Prom 37: Britten - War Requiem, LSO / LSC / BBC SC / Tiffin Boys' Choir, Pappano

[Pulcinella]

A curiously brief review from Morrison.
Watched/listened last night: it may well have come across better than in the hall itself.

Not as powerful a performance as others I've heard, but a very moving one.
A shame that the soprano soloist's music stand was so low: she was having to look down at it while singing, which was not a good stance on the TV.
Overall, I thought the camera angles and shots not the best: all a bit fussy, whereas keeping static might have been better.
The boys' singing was a little more staccato than usual, so with a loss of flow to their lines, but perhaps that was to counter the acoustic in the hall.
I thought that the two male soloists in their 'Let us sleep now' interchange were absolutely ideal, as indeed they were in the parable (Abraham and Isaac) section: the way that gets launched from the preceding Latin (quam olim Abrahae) section is surely a stroke of genius on Britten's part.

[LMcD]

A curiously brief review from Morrison.
Watched/listened last night: it may well have come across better than in the hall itself.

Not as powerful a performance as others I've heard, but a very moving one.
A shame that the soprano soloist's music stand was so low: she was having to look down at it while singing, which was not a good stance on the TV.
Overall, I thought the camera angles and shots not the best: all a bit fussy, whereas keeping static might have been better.
The boys' singing was a little more staccato than usual, so with a loss of flow to their lines, but perhaps that was to counter the acoustic in the hall.
I thought that the two male soloists in their 'Let us sleep now' interchange were absolutely ideal, as indeed they were in the parable (Abraham and Isaac) section: the way that gets launched from the preceding Latin (quam olim Abrahae) section is surely a stroke of genius on Britten's part.

I recorded it for later viewing (by which I mean when I'm less likely to nod off ) but it will need to be pretty special to displace the Nelsons/CBSO DVD recorded in Coventry Cathedral in my affections.

[duncan]

A curiously brief review from Morrison.
Watched/listened last night: it may well have come across better than in the hall itself.
.

I was in the gods on the night and from there the male soloists sounded a little underpowered. They came across much better on the BBC4 transmission (Quad speakers help). I am a fan of Allan Clayton's artistry and he may have sounded great in The Arena. Great choral singing including the lads from Tiffin School and excellent playing from the LSO in some pretty exposed writing.

I admire rather than love the War Requiem, perhaps I'm too young to appreciate the context and extra musical associations I'm sure the piece has for many here. This performance didn't change my view.

[LMcD]

Allan Clayton’s singing in this is absolutely phenomenal. One of the glories of the age .

Allan Clayton was the soloist in the final movement of RVW's Pastoral Symphony in the 2014 'Lest We Forget' Prom.
I think Petroc made a strong case for making do with one presenter.
(My TV recording clocked this performance of the War Requiem at 80 minutes).