Prom 72: W.A. Mozart / Louise Farrenc / Beethoven, OAE, Manacorda

[bluestateprommer]

Friday 13 September 2024
19:30
Royal Albert Hall

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 1 in E flat major, K. 16
Louise Farrenc: Symphony No. 3 in G minor (first performance at The Proms)

Interval

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, op. 55 (‘Eroica’)

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Antonello Manacorda, conductor (Proms debut artist)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e2x84f

https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/proms/bbc-proms-24/prom-72/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022k44

[Darkbloom]

Does anyone have any experience of this conductor? I've heard too many forgettable period performances of the Eroica, so it would be interesting to know whether this is likely to be more of the same cookie-cutter approach or whether it might offer something slightly different?

[french frank]

Does anyone have any experience of this conductor? I've heard too many forgettable period performances of the Eroica, so it would be interesting to know whether this is likely to be more of the same cookie-cutter approach or whether it might offer something slightly different?

This is what Gramophone has to say about his complete Beethoven cycle:

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/beethoven-symphonies-nos-1-9-manacorda

[oddoneout]

Couple of reviews of concerts on here. He seems to do a lot of opera.

https://bachtrack.com/performer/antonello-manacorda

[bluestateprommer]

Fine first half to this penultimate night Prom, a few horn bobbles aside (par for the course). I remember hearing a Philadelphia Orchestra radio relay of Louise Farrenc's Symphony No. 3, and being struck by the "Germanic" feel of the music. This period-instrument reading put me back in that mindset. Antonello M. definitely drove things forward in both works, which may well presage what's to come after the interval.

[Darkbloom]

Fine first half to this penultimate night Prom, a few horn bobbles aside (par for the course). I remember hearing a Philadelphia Orchestra radio relay of Louise Farrenc's Symphony No. 3, and being struck by the "Germanic" feel of the music. This period-instrument reading put me back in that mindset. Antonello M. definitely drove things forward in both works, which may well presage what's to come after the interval.

In the hall for this. Had a touch of Mendelssohn about it. Unfortunately it made little impression on me. Maybe it would have had greater impact with a modern symphony orchestra. Read something about it in the Guardian by Tom Service who claims to hear Berlioz in the final movement. I can't say I did.

[Ein Heldenleben]

The conductor could have waited for Ian to finish his intro doncha think?

same thing happened to Martin H last year. How about some hi tech signalling system like a green light ?

Wonder if they can edit round it . There might just be a millisecond there to spare …

On a musical ( but possibly controversial) note the violins of the OAE could perhaps teach the Aurora a few things about string articulation in Beethoven and now to create forward propulsion without relentless staccato and over accenting .

[Ein Heldenleben]

Liked the jazz feel the clarinet player got in those triplet arpeggios accompanying the almost final iteration of the Eroica theme …. very good woodwind throughout,

[jonfan]

Beethoven as cutting edge and revolutionary as he should be performed. A very fitting end to the serious side of a brilliant proms season.

[beckus]

In the hall for this and it was just splendid. The Farrenc 3 seemed lightweight compared to Beethoven 3, but I guess she falls on the Hadyn-Mendelssohn-Schumann axis rather than Beethoven-Brahms.

I must remember for next season that the 2nd tier boxes have much better legroom than those Loggia level and the orchestral sound seemed more balanced.

[Sir Velo]

I think the chances of the Farrenc turning out to be on the same level as the Eroica was always going to be slim verging on anorexic. Having said that, I enjoyed it listening on Sounds this morning. Always nice to hear a new piece, well played and despite (or perhaps because of) the fairly obvious debts to Mendelssohn (particularly in the fairy scherzo) a pleasant listen. The composer had the obvious sense to ensure it remained at the right length not to outstay its welcome. Good to hear Manacorda obvously losing patience with the clapper brigade (quite clearly a dogma that some pursue relentlessly) by launching attaca into the finale of the Eroica. As others have commented, a superb performance, brilliantly captured by the Radio 3 engineers. The period horns, in particular, blazing triumphantly in the coda.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I think the chances of the Farrenc turning out to be on the same level as the Eroica was always going to be slim verging on anorexic. Having said that, I enjoyed it listening on Sounds this morning. Always nice to hear a new piece, well played and despite (or perhaps because of) the fairly obvious debts to Mendelssohn (particularly in the fairy scherzo) a pleasant listen. The composer had the obvious sense to ensure it remained at the right length not to outstay its welcome. Good to hear Manacorda obvously losing patience with the clapper brigade (quite clearly a dogma that some pursue relentlessly) by launching attaca into the finale of the Eroica. As others have commented, a superb performance, brilliantly captured by the Radio 3 engineers. The period horns, in particular, blazing triumphantly in the coda.

Yes at the beginning it was also a question of attacca Il Skelly as he got interrupted !
Manacorda delivered everything he promised in the pre match interview including a wonderful scherzo complete with that atmospheric hunting horn sound you get from period instruments

[Darkbloom]

I've heard so many generic period instrument Beethoven performances that it was a pleasant surprise to hear one with some imagination. There were even occasions where you felt you were hearing the piece for the first time. It had a natural tempo to it throughout, you didn't feel that someone was pushing the music where it didn't want to go. He had a few platform mannerisms but they weren't too distracting - occasionally he conducted with his shoulders rather than his arms, hunched down to one side or the other.

The abrupt begining to the Beethoven I attribute to a slight nervousness. He would come on the platform before each piece and then scuttle awkwardly to the podium when he reached the musicians. At the end he walked to the side of the platform to applaud his musicians and give them centre stage, which I thought was a nice touch. A memorable end to the season.