Live 24th April The Philharmonia at the RFH

[Barbirollians]

I am having a Kletzki festival at present and his 1960 Pathetique with the Philharmonia is thrilling and coupled on Medici Masters with another wonderful Oistrakh Tchaikovsky concerto . No Dennis Brain of course but a performance to stir the blood.

[salymap]

I think in about 64 years of listening to and working close to the London orchestras they have all claimed top position in turn. The wonderful days of recordings and concerts for the early Philharmonia, the backing of Beecham for the LPO and then the RPO. The LSO, self governing from the start have always been a favourite of mine, sinking and rising in the critics' esteem but,at times, giving some wonderful concerts.

I have happy memories of concerts given by all of them, working in London as I did.

[Sir Monty Golfear]

"I've just had a listen to one of his 253 symphonies on you tube......I daren't express my opinion on here , I would get banned for life ! "




Pretend you have to write the CD inlay card as part of your job.

There are ways you can get round this. My Bruckner 9 says" the scherzo is harmonically daring"
i.e. out of tune!


P.S. Did I tell you guys that Tchaikovsky Symphony no.6 is my very first symphony?

3VS

I think "Not my cup of Tea " springs to mind.......or to paraphrase Sir Thomas Beecham when asked "Have you heard any Stockhausen?" Beecham replied "No, but I believe I have stepped in some."

[John Skelton]

or to paraphrase Sir Thomas Beecham

Who was Sir Thomas Beecham?

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

It wasn't. The Philharmonia retains the name and nothing else from its great days of the past. It is unquestionably the weakest of the London Orchestras these days.

Really?

I saw the Philharmonia last Friday at The Anvil. I rarely get to purely orchestral concerts these days and this was the first time I'd seen the Phil for a couple of years, having been a regular visitor to the RFH. There were only three string players I recognised (one in the Second Violins, two Double Bass stalwarts) and I thought their string sound has changed a lot - softer-grained and without the 'powerhouse' attack that marks out the LSO of today. Their accompanying of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto was dutiful but a bit detached, although that was largely down to the Slovakian conductor, who seemed lacking in ideas (unlike the excellent soloist, Sergey Khachatryan). I feared for the second half - Pictures at an Exhibition - but needn't have worried, as it was very well played. Many familiar faces among woodwinds and percussion insured a characterful performance, though I do miss Ken Smith (first flute).

I've now listened to the first half of the broadcast concert. Both Matsuev and Segerstam are a bit maverick (infer positives or negatives from that description in whatever way you will), so this was always going to be something different from the norm. I think a clue might be gained from Matsuev's 'pre-match interview' in which he stated he'd performed it some 200 times. He was clearly trying to keep it 'fresh' by pulling it around. I'm not sure Segerstam was necessarily pulling in the same direction.

I'll listen to the Tchaikovsky later. I still haven't heard the Mackerras/ Phil live recording, which I've read was outstanding...

[Sir Monty Golfear]

Who was Sir Thomas Beecham?

I haven't a clue

[Sir Monty Golfear]

Who was Sir Thomas Beecham?

Try this ..... You might recognise him ...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKgG3...e_gdata_player

[John Skelton]

You might recognise him ...

I don't think we've ever met.

Nice spoof, though .

[Sir Monty Golfear]

I don't think we've ever met.

Nice spoof, though .

I must admit he had me fooled !!

[Simon B]

It wasn't. The Philharmonia retains the name and nothing else from its great days of the past. It is unquestionably the weakest of the London Orchestras these days.

This all-encompassing assertion of apparent utter certainty is based on what, precisely? And by whose common consent does this "unquestionably" pertain?

Not by various earlier contributors to this thread for a start. Definitely not according to many commentators here and on other fora/media on their 2011 Prom - repeatedly in terms of it being among or perhaps the finest of the season.

It doesn't exactly help the case that the Mackerras Tchaikovsky 6 referred to was recorded back in the mists of time, in the halcyon days of, er, 2009...

It's a matter of opinion of course, but I can't imagine any basis for similar castigation of any of the half-dozen or so concerts in the recent Salonen/Philharmonia Bartok series other than not actually having heard any of it and just making it up.

Likewise recent performances of the Rite of Spring in London and Edinburgh, also Wagner again with Mackerras not long before he died. And the complete RVW symphonies etc just before Hickox's untimely death. And so-on.

Sometimes their concerts are very good. Sometimes, like this one, they're not really worth the bother. In which respect, they're just like the LSO and LPO...

[Sir Monty Golfear]

This all-encompassing assertion of apparent utter certainty is based on what, precisely? And by whose common consent does this "unquestionably" pertain?

Not by various earlier contributors to this thread for a start. Definitely not according to many commentators here and on other fora/media on their 2011 Prom - repeatedly in terms of it being among or perhaps the finest of the season.

It doesn't exactly help the case that the Mackerras Tchaikovsky 6 referred to was recorded back in the mists of time, in the halcyon days of, er, 2009...

It's a matter of opinion of course, but I can't imagine any basis for similar castigation of any of the half-dozen or so concerts in the recent Salonen/Philharmonia Bartok series other than not actually having heard any of it and just making it up.

Likewise recent performances of the Rite of Spring in London and Edinburgh, also Wagner again with Mackerras not long before he died. And the complete RVW symphonies etc just before Hickox's untimely death. And so-on.

Sometimes their concerts are very good. Sometimes, like this one, they're not really worth the bother. In which respect, they're just like the LSO and LPO...

Here in Leicester I have heard some cracking performances, including the rite of spring under salonen ,Rachmaniniv second symphony under Sokhiev, they have always sounded on top form here.......Perhaps the blame should be solely with the conductor.