LPO/Eschenbach: Wagner, R. Strauss, Beethoven - Renée Fleming 14.12.11

[Nick Armstrong]

I raised this as a tangent on the LSO/Davis/Uchida thread.

But tonight live on R3 is the relay of:

Wednesday 14 December 2011 | 7:30pm | Royal Festival Hall

Wagner Overture, Tannhäuser
R Strauss Four Last Songs
Beethoven Symphony No. 7

Christoph Eschenbach conductor
Renée Fleming soprano

I'm lucky enough to be going and have set the old DAB to record so I can compare live from the front stalls with the R3 relay. Shall report back

[Richard Tarleton]

I raised this as a tangent on the LSO/Davis/Uchida thread.

But tonight live on R3 is the relay of:

Wednesday 14 December 2011 | 7:30pm | Royal Festival Hall

Wagner Overture, Tannhäuser
R Strauss Four Last Songs
Beethoven Symphony No. 7

Christoph Eschenbach conductor
Renée Fleming soprano

I'm lucky enough to be going and have set the old DAB to record so I can compare live from the front stalls with the R3 relay. Shall report back

Well Caliban what was it like in the hall? (when Eschenbach finally turned up ) La Fleming sounded pretty good on the radio though I worried about one or two of her chest notes, as if she was straining to produce too much volume? Not sure. I think she's recorded it twice, her first with Eschenbach I believe before she'd sung it live. She sang it at the Proms a few years ago, magnificently. I have her first recording, also the "Strauss heroines" disc that Petroc played in the interval.

I thought B7 was a bit of a curate's egg - lovely sound, lots of fine orchestral detail, but the tempi? The first movement struck me overall as, well, sluggish. 2nd - OK. The scherzo skipped along, but then he piled on the brakes for the trio - desperately slow. In the final return of the trio before the end of the movement it practically ground to a halt. Beethoven's (problematic) metronome markings for this are very fast - in Peter Stadlen's famous analysis of the scherzo in the early 70's only Toscanini came close, at almost exactly twice the speed of Klemperer - this was closer to the Klemperer end of the scale. I felt quite deflated after that, and afterwards had to play the Toscanini scherzo to freshen up. Perhaps it all felt different in the hall.

[Nick Armstrong]

Ah Mr T, thanks for those impressions! Couldn't post last night due to getting in very very late, plus I wanted to have a quick listen to my recording.

Well I think it did come over rather differently in the hall - to the extent that I was disappointed when I listened to La Fleming on the radio broadcast. In the hall I have to say I was totally seduced (I'm difficult to please re: voices) - she seemed to produce a perfectly controlled and beautiful stream of sound, a lot of dynamic range but the louder end not forced at all, just 'riding' over the orchestra... also a lot of tempo changes (and a tad to much emoting - hands coming together in prayer, or extended in supplication ). But I shut my eyes and thought of sunset and it was pretty darn wonderful ! And the direction (some interesting but convincing phrasing to the intro to the 4th song) and playing were exemplary, lovely violin solo and the first horn (who I understand is on trial) had fantastic night, not a split in sight and moreover, solos wonderfully expressive.

Haven't heard the LvB as broadcast, but it was a very exciting performance - the tempi didn't trouble me at all, in fact. I agree with you about the sound and the detail - fabulous, it all had that ideal combination between transparency, precision and power, plus a grainy string tone, which of yore I always used to associate only with foreign orchestras. Great to hear the LPO playing so well. The violins were split, the cellos were next to the firsts i.e. left of centre with 8 double basses behind them. Seemed to me that vibrato was used to make expressive points on certain notes only, and not applied generally - that, coupled with the glorious hard timps sticks, made it sound like a big HIPP band with soul. Top notch!

(Didn't notice the conductor was late - we were glad, as one of our guests was caught in the same traffic, so only turned up at 7.29... we had time to get in and get our breath back, just thought it was a leisurely start to get all the punters in their seats)

Great night out. Look forward to hearing what the R3 mikes did to the Beethoven, as they were really rather unkind to Ms Fleming. She was wearing an impressive puffy brown dress by the way, looked as if she was standing up to the armpits in an enormous milk chocolate fondant.... .. in a GOOD way!

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

I missed this last night, but have just caught up via iPlayer. I think Fleming's soprano sounds just as wonderful as ever!

A couple of reviews in already:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/london-philharmonic-orchestra-fleming-eschenbach-royal-festival-hall-35-6277387.html

http://www.opera-britannia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=620:renee-fleming-royal-festival-hall-14th-december-2011&catid=10:concert-and-recital-reviews&Itemid=16

[Osborn]

...looked as if she was standing up to the armpits in an enormous milk chocolate fondant....

Exactly how I feel if, by mischance I hear 4 Last Songs

[Nick Armstrong]

Exactly how I feel if, by mischance I hear 4 Last Songs

I see the Independent reviewer thought it was more of a soufflé...

[Richard Tarleton]

I see the Independent reviewer thought it was more of a soufflé...

She has had a rather calorific-looking patisserie named after her by a top NY restaurant

[Nick Armstrong]

She has had a rather calorific-looking patisserie named after her by a top NY restaurant

Good Lord, so she has.

http://parsifal79.blogspot.com/2008/06/la-diva-rene-will-get-us-all-fatter.html

Good patisserie knowledge, Richard!

Your starter (sic) for 10: which musical artiste other than La Fleming and La Melba have had an edible dish created in tribute ? (This should have been one for the Alphabet Associations thread...)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

which musical artiste other than La Fleming and La Melba have had an edible dish created in tribute ? (This should have been one for the Alphabet Associations thread...)

Beethoven's pupil, F. Ries? (Very fond of them, too. Provided they're not too Solti).

[Nick Armstrong]

Beethoven's pupil, F. Ries? (Very fond of them, too. Provided they're not too Solti).

[Richard Tarleton]

Good Lord, so she has.

http://parsifal79.blogspot.com/2008/06/la-diva-rene-will-get-us-all-fatter.html

Good patisserie knowledge, Richard!

Your starter (sic) for 10: which musical artiste other than La Fleming and La Melba have had an edible dish created in tribute ? (This should have been one for the Alphabet Associations thread...)

All I can think of is Tournedos Rossini....- only Rossini created it himself....

[amateur51]

Beethoven's pupil, F. Ries? (Very fond of them, too. Provided they're not too Solti).

Triffic fhg!

[Nick Armstrong]

All I can think of is Tournedos Rossini....- only Rossini created it himself....

Nope. It's another female singer...

[mercia]

Jenny Lind soup

Tetrazzini

[Nick Armstrong]

Jenny Lind soup

Tetrazzini

Typical, mercia! Yes to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrazzini

Are you serious about Jenny Lind soup????