Rattle conducts Elgar

[smittims]

It looks from the schedule as if Radio 3 in Concert next Monday is cancelled, as Radio 3 is said to be 'off air' at that time, as it is from 11 am to 1 pm . This is a pity, as the scheduled programme included Simon Rattle conducting and elgar Symphony, something I had hoped for but not so far heard. I hope it will be recorded and available afterwards on BBC Sounds (that is , if the concert takes place).

Simon has had an on-off relationship with Elgar's music, in contrast to the Davises, Hickox, Handley etc. But I do think his contributions valuable, espacially his early EMI CD of Falstaff, and his 'Gerontius' with Janet Baker.

The London Symphony Orchestra have a long association with Elgar's Symphonies, having given the London premiere of the first, the world premiere of the second, as well as a 'revival' in 1918 under Adrian Boult, and recorded both symphonies under the composer's baton, and morerecently under Colin Davis. So this should (in theory)be a memorable evening.

[Pulcinella]

It took place, and Geoff Brown gave it four stars in The Times.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lso-rattle-review-a-fitting-substitute-for-the-last-night-of-the-proms-m5nt6z6hv?shareToken=23f2faffd79d154b3a5125d1235dc7ba

[EnemyoftheStoat]

It took place, and Geoff Brown gave it four stars in The Times.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/l...5125d1235dc7ba

The Guardian gave it five stars, which either means it was really good or it was by one of the few for whom five stars are allowed at the G.

[Dave2002]

It looks from the schedule as if Radio 3 in Concert next Monday is cancelled, as Radio 3 is said to be 'off air' at that time, as it is from 11 am to 1 pm . This is a pity, as the scheduled programme included Simon Rattle conducting and elgar Symphony, something I had hoped for but not so far heard. I hope it will be recorded and available afterwards on BBC Sounds (that is , if the concert takes place).

Simon has had an on-off relationship with Elgar's music, in contrast to the Davises, Hickox, Handley etc. But I do think his contributions valuable, espacially his early EMI CD of Falstaff, and his 'Gerontius' with Janet Baker.

The London Symphony Orchestra have a long association with Elgar's Symphonies, having given the London premiere of the first, the world premiere of the second, as well as a 'revival' in 1918 under Adrian Boult, and recorded both symphonies under the composer's baton, and morerecently under Colin Davis. So this should (in theory)be a memorable evening.

Was Boult really able to conduct in 1918? He would have been very young. Not perhaps impossible though.

[Andrew Slater]

It looks from the schedule as if Radio 3 in Concert next Monday is cancelled, as Radio 3 is said to be 'off air' at that time, as it is from 11 am to 1 pm . This is a pity, as the scheduled programme included Simon Rattle conducting and elgar Symphony, something I had hoped for but not so far heard. I hope it will be recorded and available afterwards on BBC Sounds (that is , if the concert takes place).

The concert now seems to be scheduled for Tuesday 20th, 7.30pm.

[Pulcinella]

The Guardian gave it five stars, which either means it was really good or it was by one of the few for whom five stars are allowed at the G.

Here's the Guardian review:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/sep/12/lso-rattle-review-elgar-bridge-kidane

[smittims]

Hi, Dave, Adrian Boult was 29 in 1918. He had conducted in Liverpool. notably the premiere of 'The Banks of Green Willow' in 1915. In 1918 he conducted the (private) premiere of The Planets and a series of concerts with the LSO including the first peformance of the revised 'London Symphony' of Vaughan Williams.

I'm grateful for your post as it reminded me that his famous Elgar 2, which caused hearers to reappraise the work, took place in 1920.

[Barbirollians]

Here's the Guardian review:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...-bridge-kidane

I thought the idea that the Larghetto was written in memory of King Edward VII had been debunked ages ago- I found a programme on BBciplayer the other day called 10 Best Elgar from 2007 and whilst there is a deal of celebrity nonsense about their favourite Elgar - the late Michael Kennedy and Vernon Handley are very illuminating - and MK says it was not written for Edward VII but a dead friend of Elgar's Alfred E.Rodeald who had died in 1903 and he began sketching the Larghetto shortly thereafter.

The symphony was , however, of course dedicated to Edward VII's memory.

[makropulos]

Was Boult really able to conduct in 1918? He would have been very young. Not perhaps impossible though.

Yes. And Boult did include Elgar (In the South) as part of his LSO series in Feb-March 1918 (famous above all for RVW's London Symphony getting two performances, in two different versions, a few weeks apart). The early Boult/LSO performance of the Second Symphony that Elgar greatly admired was given at Queen's Hall on 16 March 1920 (Lady Elgar wrote that it was a 'wonderful performance... at the end frantic enthusiasm & they dragged out E. who looked very overcome, hand in hand with Adrian at least three times. E was so happy & pleased.')

[silvestrione]

The LSO site has said from the start that the concert will be broadcast on R3 on the 20th September. Can't wait!

[LHC]

I can confirm the concert took place, as I was there. Very good it was too, and I thought the Elgar was superbly played. The only downside was the smattering of ClassicFM devotees who were determined to applaud after every movement of the Symphony. With a bit of luck their interventions will be edited out before the broadcast.

The performance was also filmed for one of the streaming services (Marquee TV), rather than the BBC. It may show up on Skyarts in due course as other LSO concerts have done.

Anyway, thoroughly recommended for next week’s relay on R3.

[smittims]

Many thanks to Andrew and others for the news about the broadcast; I shall certainly listen.

Applause between movements is a thorny subject. I recorded a Prom 'Planets' and had to cut out the applause after every movement. And at the (Dubai?) Proms a year or two ago at which the visiting BBC SO played the Ninth, it happened again. Even after 'vor Gott' in the middle of the finale, the audience burst into applause; I felt they'd been told to show their apprecitation.

[Bryn]

I can confirm the concert took place, as I was there. Very good it was too, and I thought the Elgar was superbly played. The only downside was the smattering of ClassicFM devotees who were determined to applaud after every movement of the Symphony. With a bit of luck their interventions will be edited out before the broadcast. . . .

I was unaware that CFM listeners were so well versed in a historical approach to approbation. Good for them. Such a pity that you appear not to be so well versed.

[Keraulophone]

Applause between movements is a thorny subject. I recorded a Prom 'Planets' and had to cut out the applause after every movement

At our lunchtime song recital in Truro Cathedral last week, after the opening song (Parry’s ‘My Heart is like a Singing Bird’) my (soprano) daughter explained clearly to the audience that any further applause should be limited to the two slots separating the first group from the second (Elgar’s ‘Sea Pictures’) and then after the German group (Schumann and Richard Strauss).

What then happened? They clapped between every single song in the recital, even between the ‘Sea Pictures’!

Annoying… but one could hardly complain at the time, as most of the listeners had seen and heard her from an early age in the cathedral choir, and were witnessing the first flowering of a fabulous young soprano voice.
.

Apologies for the PDM*
*proud dad moment

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I was unaware that CFM listeners were so well versed in a historical approach to approbation. Good for them. Such a pity that you appear not to be so well versed.

I agree that the CFM reference isn’t appropriate. I blame the phenomenon on the BBC, who have trained listeners to think that a single movement is a complete work.