Prom 23: Rachmaninov / Busoni, LPO / LP Choir / Rodolfus Choir, Grosvenor / Gardner

[edashtav]

RACHMANINOV's SYMPHONIC DANCES took a long time to find a place in repertoire. They were completed before I was born but I never encountered a performance until I was over 50!
Ed Gardner brought a freshness of interpretation with him to this evening's Proms. The first Dance was a trifle faster than usual but, thankfully, it was not driven by an unyielding metronome unlike last night's All-Americal Prom. The woodwind shone for me with the first oblast being in the ascendant.
The second Dance was very fluent in tempo but played with great discipline and attention to detail.

The third Dance is, I feel, the most symphonic. The LPO was on terrific, effervescent form. The change of gear as the mood darkened and became more nostalgic was well negotiated with the bass clarinet injecting a tragic undertone.

Rachmaniniv wanted Fokine to create a ballet from His Dances has that ever been achieved. I learned today that as well as the popular 2 piano version SR produced one for 2 organs. Apparently one can hear that version on YouTube.

A sparkling, exciting start to the concert which contrasts perhaps the two best pianist/ composers of the 21st century.

[gurnemanz]

Looking forward to Busoni. I only know John Ogdon, Daniell Revenaugh, RPO which I first heard when out of curiosity I borrowed it on LP from the library - well over 50 years ago as a student. I didn't hear it again until I acquired the 17CD Ogdon Icon box several years ago.

[Nick Armstrong]

The LPO are playing like angels tonight 👍👍

[edashtav]

On to the second part and the evening's more senior April Fool: Busoni and his fabulous Piano Concerto in the third performance which I've heard over the last fifty years. The two earlier interpretation were magisterial: John Ogdon and Peter O'Donoghue.

Ben Grovenor bossed the Scherzo which was such a contrast to the solid Germanic sausage opening movement.

The slow movement was the most extended and complex movement but the furious tarantella had a veritable myriad of notes and chords plus a coarse sense of humour.

When Busoni introduced his Piano Concerto to British audiences in Newcastle Festival, he conducted leaving the fiendish part to his pupil Egon Petri. The London Premiere had a similar pattern with Mark Hambourg on keyboard. Both of those were ten minutes longer that tonight's.
Although the Concerto was written over a period of two years it is a compendium of 19th century techniques melding Beethoven, Menxelssohn, Liszt, Wagner, Brahms, Mahler and Busoni almost into one. The performance was fine and Grosvenor was wonderful as was Ed Gardner. Recording, please.

Amazingly there was an
encore: Bach / Siloti Prelude in B minor

[Ein Heldenleben]

On to the second part and the evening's more senior April Fool: Busoni and his fabulous Piano Concerto in the third performance which I've heard over the last fifty years. The two earlier interpretation were magisterial: John Ogdon and Peter O'Donoghue.

Ben Grovenor bossed the Scherzo which was such a contrast to the solid Germanic sausage opening movement.

The slow movement was the most extended and complex movement but the furious tarantella had a veritable myriad of notes and chords plus a coarse sense of humour.

When Busoni introduced his Piano Concerto to British audiences in Newcastle Festival, he conducted leaving the fiendish part to his pupil Egon Petri. The London Premiere had a similar pattern with Mark Hambourg on keyboard. Both of those were ten minutes longer that tonight's.
Although the Concerto was written over a period of two years it is a compendium of 19th century techniques melding Beethoven, Menxelssohn, Liszt, Wagner, Mahler and Busoni almost into one. The performance was fine and Grosvenor was wonderful as was Ed Gardner. Recording, please.

Amazingly there was an
encore: Bach / Siloti Prelude in B minor

One of the most remarkable pianistic displays of recent years . Another being his exceptional solo recital in last years Proms. That encore was so beautifully played. As for the Busoni - a gargantuan performance - truly of Ogdon like bravura. Is he the greatest British pianist since John ?

He is a much better pianist than quite a few big names that get much more press.

[gradus]

Only heard the Rachmaninov and enjoyed it as much as the LPO's recording under Jurowski, what a fine orchestra they are.

[Simon B]

The LPO are playing like angels tonight 👍👍

Spot on.

