Prom 71: Ravel / Liszt, S.-J. Cho

[bluestateprommer]

Thursday 12 September 2024
22:15
Royal Albert Hall

Ravel: Miroirs (selections)
(a) ‘Oiseaux tristes’ (No. 2; first performance of the original piano version at The Proms)
(b) ‘Une barque sur l’oceán’ (No. 3)
(c) ‘Alborada del gracioso’ (No. 4)

Liszt: Années de pèlerinage - 'deuxième année, Italie' (first performance at The Proms)

[Encore: Liszt: Consolation No. 3 (first performance at The Proms)]


Seong-Jin Cho, piano

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e4h6gw

https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/proms/bbc-proms-24/prom-71/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022k73

[smittims]

The inclusion of the second pianist here reminds me that when Charles Rosen recorded the work for CBS in the 1960s, he played both parts in the two-keyboard fugues by double-recording, but the second pianist was credited as 'Olsen Archers'!

[Retune]

They gave the same programme twice at the Wigmore Hall earlier this year, prefaced by a talk from Schiff:

https://theartsdesk.com/classical-music/art-fugue-schiff-nosrati-wigmore-hall-review-rarity-and-quality-music-and

I was at the second performance, luckily without the technical problems with Schiff's lecture microphone mentioned in this review of the first! At previous late night proms, his Goldberg and WTC concerts have been wonderful. This should be a special evening.

[smittims]

That's funny; according to the Gramophone in September (I think) 1972 , the greatest work by the greatest composer was Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen. How could we decide which of these claims is true? Granted that Andras Schiff's remark was deliberately rhetorical to get his audience's attention (no harm in that) it does strike me as a little subjective. Many years ago John Julius Norwich assigned this accolade to the Schubert quintet ; others might nominate 'Tubular Bells' or 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band'. My head is starting to spin. Maybe it's better to say ' I like the Art of Fugue and I think you will too if you listen to it'.

One thing's certain, though. A 75 -minute lecture on one work of classical music will not be broadcast on Radio 3. How different from 1974 when Hans Keller's two -hour lecture on Schoenberg's first two string quartets was indeed broadcast on Rdio 3, and most rewarding it was too.

[vinteuil]

András Schiff staked quite a claim for the piece he was about to perform: Bach’s The Art of Fugue was, he said: “the greatest work by the greatest composer who ever lived”.

That's funny; according to the Gramophone in September (I think) 1972 , the greatest work by the greatest composer was Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen. How could we decide which of these claims is true?

... the composer and Thomaskantor Johann Adam Hiller, some time around 1800, wrote on his copy of Mozart's Requiem -"Opus summum viri summi" - the greatest work of the greatest master...

but what about Taylor Swift? Oasis???

.

[Retune]

It's a shame Schiff's Art of Fugue lecture doesn't seem to be available online. His complete Beethoven sonata lectures, also delivered at the Wigmore Hall, were made officially available and can still be downloaded. He and Nosrati have recorded a shorter video intro to the Art of Fugue here.

[Mandryka]

The inclusion of the second pianist here reminds me that when Charles Rosen recorded the work for CBS in the 1960s, he played both parts in the two-keyboard fugues by double-recording, but the second pianist was credited as 'Olsen Archers'!

I think there are a couple of lated canons which aren't playable by one person without adjustments. And Koopman needed two keyboard players all the time because of the way he wanted to embellish the music .

[duncan]

Andras Schiff has broken his leg and will be replaced by Seong-Jin Cho playing Ravel and Liszt. https://www.royalalberthall.com/tick...ms-24/prom-71/.

A broken leg covers a wide spectrum of seriousness, I hope Sir Andras makes a swift and full recovery.

[smittims]

Surely they could have found another pianist to play the Art of Fugue. There must be several within reach who could stand in. Changing the programme seems absurd, since the whole point of the Prom was to hear the A of F played in the RAH late-evening .

I well recall a Don Giovanni evening at Covent Garden when the principal baritone was indisposed at short notice. A certain Mr Tom Allen happened to be available instead!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Surely they could have found another pianist to play the Art of Fugue. There must be several within reach who could stand in. Changing the programme seems absurd, since the whole point of the Prom was to hear the A of F played in the RAH late-evening .

I well recall a Don Giovanni evening at Covent Garden when the principal baritone was indisposed at short notice. A certain Mr Tom Allen happened to be available instead!

I wonder how many have it in the repertoire and are able to perform it at short notice and available ? Very few I would have thought . Whereas there must be globally 50 baritones able to sing the Don to international standards.
Incidentally the Susanna scheduled to sing last night in the ROH relay was replaced (superbly ) by Siobhan Stagg - another role relatively easy to cover.

Ps - the replacement recital at 1 hour 3 mins ain’t exactly value for money

[Pulcinella]

I wonder how many have it in the repertoire and are able to perform it at short notice and available ? Very few I would have thought . Whereas there must be globally 50 baritones able to sing the Don to international standards.
Incidentally the Susanna scheduled to sing last night in the ROH relay was replaced (superbly ) by Siobhan Stagg - another role relatively easy to cover.

Ps - the replacement recital at 1 hour 3 mins ain’t exactly value for money

Much enjoyed the singing, not so much the production.
Transmission sound a bit variable at times.
Need to catch up with Britten's MND on Sounds.

(Apologies for keeping off topic!)

[Padraig]

Andras Schiff has broken his leg and will be replaced by Seong-Jin Cho playing Ravel and Liszt. https://www.royalalberthall.com/tick...ms-24/prom-71/.

A broken leg covers a wide spectrum of seriousness, I hope Sir Andras makes a swift and full recovery.

Particularly sorry to miss Andras Schiff's performance of Bach's great keyboard work. I'm sure he is too. Best wishes for his recovery.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Much enjoyed the singing, not so much the production.
Transmission sound a bit variable at times.
Need to catch up with Britten's MND on Sounds.

(Apologies for keeping off topic!)

Yes they made a lot of the 18 year old production - which I’ve never seen having been to so many Figaros over the years I only go if local or a screening. I thought McVicar made a bit of a pigs ear of the final scene which must have confused newcomers. The translation completely skated over Da Ponte’s original.
Musically it was superb. Rare to get all the main five roles so well sung and by such good -looking convincing singers who can also act.
Sound was overly compressed with very prominent first fiddles - since Mozart writes so wonderfully for them I don’t object !
apologies for the digression

[Barbirollians]

Very sorry to hear about Sir A's broken leg - lets hope for a speedy recovery and no effect on his playing .

High class replacement though .

[Darkbloom]

Surely they could have found another pianist to play the Art of Fugue. There must be several within reach who could stand in. Changing the programme seems absurd, since the whole point of the Prom was to hear the A of F played in the RAH late-evening .

I well recall a Don Giovanni evening at Covent Garden when the principal baritone was indisposed at short notice. A certain Mr Tom Allen happened to be available instead!

Of course, Tom Allen was indisposed himself on one memorable Proms evening, when he was replaced by someone in the audience.