Tom Service is spreading misinformation: Holst was born in Cheltenham, not Gloucester!!
Prom 46: Sibelius/Lara Poe/Holst, Sibelius Academy SO/RCM SO & Cham. Ch., Komsi/Oramo
Collapse
X
-
Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View PostAn 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.
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by bluestateprommer View Post
Agree totally about the excellence of Anu Komsi's performance, well supported by the young folks from the two academies. It would have been nice to have the texts in hand to follow along, especially as the work did feel a tad prolonged. Very strong start to the concert as well with the Sibelius, which struck me as a quite a new experience and unfamiliar listening (besides the standard fingerprints of Sibelius' style), even though I vaguely remember hearing a BIS recording with the spoken text way some years back.
As you say the youngsters are playing very well - a demanding score.
Comment
-
-
I caught up with this concert in Sunday's TV repeat. As I've said before, I'm only interested in listening to the music,so I don't usually hear the presenter-chat. But on this occasion curiosity led me to watch the introduction to the Planets performance . I wasn't expecting anything profoundly informative, but even so I was taken aback at the poor quality of the conversation. Both of them were clearly reading from a script on their knee, one hardly looking up from it at all, and neither of them said anything about the music. Then we had Tom Service's 'guide to the galaxy' (sic) , just the solar system in fact, and again for all his hand-waving, Blue-Peter-style sensationalism, nothing was said about the originality of Holst's use of harmony or orchestration.
If the rest of the Proms presentation is like this it's surely time someone took a critical look at how much it's costing.
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by smittims View PostI caught up with this concert in Sunday's TV repeat. As I've said before, I'm only interested in listening to the music,so I don't usually hear the presenter-chat. But on this occasion curiosity led me to watch the introduction to the Planets performance . I wasn't expecting anything profoundly informative, but even so I was taken aback at the poor quality of the conversation. Both of them were clearly reading from a script on their knee, one hardly looking up from it at all, and neither of them said anything about the music. Then we had Tom Service's 'guide to the galaxy' (sic) , just the solar system in fact, and again for all his hand-waving, Blue-Peter-style sensationalism, nothing was said about the originality of Holst's use of harmony or orchestration.
If the rest of the Proms presentation is like this it's surely time someone took a critical look at how much it's costing.
Petroc's introduction to the War Requiem was, for my money, a fine example of how it should be done.
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by smittims View PostI caught up with this concert in Sunday's TV repeat. As I've said before, I'm only interested in listening to the music,so I don't usually hear the presenter-chat. But on this occasion curiosity led me to watch the introduction to the Planets performance . I wasn't expecting anything profoundly informative, but even so I was taken aback at the poor quality of the conversation. Both of them were clearly reading from a script on their knee, one hardly looking up from it at all, and neither of them said anything about the music. Then we had Tom Service's 'guide to the galaxy' (sic) , just the solar system in fact, and again for all his hand-waving, Blue-Peter-style sensationalism, nothing was said about the originality of Holst's use of harmony or orchestration.
If the rest of the Proms presentation is like this it's surely time someone took a critical look at how much it's costing.
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by Andrew Slater View PostTom Service is spreading misinformation: Holst was born in Cheltenham, not Gloucester!!
However, the concert itself was excellent, and apparently no rude interruptions from hyperactive members of the audience.
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by Andrew Slater View PostTom Service is spreading misinformation: Holst was born in Cheltenham, not Gloucester!!
HOLST 150th BIRTHDAY CONCERT – with Sir Stephen HoughHOLST A Fugal OvertureHOLST The Perfect FoolGRIEG Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16VAUGHAN WILLIAMS A London SymphonySir Stephen Hough pianoBristol Classical PlayersTom Gauterin conductorThis special concert celebrates the 150th birthday of Gustav Holst, one of Cheltenham’s favourite
But it was Clarence Road*, not Clarence Street...and I don't know about the favourite son bit - when I was growing up there, there didn't seem to be much made of his links with the town, that came later.
*Actually it was Pittville Terrace when he was born there, later renamed.Last edited by oddoneout; 27-08-24, 19:59.
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by oddoneout View Post
At least someone's got the message about the town
HOLST 150th BIRTHDAY CONCERT – with Sir Stephen HoughHOLST A Fugal OvertureHOLST The Perfect FoolGRIEG Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16VAUGHAN WILLIAMS A London SymphonySir Stephen Hough pianoBristol Classical PlayersTom Gauterin conductorThis special concert celebrates the 150th birthday of Gustav Holst, one of Cheltenham’s favourite
But it was Clarence Road, not Clarence Street...
A strange choice of pieces for a Holst concert! There's only about 16 or 17 minutes of Holst! (UnlessThe Perfect Fool is the actual opera rather than the ballet music - that would be worth the trek to Cheltenham!) I would have expected, if not The Planets, something like Egdon Heath or Beni Mora or A Somerset Rhapsody - the Grieg Piano Concerto seems bizarre. I suppose it's to guarantee a minimum audience. I can sort of understand the inclusion of A London Symphony, RVW being a close associate of Holst, but as with the Grieg it's longer than the two Holst pieces put together!
Re. the Clarence Street reference (which I've discovered is some distance from Clarence Road), nobody seems to be able to get anything right these days. (To be strictly accurate, at the time it was Pittville Terrace.)
Last year I was in an audience which was confidently told that Holst and RVW met at Cambridge university - no they didn't, it was at the RCM; Holst couldn't afford a university education. We were also told that RVW had Darwins on one side of the family and Wedgwoods on the other - no, they were both on his mother's side. I didn't bother correcting the speaker - this was the last of several talks she was giving around the country, so the damage had been done.
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by Andrew Slater View Post
Thanks for the information.
A strange choice of pieces for a Holst concert! There's only about 16 or 17 minutes of Holst! (UnlessThe Perfect Fool is the actual opera rather than the ballet music - that would be worth the trek to Cheltenham!) I would have expected, if not The Planets, something like Egdon Heath or Beni Mora or A Somerset Rhapsody - the Grieg Piano Concerto seems bizarre. I suppose it's to guarantee a minimum audience. I can sort of understand the inclusion of A London Symphony, RVW being a close associate of Holst, but as with the Grieg it's longer than the two Holst pieces put together!
Re. the Clarence Street reference (which I've discovered is some distance from Clarence Road), nobody seems to be able to get anything right these days. (To be strictly accurate, at the time it was Pittville Terrace.)
Last year I was in an audience which was confidently told that Holst and RVW met at Cambridge university - no they didn't, it was at the RCM; Holst couldn't afford a university education. We were also told that RVW had Darwins on one side of the family and Wedgwoods on the other - no, they were both on his mother's side. I didn't bother correcting the speaker - this was the last of several talks she was giving around the country, so the damage had been done.
I've just found some more tenuous links
CSO is delighted to be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth in Cheltenham of Gustav Holst with a special performance of the entire Planets Suite, along with a selection of other works that link to Holst's in source sound or spirit. This ever popular work that emerged from the mind of our local hero
To be fair the town seems to have put quite a bit of effort into celebrating the anniversary.
Comment
-
-
I enjoyed this concert a great deal . I did not know the Wood Nymph but will seeking out a recording asap. What a lovely piece.
The Lara Poe was fascinating and the praise for Ms Komsi well deserved and finally what a finely etched , splendid and idiomatic performance of the The Planets from the young orchestra and Oramo . The freshness and care of the young players lifted the spirits .
Comment
-
Comment