BBC Philharmonic and Juanjo Mena in Nottingham.
I found myself scheduled for baby sitting duties on Wednesday night and today is my first opportunity to report on this appetising programme.
In the Falla, the horn solo which announces the second section was, (as my teacher Aubrey Brain would have said) :not declamatory enough.
More urgency, more attaca is needed for that bold opening statement.
How I have missed the assertive and confident horn playing of the long-serving Jonathan Goodall over the past few weeks!
I thought also that maestro Juanjo Mena seemed to be in a bit of a rush in places, not allowing the full impact of the music to come through.
When we first encountered the great Jascha Horenstein, this was the first work that we encountered. It will always remain in my memory for that reason. We were terrified!
Much better horn playing in the Prokofiev violin concerto..
A neat and tidy accompaniment to a rather squeaky soloist – but I don’t blame Miss Suwanai – I blame Prokofiev’s writing.
Not, IMHO, the composer’s finest contribution to the violin’s extensive repertoire.
The last movement saves it for me – just!.
On now to Daphnis and Chloe (second suite). Some lovely flute playing. (and I could actually hear the alto flute! That’s a turn up for the book).
A polished performance throughout. I would like to have heard them perform the first suite (but heaven help the poor first horn – a terrifying challenge for any horn player)
The Rite of Spring now. Plenty of recent performances to compare it with.
Excellent opening. The tension building as it should.. Excellent percussion. I’ve been critical of the BBC Phil’s timpanist playing too loud in the past, but here, the louder the better!
There have been comments that “The Rite” has been overplayed in the last few months.
If it’s played like this, I could listen to it every night.
A most enjoyable concert. If only we could have had Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet(scheduled for the same performers next week) instead of his violin concerto, it would have been sheer perfection.
HS
I found myself scheduled for baby sitting duties on Wednesday night and today is my first opportunity to report on this appetising programme.
In the Falla, the horn solo which announces the second section was, (as my teacher Aubrey Brain would have said) :not declamatory enough.
More urgency, more attaca is needed for that bold opening statement.
How I have missed the assertive and confident horn playing of the long-serving Jonathan Goodall over the past few weeks!
I thought also that maestro Juanjo Mena seemed to be in a bit of a rush in places, not allowing the full impact of the music to come through.
When we first encountered the great Jascha Horenstein, this was the first work that we encountered. It will always remain in my memory for that reason. We were terrified!
Much better horn playing in the Prokofiev violin concerto..
A neat and tidy accompaniment to a rather squeaky soloist – but I don’t blame Miss Suwanai – I blame Prokofiev’s writing.
Not, IMHO, the composer’s finest contribution to the violin’s extensive repertoire.
The last movement saves it for me – just!.
On now to Daphnis and Chloe (second suite). Some lovely flute playing. (and I could actually hear the alto flute! That’s a turn up for the book).
A polished performance throughout. I would like to have heard them perform the first suite (but heaven help the poor first horn – a terrifying challenge for any horn player)
The Rite of Spring now. Plenty of recent performances to compare it with.
Excellent opening. The tension building as it should.. Excellent percussion. I’ve been critical of the BBC Phil’s timpanist playing too loud in the past, but here, the louder the better!
There have been comments that “The Rite” has been overplayed in the last few months.
If it’s played like this, I could listen to it every night.
A most enjoyable concert. If only we could have had Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet(scheduled for the same performers next week) instead of his violin concerto, it would have been sheer perfection.
HS
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