Philharmonia/Ashkenazy RFH Oct 17

[salymap]

That's the way to hear music for me. Not hearing aids, headphones.

Agree, Manfred really wonderful and the organ at the end, wow,never heard the RFH organ like that years ago.

I'm very fond of my other recording but must listen to CDs with headphones in future.

[teamsaint]

Thanks to Ams for a fine report, and saving me a good deal of typing.
A few other thoughts. A well constructed programme IMO. The Norwegian songs were a well chosen opener, which Ashkenazy clearly enjoyed bringing to the audience. The Concerto , with its slight "now you see it now you don't" feel (in terms of length and orchestration if nothing) else a subtantial contrast to the full blooded romanticism of the Manfred.

The Stravinsky Concerto was beautifully executed. Kopachinskaja engaged brilliantly with everybody, (conductor, Orchestra, audience), with a lovely demonstrative style. She seemed just slightly overwhelmed by the weight of Brass in the first movement for a while, but otherwise, all text book stuff. I've loved this piece since the first time I heard it, and this performance was a real treat.
The encore was terrific, (no idea what it was), and she demonstrated her exquisite tone as well as ferocious virtuosity. The duet with the leader was fabulous stuff.
Oh, the dress. The black frame type thing, gave it a bit of a "peasant" look, I thought, but i'm probably miles off !!

The Manfred is a big ask of a conductor, IMO. I like Ashkenazy's style, though he wouldn't get many marks for it in a competition, I suspect !! He clearly knows this music inside out and upside down, and knows exactly what he wants from his players. (he had a certain amount of quietening of the violins to do, I noticed).
Loved the way he really propelled the second movement, giving it a nice firm edge even in its lighter moments. But the fourth movement really is the problem here. As Ed says, its a bit of a dog's dinner, and everybody knows it . I think the only way I can approach it , is to suspend disbelief just a little further(if that is possible), and forgive its flaws for all the wonderful stuff that has gone before. Despite its illogicalities, there is so much fine material that in the right hands, and knowing that Manfred finally achieves release, you just have to go with the flow. And a fine demonstration of how to do that was what we got.Drama a plenty there certainly was, and the RFH organ to boot. A fine performance in my opinion.

Some great playing throughout. The bassoons had lots of work and were excellent. Andrew Smith's speed of hand movement on the timps is a sight to see. But Man of the Match for me was definitely Geremia Iezzi, Principal horn, whose playing was , I thought, quite exceptional. He plays beautifully, and makes it look easy, a sure sign of a star.

Only disappointment.....a rather modest attendance. The balcony was about 80% empty, and lots of other empty seats.

[EdgeleyRob]

Super report that ts (and Ams too),sounds like it was a great evening.
The Stravinsky was the highlight for me,the first time I've ever heard it.
I've always struggled a bit with Manfred but a performance like that could persuade me.
Come the revolution we'll need a forum fashion correspondent too.

[Sir Velo]

For admirers of Kopatchinskaja, a bonus at the end of the Benjamin Grosvenor recital: three "encores" with Papa Kopatchinsky on cimbalom, including both a solo and accompanied performance of Ravel's Tzigane. The first piece, a Moldovan folk song, is more famous from its use in a well known rhapsody (though unacknowledged by the presenter).

Joyous music making.

[notnerb]

That's the way to hear music for me. Not hearing aids, headphones.

Agree, Manfred really wonderful and the organ at the end, wow,never heard the RFH organ like that years ago.

I'm very fond of my other recording but must listen to CDs with headphones in future.

Organ at the end? I was expecting something fortissimo, and all I heard was the orchestra sounding rather depleted. Checked a moment ago on iPlayer, and same thing: no sign of an organ belting it out.

Am I missing something?

[Simon B]

Organ at the end? I was expecting something fortissimo, and all I heard was the orchestra sounding rather depleted. Checked a moment ago on iPlayer, and same thing: no sign of an organ belting it out.

Am I missing something?

Very good Manfred overall as widely noted above. However, I can barely hear a thing from the organ on iPlayer either. As I recall, it seems that Tchaikovsky wrote for a harmonium, so this is perhaps authentic.

However, and given the somewhat ungainly finale, authenticity and subtlety can take a hike on this one IMO. The best way to deal with this entry is as exemplified perfectly from 09:39 in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmteUZ8IYlE. Though it doesn't quite make the same impact as it did live .

