Prom 14: Noriko Koide / Beethoven / Elgar

[bluestateprommer]

Tuesday 25 July 2023
19:00
Royal Albert Hall

Noriko Koide: Swaddling Silk and Gossamer Rain (BBC co-commission: European premiere)
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in c, op. 37
[Encore: Chopin: Nocturne, op. 9, no. 2]
Elgar: 'Enigma' Variations (Variations on an Original Theme), op. 36

Jan Lisiecki, piano
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Elim Chan, conductor

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/eb59hn

https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/proms/bbc-proms-2023/prom-14-elgars-enigma-variations/

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:00 Tuesday 25 July 2023
Royal Albert Hall

Noriko Koide: Swaddling Silk and Gossamer Rain (BBC commission: European première)
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor
Edward Elgar: ‘Enigma’ Variations

Jan Lisiecki piano
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Elim Chan conductor

[french frank]

‘The Enigma I will not explain – its “dark saying” must be left unguessed …’ So wrote Edward Elgar of his career-making ‘Enigma’ Variations. What’s not in question, however, is the tender playfulness of orchestral variations inspired by the composer’s friends and family, including the noble, much-loved ‘Nimrod’.

Pianist Jan Lisiecki joins Elim Chan and the BBC Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 – a Romantic tussle between conflict and lyricism. The concert opens with the European premiere of Noriko Koide’s silkworm-inspired Swaddling Silk and Gossamer Rain, commissioned for last year’s BBC Proms Japan.

[smittims]

Over the years I've become conviced that there is no 'other theme'; that the idea was what Elgar would call a 'jape'. I think he was miffed by the alacrity with which his friends identified the initials and wanted to tease them.

[jonfan]

Only caught the Beethoven and the Elgar. Terrific, engaging performances as if newly discovered. At times both works seemed to be
vehicles for a timpani concerti so forthright was the playing. Great stuff.

[Barbirollians]

I am looking forward to cacthing up with this one. Was impressed with Chan's conducting of Grosvenor's Chopin concertos disc and always good to hear Lisiecki.

[smittims]

I'm listening to the Koide now, and hoping it isn't going to be another of those static, fewer-notes-the -better pieces which seem to be in vogue this year. But no, it's turning out quite nice, rather like this morning's weather!

[Barbirollians]

Outstanding Prom - lovely performance of the Beethoven 3 and encore and what a sensitive ,idiomatic exciting but never bombastic performance of the Enigma Variations.

[smittims]

I've heard the Variations a lot recently, for one reason and another, so I wasn't eager to hear this, but after reading your remarks I will catch up on this performance. It's a work that's been pulled about and distorted many times , so a fresh perspective is welcome.

I enjoyed the Koide much more than the Catherine Lamb and Helen Grime pieces discussed elsewhere: a pleasant piece of 'waiting-room' music. I wouldn't mind hearing it again (once?).