Anna Clyne, Benjamin Britten, Edward Elgar BBCSO

[Hornspieler]

Friday 11 January 2013 at 7.30 * Live from the Barbican in London

Anna Clyne: Night Ferry (UK Premiere)
Britten: Piano Concerto
Elgar: Symphony Nº 1 in A flat
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
Andrew Litton, conductor
BBC Symphony orchestra

I recorded last night's concert and will listen attentively to it later today.

I have the original recording of Silvestri's account of the Elgar 1st symphony which I managed to rescue before it was sent for destruction by the BBC (mono only, I'm afraid) but it will be interesting to compare that reading with Andrew Litton's, who, as I recall, showed a great understanding of British music when at the helm of the BSO during the 1990s.

I shall report my impressions (on last night's concert) later but, meanwhile, what were other listeners' reactions to the concert?

HS

[Alison]

Night Ferry did nil for me.

Thereafter two lovely acccounts of the concerto and symphony,

the performances drawing me in rather than shouting at me.

A concert to set you up for the weekend.

[Charles West]

Night Ferry by Anna Clyne was pretty accessible for a contemporary piece, but without a further listen I wouldn't comment further.
The Britten piano concerto I thought was brilliant. I had remembered that there are some fun bits, and they were every bit as much fun as I had remembered; but I had forgotten that the opening of the second movement was quite so beautiful.
I love Elgar 1, but I found the opening somewhat disconcerting. It seemed to me that the double bases at the beginning were slightly behind the beat, so that walking bass that underpins the sweeping tune in the violins always seemed to be trying to hold it back. I have not heard anyone else make that comment, and the audience seemed to love it, so maybe it was me. I shall be interested to see what you make of it, and indeed any other readers of the bulletin.
C.W.

[french frank]

'Afternoon, CW - welcome to the forum. Hope you'll find plenty to post about here

ff

[jayne lee wilson]

I'm afraid I took the Berlin DCH concert instead - a marvellous affair with Chailly in Mendelssohn 4 and Bruckner 6 - and there's exactly the same dilemma next Friday too! Very busy just now (I really shouldn't be here) so it's hard to cram everything in later, might just get around to the Clyne/Britten but...

(For anyone interested the DCH now runs at a standard audio bitrate of 256 kbps AAC, within a whisker of R3's flagship HDs quality...)

[Hornspieler]

Night Ferry by Anna Clyne was pretty accessible for a contemporary piece, but without a further listen I wouldn't comment further.
The Britten piano concerto I thought was brilliant. I had remembered that there are some fun bits, and they were every bit as much fun as I had remembered; but I had forgotten that the opening of the second movement was quite so beautiful.
I love Elgar 1, but I found the opening somewhat disconcerting. It seemed to me that the double bases at the beginning were slightly behind the beat, so that walking bass that underpins the sweeping tune in the violins always seemed to be trying to hold it back. I have not heard anyone else make that comment, and the audience seemed to love it, so maybe it was me. I shall be interested to see what you make of it, and indeed any other readers of the bulletin.
C.W.

Welcome indeed Charles. Some very useful comments here, starting with Anna Clyne's Night Ferry.
Our fellow message boarder Alison says that the work did nothing for her.
You say it was pretty accessible for a modern work.
Yes, I agree with that and I was quite impressed by the composer's skill with the orchestration. Certainly the orchestra sounded as if they were enjoying it, but don't you think it was a bit too long? More like a World Cruise than a Night Ferry.

Interesting to hear - once.

Total agreement about Mr Grosvenor's brilliant performance of the Britten piano concerto. A pity, I felt, that he chose to play an encore. For me, that destroyed the euphoric atmosphere that he created for both audience and listener. Suddenly, for me, he became an ordinary accomplished pianist.

The interval? Too long and boring for me - and I don't personally enjoy being bombarded with extracts from the music I am about to hear.

Now to the Elgar.

Alison loved it and so did I, but I have to agree with you about the opening. It seemed tentative and I wasn't absolutely sure that it had started. However, the orchestra gloried in it and I thought there was a magnificent atmosphere throughout.
Did I detect a slight panicky scramble among the violins in the finale?
No matter. This was a concert worth listening to and its a long time since I heard the BBC Symphony Orchestra playing so well.

I would recommend this concert to anyone and it's certainly worth a hearing on the iPlayer's "Listen Again" (and you won't get the Interval talk).

Hornspieler

[salymap]

I'm glad I wasn't on that Ferry
Skipped the Britten
Enjoyed the Elgar and yes, there was something wrong with the opening passages.
Good to hear the dear old BBCSO again.

Waslooking forward to the talk on Elgar but doesn't sound as though I missed much.

