BaL 19.11.11. Walton: Belshazzar's Feast

[amateur51]

I'm sure there was no mention of Milnes, LMP!





I'm aching to know that I understand that, Ams... Does our friend have "tastes" involving the Last Night of the Proms? Am I being thick?

It does make me think of the heading for Mandy's obituary posts: maybe he should head them

Firstname Surname: SLAIN!!!!!!!

Re Mandy - he started that provocative thread about Bryn Terfel, innit - and Bryn's version with Davis was BaL choice this morning. Geddit?! ;smiley:

[Nick Armstrong]

Re Mandy - he started that provocative thread about Bryn Terfel, innit - and Bryn's version with Davis was BaL choice this morning. Geddit?!

I see! I'd forgotten! And listening to Big Bryn totally nailing those solos during BAL I was thinking about that thread too...

[BBMmk2]

I have the Previn and A Davis accounts. I prefer the A Davis. Possibly being live helps!

[amateur51]

I see! I'd forgotten! And listening to Big Bryn totally nailing those solos during BAL I was thinking about that thread too...

A Big Bryn v Big Ben bellow off would be a splendid idea, I reckon! We are fortunate indeed to have had two such maestros recorded in their respective primes in this piece. Willy Wally must be reet proud

[BBMmk2]

To my absolute shame, at 52 years of age I admit to never having heard the piece! But I know how highly regarded it is, so shall be listening with interest this weekend in the hope of finding a good version with which to begin.

I hope you have ordered your copy MickyD!!

[Panjandrum]

How odd that the Previn is no longer available.

It's available new on Amazon and as a download so no idea what that is about. It's on my library shelves and I see no reason to augment the collection.

[VodkaDilc]

I have just listened to the programme on Sky+, having avoided reading any of today's postings here. Once again I'm struck by what a good piece it is! I used to grab every chance I could to hear it when I was a student. Leafing through some old programmes, I've found that the performances included The Royal Choral Society with the RPO, Meredith Davies and John Shirley-Quirk in February 1968 and the BBCSO, Chorus and Choral Society with John Pritchard and Raymond Herincx in January 1970.

The main discovery for me today was the Boult performance, which I had never heard, and which sounded intriguing, for all the drawbacks of the sound. I would not want to buy the recommended version, with the audience noise and the applause at the end (something I hate hearing on CDs). On reflection I am quite happy with the two versions on my shelves: the later Walton (which I grew up with on LP) and the later Previn. Perhaps I lost concentration, but I could not quite follow the point which was made about Donald Bell's voice matching the chorus.

[johnb]

The Previn CD (as distinct from the mp3 download) is available on Amazon, but only from the Marketplace vendors. It is not available from MDT or Presto.

[knodge41]

The version I have - Solti, LPO with Luxon, is still available (used) for a reasonable price:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/WALTON-Belshazzars-Feast-Coronation-Solti/dp/B00000E42F/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321734886&sr=8-1

As Petrusha mentioned in message #28 the sound quality is excellent.

[Petrushka]

The Previn CD (as distinct from the mp3 download) is available on Amazon, but only from the Marketplace vendors. It is not available from MDT or Presto.

The LSO/Previn is included in this set: http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/EMI/2679692

[LeMartinPecheur]

I could not quite follow the point which was made about Donald Bell's voice matching the chorus.

The point I think was made by JS's 'like an English lesson' comment: that Bell put loads of passion into his bits, and then the chorus seemed to copy the words dutifully but without very much emotional colouring.

The next excerpt showed that the choral 'echoes' do contain a different emotional colour from the baritone's: they should actually move the drama on rather than merely repeating what we've just heard.

[makropulos]

I thought this was a very enjoyable and interesting BAL - one of the best recent episodes. The final choices (Andrew Davis and Boult) are both excellent, and a fair hearing was given to the others, including the grotesque Shaw choral addition (I very much agreed with Jeremy S's "I really wish he hadn't done that!"). I'm fond of Walton's 1959 record for nostalgic reasons - it was one of the first full price LPs I ever bought - and then got the Previn record when it came out. Then I found Boult's mono record while I was a student and loved its slightly clattery sound and extremely exciting conducting. So, very good to have that given such a warm recommendation. And the Andrew Davis/Bryn Terfel et al. Prom is pretty tremendous. It was nice to hear bits of Gibson and Willcocks, neither of which I knew.

Good stuff all round. Having got Andrew Davis and Boult already, I'm tempted to try the Colin Davis LSO Live performance - the extracts sounded enticing.

Did anyone else hear the performance conducted by Raphael Frühbeck de Burgos with the Philharmonic a few months before (I think?) Previn's performance at the Walton 70th Birthday concert? Frübeck's is still just about the most electrifying concert performance I've ever heard.

[VodkaDilc]

The point I think was made by JS's 'like an English lesson' comment: that Bell put loads of passion into his bits, and then the chorus seemed to copy the words dutifully but without very much emotional colouring.

The next excerpt showed that the choral 'echoes' do contain a different emotional colour from the baritone's: they should actually move the drama on rather than merely repeating what we've just heard.

Thanks LeMP. I see what he means now. Perhaps not significant enough to dismiss the performance, but I suppose there are other drawbacks too. For me, applause at the end or, even worse, added choir on the last chord, would be more important blots on a performance.

[Wolsey]

The final choices (Andrew Davis and Boult) are both excellent, and a fair hearing was given to the others, including the grotesque Shaw choral addition (I very much agreed with Jeremy S's "I really wish he hadn't done that!").

I have to say that the Shaw version is the one I have - bought as a result of it being the first choice in an edition of Building a Library sometime in the 1990s. The choral addition to the final chord (also criticised in the review all those years ago) is a most regrettable spoiling of what was then considered in all other respects a first class disc.

[ardcarp]

And now reaction here to today's programme hardly suggests much passionate interest in the work. I am surprised and disappointed!

Don't quite follow that, le MP. I'm passionately interested in the work, having sung in it first as a 19-year-old and being blown away by it. What makes you think that others are lukewarm?