowing beforehand what might be played... Whether that would mean greater accuracy for the few proper concert type slots - who knows.

[mopsus]

I'd like to think that the locations of the breaks in the Rachmaninov had some sort of liturgical basis, but I'm not very confident that such a criterion would have been used.

[oddoneout]

How do you suppose they decide which work will receive the dissect and distribute treatment on AC? Have they got a bit of software that can do the calculation as to how many suitable length chunks can be produced from a given item for, say, 3 days worth? Or do staff get to nominate a work(one they don't like perhaps?) for the operation.

[LMcD]

Looks like 14 pieces, including Eric Coates's Television March to begin with - and provide a link with The Three Elizabeths (both performed by the BBC Phil). These, along with the Enescu piece performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, provide the only other fossilised remains of the old BBC Orchestras concert slot.

'BBC Radio 3 today's schedule' makes it 12, which is still too many in my book!

[french frank]

9 items scheduled for this afternoon, including nos. 13-15 from the All-Night Vespers, one movement of a Beethoven piano sonata and one movement of a Haydn concerto. The 3.00 p.m. 'big work' is Ceric Coates's Three Elizabeths Suite.

Looks like 14 pieces, including Eric Coates's Television March to begin with - and provide a link with The Three Elizabeths (both performed by the BBC Phil). These, along with the Enescu piece performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, provide the only other fossilised remains of the old BBC Orchestras concert slot.

[french frank]

9 items scheduled for this afternoon, including nos. 13-15 from the All-Night Vespers, one movement of a Beethoven piano sonata and one movement of a Haydn concerto. The 3.00 p.m. 'big work' is Ceric Coates's Three Elizabeths Suite.

The BBC seems to want R3 to cater for the old R2 audience that misses Friday Night Is Music Night and Your 100 Best Tunes.

[LMcD]

9 items scheduled for this afternoon, including nos. 13-15 from the All-Night Vespers, one movement of a Beethoven piano sonata and one movement of a Haydn concerto. The 3.00 p.m. 'big work' is Ceric Coates's Three Elizabeths Suite.

[smittims]

I think you're right,and I think the inclusion was a 'blooper' .

[oddoneout]

This programme has been criticised so much recently that it was a pleasure to hear two works by Schein, and Victoria Poleva's third symphony yesterday afternoon.

Schein was one of the 'three S's' (Schutz, Schein and Scheidt) we were taught at school were the predecessors of JS Bach, but I thinkScheinis the least performed. I had not heard of Victoria Poleva, but I was impressed by her symphony. Not a note too long.

I too enjoyed the Schein pieces - both the music itself and the performance. What a shame they came from a concert of pieces by unfamiliar (not just to me I think?)composers that was given the deconstruction and stripping treatment across the week, so it was a case of trying to catch them, awkwardly placed amongst the rest of the bits and pieces. What a wonderful "Afternoon Concert" it would have made in its intended and performed form...

As an aside I am a little puzzled by this in the online listing

Ach, Herr, lehre doch mich SEGUE Ach wie gar nichts sind alle Menschen

[my bold], which also appears in the listing for a piece by Selle on Thursday. It looks like a warning/reminder to the presenter not to jump in, but I can't see its relevance to the listener?

[smittims]

This programme has been criticised so much recently that it was a pleasure to hear two works by Schein, and Victoria Poleva's third symphony yesterday afternoon.

Schein was one of the 'three S's' (Schutz, Schein and Scheidt) we were taught at school were the predecessors of JS Bach, but I thinkScheinis the least performed. I had not heard of Victoria Poleva, but I was impressed by her symphony. Not a note too long.

[smittims]

I think it's my memory that's at fault. Thanks for clarifying.

[Andrew Slater]

It's a while since I heard the Chandos version, but I felt the Falletta pefromance began with a longer quiet introduction where Davis plunges into a loud tutti straight away. I agree, it's a bit of a mystery. Maybe Fiona hadn't been fully informed! Can any Holst experts out there help?

I've just listened to all three recordings, and they all begin with the same introduction. Perhaps the Davis performance is slightly louder, or your radio signal wasn't very good yesterday afternoon?