Prom 21: Saturday 30th July at 7.30 p.m. (Strauss, Walton, Prokofiev)

[Osborn]

Midori, who after all was a guest soloist, is rather overshadowing the tremendous skills & musicianship of the CBSO, Simon Halsey's world class CBSO Chorus & Andris Nelsons. I thought they were in terrific form with rampant sonorous brass, slippery, shining strings & beautiful woodwind. It's an orchestra with its own personality (a much brighter sound than under Sakari Oramo) - almost all the major European orchestras (esp. German) cultivate a distinctive sound; for some reason that seems less true over here. I enjoyed Don Juan & Nevsky v much - & agree with most comments about the Walton.

[Norfolk Born]

But there again so do the audiences portray and give a 'Gosh, wasn't that fantastic'. They do this regardless of the performances but possibly there is an element of youthful exuberance causing this. No matter who or what is presented to them they are always very appreciative but like yourself, I wish that KD and CH wouldn't gush so much. Bring back Cormack Rigby et. al.
I have now watched my recording of the Walton and perhaps it wasn't that bad after all. The violin tone, or poor miking made the violin seem a bit anaemic at times although Midori seemed to put a lot of effort into the work a times. However, to me, it did not quite come off.

I quite agree! How about the end of March 2012, which would mark the 5th anniversary of Cormac's (sic) death? I don't which Al you're thinking of resurrecting

[salymap]

I've just got round to iplayer and the Strauss and Walton. IMHO Strauss first rate, something missing in the Walton. Midori doesn't get the'bite' that the work has, maybe the mics were misplaced for her.

[Ferretfancy]

salymap,

Midori was sensibly miked, and the set up has worked well for other players. She might have even sounded better on air, but in the hall her tone was thin and rasping throughout. It's quite rare to hear a performance in which the player misunderstands the music as she did last night. In charity, maybe her inner self was hearing a performance, but she failed to deliver it.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I wasn't disappointed by the performance and the balance was good on Radio 3. However, it is the audience in the RAH who should have had the greater experience and is seems that many of them were disappointed.

[Norfolk Born]

Barbirollians has started a second thread on this concert. He seemed to enjoy the Walton, so I've just let him know he's not alone in a hostile universe!

[rodney_h_d]

I wasn't disappointed by the performance and the balance was good on Radio 3.....

I agree with your point about the balance. I listened to the Walton twice - first on R3 and then on Freeview. I could hear the soloist on R3, but hardly at all on the TV transmission.

The opera Salome grips me from the first note to the last - like no other, but hearing the Dance out of context doesn't seem to work.

[Ariosto]

Anyway, you wouldn't know the performance was sub-standard from the predictably gushing praise of the R3 presenter. Either he is lying through his teeth to order, or some of you are being unkind to the soloist.

See my more detailed post on the other Midori/CBSO thread.

No, the performance was not good at all, but the announcer on TV (Kate Derham) was also gushing. Just proves they know nothing and have cloth ears.

[Barbirollians]

I did wonder about the balance at times but I still enjoyed it .

The Chung recording is my choice in the reissues you would like to see thread !!!

[amateur51]

I did wonder about the balance at times but I still enjoyed it .

The Chung recording is my choice in the reissues you would like to see thread !!!

Agreed Barbirollians - a cracking performance and recording. She seems to have disappeared from the concert platform and the recording studio, which is a great shame

[cavatina]

Maybe only the British really understand Walton's intentions, ('though the Americans also do rather well).

When you, a British person, say "only the British understand x in music", what you're really doing is making a statement about the nature of what resonates with your own musical aesthetic and sensibilities. Perhaps if you were from another culture, you'd find resonances with performances by people with a similar outlook on life to your own.

I'm completely alienated from what passes for "American culture" in every possible respect, so would never think of viewing anything musically-related through a nationalistic lens. I've had more than one Russian tell me they think I have, quote, "a Russian soul", and were dead serious about it. I really love Russian music and poetry, so maybe so, but how I came by a Slavic temperament is anyone's guess.

Like Jane, I heard this performance from the front row (she in the middle, I on the extreme left) and didn't find anything remarkably deficient in the sound balance.

Although I was neither gripped by the performance or the piece, I think those of you blasting those who enjoyed it ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Who died and made you the Arbiter of Perfect Taste-- and what right do you have to knock someone for finding pleasure in anything? They may indeed be hearing it with different ears, but genuine enthusiasm for musical experience ought to count for something to anyone who's not a bitter, bloodless old dried-up empty husk of a human being.

