BaL 28.01.12 Mendelssohn's Elijah

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Y'know, my parents used to have conversations like this!

[Nick Armstrong]

Y'know, my parents used to have conversations like this!

About quarter past four, love

[gurnemanz]

Bad grammar as in "Call him more loudly".

The grammatical status of "loud" is complicated. In general usage it can also be an adverb, even though purists (myself included) might flinch. If our choir director instructed us to "sing louder", I don't think I would notice anything unacceptable.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/loud_1?q=loud

[vinteuil]

... and I see brother Kara-fan uses as a signature a quote in which "louder" is clearly adverbial -

"Louder! Louder! I can still hear the singers!"
(Richard Strauss to the orchestra, at a rehearsal.)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... and I see brother Kara-fan uses as a signature a quote in which "louder" is clearly adverbial -

"Louder! Louder! I can still hear the singers!"
(Richard Strauss to the orchestra, at a rehearsal.)

But perhaps the conductor/composer was abbreviating "I would like the sound of the orchestra to be louder" which would be adjectival. Nevertheless, I take your general point. However, in formal English such as the Old Testament, one would expect better grammar. In the King James Version, Elijah says "Cry aloud" , but in the New International Version, it is "Shout louder" .

[BBMmk2]

One of the few Mendelssohn scores that I like. Be a good chance to get a overview of what's around.

[rank_and_file]

Some years I remember hearing Burnside make some smutty remark on air about a female vocalist at a Cardiff Singer of the Year, and I have not liked this jobbing accompanyist/broadcaster much since.

Today’s BAL on “Elijah” was for me without doubt one of the worst examples of serious broadcasting I have heard for a long time. For half the time his so-called jokey or smart quips and colloquialisms seemed to be concerned with how clever Burnside was and the BAL was the vehicle for him to display his mediocre analysis.

But what analysis? Whilst it is a choral work the recording and orchestral playing is important yet I hardly remember a (serious) word on orchestral playing or balance, or the conductor’s input.

As the Burnside “show” went on we got lots of gratuitous comments on the history of the work, when the time should have been devoted to the work, the quartet of soloists, choir, orchestra and conductor. But no over-arching objective views and all so bitty and amateurish.

I can agree with him about Iskoski, Janet Baker and Luxon but where did that lead us? Extracts, then forgotten about, or our Bryn with uncontrolled vibrato being praised to the heavens.

I was hoping to hear of a very good version sung in German, but not a word on which version. 19 versions listed on MDT and we heard extracts from 8 or so?

I am afraid this little man wears his ego badly on his incompetent broadcasting sleeve.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This is a pity, because after a blip (mid 2011) recent BaLs have been significantly better.

[VodkaDilc]

Aargh!! I thought today's BAL was the Mussorgsky, so didn't bother listening. I like Elijah, so was keen to hear a good BAL, but it sounds as if this was best avoided. Could someone reveal his conclusions?

I agree with Eine AS that they have got better recently - so long as the reviewer is allowed to deliver a properly scripted review and not have to have a conversation with Mr MacGregor!

[Flay]

I like Elijah, so was keen to hear a good BAL, but it sounds as if this was best avoided. Could someone reveal his conclusions?

It's now on the website:

MENDELSSOHN: Elijah
Soile Isokoski (soprano), Monica Groop (alto), John Mark Ainsley (tenor), Petteri Salomaa (bass), La Chapelle Royale, Collegium Vocale Gent, Orchestre des Champs-Elysees, Philippe Herreweghe (conductor)
HARMONIA MUNDI HMC901463-64 (2CD, mid-price)

I am afraid this little man wears his ego badly on his incompetent broadcasting sleeve.

Speaking as someone who is relatively vertically challenged , I think that was little harsh and too personal, R&F. But I do agree that I can't recall any mention of the orchestras, the conductors and the choirs. It was all about the soloists.

I hadn't heard Elijah since my teens when playing 2nd oboe . I had forgotten that it does have quite a few decent bits.

[rank_and_file]

Flay

By “little man” I meant intellectually, not physically. From recollection, on television he seemed about average height!

Just going back to my post, Burnside was reviewing the work as it comes, but he only really got up to about midway in the second part - leaving most of the last 2 sides of my 6 side LP set silent - bar the last few bars of the finale. So, hardly a comprehensive review as far as we poor listeners were concerned.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Just going back to my post, Burnside was reviewing the work as it comes, but he only really got up to about midway in the second part - leaving most of the last 2 sides of my 6 side LP set silent - bar the last few bars of the finale. So, hardly a comprehensive review as far as we poor listeners were concerned.

This was what William Mival did when he reviewed Eine Alpensinfonie, just over a year ago. He reached the summit after a long struggle, and then sky-dived down, completely avoiding the descent and thunderstorm. Most unsatisfactory, I thought. It's as though the reviewer prepares the programme and then realises (s)he has run out of time, so dashes to the summing up. Not very professional really.
Oh WM's on again next week...

[rauschwerk]

Blimey, rank_and_file! Mr B rattled your cage big time, didn't he? I should hardly think that it's humanly possible to compare so many versions of such a long piece in such a short time. He should have been given at least an hour. I was not at all offended by this reviewer's style. He likes Bryn Terfel's singing and so did I in the extract he played. I completely disagree that his vibrato is 'uncontrolled'!

[BBMmk2]

Well, that did sound quite a good post from RandF. [I] am glad I wasn't in on satur4day morning! Yes, reent BaLs have been on the good side. A pity this one has put a blot on the landscape.

[verismissimo]

I just listened to the BaL and thought it as good as most. Perhaps it was Burnside's cheerful, non-didactic manner that got up RandF's nose.