Beethoven 4 & 5 CBSO/Nelsons

[Alison]

Agreed. And in all fairness any marginal disappointment with the woodwind in IV less apparent in V.

[Petrushka]

I found that an eminent satisfying concert - no startling new insights but very well played and straightforward conducting .

I agree with this as well. It must be so difficult for a conductor to approach the 5th with all the baggage that goes with it and Maestro Nelsons and the CBSO gave a highly creditable account of themselves. One minor quibble: I thought the trumpet slightly over-prominent in the mix more so in 5 than 4. Probably an engineering issue.

[kernelbogey]

I was impressed by both the performance and Stephen Johnson's lucid 'interval talk' which on its own persuaded me not to switch off as I often do when an over-exposed work is broadcast. I shall also Listen Again at the weekend.

[jayne lee wilson]

CBSO/Nelsons Beethoven 4&5 etc. THE DIGESTED REVIEW.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Andris Nelsons! Conductor's introductory talk... bring your friend he says, no, bring two! And remember Beethoven was a revolutionary! The audience laughs.

SYMPHONY NO.4: Inoffensive - underwhelming. MOR. Moratorium needed? Nothing to see here, move along...
Aah! it's Ah, Perfido! Never liked it much, yawned and went for coffee.

SYMPHONY NO.5: CBSO were saving it up! Brighter, fresher, cutting edge on their attack, lovely oboe solo in (i), poised of phrase and transparent of texture in (ii). Scherzo soon over. Double-basses dejected. Then the brass blazed like celestial bugles and the orchestra charged! BUT...

I'll never get used to all those missing repeats. I want my 2 and a half scherzos, my 2 trios, my 3 big bangs in the finale. I REALLY want to hear those double-basses twice. Suddenly we're half-way THROUGH the finale! What, it's over already?! Not exactly hard-won was it...
Beethoven's ghost scowls, he wants his money back.

DIGESTED REVIEW, DIGESTED:
LvB's friends sell him short.

[Hornspieler]

.... Just lacking for me that personality and class in the woodwind choir that one of the worlds greatest orchestras would have.

I'll get under my duvet .....

Mind if I join you?

HS

[Hornspieler]

CBSO/Nelsons Beethoven 4&5 etc. THE DIGESTED REVIEW.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Andris Nelsons! Conductor's introductory talk... bring your friend he says, no, bring two! And remember Beethoven was a revolutionary! The audience laughs.

SYMPHONY NO.4: Inoffensive - underwhelming. MOR. Moratorium needed? Nothing to see here, move along...

Summary execution.

Aah! it's Ah, Perfido! Never liked it much, yawned and went for coffee.

Black, no sugar for me, please.

SYMPHONY NO.5: CBSO were saving it up! Brighter, fresher, cutting edge on their attack, lovely oboe solo in (i), poised of phrase and transparent of texture in (ii). Scherzo soon over. Double-basses dejected. Then the brass blazed like celestial bugles and the orchestra charged! BUT...

I'll never get used to all those missing repeats. I want my 2 and a half scherzos, my 2 trios, my 3 big bangs in the finale.

Well it was a 2 hour concert, which is what one normally expects and I personally am not in favour of anticipating Bruckner's in the matter of repetitive scherzos.

I REALLY want to hear those double-basses twice

To see if they play it better second time round?.

Suddenly we're half-way THROUGH the finale! What, it's over already?! Not exactly hard-won was it...
Beethoven's ghost scowls, he wants his money back.

DIGESTED REVIEW, DIGESTED:
LvB's friends sell him short.

Yes, easy to swallow but hardly a memorable feast overall.

Good morning Jayne. Nice to hear from you.

HS

[kernelbogey]

Mind if I join you?HS

I say! That's a bit romantique et revolutionaire for this time of the morning, what?
The Kernel

[salymap]

I say! That's a bit romantique et revolutionaire for this time of the morning, what?
The Kernel

Just his manner with 'girls' of all ages Kernel. He is quite harmless really and can tell a good story

[Barbirollians]

I enjoyed it more than JLW . I think the Fourth was rather better than that .

As for the woodwind in the Fourth they were well warmed up by the finale . I do wonder sometimes whether the old practice of having an overture to play would be better reinstated rather than the orchestra being thrown straight into a major work .

[Hornspieler]

I enjoyed it more than JLW . I think the Fourth was rather better than that .

As for the woodwind in the Fourth they were well warmed up by the finale . I do wonder sometimes whether the old practice of having an overture to play would be better reinstated rather than the orchestra being thrown straight into a major work .

It shouldn't make any difference. These are professional musicians.
Why sacrifice an overture? So that the audio team can get their setup right?

All that was wrong with the clarinet solo in the slow movement was that it was almost inaudible, which made it sound apologetic (which I am sure it was not)

HS

[kernelbogey]

I think Klemperer was right to double the piccolo in (iv).

[Alison]

An overture would have done very nicely especially after that rather inconsequential speech.

I just didn't feel ready for the Fourth after that.

Over prominent piccolo is to be discouraged in 5(iv) I think. Last night it was rather perfectly 'there' without any of the fussy quotation marks espoused by Rattle and others.

[Barbirollians]

I do deplore the disappearance of overtures from concert programmes - they are good for warming up the audience as well as the performers. Also many of them contain marvellous music.

Egmont would have been ideal yesterday .

[EdgeleyRob]

CBSO/Nelsons Beethoven 4&5 etc. THE DIGESTED REVIEW.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Andris Nelsons! Conductor's introductory talk... bring your friend he says, no, bring two! And remember Beethoven was a revolutionary! The audience laughs.

SYMPHONY NO.4: Inoffensive - underwhelming. MOR. Moratorium needed? Nothing to see here, move along...
Aah! it's Ah, Perfido! Never liked it much, yawned and went for coffee.

SYMPHONY NO.5: CBSO were saving it up! Brighter, fresher, cutting edge on their attack, lovely oboe solo in (i), poised of phrase and transparent of texture in (ii). Scherzo soon over. Double-basses dejected. Then the brass blazed like celestial bugles and the orchestra charged! BUT...

I'll never get used to all those missing repeats. I want my 2 and a half scherzos, my 2 trios, my 3 big bangs in the finale. I REALLY want to hear those double-basses twice. Suddenly we're half-way THROUGH the finale! What, it's over already?! Not exactly hard-won was it...
Beethoven's ghost scowls, he wants his money back.

DIGESTED REVIEW, DIGESTED:
LvB's friends sell him short.

Nice to hear from you again Jayne

[Petrushka]

I do deplore the disappearance of overtures from concert programmes - they are good for warming up the audience as well as the performers. Also many of them contain marvellous music.

Egmont would have been ideal yesterday .

Completely agree, Barbirollians. Egmont would have been the perfect opener for this concert. I'm in full agreement with JLW regarding the repeats in the Scherzo of the 5th. I can't find the reference at the moment but Roehre dealt at some length on this question in a typically fine post. To me, it is inconceivable that Beethoven had repeats in all his symphonic scherzos except this one.. It is all over in a flash and I always feel short-changed without them. The problem is that hardly anyone does them!