[salymap]

When you, a British person, say "only the British understand x in music", what you're really doing is making a statement about the nature of what resonates with your own musical aesthetic and sensibilities. Perhaps if you were from another culture, you'd find resonances with performances by people with a similar outlook on life to your own.

I'm completely alienated from what passes for "American culture" in every possible respect, so would never think of viewing anything musically-related through a nationalistic lens. I've had more than one Russian tell me they think I have, quote, "a Russian soul", and were dead serious about it. I really love Russian music and poetry, so maybe so, but how I came by a Slavic temperament is anyone's guess.

Like Jane, I heard this performance from the front row (she in the middle, I on the extreme left) and didn't find anything remarkably deficient in the sound balance.

Although I was neither gripped by the performance or the piece, I think those of you blasting those who enjoyed it ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Who died and made you the Arbiter of Perfect Taste-- and what right do you have to knock someone for finding pleasure in anything? They may indeed be hearing it with different ears, but genuine enthusiasm for musical experience ought to count for something to anyone who's not a bitter, bloodless old dried-up empty husk of a human being.

Good morning Euda/cavatina. I can only speak for myself, as one of the dried up husks you refer to,but to enjoy a performance I first have to hear it. I heard the Walton VC a lot, live, years ago and the violin part should rise above the complicated orchestral sounds. I am not the only person to think the playing almost inaudible on TV. Glad you enjoyed it though. Keep calm and enjoy the music. bws

[cavatina]

You, dried up? Never!!! Anyway, perhaps the audiophile engineers/aesthetes/sticklers/nerds among us could weigh in about what was wrong with the recording. I'm confident they'll be able to pinpoint the problem for you.

A brief side note about the Arena acoustics: Last night, I was late and had to stand on the--gasp!-- fifth row instead of my usual place on the front row left. Someone reassured me that the sound would be better from my new vantage point, but seeing as how I've heard all of the previous 21 concerts this season (96 Proms in a row, counting last year) from the same spot it just sounded "wrong" to me. And I felt so awkward, exposed, and "off" being so far back, it just wasn't the same...I suppose I've come to love that particular aurally-skewed vantage point.

By the way, Norman Lebrecht is wrong that attending every Prom is an unmusical act. Personally, I'm in it for the hedonic experience and like to see it as an unabashedly extravagant, immoderate, extreme act of musical gluttony.

Oh well, better get back to the subject before somebody has a coronary.

[Ariosto]

When you, a British person, say "only the British understand x in music", what you're really doing is making a statement about the nature of what resonates with your own musical aesthetic and sensibilities. Perhaps if you were from another culture, you'd find resonances with performances by people with a similar outlook on life to your own.

I'm completely alienated from what passes for "American culture" in every possible respect, so would never think of viewing anything musically-related through a nationalistic lens. I've had more than one Russian tell me they think I have, quote, "a Russian soul", and were dead serious about it. I really love Russian music and poetry, so maybe so, but how I came by a Slavic temperament is anyone's guess.

Like Jane, I heard this performance from the front row (she in the middle, I on the extreme left) and didn't find anything remarkably deficient in the sound balance.

Although I was neither gripped by the performance or the piece, I think those of you blasting those who enjoyed it ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Who died and made you the Arbiter of Perfect Taste-- and what right do you have to knock someone for finding pleasure in anything? They may indeed be hearing it with different ears, but genuine enthusiasm for musical experience ought to count for something to anyone who's not a bitter, bloodless old dried-up empty husk of a human being.

People may be speaking at cross purposes here, because it appears to me that people standing in the Prom only a few feet away could hear Midori - but those further away in the hall - and on TV/radio - had a problem. This would make sense as the way she was playing, just from a visual perspective, and as seen on TV, would indicate that her technique was such that her projection of sound would have been very limited. The Albert Hall is a big space. This is further shown to my mind, with the TV sound - where it was hard to make out what was going on, and she was completely overwhelmed by the orchestra at many points. (You could blame the conductor for that, but I rarely blame conductors and in this case it was, in my opinion, totally down to her).

It does not matter what instrument she was playing on, and a Guanarius, even of the del boy Jesu power, will only give forth its full potential in the right hands.

But we "bitter, bloodless old dried-up empty husk of a human being(s)" are of course way past our sell by dates, half deaf and mentally retarded, so a superior human being such as yourself with a Russian soul are obviously much better judges.

How's the viola going by the way. Made it to second position yet?

[cavatina]

Very true...like I said, I'm sure the audio experts can figure out what they should have done differently to make it come across better. Interesting points about her technique, by the way.

How's the viola going by the way. Made it to second position yet?

Okay, I'll admit you got me to laugh out loud. Nice to have you back, you old fart.