Prom 44: Moussa/Shostakovich/Stravinsky, BBC SSO, Fri. 18 Aug. 2023

**french frank** · 11-08-23, 07:11

Friday 18 August, 19.30:

"New Zealand-born conductor Gemma New makes her Proms debut with a colourful programme of 20th and 21st-century orchestral masterworks. The graceful charm of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 – a birthday gift for the composer’s talented teenage son – meets the dazzling dances and acerbic brilliance of Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird. We move into the present with the European premiere of Canadian composer Samy Moussa’s Symphony No. 2.

"Prize-winning pianist Pavel Kolesnikov joins the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra." [RAH website]

**edashtav** · 18-08-23, 19:27

Samy Moussa’s 2nd Symphony is half the length of his first and uses fewer orchestral players. It seemed taut, terse and cogently structured with quite a boisterous, brassy finish. Moussa wants his symphony to be universal and an addition to the ever evolving tradition of the symphony. In these modest, rather self-effacing aims he succeeded. The work kept my attention for 20 minutes without saying anything new, radical or unique. Perhaps, repeated hearings may reveal more.

I regard Shostakovich’s slight 2nd Piano as a musical bon-bon. It’s delightful entertainment and witty. Pavel Kolesnikov always adds value and did so tonight, revealing witty quotes and echoes . The 20 minute concerto has a rich ancestry in Russia dating back to Glazunov’s two. Mozart and Ravel would have enjoyed Shostakovich letting down his musical hair but maintaining a constant flow of delicious ideas.

A Bach Prelude arr. by Siloti was a nice bridge and reminded me of Shostakovich’s magisterial Preludes and Fugues for piano. Pavel’s Bach was limpid.

**bluestateprommer** · 18-08-23, 19:30

DSCH PC # 2 just finished. IMHO, Pavel K. seemed to bend over backwards not to overdo the high spirits in the 1st movement, until maybe 2/3 of the way through. However, he made up for it in the finale, where he seemed to cut loose a bit more, or maybe that was his long-range plan. Fine, fine account of the slow movement.

Laptop issues caused me to miss the first half or so of the Samy Moussa work, so I have to listen to it in full later for a fully informed judgement. From what I heard of it, though, Samy M.'s new work put me in mind of the new Derrick Skye work from a few weeks back, in being of upbeat and optimistic mood, except that Samy M.'s work seems rather better (not a great bar to clear, I realize).

One has to tolerate Tom Service's standard verbal over-spluttering and editorializing, of course (and this puts me in mind of the contrast with Petroc, who, as I commented in the old version of the Forum 4 years back, avoids editorializing about the performance, a quality of restraint from which several other presenters can learn).

**Barbirollians** · 21-09-23, 13:55

I am more than surprised to find so few responses to this concert. I enjoyed the Moussa symphony much more than I expected . Lots of fireworks and lovely use of the orchestra - more a concerto for orchestra than symphony .

I don’t really like Shostakovich ‘s Second Piano Concerto - that lovely tune seems to go nowhere and the rest often bores me . Not this time - much the best performance of this concerto I have ever heard from Kolesnikov and New . The slow movement was full of colour and poetry after the big time goes and dazzling in the outer movements .Sadly, he has cancelled performances he was due to give with the Halle at the end of this month. Lovely encore of Bach/Siloti.

Enjoyed the Firebird - have heard more dazzling and atmospheric accounts but the orchestra shone throughout.

Prom 44: Moussa/Shostakovich/Stravinsky, BBC SSO, Fri. 18 Aug. 2023

Prom 44: Moussa/Shostakovich/Stravinsky, BBC SSO, Fri. 18 Aug. 2023

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment