Prom 6: Tuesday 19th July at 7.00 p.m. (Brahms, Stravinsky)

[Bryn]

Oh do try to listen to Suk, Navarra and Ancerl in the Brahms, salymap. Just to give an idea of their recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-XwUg7g6Sk

[OldTechie]

Bryn,

Mmm - no I don't like that. Very different - but I much prefer the performance from the prom. Maybe I'm just too used to the Stern/Rose/Ormandy/Philadephia Orchestra LP that I've had for rather a long time (and played so often that I am surprised to hear the start of the second movement without any wow caused by the off-centre hole in my copy.)

Having measured the bit-rate, I agree the iPlayer play-again version I am receiving is 192k despite the iPlayer message. So, is the reason I find the HD live version so much better that I really do notice the technical difference or, I wonder, is it a purely psychological effect of knowing that it is live?

[Threni]

I wouldn't class the Rite. The best I've ever heard but it was very good. There were a few occasions when I think the orchestra wasn't following it's conductor and there was a bar before the end of part 1 where it did seem to fall a part for a split second and there was a wrong timpani entry in the sacrificial dance, apart from that not bad at all ;) still along way to go to beat Salonen and the Philharmonia.

As for the rest of the concert, superb programme.

[Chris Newman]

I have just watched the concert on the HD Channel. Again it was a fine one. The Rite seemed to be beamed to us more consistently than on the night though it must be the engineers who stifled the horns and percussion in the close of the sacrificial dance...can't imagine MWC instructing them to finish pianisimo. Katy Derham sounded louder than the music. I wonder if the concert will go out on ArteLive: though there are several Esa-Pekka Salonen concerts I want to catch on that website.

[MrGongGong]

getting back to the performance

I enjoyed the Rite on TV last night
but what was happening in the penultimate bar ?
having listened again with the iplayer are the score it seems we have a little viola solo added in bar 203 ?

[Bax-of-Delights]

Having watched this last night Mrs B-o-D (and I) wished we had chosen this Prom to go to rather than Friday's Franco-Spanish.

Intrigued by the (contra) bassoonist hurriedly shoving in ear plugs just before the thumps from the percussion. Or was I seeing things?

[mangerton]

No, B-o-D, I noticed that too.

[Ariosto]

In the Rite I too was surprised by the viola solo. I thought that this was a very good Rite and I rate this orchestra quite highly, and the conductor too. Certainly the best orchestra so far in the Proms. The mess up at the end (possibly a conductor memory slip) was of no consequence and at least he saw the funny side of it.

I was not so taken with the Brahms Double, although technically the playing was pretty good. The balance did favour the cellist, with a mic only inches from his instrument. However, I did not care too much for his playing, and overall I think it was flashy playing from both, at the expense of the music. It is not enough just to deliver the notes.