Radio3 Live in Concert

[cloughie]

PS never eaten 'crackling'. Have I missed something good?

Yes, but I guess your teeth are better as a result.

[EdgeleyRob]

I have just listened to the Monday evening concert.
A stunning Lohengrin prelude set the tone for a wonderful concert.
The Bruch was very well played indeed and what a lovely Elgar 1 to finish .
Great work by all involved.

[jayne lee wilson]

Well! Wasn't that terrific? Performances of Szymanowski's 3rd are rare, but it would be hard to imagine a better one than that, at least as fine as any recording I've heard, with swirling and glittering textures, rhythmic energy and final overwhelming power in an almost ideal balance. Those last drum-rolls really made the windows rattle, but the orchestral players relished their bird-calls as much as their tuttis. Magnificent.

Let's give some credit to the engineering of recent RFH concerts on R3 HDs, such as the Dohnanyi Brahms requiem last week. In tonight's performance the soloist, chorus and orchestra were wonderfully clear in a spacious and 3-dimensional soundstage (soloist never too close, a real concert-hall perspective). Was the chorus just dynamically restrained a little? No matter, it may have helped preserve an almost miraculous textural clarity.

Ultimately though, much of the credit, sonically and musically, must go to Jurowski.

The 3rd is one of a small, select group of Szymanowski's true masterpieces, along with its spiritual sister, the Stabat Mater, and its temperamental opposite, the 4th Symphony. They are the best of him.

[Simon B]

Glad the Szymanowski came across well on R3. In the RFH it didn't work so well for me (despite a pretty convincing performance) largely precisely for the reason behind the clarity in the relay. The RFH acoustic is much improved, but IMO can still murder pieces like this which need space around them. It would have sounded so much better in the RAH or Birmingham (as did the Stabat Mater on Saturday).

[Flosshilde]

PS never eaten 'crackling'. Have I missed something good?

Yes - the ideal contrast to a succulent pork roast. Curiously it seems to be the practrice in Scotland to remove the skin from the joint, & therefore miss out on the treat.

[makropulos]

Well! Wasn't that terrific? Performances of Szymanowski's 3rd are rare, but it would be hard to imagine a better one than that, at least as fine as any recording I've heard, with swirling and glittering textures, rhythmic energy and final overwhelming power in an almost ideal balance. Those last drum-rolls really made the windows rattle, but the orchestral players relished their bird-calls as much as their tuttis. Magnificent.

Let's give some credit to the engineering of recent RFH concerts on R3 HDs, such as the Dohnanyi Brahms requiem last week. In tonight's performance the soloist, chorus and orchestra were wonderfully clear in a spacious and 3-dimensional soundstage (soloist never too close, a real concert-hall perspective). Was the chorus just dynamically restrained a little? No matter, it may have helped preserve an almost miraculous textural clarity.

Ultimately though, much of the credit, sonically and musically, must go to Jurowski.

The 3rd is one of a small, select group of Szymanowski's true masterpieces, along with its spiritual sister, the Stabat Mater, and its temperamental opposite, the 4th Symphony. They are the best of him.

What a splendid concert that was - and yes, I agree it came over very well on the radio.

I'd definitely want to add the Second String Quartet (especially as I discovered it, in the ancient Borodin Quartet recording that used to be on a Muza LP) and both violin concertos to your select list of Szymanowski - but otherwise very much agree (I adore the 4th Symphony).

[Pianorak]

Did anybody listen to the Brahms Violin Concerto on R3 last night though? As I know next to nothing about how to judge a violin performance I'd rather not comment myself but would be very interested in any informed view.

[Hornspieler]

Did anybody listen to the Brahms Violin Concerto on R3 last night though? As I know next to nothing about how to judge a violin performance I'd rather not comment myself but would be very interested in any informed view.

I wrote about the Brahms concerto in message #4063 on the "What are you listening to now?" thread.
Regretfully, I was not very enthusiastic about Joshua Bell's performance

HS

[Hornspieler]

I wrote about the Brahms concerto in message #4063 on the "What are you listening to now?" thread.
Regretfully, I was not very enthusiastic about Joshua Bell's performance

HS

LPO and Jurowsky

The Mozart Symphony is really little more than an overture and I can only say that the orchestra played it "nicely"

I have greatly admired many of Joshua Bell's performances and his technical ability (Barber V/C for instance) but the Brahms violin concerto requires emotion and there were no lumps in my throat during last night's performance.
Rather, as I posted last night on another thread, I was concerned with the wretched sound that he was producing. (see my message #4063, as listed above)

There's a world of difference between Mozart and Szymanowski and I confess that his and Lutoslawsky's music has never lit my fire, but I did think that the LPO under Jurowsky gave of their best and the result was a performance worthy of the interval hype which preceded it.

Forgive any spelling mistakes - I've been up all day!

HS

[salymap]

HS Isn't that 'damning with faint praise', or as we used to say, praising with faint [feint?] damns.

Can't comment as I didn't hear any of it but hope to find time to listen to the Light Music programme which belongs in another place.

[Pianorak]

I wrote about the Brahms concerto in message #4063 on the "What are you listening to now?" thread.
Regretfully, I was not very enthusiastic about Joshua Bell's performance

HS

Thanks Hornspieler - I too wasn't very taken with it, but don't feel confident enough to express an opinion on violinists. His top notes reminded me of Midori's performance of the Walton Violin Concerto at the Proms last year - anaemic and barely audible.

[Barbirollians]

The announcer raved about it like a male Scottish version of Katie Derham on acid but I found that an emaciated and very disappointing performance of the Sinfonia Concertante K364 tonight .

[cloughie]

The announcer raved about it like a male Scottish version of Katie Derham on acid but I found that an emaciated and very disappointing performance of the Sinfonia Concertante K364 tonight .

Checking on the performers was Power lacking?

[salymap]

Has anyone flagged up tonight's Live Concert from the Barbican at7.30 on R3 -Kirill Karabits making his first appearance with the BBCSO. Sibelius sym 4,Prokofiev PC no 1 and Stravinsky Petrushka.

Let someone else cope with the pianist's name, my eyes aren't up toit

[Hornspieler]

Sibelius, Prokofiev and Stravinsky

Tonight at 1930: BBCSO conducted by Kirill Karabits.

This programme is of particulay interest for me.

I played the Sibelius Nº 4 in 1965 under Paavo Berglund in the Royal Festival Hall. This was during a special Sibelius Festival in the RFH.
(We played Numbers 4 and 6 and the BBCSO played the easy ones)
I don't recall ever hearing Nº 4 since that time, but let's see how the BBCSO manage it under KK.

I like all the Prokofiev Piano Concertos - especially Nº 3 which we heard earlier this week.

Stravinsky's Ballet "Petrushka" is the first ballet that I played in, on the opening night of Anton Dolin's newly formed Festival Ballet in the Stoll theatre during the Festival of Britain in 1951.

So, a feast of music for me. I hope many other message boarders will come forth with their views (Petrushka leading the way!)

'morning all,

HS