Prom 38: Dukas / Coll / Puccini / Stravinsky, BBC SO, Gabetta / T. Lu

[bluestateprommer]

Sunday 18 August 2024
11:00
Royal Albert Hall

Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Francisco Coll: Cello Concerto (BBC co-commission: UK premiere)

interval

Puccini: Preludio sinfonico
Stravinsky: The Firebird – Suite (1945 version)

Sol Gabetta, cello
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Tianyi Lu, conductor (Proms debut artist)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ewx84f

https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/proms/bbc-proms-24/prom-38/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0021xyp

[smittims]

I know nothing of Francisco Coll but I'm making a point of giving all the novelties this season a fair hearing (though some of them have been a bit ghastly) so I look forward to this performance.

[edashtav]

Full marks for your generous tolerance, smittims.

Dukas's L'Apprenti Sorcier is always welcome and its introduction portrayed an atmosphere of nervous stealth. The first bassoon got the brew going at a steady pace reflecting the apprentice's.uncertainty. Tianyi Yu ensured no detail was undernourished or taken for granted.

Francisco Coll's Cello Concerto is new to the UK. It was composed about 3 years ago. Francisco is Spanish but studied with Adès and now lives in Switzerland. The orchestration is light, airy but employing a deal of tinkling percussion. Similar to Adès' earlier music none of the four movements outstays its welcome and the finale is full of cheeky humour (c.f. the first work in the programme). Sol Gabetta was a soulful and confident soloist. The concerto's mercurial moods were well caught. Underlying most of the music was a sense of living / dancing in the moment as the future is uncertain.

The BBC has a proud record of keeping its radio audience abreast of Francisco's development.
I was delighted to meet this new work in a fine, possibly authoritative, performance. I look forward to hearing it again on SOUNDS.

SOL'S encore was the premiere of The Secret Life of T(ango) for cello solo. Just the ticket for Sol who is Argentinian by birth

[smittims]

I've said before that it must be difficult for a young conductor to do a familiar work at the Proms. Anyone who's heard Toscanini do l'Appprenti sorcier would have found this performance rather plodding.

I didn't know what to expect from the concerto: nostalgic melodies a la Nigel Hess or bash the cello a la B.A. Zimmermann . When I heard Coll had been a pupil of Thomas Ades I nearly switched off to save myself the time, but I stuck it out and rather liked it; it was well scored,with the solo instrument always allowed through the texture, which doesn;t always happen. And it was imaginative and full of contrast. But it seemed terribly long. I was surprised at the end to find it was only just over 22 minutes. I will listen to it again.

[edashtav]

K

I've said before that it must be difficult for a young conductor to do a familiar work at the Proms. Anyone who's heard Toscanini do l'Appprenti sorcier would have found this performance rather plodding.

I didn't know what to expect from the concerto: nostalgic melodies a la Nigel Hess or bash the cello a la B.A. Zimmermann . When I heard Coll had been a pupil of Thomas Ades I nearly switched off to save myself the time, but I stuck it out and rather liked it; it was well scored,with the solo instrument always allowed through the texture, which doesn;t always happen. And it was imaginative and full of contrast. But it seemed terribly long. I was surprised at the end to find it was only just over 22 minutes. I will listen to it again.

Yes , smittims the Apprentice plodded but I thought that was a clever choice: after all he is the student learner and not the fluent master.

[Serial_Apologist]

I've said before that it must be difficult for a young conductor to do a familiar work at the Proms. Anyone who's heard Toscanini do l'Appprenti sorcier would have found this performance rather plodding.

I didn't know what to expect from the concerto: nostalgic melodies a la Nigel Hess or bash the cello a la B.A. Zimmermann . When I heard Coll had been a pupil of Thomas Ades I nearly switched off to save myself the time, but I stuck it out and rather liked it; it was well scored,with the solo instrument always allowed through the texture, which doesn;t always happen. And it was imaginative and full of contrast. But it seemed terribly long. I was surprised at the end to find it was only just over 22 minutes. I will listen to it again.

I'm something seems to be taking longer than its objective timespan, that to me is a clear indication it is not being enjoyed.