VIENNESE CLASSICS Tonight at 7.3

[Hornspieler]

Thursday 31 January 2013 (Tonight at 7.30)
Live from City Halls, Glasgow
The BBC SSO, conducted by Donald Runnicles, with a programme of Viennese classics by Strauss, Schubert, Berg and Beethoven.

J Strauss II: Waltz: On the Beautiful Blue Danube
Alban Berg: Violin Concerto
INTERVAL
Schubert (arr. Webern): Six German Dances
Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in C minor

Julian Rachlin violin
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Donald Runnicles conductor

Johann Strauss's unofficial Austrian national anthem begins a dance through the imagination of Vienna, a city whose relationship with tradition can be both as tender as Webern's tribute to Schubert, and as revolutionary as Beethoven's explosive Fifth Symphony. Or, indeed, as personal as Alban Berg's Violin Concerto, dedicated "to the memory of an Angel". Soloist Julian Rachlin, in partnership with Donald Runnicles, uncovers the painful secrets behind the shot-silk beauty of this quintessentially Viennese - yet wholly universal - 20th century masterpiece

Will YOU be listening? Tell us about it.

HS

[Alf-Prufrock]

I thought that a superb performance of the Berg Concerto, with exceptional clarity and and comprehensibility. It is (or was) not a favourite work of mine though I have heard it several times. This was a riveting traversal.

[Hornspieler]

I thought that a superb performance of the Berg Concerto, with exceptional clarity and and comprehensibility. It is (or was) not a favourite work of mine though I have heard it several times. This was a riveting traversal.

Yes I agree. I'm still not entirely convinced but I think that was the most meaningful performance that I've heard so far and there were some very tender moments. I shall continue to try to understand this work.*

Can't say the same about Beethoven 5 though. The woodwind kept disappearing in the second movement. There was some very untidy (and untypical) playing from the horns and I just found the whole symphony "not fit for purpose"

* Some very watery applause after the Berg. It sounded as if there was only twenty to thirty customers in the audience. Then they went mad with delight after that shambolic Beethoven.

HS

Didn't hear the Strauss waltz because my brother was bending my ear on the telephone for about ten minutes.

[jayne lee wilson]

I'm afraid that after the fine CBSO/Nelsons Beethoven 5th a few weeks ago, and having purchased the stunning new ORR/Gardiner 5th (and played it a lot) I couldn't face another 5th just yet. Did anyone notice if they took the scherzo/trio repeat tonight? Glad to hear the Berg went well.

But fear not, live relays next week are full of interest! I hope many listeners will have a go at the Mark-Anthony Turnage items (including a premiere!) and comment on them here...

[teamsaint]

I'm afraid that after the fine CBSO/Nelsons Beethoven 5th a few weeks ago, and having purchased the stunning new ORR/Gardiner 5th (and played it a lot) I couldn't face another 5th just yet. Did anyone notice if they took the scherzo/trio repeat tonight? Glad to hear the Berg went well.

But fear not, live relays next week are full of interest! I hope many listeners will have a go at the Mark-Anthony Turnage items (including a premiere!) and comment on them here...

There certainly are some interesting items on the menu next week. Thanks for the heads up.

The Turnage items and the Barber CC look very tempting.

[Sir Velo]

Mesmeric performance of the Berg. Like HS and Alf, it's not a work I had previously warmed to especially (although a 2VS afcionado) but I thought Rachlin gave a masterly performance of the solo part. The Bach quotation for once made complete musical sense in the context of this work, explicitly drawing out its overtones of acceptance of one's lot.

[Alison]

Fully agree about the Berg, compelling in its musicianship.

Lovely performance of Blue Danube too, plenty of detail in an unusually precise rendition. Welser-most readily out pointed!

Haven't listened to part two yet. Love the programme.

[RobertLeDiable]

Yes I agree. I'm still not entirely convinced but I think that was the most meaningful performance that I've heard so far and there were some very tender moments. I shall continue to try to understand this work.*

Can't say the same about Beethoven 5 though. The woodwind kept disappearing in the second movement. There was some very untidy (and untypical) playing from the horns and I just found the whole symphony "not fit for purpose"

* Some very watery applause after the Berg. It sounded as if there was only twenty to thirty customers in the audience. Then they went mad with delight after that shambolic Beethoven.

HS

Didn't hear the Strauss waltz because my brother was bending my ear on the telephone for about ten minutes.

The hall was full. The Beethoven wasn't at all 'shambolic' - that's a ridiculous exaggeration of a few minor lapses in ensemble. The Berg was in parts (especially the final section) too slow.

[bluestateprommer]

Hearing the 1st half on iPlayer, surprised that no one commented on a repeat in the Blue Danube that Runnicles took, the passage that begins at about 9:47 on iPlayer. I've never heard anyone do that on record, or at the VPO New Year's concert. Thought that Julian Rachlin did a very fine job in the Berg concerto, even if it's still far from a "crowd-pleaser" and will probably always be so.

(PS: Tiny goof from Petroc at the start when he named the BBC SSO's guest concertmaster for the evening as "Laura Samuels", but of course it's Laura Samuel, i.e. no plural.)