Afternoon on 3: 'European Period Instruments'

[Guest]

Is anyone else excited by the prospect of this? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mnx03

It'll give this half-way HIPPster a chance to assess the relative merits of Voldemort et al's work.

Here's the line-up for Monday's show:

Schubert: Symphony no 8 'Unfinished'
Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Sir Roger Norrington (conductor)

2.25pm
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
Maria João Pires (piano), Bavarian RSO, Bernard Haitink (conductor)

2.58pm
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, K. 467
Rudolf Buchbinder (piano), NDR Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck (conductor)

3.25pm
Wagner: Siegfried Idyll
Anima Aeterna, Jos van Immerseel (conductor)

3.45pm
Beethoven: Mass in C, op. 86
Christina Landshamer (soprano), Gerhild Romberger (contralto), Benjamin Hulett (tenor). Michael Nagy (bass), Netherlands Radio Choir, Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic, Philippe Herreweghe (conductor).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's an interesting programme, but there seems to be limited use of period instruments in these particular ensembles. Perhaps the presenter will say otherwise

[Dave2002]

Doesn't look greatly HIPP to me. Later programmes are slightly more so.

[doversoul1]

Katie Derham this week explores the influence of some of Europe's leading period instrument exponents.

Akademie für Alte Musik, Berlin, conducted by Rene Jacobs is the only orchestra I would call a period instrument ensemble. The rest seem to be modern instrument orchestras conducted by conductors who are associated with HIPP:

• Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic conducted by Philippe Herreweghe
• German Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ton Koopman, and
• Sir Roger Norrington, a leading period instrument specialist conducts a performance in Zurich on modern instruments

So what KD will be exploring is how modern instrument orchestras perform differently when conducted by these leading exponents. It sounds quite a challenge. I can’t say though I am terribly excited about Wagner and Liszt played on period instruments ([ed.] no, this is not the case).

I am not quite sure what the purpose of this project is. If it is to explore the influence or whatever of period instrument performance, could they (whoever ‘they’ are) not have chosen period instrument groups, such as Ton Koopman with Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Philippe Herreweghe with Collegium Vocale Gent?

And, as part of Piano Season on the BBC, there's a chance to explore some of the key concertos in any concert pianist's repertoire

Are we normally deprived of such a chance?

I apologise for being grumpy. I thought I was going to see Afternoon on 3 playing early music (roughly speaking) everyday for five days…

[ed] still, I shall enjoy Haydn and Rameau (10 munites…)

[Old Grumpy]

I apologise for being grumpy

Perfectly acceptable, IMV