[teamsaint]

The organ was certainly thoroughly audible from the choir. It certainly didn't sound full tilt to me, though I don't know what the RFH organ is like full throttle.
I rather assumed that it is still being tweaked, and is being used sparingly !

[Simon B]

It certainly didn't sound full tilt to me, though I don't know what the RFH organ is like full throttle.
I rather assumed that it is still being tweaked, and is being used sparingly !

In its emaciated state of the last few years, various descriptions come to mind - hopelessly inadequate, utterly feeble, pathetic. However, it would still have been more audible than this at full pelt on most broadcasts. Hopefully massively more oomph will be restored once all the pipes that are now physically back in are brought back into use!

[Hornspieler]

The organ was certainly thoroughly audible from the choir. It certainly didn't sound full tilt to me, though I don't know what the RFH organ is like full throttle.
I rather assumed that it is still being tweaked, and is being used sparingly !

I believe that Tchaikowsky treated the organ as just another instrument in the orchestra (as DSCH does with the piano in his first symphony)
For me, it is part of the narrative - Manfred finds peace and redemption in its soothing tones.
The fact that Petre Ilich also offered the alternative of a harmonium illustrates this point for me. Note that the organ does not continue triumphantly to the end of the work. The rest of the orchestra quietly take the story to its end.




HS

BTW I have yet to hear the Stravinsky Violin Concerto

[Petrushka]

I believe that Tchaikowsky treated the organ as just another instrument in the orchestra (as DSCH does with the piano in his first symphony)
For me, it is part of the narrative - Manfred finds peace and redemption in its soothing tones.
The fact that Petre Ilich also offered the alternative of a harmonium illustrates this point for me. Note that the organ does NOT continue triumphantly to the end of the work. The rest of the orchestra quietly take the story to its end.




HS

BTW I have yet to hear the Stravinsky Violin Concerto

According to Norman Del Mar's Anatomy of the Orchestra Tchaikovsky doesn't give the harmonium as an alternative to the organ, harmonium is what it says in the score. We have become so used to hearing the grand organ on full registration being belted out at that point that no-one has ever questioned whether it is what Tchaikovsky actually wanted. True, the full organ sounds great but I think that last night's performance came closer to Tchaikovsky's intention. Incidentally, the organ sounded 'there' on my equipment listening via Freeview at a fairly high volume level.

[Hornspieler]

According to Norman Del Mar's Anatomy of the Orchestra Tchaikovsky doesn't give the harmonium as an alternative to the organ, harmonium is what it says in the score. We have become so used to hearing the grand organ on full registration being belted out at that point that no-one has ever questioned whether it is what Tchaikovsky actually wanted. True, the full organ sounds great but I think that last night's performance came closer to Tchaikovsky's intention. Incidentally, the organ sounded 'there' on my equipment listening via Freeview at a fairly high volume level.

Petrushka:

Please note that I have corrected my message #24 which you quoted here. I would be grateful if you would correct that quote on your #25.

My whole point was that the organ does not (as in the 1812 overture) continue in triumph to the end of the symphony.

Thank you.

HS

[salymap]

I made a pig's ear of my comment about the organ.{#16] I listened to the broadcast of Manfred, then went back the the Stephen Johnson old BaL which featured a very loud organ near the end.

Got the two confused after a break for a phone call.

[amateur51]

Just listened once more to the Stravinsky violin concerto - wow!

The encore turns out to be a cadenza for the concerto written by Kopatchinskaja herself - multi-talented!.

Has anyone heard her recording of the Stravinsky with LPO/Jurowski that was released recently, coupled with with Prokofiev violin concerto no.2?

[teamsaint]

Just listened once more to the Stravinsky violin concerto - wow!

The encore turns out to be a cadenza for the concerto written by Kopatchinskaja herself - multi-talented!.

Has anyone heard her recording of the Stravinsky with LPO/Jurowski that was released recently, coupled with with Prokofiev violin concerto no.2?

Thanks for sorting out the encore, Ams. It certainly was a little firecracker !!

[Belgrove]

Has anyone heard her recording of the Stravinsky with LPO/Jurowski that was released recently, coupled with with Prokofiev violin concerto no.2?

Yes I have it, and very fine it is too.

Kopatchinkaja's cadenza with Pieter Schoeman, the LPO's leader, is included on the disc.

I think that the CD is more convincing than with Ashkenazy, principally because of the greater intensity, anguish and pathos conveyed in the brief second aria. It is that movement that is the emotional core of the work. As ever with Jurowski, one gets precision and lyricism in equal measure. It's as good an account of the Stravinsky that I know.