Prom 54: Organ Recital with Isabelle Demers, Saturday 26 August 2023

[bluestateprommer]

Saturday 26 August 2023
14:00
Royal Albert Hall

Wagner (transcr. I. Demers): Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – Prelude to Act 1 (first performance of this arrangement at The Proms)

Rachel Laurin: Prelude and Fugue in G major (world premiere)

J. S. Bach (arr. M. Dupré): Cantata No. 146, 'Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal' – Sinfonia (first performance at The Proms)

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Three Impromptus (first performance at The Proms)

Reger: Chorale Fantasia on 'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott' (first performance at The Proms)

William Grant Still: Elegy (first performance at The Proms)

Prokofiev (transcr. Demers): Romeo and Juliet – excerpts (first performance of this arrangement at The Proms)
(a) "The street awakens - Morning dance" (Act I, Scene 1)
(b) "Introduction" (abbreviated; Act I, Scene 1) -
(c) "Romeo" (Act I, Scene 1)
(d) "Balcony scene - Romeo's variation - Love scene" (Act I, Scene 2)
(e) "Morning serenade" (Act III, Scene 3)
(f) "Romeo resolves to avenge Mercutio's death" (Act II, Scene 3) -
(g) "Fight" (Act I, Scene 1)
(h) "The Duke's command" (Act I, Scene 1)
(i) "Dance of the knights" (Act I, Scene 2)


Isabelle Demers, organ (Proms debut artist)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ecvrn3

https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/proms/bbc-proms-2023/prom-54-organ-recital-with-isabelle-demers/

[french frank]

Saturday 26 August, afternoon recital, 14.00:

"Canadian organist Isabelle Demers makes her Proms debut, putting the Royal Albert Hall’s mighty 9,999-pipe organ through its paces.

"The rigour of Bach and Reger (born 150 years ago) contrasts with lighter pieces by Coleridge-Taylor and William Grant Still and a world premiere from Canadian composer Rachel Laurin.

"This is all framed with the drama of excerpts from stage-works by Wagner and Prokofiev." [RAH website]

[bluestateprommer]

For anyone who might have missed this Prom by organist Isabelle Demers, I can highly recommend it. The Meistersinger Act I Prelude works quite well on organ, which maybe shouldn't have surprised me, in hindsight. The Prokofiev generally goes well, although the "Fight" movement does threaten to sound like Tom and Jerry cartoon music in places. (Have hopefully put in the details of the selected movements correctly above.) The new Rachel Laurin piece is an enjoyable listen, where I won't spoil the fugue subject. Rachel Laurin died just 2 weeks ago, so it's possible that her new Prelude and Fugue in G may have been her final work. But there's nothing sad about it, and the choice of fugue subject should make everyone smile (or at leaet it did me).

[Brixton Dave]

I was there. The bit that appealed to me the most was the Reger Chorale Fantasia. Seemed very exciting - considering Reger;s reputation.