Prom 46: Sibelius/Lara Poe/Holst, Sibelius Academy SO/RCM SO & Cham. Ch., Komsi/Oramo

[bluestateprommer]

Sunday 25 August 2024
19:30
Royal Albert Hall


Sibelius: The Wood Nymph
Lara Poe: Laulut maaseudulta (‘Songs from the Countryside’) (BBC commission: world premiere)

Interval

Holst: The Planets, op. 32


Anu Komsi, soprano

Royal College of Music Chamber Choir (Proms debut ensemble)
Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra (Proms debut ensemble)
Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra (Proms debut ensemble)

Sakari Oramo, conductor

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ep5wxj

https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/proms/bbc-proms-24/prom-46/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00224v9

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022f8m

[smittims]

This is suppose to be onTV, but I fear the Planets might be messed up with 'presenter-chat' interposed, so beware. In any case, Holst made it clear that the extra-musical connotation was astrology not astronomy ; it seems one can't expect a BBC presenter to know this.

I haven't heard of Laura Poe so I'll be listening to the first part anyway. .

[LMcD]

This is suppose to be onTV, but I fear the Planets might be messed up with 'presenter-chat' interposed, so beware. In any case, Holst made it clear that the extra-musical connotation was astrology not astronomy ; it seems one can't expect a BBC presenter to know this.

I haven't heard of Laura Poe so I'll be listening to the first part anyway. .

Unless my memory is playing me tricks - which is quite possible - some years ago Sir Mark Elder not only introduced a televised BBC Prom performance of Elgar's 2nd but also offered a series of short commentaries between movements.

The TV presenters on the 25th are Clive Myrie and Maggie Aderin-Pocock (she's a British space scienttst, in case you didn't know. )

[Darkbloom]

Unless my memory is playing me tricks - which is quite possible - some years ago Sir Mark Elder not only introduced a televised BBC Prom performance of Elgar's 2nd but also offered a series of short commentaries between movements.

I've noticed that they mic up cricketers to comment on the game while it's in progress now, so at least we were spared Sir Mark giving us commentary while he was conducting: 'big moment coming up, woodwinds played a blinder there' etc.

[smittims]

Thanks, LMcD. I recorded that Elder Elgar 2 but deleted his chat before transferring it to disc. It was in July 2015; I recall the spoken interpolations were done in the studio for the TV repeat. I don't know if he spoke to the audience in the hall. He often does.

I admire him as a conductor but I don't care for his habit of haranguing his audience in Churchillian style. 'In this symphony (dramatic pause) ... I believe... Elgar... is saying...' and I want to call out in my best Kenneth Wiliams voice: 'Awww geddon with it!'

[LMcD]

Latest trailer for this Prom: 'Embark on an epic voyage in Holst's celestial masterpiece'.

[edashtav]

Latest trailer for this Prom: 'Embark on an epic voyage in Holst's celestial masterpiece'.

[Pulcinella]

Latest trailer for this Prom: 'Embark on an epic voyage in Holst's celestial masterpiece'.

Perhaps a little insensitive when there are currently people potentially trapped in the space station.

[smittims]

I should have said , at least Mark Elder does know something about Elgar 2. I don't suppose our two-hander on Sunday know much about Holst.We'll see.

[LMcD]

I should have said , at least Mark Elder does know something about Elgar 2. I don't suppose our two-hander on Sunday know much about Holst.We'll see.

Don't worry - any shortcomings in their knowledge of the subject will be made good by their enthusiasm.

[smittims]

I think that's what I'm dreading...

[LMcD]

I think that's what I'm dreading...

Why not record the concert so that you can fast forward or cut out all the attendant babble?

[smittims]

Good idea. I want to hear (and see) the Sibelius and Poe . Although I'm not anxious to hear yet another Planets, morbid curiousity will probably draw me into seeing what our illustrious pair have to say . Who knows? They may have some fascinating information about the work.

[bluestateprommer]

Good idea. I want to hear (and see) the Sibelius and Poe . Although I'm not anxious to hear yet another Planets, morbid curiousity will probably draw me into seeing what our illustrious pair have to say . Who knows? They may have some fascinating information about the work.

This article about Sakari Oramo talks a bit about the Lara Poe work:

https://www.classical-music.com/articles/sakari-oramo-russian-music

"....this will be the first time he has conducted the Finnish-American composer Lara Poe. ‘She grew up in both the US and Finland; and she studied here in London at the RCM, and also with George Benjamin – a good pedigree!’ 'Songs From the Countryside' has been composed for, and in collaboration with, Anu Komsi. ‘The words come from Lara’s grandmother and aunt, telling of their childhoods in remote Finland. Lara is interested in this kind of past and in our relationship to nature and the creatures we should be looking after.’"

Plus, there's also the "super-youth orchestra" element of this Prom, with young musicians from two major music schools in two different countries joining forces.

[Ein Heldenleben]

An extraordinarily virtuosic performance from Anu Komsi in this Lara Poe piece . One of the most extraordinary vocal tour-de-forces I’ve heard in long time. The sheer range of vocal effects she commanded - almost beyond belief.
Now back to Earth with the Planets..