BBC Now Friday 8th February at 7.30

[Hornspieler]

Sorry I missed this one on the "Coming up Live" thread

Prokofiev's 2nd violin concerto and Shostakovitch 5th symphony (say a prayer for the Principal Horn!)

Full details are on the BBC schedule.

HS

[amateur51]

Live from St. David's Hall in Cardiff

Presented by Nicola Heywood Thomas

Much-loved Conductor Laureate Tadaaki Otaka returns to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for a concert embodying a heroic sense of human struggle in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Beethoven: Coriolan - Overture, Op.62
Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No.2 in G minor, Op.63

=== Interval ===


Shostakovich: Symphony no.5 in D minor, Op.57


Sayaka Shoji, violin
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Tadaaki Otaka, conductor

Tadaaki Otaka was Principal Conductor of BBC NOW in the late 1980s and developed the orchestra into the force that it is today. As Conductor Laureate, he's still held in high regard by players and audience alike. Music by Beethoven and Shostakovich embody a heroic sense of human struggle in the face of overwhelming adversity. Beethoven's Coriolan overture embodies all the drama of Shakespeare's play in just 8 minutes. Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony is a social outcast's defiant reply to the state and its 1937 premiere restored his reputation. The lyrical bitter-sweet nostalgia of Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto is played by rising star Sayaka Shoji. Praised for her impressive poise and refined technique by the New York Times, she was recently selected by Nikkei Business as one of the 100 most influential people for Japan.

[Hornspieler]

Thanks for filling in the details AMS.

This has been a good week for live orchestral concerts.

HS

[MrGongGong]

Prokofiev's 2nd violin concerto and Shostakovitch 5th symphony (say a prayer for the Principal Horn!)


HS

I thought it was a Bassoon concerto !
but some great horn parts
I'm particularly fond of this one



Almost the whole range of the instrument in 29 bars

[amateur51]

Thanks for filling in the details AMS.

This has been a good week for live orchestral concerts.

HS

Indeed it has HS and even I've commented on two of them.

I look forward to this one, even though some would seem to denigrate Maestro Otaka. I've heard him 'live' on several occasions & he gets excellent results

[Nick Armstrong]

I've heard him 'live' on several occasions & he gets excellent results

So have I. I remember a cracking Mahler 5 with the BBC Welsh orchestra... and of course, most latterly last summer with that V-W / Ireland Prom which I was at and also enjoyed on t'telly - a really superlative 'Talliis Fantasia' one of the highlights of the year.

[Hornspieler]

I look forward to this one, even though some would seem to denigrate Maestro Otaka. I've heard him 'live' on several occasions & he gets excellent results

Well, I listened with great interest but with mixed reactions.

Coriolan: A useful starter for a concert, but nothing much to comment on. It sort of plays itself.

Prokofiev Violin Concerto Nº 2:
I'm very fond of Prokofiev's concertos, but I found this performance by the soloist rather disappointing.
She didn't really 'get into' the work until the final movement, when she seemed to perk up and know what it was all about.
I have played in this work on several occasions in the past, but I would not have recognised it until that last movement.

Shostakovitch 5th Symphony:
Stephen Johnson's interval talk was interesting and informative, but with a work as difficult as Shostakovitch 5, I think it is a bit unfair to play extracts from a previous recording (obviously note perfect) before the poor orchestra have to play those same passages live in concert, with no edits or retakes.

I mentioned in a previous post that I would say a prayer for the Principal Horn.

Shostakovitch 5 is what I call a "Pat-on-the-shoulder" work. What do I mean by that?

Well, after playing that 1st horn part, one's colleagues come up and pat you on the shoulder. Then they either say "... jolly well done, sir" or something like " ... never mind, old chap. You can have another go at it on Friday in the Royal Festival Hall"

Last night, I thought "Well done, Sir (or Madam). You just got there!"

Of the four live concerts on Radio 3 this week, I enjoyed this one the most.

So, WELL DONE to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Maestro Otaka!

HS

[Petrushka]

Well, I listened with great interest but with mixed reactions.

Coriolan: A useful starter for a concert, but nothing much to comment on. It sort of plays itself.

Prokofiev Violin Concerto Nº 2:
I'm very fond of Prokofiev's concertos, but I found this performance by the soloist rather disappointing.
She didn't really 'get into' the work until the final movement, when she seemed to perk up and know what it was all about.
I have played in this work on several occasions in the past, but I would not have recognised it until that last movement.

Shostakovitch 5th Symphony:
Stephen Johnson's interval talk was interesting and informative, but with a work as difficult as Shostakovitch 5, I think it is a bit unfair to play extracts from a previous recording (obviously note perfect) before the poor orchestra have to play those same passages live in concert, with no edits or retakes.

I mentioned in a previous post that I would say a prayer for the Principal Horn.

Shostakovitch 5 is what I call a "Pat-on-the-shoulder" work. What do I mean by that?

Well, after playing that 1st horn part, one's colleagues come up and pat you on the shoulder. Then they either say "... jolly well done, sir" or something like " ... never mind, old chap. You can have another go at it on Friday in the Royal Festival Hall"

Last night, I thought "Well done, Sir (or Madam). You just got there!"

Of the four live concerts on Radio 3 this week, I enjoyed this one the most.

So, WELL DONE to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Maestro Otaka!

HS

I caught this concert and much enjoyed it. I'm not too familiar with the Prokofiev VC2 so can't comment on the performance but did like the tone produced on the violin by Ms Shoji.

Do agree about the interval talk playing the music. My feeling is that it comes close to spoiling the performance we are about to hear. I usually turn the volume right down and listen with only half an ear until the second half comes on as I like to hear the music fresh.

The DSCH 5 was another cracking performance from Otaka. I don't know what he does outside of Cardiff these days but he always seems to produce the goods. An under-rated conductor, I think.

[Estelle]

Hornspieler,

Having also heard all of this week's live concerts, I enjoyed this one most. The program was an interesting mix and the Shostakovich performance in particular was arresting.