Prom 61: Adès / Bruckner, BRSO, Rattle

[Darkbloom]

sounds like a member of the audience is about to give up the “Geist” in the slow movement. It’s like a bronchial ward there .

It's a really tough movement to conduct and keep the audience's attention. It doesn't sound like Rattle succeeded. I wish people would leave poor old Anton alone. I know he started it but there's a perfectly good version of Bruckner 4 and we don't need to keep monkeying around with it. I'm sure I'm not the only one that finds the rough edges part of his charm. No amount of 'help' is going to turn into a perfect work.

[Ein Heldenleben]

It's a really tough movement to conduct and keep the audience's attention. It doesn't sound like Rattle succeeded. I wish people would leave poor old Anton alone. I know he started it but there's a perfectly good version of Bruckner 4 and we don't need to keep monkeying around with it. I'm sure I'm not the only one that finds the rough edges part of his charm. No amount of 'help' is going to turn into a perfect work.

Yes it’s a very episodic Andante and hard to discern a clear line but poor Sir Simon had barely got going before a volley of coughing.
Good scherzo - orchestra really on top of things.

I’m preferring this to the BP and KP 5 …

[Prommer]

There may not be "Geist" but there is real passion and energy here.

[Ein Heldenleben]

There may not be "Geist" but there is real passion and energy here.

Yes completely agree ., some tremendous string lines and playing. A wonderful sound balance as well.

[Prommer]

sounds like a member of the audience is about to give up the “Geist” in the slow movement. It’s like a bronchial ward there .

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes it’s ended guys ! Amazing for once pre-emptory bravos.

[Prommer]

Hmm... how to end this symphony? Is that it? "The sun breaks through". Still, good stuff!

[jonfan]

Wonderful stuff, the whole builds to a magnificent ending. Simpson thought the finale only partially succeeds so whatever SR has done certainly helps to give it proper weight and proportion as a finale. A moving silence at the end before the applause,

[Ein Heldenleben]

Wonderful stuff, the whole builds to a magnificent ending. Simpson thought the finale only partially succeeds so whatever SR has done certainly helps to give it proper weight and proportion as a finale. A moving silence at the end before the applause,

I thought he held things back in a very well judged manner for that final climax . One had a sensation of things building throughout the work - helped by some exceptional string playing and some very refined unbrash brass,

[edashtav]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E flat major (‘Romantic’) in the composer's final version with a Simon Rattle cut in the 4th movement being replaced by 4 new SR bars of transition.

Nicely shaped forest string murmurs under the fine opening horn solo. Good build of expectation and excitement! The subsidiary string theme was introduced by unneccessary(?) slowing and was lightly sugared.

Did you sound good in this movement, orchestra? Oh, yes indeed you all did, but slightly at the expense of structural coherence GOSH, Rattle knows his Bruckner better than Tom Service!
Luxury strings opened the slow movement akin to the full fat cream in a Bavarian gateau. Did the music need so many traffic lights? What is the superlative of expressivo?
Expressissimo? Whatever , there was too much and the whole fragmented.

Hunting Scherzo:
Great start from horns and trumpets. Trio was mysterious. The second trio was beautiffly played by the mellow woodwind.

The finale start featured some intricate and revealing interplay between wind and brass. My word Sir Simon added a great deal of meaningful detailing which is often missing.

To sum up: a very fine performance with a orchestra which overshadowed the Berlin Philharmonic's Bruckner 5th of a few nights before, by having more in the tank so that they could burnish the end of the work rather than shout, "HELP, OXYGEN, NOW, PLEASE". Sir Simon showed how much more experienced he was in conducting Bruckner than Kirill Petrenko.

Possibly, best 4th that I have ever heard, but not quite the ultimate performance which I still long to encounter .

[edashtav]

Wonderful stuff, the whole builds to a magnificent ending. Simpson thought the finale only partially succeeds so whatever SR has done certainly helps to give it proper weight and proportion as a finale. A moving silence at the end before the applause,

[edashtav]

I thought he held things back in a very well judged manner for that final climax . One had a sensation of things building throughout the work - helped by some exceptional string playing and some very refined unbrash brass,

[Keraulophone]

Hmm... how to end this symphony?

…the way Celibidache does, with a daringly slow but inexorable climb up the crescendo to the final thrilling cadence. Tonight the strings and horns were superb, though I think I detected which bars were by SR and disliked them.

Looking forward to being in the Arena tomorrow.

[mathias broucek]

I didn't have a great seat - back of the Rauching Circle with most of the first fiddles hidden from view.

I thought that was a stronger overall performance than the Petrenko 5th - better integrated and balanced, certainly. The Bavarian strings were terrific but not quite as exceptional as the Berliners. But I strongly preferred the Bavarian first horn which matters a great deal in this work. It was brisk but didn't ever feel rushed

[gedsmk]

I didn't have a great seat - back of the Rauching Circle with most of the first fiddles hidden from view.

Dear Mathias, may I ask, what's the sound like up there? I'm thinking of going to the Shost 5 on Monday and was thinking of sitting up there as it's a lot less expensive.