I was also at the Sinfonia of London concert last night and it was manifestly obvious within about 3 seconds that the LPO is a much "better" orchestra. Even though the members are of the same calibre - and indeed are the same people on occasion although the SoL is more LSO than LPO.

It just shows the difference between a scratch orchestra (of absolutely first rank players) and the real thing with a corporate coherence that comes from working together all the time.

Absolutely whip-crack ensemble and expressive unanimity that stands out just like it did last season.

Of course the plaudits belong first and foremost to Ben Grosvenor in the remarkable Busoni but the Rachmaninov was a foretaste of what could be expected from the orchestral side.

ReassurIng to see the standards set during the Jurowski era are being maintained by Ed G.

[eighthobstruction]

....Ah I got hold of the wrong end of the stick as usual (several sticks probably().....But Karl Lutch Mayer sounds like a very interesting polymath type/character....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Lutchmayer

[jonfan]

It’s good we’re splitting hairs about which is the best orchestra rather than the worst. Rejoice we have such wonderful ensembles in today’s difficult conditions for professional groups. The Halle in Mahler 5 and the BBCS0 in Bruckner 1 are up there with my listening this season.
Re Rachmaninov Dances, a pity the tam-tam didn’t ring out freely at the end as the composer clearly marks. That would have been icing on the icing of a great performance.

[Darkbloom]

It’s good we’re splitting hairs about which is the best orchestra rather than the worst. Rejoice we have such wonderful ensembles in today’s difficult conditions for professional groups. The Halle in Mahler 5 and the BBCS0 in Bruckner 1 are up there with my listening this season.

There was a time when I used to mostly ignore the British orchestras in favour of the visiting bands at the Proms, but I've heard so many indifferent performances from them that it's the other way round now. I'd also mention the two BBC NOW concerts.

[smittims]

I expect to hear this concert on its afternoon repeat; glad to see so much praise for the LPO and Ben Grosvenor.

I agree with Heldenleben. In my experience the most rewarding musicians to listen to are often not the most-publicised, whom often I find to be overrated . I think there's a lot to be said for 'blind-tasting.' And if we didn't have television we'd have to go by what we hear, not their appearance.

[gradus]

Spot on.

I was also at the Sinfonia of London concert last night and it was manifestly obvious within about 3 seconds that the LPO is a much "better" orchestra. Even though the members are of the same calibre - and indeed are the same people on occasion although the SoL is more LSO than LPO.

It just shows the difference between a scratch orchestra (of absolutely first rank players) and the real thing with a corporate coherence that comes from working together all the time.

Absolutely whip-crack ensemble and expressive unanimity that stands out just like it did last season.

Of course the plaudits belong first and foremost to Ben Grosvenor in the remarkable Busoni but the Rachmaninov was a foretaste of what could be expected from the orchestral side.

ReassurIng to see the standards set during the Jurowski era are being maintained by Ed G.

Is the SoL a freelance gig with the job going to whoever the fixer likes and knows.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Is the SoL a freelance gig with the job going to whoever the fixer likes and knows.

I guess it depends who you mean by "the fixer".

[Ein Heldenleben]

Is the SoL a freelance gig with the job going to whoever the fixer likes and knows.

I’d always though that like the John Wilson Orchestra they were specially selected by JW but I can’t believe he spends all his time on the phone actually booking them. Maybe he does - he’s a bit of a workaholic by all accounts isn’t he ?
It’s largely a recording orchestra isn’t it with the live perfs cunningly tied in with a CD release so the BBC Four concert will essentially be thousands of pounds worth of free publicity plus additional performance fees for those on stage . Nice gig . Mind you when I saw in that Sky Arts doc on Mahler 2 the tiny (and no doubt vastly overpriced) London Flats the LPO principals were rehearsing in for hours on end they deserve every penny they can get.

[jonfan]

There was a time when I used to mostly ignore the British orchestras in favour of the visiting bands at the Proms, but I've heard so many indifferent performances from them that it's the other way round now. I'd also mention the two BBC NOW concerts.

Yes, I also forgot to mention Elgar 2 from BBCSSO.