[Alison]

It seems that a concerto soloist playing an encore has become very much the fashion along with conductors speeches.

I was already thinking about the Elgar symphony as the applause came for the splendid Britten piece, only for that mood to be ever so slightly alterered by the encore. Rarely do the solo encores connect within an orchestral programme.

[Hornspieler]

I'm afraid I took the Berlin DCH concert instead - a marvellous affair with Chailly in Mendelssohn 4 and Bruckner 6 - and there's exactly the same dilemma next Friday too! Very busy just now (I really shouldn't be here) so it's hard to cram everything in later, might just get around to the Clyne/Britten but...

Well, I think you would enjoy the whole concert, Jayne, and I'm sure that your impressions would be welcomed on this thread.

HS

[Frances_iom]

can only agree with others re the two Benjamins + the Elgar - the Night ferry, accessible but boring + over long (like most other night ferry journies I've made!) - I find I turn off for the interval of most broadcast concerts - the carefully crafted interval talk is yet another loss to R3

[jayne lee wilson]

Well, I think you would enjoy the whole concert, Jayne, and I'm sure that your impressions would be welcomed on this thread.

HS

That's very sweet of you HS...
But now, back to the Tax Return...

[Charles West]

Thanks - sorry the rest of this is off-stream.
I am, and always have been an avid Radio 3 listener, and love it - apart from the dumbing down over the last few years, with whole works being the exception rather than the rule, and even snippets of what we are going to be playing later - hey ho.
We are generally very blessed to have the BBC. France musique and Belgium's RBTF Musiq 3 are the next best thing if one is out of reach for the BBC, though the 320 kbs stream is not bad. I dread the loss of FM if the government ever manages to pinch the airwaves to sell off and forces us to go digital.
I did actually post on a radio 3 bulletin a few years ago, but alas couldn't find my old log in. Perhaps if I post a bit more frequently I'll remember it.
Cheers. C.

[Sir Velo]

This was a concert worth listening to and its a long time since I heard the BBC Symphony Orchestra playing so well.

I would recommend this concert to anyone and it's certainly worth a hearing on the iPlayer's "Listen Again" (and you won't get the Interval talk).

Hornspieler

Well, you wouldn't expect me to agree with you about the interval feature would you? Seriously, I thought it was a pleasant enough interlude without any earth shattering revelations, other than perhaps Elgar wasn't the all-weather super fit cyclist of legend; even being seen off by one of his "Enigma" chums on one of their outings.

As to the symphony; a very fine performance in roisteringly good sound (HD stream @320kbps). Shame about the idiot who had to be the first to let everyone know that the piece had ended. All in all, a fine advertisement for the BBC SO; one might almost say it heralds a massive hope in the future.

[Roger Judd]

Intrigued by these comments about the start of the Elgar Symphony. I was in the Barbican for the concert, and Andrew Litton and the orchestra were absolutely as one from bar one onwards. I also checked the opening on iPlayer, and that was as I remembered it on the night - just proving, of course, that different ears hear different things! The performers did Elgar proud - it was a cracking performance. As was the Britten Piano Concerto, IMO - the rapport between Ben Grosvenor, conductor and orchestra was great to see, and hear.

As for the clown shouting 'Bravo' before the last chord had died ...
RJ

[Nick Armstrong]

Well, you wouldn't expect me to agree with you about the interval feature would you? Seriously, I thought it was a pleasant enough interlude without any earth shattering revelations, other than perhaps Elgar wasn't the all-weather super fit cyclist of legend; even being seen off by one of his "Enigma" chums on one of their outings.

I downloaded the "Twenty Minutes" interval feature and have listened to it separately - I thought it was a classic little bit of broadcasting, a bit whimsical, some nice anecdotes (esp that one about Sinclair you mention! ...reminds me of a friend of mine...). I also agree with HS, though - I don't always want that sort of thing in the interval. But then... what are R3 supposed to play in the intervals? (The BBC Phil / Wilson concert opted for a mini-selection of Britten pieces, unconnected with the concert save for the nationality of the composer... that was fine, too, I suppose). And like you, good Sir Velo, I am a regular cyclist - and I found the summary of the 'social history of early cycling' interesting, without being earth-shattering.

Interesting too what is said about the symphony performance. Haven't listened to it all yet, which perhaps invalidates any comment, but I shared saly's and others' view that there was 'something wrong' with the opening... it seemed neither one thing nor the other, neither lugubrious, wistful, quietly determined... just a bit hesitant. I must listen to the whole thing, now the 'Elgar Symphonies' thread has put me very much in the zone with three recent listens (Slatkin x2, Haitink and Boult LPO 1968 under my belt at the weekend)