In Concert ,1st July: Total Immersion: Italian Radicals

[edashtav]

Total Immersion
The BBC Symphony Orchestra & BBC Singers conducted by Martyn Brabbins in Berio, Maderna , Nono and Dallapiccola.

From a Total Immersion Day in May.
Response:
An excellent typical traditional Third Programme Concert.

Wonderful works from sixty years ago played, sung, and interpreted with flair and distinction. Introductions by Andrew MacGregor of unusual quality and utility. Two knowledgeable scholars filled the interval with thoughtful background material.

Just the ticket for listened like me who are handicapped and incapable of attending the original live day.

The highlight so far of my listening in 2024.

My takeaway performance was Luciano Berio's Sequenza 9c for bass clarinet solo played by Tom Lessels (bass clarinet, BBC SO) with magisterial insight and aplomb.

[oliver sudden]

Glad to hear them give Rocco Parisi a mention for arranging the Sequenza for bass clarinet. I’ve only listened to the Sequenza (it’s something I’ve played a few times) so I’m not sure if the various presenters got as far as mentioning what he actually did, which was very inventive: not only transposing it down a major third (plus an octave of course) to make use of the bass clarinet’s extra low range, but also then transposing some of it up an octave to make full use of the high notes. (Probably the best-known recording makes a complete shambles of this aspect, misreading the notation so there are no really high notes at all…)

[smittims]

I was pleased to see Radio 3 still mounts this sort of concert, very redolent of the best days of the 'Glock Era'.

I had not previously heard the Nono or Dallapiccola items so this was valuable listening for me. Another splenidly planned programme from Martyn Brabbins.

[edashtav]

I was pleased to see Radio 3 still mounts this sort of concert, very redolent of the best days of the 'Glock Era'.

I had not previously heard the Nono or Dallapiccola items so this was valuable listening for me. Another splenidly planned programme from Martyn Brabbins.

[edashtav]

Glad to hear them give Rocco Parisi a mention for arranging the Sequenza for bass clarinet. I’ve only listened to the Sequenza (it’s something I’ve played a few times) so I’m not sure if the various presenters got as far as mentioning what he actually did, which was very inventive: not only transposing it down a major third (plus an octave of course) to make use of the bass clarinet’s extra low range, but also then transposing some of it up an octave to make full use of the high notes. (Probably the best-known recording makes a complete shambles of this aspect, misreading the notation so there are no really high notes at all…)

That's the sort of post that makes this Forum so valuable and informative.
Many thanks, Oliver.