2011 Highlights

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

We've had our own "Favourite CDs of 2011" on another Thread. It would be interesting to hear what fellow Forumistas feel have been the best broadcast concerts R3 has given over the year.
My own "nominations" would be

Brian FERNEYHOUGH: La Terre est un'Homme (and all the events broadcast from the Ferneyhough "Total Immersion" weekend)
Richard BARRETT: CONSTRUCTION ("Live" from this year's HCMF: a rare example of daring programming of an important and powerful work.)
James DILLON: Nine Rivers (ditto!)
Havergal BRIAN: Gothic Symphony. (The fabulous Brabbins again, revealing the full strength and coherence of this enormous to me for the first time.)
Harrison BIRTWISTLE: Violin Concerto ("and I sang in my chains like the sea".)

Gaffe of the Year?
All those programmes celebrating the life and achievement of the late Milton Babbitt! (Well, maybe next year ... or the one after ... or .... )

[Chris Newman]

I have confined myself with concerts I attended that were broadcast:

Elgar: Dream of Gerontius, LPO, Edward Gardner (broadcast from RFH and live in Salisbury Cathedral)
Henry Purcell: King Arthur, I Fagiolini, Robert Hollingworth (broadcast from Spitalfields Church, where they film the TV comedy "Rev")
Smetana: Ma Vlast, Dvorak, Cello Concerto, Jean-Guihen Queyras, BBCSO, Jiri Belohlavec (Prom)
Verdi: Requiem, BBC SO etc, Semyon Bychkov (Prom)
Rachmaninov: Spring, Aleko, 3 Songs and The Bells, Alexi Tanonovitski (Bass), BBCPO, Giandrea Noseda (Prom)
Percy Grainger: June Tabor, Wilson Family, BBC Singers, Kathryn Tickell Band, Northern Sinfonia, John Harle (Prom)
Rachmaninov: Symphony No 2, BSO, Kyrill Karabits (Prom)
Shostakovitch:Age of Gold, Stravinsky: Petrushka, Tchaikovsky, Francesca da Rimini, Philharmonia, Esa-Pekka Salonen (Prom)
Brahms: Symphonies and Piano Concertos, Emanuel Ax, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Bernard Haitink (2 Proms)
Britten; Frank Bridge Variations, Colin Matthews: No Man's Land, Mozart: Requiem, Ian Bostridge, Roderick Williams, Polyphony, City of London Sinfonia, Stephen Layton (Prom)
Mahler Symphony No 6, BBCSO, Semyon Bychkov (Prom)
Liszt; Totentanz, Dejan Lazic, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Ivan Fischer (Prom)
Budapest Festival Orchestra Audience Choice (Prom)
Beethoven, Missa Solemnis, LSO, Sir Colin Davis (Prom)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No 5, Pittsburgh SO, Manfred Honeck (Prom)
Mahler Symphony No 5, Pittsburgh SO, Manfred Honeck (Prom)
Harry Birtwistle: Violin Concerto, Christian Tetzlaff, BBCSO Davis Robertson (Prom) One of the most beautiful premieres I have heard perhaps since Tippett's Indian Summer.
Weber, Der Freischutz, Orch R et R, Sir John Eliot Gardner

Dead Chickens of the Year:
Prom performance of Vocalise by Rachmaninov where the Russian soprano soloist could have driven the Trans-Siberian Express through the width of her vibrato.
The Planets (which came after the interval of the concert with Birtwistle's V Concerto)
The LNOTP (I expected too much from the great Ted Gardner).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Ah, you've just reminded me of the superb Opera North Rheingold, Chris, the first night of which I attended. The broadcast of the third performance really captured the fire and humour of this magnificent production (I have my ticket for Valkyrie already!)

I believe there was also a Ring cycle-themed event over the Pennines somewhere. Bless: I'm sure they did their very best!

[Bryn]

We've had our own "Favourite CDs of 2011" on another Thread. It would be interesting to hear what fellow Forumistas feel have been the best broadcast concerts R3 has given over the year.
My own "nominations" would be

Brian FERNEYHOUGH: La Terre est un'Homme (and all the events broadcast from the Ferneyhough "Total Immersion" weekend)
Richard BARRETT: CONSTRUCTION ("Live" from this year's HCMF: a rare example of daring programming of an important and powerful work.)
James DILLON: Nine Rivers (ditto!)
Havergal BRIAN: Gothic Symphony. (The fabulous Brabbins again, revealing the full strength and coherence of this enormous to me for the first time.)
Harrison BIRTWISTLE: Violin Concerto ("and I sang in my chains like the sea".)

Gaffe of the Year?
All those programmes celebrating the life and achievement of the late Milton Babbitt! (Well, maybe next year ... or the one after ... or .... )

I would concur with your own list, fg, except regarding Nine Rivers. That must be disqualified. The broadcast of the recording was on 11 December 2010.

I'll have to have a think about others to add in its place.

[maestro267]

There's only one candidate for me. Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra playing Mahler 2 at the Proms. I was at home, listening live on the radio, but it was still truly awe-inspiring. I still can't really put into words how I felt at the end of it.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I would concur with your own list, fg, except regarding Nine Rivers. That must be disqualified. The broadcast of the recording was on 11 December 2010.

[BBMmk2]

The BrittenProm, with mark /wigglesworth. A fantastic Spring Symphony!!

The abnrew Litton prom, a great night's entertainment!! A three parter too!!

Also, where i work, around March time, I think, The Sixteen under the deputy on this night but nonetheless still sauperb singing!!

And not forgetting my own Christmas gig!!

[Nick Armstrong]

The abnrew Litton prom, a great night's entertainment!! A three parter too!!

BBM may your 2012 be undimmed by computer spell-checkers!

My highlight was hearing and seeing my godson sing the treble solo in the LPO "Das Klagende Lied" under Jurowski in the Royal Festival Hall in January. (He's now singing bass-baritone!! ...The godson that is, not Jurowski... )