Prom 37: Britten - War Requiem, LSO / LSC / BBC SC / Tiffin Boys' Choir, Pappano
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Originally posted by bluestateprommer View PostSaturday 17 August 2024
19:30
Royal Albert Hall
Britten: War Requiem, op. 66
Natalya Romaniw, soprano
Allan Clayton, tenor
Will Liverman, baritone (Proms debut artist)
London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Chorus
BBC Symphony Chorus
Tiffin Boys’ Choir
Sir Antonio Pappano, conductor
Sir Antonio Pappano and his London Symphony Orchestra are joined by three choirs and three outstanding vocal soloists for a work of hope that emerged from the ashes of destruction: Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem
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Originally posted by LMcD View Post
60 minutes - the quickest ever performance of this work?
Doesn’t sound rushed .
Currently on Hosanna In Exclesis - what glorious a piece of writing - one that always reminds me of Monteverdi Orfeo.
Some superb singing with very much an operatic rather than concert hall “feel”
Sadly listening on inferior equipment - some of the sound balance sounds that odd . Need to relisten in quality .
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Certainly faster than most but I clocked it at 75 minutes.
Natalya Romaniw is a Welsh Ukrainian with a fine ringing voice. I've heard and always admired the poetic Allan Clayton in many works and parts. Is he or Ian Bostridge, the Peter Pears of our time? I'd probably choose Allan because Ian's idiosyncrasies can grate from time to time. Good to hear Will Livermore, a Black American who understands Britten's idiom - he''ll be singing in a forthcoming production of Peter Grimes.
Great to listen to the polished and secure Tiffin School BOYS' choir accompanied by the Chamber organ in some distant gallery.
BBC Symphony Chorus and the London Symphony Chorus sang with accuracy, intensity and dramatic flair.
The LSO under its new Chief Conductor, Antonio Pappano were superb. Pappano showed a marvellous command of the score ensuring that we heard incidental details which we may have missed in earlier performances. Twice I heard echoes of Shostakovich at his bitter, satirical best. Of course, I picked up Britten's all too obvious debts to Verdi's Requiem, but overall this work shows Britten at his most searching and empathetic.
How good was this performance? Well, I broke off and ordered a CD of Pappano's Italian recording of this great piece to fill a gaping hole on my heaving shelves.
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I've been spoilt in this piece by having heard Galina Vishnevskaya singing the soprano part, albeit late in her career (1983) but still terrific.
I wonder if I had some gremlins in my audio system somewhere as I found Allan Clayton's voice much too quiet at times, to the point of inaudiblity. The full chorus sounded great, however, as did the boys' choir."The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard Haitink
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Originally posted by Petrushka View PostI've been spoilt in this piece by having heard Galina Vishnevskaya singing the soprano part, albeit late in her career (1983) but still terrific.
I wonder if I had some gremlins in my audio system somewhere as I found Allan Clayton's voice much too quiet at times, to the point of inaudiblity. The full chorus sounded great, however, as did the boys' choir.
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Originally posted by LMcD View Post
60 minutes - the quickest ever performance of this work?
Maybe time flows more slowly in the RAH.
The organ entry towards the end was a slight surprise - very powerful. I doubt that many would have experienced anything like that from a radio.
Looked like it was being televised, so would be good to watch bits of it again, for example to spot which parts precisely were being taken by the chamber orchestra and soloists. The boy’s choir was up in the gallery.
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Originally posted by Dave2002 View PostIt started late, but from where I was sitting it did seem to take more than an hour, finishing just before 9pm.
Maybe time flows more slowly in the RAH.
The organ entry towards the end was a slight surprise - very powerful. I doubt that many would have experienced anything like that from a radio.
Looked like it was being televised, so would be good to watch bits of it again, for example to spot which parts precisely were being taken by the chamber orchestra and soloists. The boy’s choir was up in the gallery.
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Originally posted by Dave2002 View PostLooked like it was being [WILL BE] televised, so would be good to watch bits of it again.."...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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Originally posted by LMcD View Post
Presented - I'm pleased to see - by Petroc Trelawny, and not Clive Myrie, Tom Service or Katie Derham.
And we got our system sorted out by the kind folk at Richer Sounds (I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't spotted that a lead had become disconnected: ) so we can send the TV sound through the Hi-Fi system.
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Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post
Hurrah!
And we got our system sorted out by the kind folk at Richer Sounds (I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't spotted that a lead had become disconnected: ) so we can send the TV sound through the Hi-Fi system.
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