Top marks for the BBCSO from the Barbican - again

[gradus]

Only heard the last 10 mins or so on the kitchen Roberts but from what I heard, what a mighty performance of Sibelius 5 by Robertson and the BBCSO - at the Barbican again.
At last someone who gets the ending right with the writing for the brass fully understood and building to a magnificent peroration. The audience sounded like they enjoyed it too.

[Ferretfancy]

gradus,

I was at this concert, and enjoyed the fifth very much, but oddly I thought that Tapiola did not come across so well. It was very direct, but lacked the sort of eerie quality that I feel it needs. I've only seen one review, which I thought was rather sniffy, I'm afraid that the Glanert piece did not reach me at all, but nevertheless full marks for the BBC SO for programming so much new music.

[Daring Tripod]

I have always found that when I went to concerts and then listened to repeats or recordings at home, they frequently gave me quite a different impression than in the concert hall. I think that, maybe, when listening over the radio the sound is more analytical?

I mention this because when listening to the broadcast last night my (mistaken?) impression was of a superb performance of the Tapiola which I thoroughly enjoyed and a Sibelius 5th Symphony which took some risks which just about came off. The performance was thrilling for, maybe, not the right reasons! The Detlev Glanert Violin Concerto seemed to me one of those inconsequential new works which are heard once and then forgotten! Nevertheless, an enjoyable concert on the whole.

[gradus]

I agree, it can sound so different in the hall. I don't know about the Barbican but I have experienced this for myself at the ROH when having sat through my worst experience of Wagner live (Haitink/Walkure), dreadful dead compressed sound with no dynamic range, I heard exactly the same performance on R3 and thought it sounded good.
Can't find the Sibelius on iplayer but would love to hear the concert in full.

[french frank]

Can't find the Sibelius on iplayer but would love to hear the concert in full.

It's here, gradus! (I hope, if the link works.)

[Nick Armstrong]

I heard this too, like you around the house... I thought the first movements sounded rather matter-of-fact, sometimes perfunctory.. But I agree, the last movement was terrific, ideally balanced (two little detailed bits of brass writing, which I love but which are usually buried, sang through loud and clear) - after a moment or two, I just sat down, turned up the volume, and listened through to the end. Cracking stuff.

[gradus]

ff many thanks.
G