Leeds Piano Competition

[ardcarp]

Has anyone started a thread about this anywhere? Just watched the first programme, which after the usual fannying [!] about gave us Prokofiev's 2nd piano concerto, ably directed by Mark Elder. Blimey what a piece, and what a brave choice for a competition.

[amateur51]

Must've got the order wrong I'm listening to the Swiss pianist Louis Schwizgebel playing Beethoven piano concerto no 4. Nice accompaniment from the Hallé and Sir Mark Elder I thought (cracking woodwind) and some nice moments from the lad who is a bit of a face-puller but it looks sincere enough. His trills are sometimes a touch industrial (they got better) and his performance strikes me as still having to be integrated into a whole instead of being a series 'and this is how I do this' moments. Lots of promise though.

In his pre-performance chat with Suzy he confessed that he wasn't that concerned about winning which nearly caused Suzy to leap from her seat and give him a good ear-boxing P'raps it was a courtship moment?

[Pianorak]

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?6332-Leeds-International-Piano-Competition-on-BBC4-last-night&highlight=Leeds+Piano

and some mention here: http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...ht=Leeds+Piano

[Pianorak]

Must've got the order wrong . . .

No, you didn't.

[Nick Armstrong]

fannying [!]

Good one!

That was the second programme actually, aards.

I'm looking forward to the last 3 in particular - I recorded that half of the final on R3 and have enjoyed the performances, and am keen to see them in performance.

PS No spoilers please - I've managed to avoid knowing who won - want to hear them all first

[teamsaint]

Good one!

That was the second programme actually, aards.

I'm looking forward to the last 3 in particular - I recorded that half of the final on R3 and have enjoyed the performances, and am keen to see them in performance.

PS No spoilers please - I've managed to avoid knowing who won - want to hear them all first

If I were you, I would avoid pubs, churches and other public places.....and lets hope the weather in Leeds is ok !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=9q30ZaJxZH4

[Nick Armstrong]

If I were you, I would avoid pubs, churches and other public places.....and lets hope the weather in Leeds is ok !!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&fe...&v=9q30ZaJxZH4

Without looking, I presume that to involve the Likely Lads?

[teamsaint]

remember it was England F.........that they saw on the front page
so don't so much as glimpse the Red tops !!
Yup, Likely Lads...we've all done it !!

[VodkaDilc]

Is it my imagination or is the coverage of the Leeds Competition better than I had anticipated, bearing in mind the BBC's recent record with such events? A whole concerto uninterrupted was not what I had expected. Could they be realising that treating these events as celebrity nonsense is not what the audience wants? I'm sure we'd all prefer the traditional almost-live coverage, but this was a reasonable compromise.

Having recently watched a few recordings from last year's televised Proms, I think some of the gimmicks have gone from this year's coverage too - no backstage cameras, conductor's-eye view on the red button or excessive "celebrity" interviews. Has the return to a less superficial coverage of televised music begun?

[Flay]

Has the return to a less superficial coverage of televised music begun?

We can but hope.

Mrs Flay wanted to watch some of the X-Factor last night. I chuckled to myself thinking how the Leeds fest would look if given the same sort of production: the judges sitting on sofas along with the competitors, tearfully telling them that they were not up to the mark, that they would not go through to the next round. Then the failed would be interviewed, with close-ups of their tear- and snot-smudged faces; wailing about their ruined lives, how they did not know how they would support themselves and their illegitimate children now they couldn't win the prize, how their lives were now ruined etc etc....

So it could be a lot worse

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

So it could be a lot worse

Give it time!

[ardcarp]

Just watched the first programme, which after the usual fannying [!] about gave us Prokofiev's 2nd piano concerto, ably directed by Mark Elder. Blimey what a piece, and what a brave choice for a competition.

Correction. It should read 'the first programme that Mrs Ardcarp got round to recording'

[Nick Armstrong]

Correction. It should read 'the first programme that Mrs Ardcarp got round to recording'

[ardcarp]

Just heard/seen the next finalist; Australian playing The Emperor. It was a tasteful performance, beautifully projected, which avoided any temptation to 'mess about' with the piece in order to be different. This led me to ponder upon the old question of the inherent problem with competitions of this sort. How on earth do you judge between finalists, some of whom are playing very standard repertoire (i.e. B's 5th concerto) and some playing Prokofiev's 2nd and 3rd, which are of an order of technical difficulty somewhere in the stratosphere?
This led me to look online at the final result of the competition which I won't divulge in case it spoils anyone's fun. I can't quite understand why this info is available online when BBC4 still hasn't finished the series.

[Pianorak]

. . . I can't quite understand why this info is available online when BBC4 still hasn't finished the series.

The Competition ran from 29 Aug to 16 Sep. Once the result was announced all the media carried the news, ie it's been in the public domain since 16 September. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012...n-final-review