Prom 42: Philharmonia Orchestra, Cho / Rouvali, Wed. 16 August 2023

[bluestateprommer]

Wednesday 16 August 2023
19:30
Royal Albert Hall

Elgar: In the South (Alassio), op. 50
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in e, op. 11
[Encore: Chopin: Nocturne No 2 in Eb major, op. 9, no. 2]

interval

Richard Strauss: Aus Italien, op. 16

Seong-Jin Cho, piano
Philharmonia Orchestra
Santtu-Matias Rouvali, conductor

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/eb32rz

https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/proms/bbc-proms-2023/prom-42-elgar-chopin-and-strauss/

[french frank]

Wednesday 16th August, 19.30:

"International Chopin Piano Competition-winner Seong-Jin Cho is one of the world’s most exciting young pianists, praised for his ‘remarkable technique’ and the elegance of his interpretations.

"Who better to perform Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 – a heady combination of brilliance and poetry, its slow movement a vision of ‘a beloved landscape on a moonlit spring night’. Could that landscape perhaps be Italian? Italy’s warmth and summer sunshine suffuse both Elgar’s bucolic In the South overture and Strauss’s tone-poem Aus Italien, each inspired by a visit to the country.

"The Philharmonia Orchestra is conducted by its Finnish-born Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali." [RAH website]

[smittims]

It must be tough trying to make a reputation as a young soloist. And today they're competing not only with one another but also with digitally-remastered recordings of past masters, in this case from Rubinstein to Pollini and beyond.

They all seem to be described with the same avalanche of estate-agent adjectives: most exciting, most sought-after, award-winning. Veteran listeners have heard dozens of them come and go. I'm not saying they're not good. The standard is so high we can take that for granted. I wonder how much difference it would make if they weren't described at all before their concerts. Would more people stay away?

[Sir Velo]

Personally the less hype, the more likely I am to be interested.

[french frank]

Personally the less hype, the more likely I am to be interested.

I think it's just called 'marketing'. My subbing reaction is to cut out all these adjectives but instead I keep the burb intact and credit my source

In the end one should make one's decisions on the plain facts (and research) and not be influenced pro or con by the 'Liszt reincarnated'-type guff.

[edashtav]

I’m so lucky! The first time I heard In The South it was with Constantin Silvestri conducting ‘his’ Bournemouth Symphony Orchesta. Reader, Constantin was a magician
shaking a kaleidoscope: his vision was colourful and constantly being refreshed. Born to a father who worshipped Elgar, by the time I was a teenager, I was Elgar-phobic.

That one performance overcame my aversion.

So, what of the Philharmonia and its Finnish chief conductor: Santtu-Matias Rouvali? I was intrigued by a passage with emphatic bass chords supported by percussion: just like a Giant’s footsteps! It was just before the famous viola solo (canto popolare) which was nicely played with an avoidance of sentimentality.

Well, today’s performance did not capture the quicksilver quality of Silvestri’s but it was a fine,idiomatic, account with a distinct personality of its own.
I was more than happy! I loved some of the woodwind solos, particularly a mellow clarinet! The performance was captured wonderfully well by BBC SOUNDS.

[JasonPalmer]

Listening now, petroc talking about proms instead of talking about this prom. Annoying,

[gurnemanz]

We've been to Alassio (didn't get a T shirt) and I always enjoy this work.

[edashtav]

Listening now, petroc talking about proms instead of talking about this prom. Annoying,

Yes, appalling!

[JasonPalmer]

Nice playing, can see why this chap won a competition.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Hype or no hype who cares ? This is lovely piano playing - the way the phrases are just floated into the air . And so the piano Proms fest continues. I cannot remember a Proms season with so many superb concerto performances. My word this slow movement is exquisite. Well done to the conductor for following the rubato (just).

[edashtav]

Chopin Concerto : I was thrilled by the life the orchestra found in its preludial remarks.
ENGINEERS: please help the ORCHESTRA- I found the balance consistently favoured the excellent pianist.

Ein Heldenleben has just written:
“Hype or no hype who cares ? This is lovely piano playing - the way the phrases are just floated into the air . And so the piano Proms fest continues. I cannot remember a Proms season with so many superb concerto performances. My word this slow movement is exquisite. Well done to the conductor for following the rubato (just).”

I conclur!

When Chopin died, prematurely in 1849, the Illustrated News published a tribute including a remark by Balzac that Chopin was less a musician than a susceptible soul, to be in contact with whom was irresistibly sympathetic.

I shared that feeling, tonight through a loving, insightful performance.

The Chopin Nocturne was superb as encore - more music in E, by gum!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Chopin Concerto : I was thrilled by the life the orchestra found in its preludial remarks.
ENGINEERS: please help the ORCHESTRA- I found the balance consistently favoured the excellent pianist.

Ein Heldenleben has just written:
“Hype or no hype who cares ? This is lovely piano playing - the way the phrases are just floated into the air . And so the piano Proms fest continues. I cannot remember a Proms season with so many superb concerto performances. My word this slow movement is exquisite. Well done to the conductor for following the rubato (just).”

I conclur!

When Chopin died, prematurely in 1849, the Illustrated News published a tribute including a remark by Balzac that Chopin was less a musician than a susceptible soul, to be in contact with whom was irresistibly sympathetic.

I shared that feeling, tonight through a loving, insightful performance.

The Chopin Nocturne was superb as encore - more music in E, by gum!

That favouring the pianist is something I also noticed in the Schiff performances, I am perversely all in favour as the pianist is usually swamped when live.
Forgive me Edashtav if , speaking as someone who enjoys your contributions immensely, I respectfully point out that the nocturne is in E Flat . Only a semitone but all the difference in the world.

[JasonPalmer]

And now petroc and someone else talking about the grand tour...

[gurnemanz]

Nice playing, can see why this chap won a competition.

Warsaw Chopin Competition no less, whose winners include Pollini and Argerich.

I remember reading that the 20-year-old Shostakovich entered the first one in 1927, despite being disturbed by the very concept of competitions. He saw it as a way of getting abroad rather than actually winning - "even if I fail, at least in Warsaw there will be some musicians to whom it would be interesting to show some scores." Lev Oborin won.