Britten centenary concert live from Snape Maltings 19:30/22/11/13 BBCSO/Knussen

[jayne lee wilson]

"This is the Spring Symphony. Schumann
Wrote it in Autumn. Now it is June.
Nothing to deny, nothing to identify
The season of this music."

So wrote the great English poet Charles Tomlinson... and now it's November - but with Britten the texts might season the wintry musical meal...

Britten Cantata Academica; 4 Sea Interludes & Passacaglia.
Ryan Wigglesworth Locke's Theatre (1st performance)

***

Britten Spring Symphony

[Mary Chambers]

I've told everyone that I am unavailable until Monday. Glued to Radio 3.

[EdgeleyRob]

I've told everyone that I am unavailable until Monday. Glued to Radio 3.

Sounds like a plan Mary.
Can't say I enjoyed that Wiggly thingy just now.
I adore the Spring Symphony,and here it comes.
The Sea Interludes I heard for the first time in my mid teens,opened up a whole new world to me,British Music,I had thought there was only Beethoven and prog rock up to that point.

[EdgeleyRob]

Marvelous.
C'mon Jayne,can't wait to read your review.
Don't touch that dial,2nd String Quartet and 2nd Cello Suite next.

[Mary Chambers]

The Spring Symphony's a glorious piece, showing Britten in many moods, but ultimately ebullient. Those tenor solos though....without Pears they sound to me as if they're played on the wrong instrument, especially Waters Above.

[jayne lee wilson]

Star of the show for me tonight was that glorious Snape acoustic - so clear and spacious for the orchestra, yet warm and full, offering such grace to vocals whether choral or solo. It's always been a lovely broadcast venue and HDs shows it off beautifully. The special occasion seemed indeed to inspire fine performances, especially in part one, with the BBCSO hurtling out of the speakers in the Peter Grimes interludes and passacaglia, the chorus sounding firm, fresh and inspired in the Cantata Academica (I don't know this work nearly well enough but will make the effort now!). Just a few raw notes from the late solo substitutions. Lower brass came across particularly well in tonight's balance, but contrapuntal detail wasn't always clear in the closing movements of the Symphony. I can't pretend to critically comparative knowledge of the Spring Symphony - I just haven't heard enough performances. But I thought the soloists mostly did well, the ending was as uproariously moving as ever - I was laughing and crying at the same time - and that cowhorn was loudly and crudely joyful! My cat usually takes little notice of music but she stared at the soundstage with both ears when that horn went off...

[EdgeleyRob]

Star of the show for me tonight was that glorious Snape acoustic - so clear and spacious for the orchestra, yet warm and full, offering such grace to vocals whether choral or solo. It's always been a lovely broadcast venue and HDs shows it off beautifully. The special occasion seemed indeed to inspire fine performances, especially in part one, with the BBCSO hurtling out of the speakers in the Peter Grimes interludes and passacaglia, the chorus sounding firm, fresh and inspired in the Cantata Academica (I don't know this work nearly well enough but will make the effort now!). Just a few raw notes from the late solo substitutions. Lower brass came across particularly well in tonight's balance, but contrapuntal detail wasn't always clear in the closing movements of the Symphony. I can't pretend to critically comparative knowledge of the Spring Symphony - I just haven't heard enough performances. But I thought the soloists mostly did well, the ending was as uproariously moving as ever - I was laughing and crying at the same time - and that cowhorn was loudly and crudely joyful! My cat usually takes little notice of music but she stared at the soundstage with both ears when that horn went off...

Thank you Jayne.
The cowhorn was a hoot,crude = good, and the more chaotic the ending the better IMO.

[BBMmk2]

Star of the show for me tonight was that glorious Snape acoustic - so clear and spacious for the orchestra, yet warm and full, offering such grace to vocals whether choral or solo. It's always been a lovely broadcast venue and HDs shows it off beautifully. The special occasion seemed indeed to inspire fine performances, especially in part one, with the BBCSO hurtling out of the speakers in the Peter Grimes interludes and passacaglia, the chorus sounding firm, fresh and inspired in the Cantata Academica (I don't know this work nearly well enough but will make the effort now!). Just a few raw notes from the late solo substitutions. Lower brass came across particularly well in tonight's balance, but contrapuntal detail wasn't always clear in the closing movements of the Symphony. I can't pretend to critically comparative knowledge of the Spring Symphony - I just haven't heard enough performances. But I thought the soloists mostly did well, the ending was as uproariously moving as ever - I was laughing and crying at the same time - and that cowhorn was loudly and crudely joyful! My cat usually takes little notice of music but she stared at the soundstage with both ears when that horn went off...

I wasn't able to listen to the spring Symphony, but heard only the first item the Passacaglia and Four Sea Interludes. I quite like OK's idea of putting the Passacaglia before the last movement of the FSI!?