Prom 41: Sunday 14th August 2011 at 7.00 p.m. (Purcell, Britten)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Continuing Proms Choral Sundays: Jiri Belohlavek conducts a recreation of an all-Britten concert originally conducted in 1963 by the composer, but with a contemporary twist provided by Joby Talbot, revisiting Britten's great hero Purcell. For Britten, the Spring Symphony represented 'the reawakening of the earth and life', while the Cantata Misericordium tells the Biblical story of the Good Samaritan.

Purcell, Arr. Joby Talbot: Chacony in G Minor (BBC commission; World Premiere)
Britten: Cantata Misericordium
Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem
Britten: Spring Symphony

Amanda Roocroft (soprano)
Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano)
Alan Oke (tenor)
Leigh Melrose (baritone)
Trinity Boys Choir
BBC Singers
BBC Symphony Chorus
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Mark Wigglesworth (conductor)

[mercia]

Jiri Belohlavek conducts



Mark Wigglesworth (conductor)

[Tevot]

Re # 2 perhaps Jiri has an alter -ego like mild mannered Clark Kent?

An interesting programme and one I'm looking forward to. Its been ages since I heard the Cantata Misercordium - and its only been performed twice before at the Proms. The Sinfonia da Requiem has fared much better with 14 airings - including one last year. The Spring Symphony last performed back in 2001. IIRC Mary Chambers felt that the Spring Symphony wasn't top notch Britten / didn't quite hang together. What do other posters think of these Britten pieces? As a fan I find myself already looking forward to his centenary in 2013.

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Roehre]

Re # 2 perhaps Jiri has an alter -ego like mild mannered Clark Kent?

An interesting programme and one I'm looking forward to. Its been ages since I heard the Cantata Misercordium - and its only been performed twice before at the Proms. The Sinfonia da Requiem has fared much better with 14 airings - including one last year. The Spring Symphony last performed back in 2001. IIRC Mary Chambers felt that the Spring Symphony wasn't top notch Britten / didn't quite hang together. What do other posters think of these Britten pieces? As a fan I find myself already looking forward to his centenary in 2013.

The sinfonia is one of my favourite Britten-pieces. And if you like to wrong foot some connaisseurs, take a cut (from the middle mvt): you might find that this 1940 piece will be dated 1960s or later .

Since I heard the Cantata for the first time (Britten/DFD on a Decca LP), I was impressed, but for some reason -having listened to it now for some 20-odd times I think- I cannot define what to think of it. It is an interesting piece, it is a typical Britten cantata, but for some reason for me it doesn't click with the Good Samaritan story.
Am I the only one with this feeling?

I concur with Mary Chambers (if it's her opinion of course) that the Spring Symphony is a lovely work, but not top notch Britten. Even his own recording cannot cover up the lesser inspired moments. The idea is brilliant. But though Britten was definitely on top of his powers as he composed the work in the late 1940s, something is lacking. Perhaps Spring as subject lacks "tension", or "drama"?

[Tevot]

Hi Roehre,

One can argue that you have the darkness / tension with the Auden setting. I'm not quite convinced by the finale - though some of the earlier "numbers" - if you pardon the usage - such as The Merrie Cuckoo, Spring the sweet Spring, The driving Boy and The Morning Star - never fail to hit the mark. Joyous, jaunty and definitely the tingle factor in the case of The Morning Star...

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[EnemyoftheStoat]

The Cantata Academica hasn't made an appearance since 1980, having had five performances in twenty years.

Perhaps we can hope that it's on JB's radar (or Ed Gardner's) for a future season.

[mercia]

I'm trying to think of any other "classical" piece that involves whistling .............. anyone?

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I'm trying to think of any other "classical" piece that involves whistling .............. anyone?

Schnittke's Faust Cantata's one.

[Chris Newman]

I haven't heard the SpringSymphony live since Bernie Haitink conducted it at a Prom and brought the house down with some delightful "choreography" with the Wandsworth School Boy's Choir which made BB (in the stalls) laugh. Norma Procter cried after her big number. Also that night Peter Pears got summoned to stand in for Jon Vickers in Peter Grimes at Covent Garden so we had the wonderful Alexander Young. That performance was better than any recording.

[prokkyshosty]

I can't wait for this one -- the Spring Symphony is my favorite Britten by far, because it's just so much fun. The boys' choir, the whistling, the cuckoos, the hard-won Sumer is Icumen In at the end... A friend and I once agreed that you can't beat the ending of the Spring Symphony for compactness and statement of purpose: "And so my friends, I cease." BAP!

I tend to ignore all questions of tastefulness and propriety when it comes to this work, RVW's Oxford Elegy, and Walton's Crown Imperial. All three have diplomatic immunity, imho.

[EdgeleyRob]

Can't wait for this one.Top notch Britten or not the Spring Symphony is a wonderful listen.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Re # 1 & 2, JB is ill and will be replaced by MW.

[mercia]

JB is ill

oh dear. very ill? is he likely to miss Prom 51 too?

[rauschwerk]

I concur with Mary Chambers (if it's her opinion of course) that the Spring Symphony is a lovely work, but not top notch Britten. Even his own recording cannot cover up the lesser inspired moments. The idea is brilliant. But though Britten was definitely on top of his powers as he composed the work in the late 1940s, something is lacking. Perhaps Spring as subject lacks "tension", or "drama"?

I was at that 1963 Prom and remember it well. We were so enthusiastic that the only way they could get us to leave was to start turning the lights out.

I love the Spring Symphony, but it has so many associations for me that I can't possibly judge it objectively. The second time I heard it was at the RFH on my first date with the girl who would later become my wife (Dorati conducted BBC forces). Then it was on the programme for my first gig with the LSO Chorus in 1966 - a quite thrilling experience! Finally I sang it at the 1974 Proms just before I moved away from London, with Haitink conducting.

I got to know it well from the composer's recording. For a CD version I tried Previn (very good but his boys are useless - can't whistle for toffee), then Gardiner but finally returned to Britten and still think it the best of all I have heard.

[Richard J.]

Re # 1 & 2, JB is ill and will be replaced by MW.

Thanks for letting us know, which is more than the BBC has bothered to do on its Proms site.