Chamber Music Prom 5: Monday 15th August at 1.00 p.m. (Britten, Bridge)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A concert which pairs youthful works by English composers Frank Bridge and his pupil Benjamin Britten. Written when the composer was just 19, Britten's Phantasy oboe quartet is full of flamboyant and lyrical writing which today's oboist Nicholas Daniel describes as "a virtuoso piece in every respect". Britten honoured his mentor with two sets of variations - the famous set for string orchestra - and this newly-rediscovered piano piece. Bridge's own Piano Quintet was written before the events of the First World War cast a shadow over his creative outlook.

Britten: Phantasy for oboe and string trio
Bridge: Three Idylls for string quartet - No. 2
Britten: Piano Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge (London premiere)
Bridge: Piano Quintet

Nicholas Daniel (oboe)
Tom Poster (piano)
Aronowitz Ensemble

[BudgieJane]

Shurely shome mishtake. 11 August is a Thursday this year.

[mercia]

Monday 15th August

is it the same Bridge theme in both cases? ..............anyone know?

[BudgieJane]

Britten's Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge is based on Bridge's Elegy No. 2

[Serial_Apologist]

Many thanks for publicising this, EA. Being possessed only of the RT Proms centrefold I knew nothing of this concert. Is it at the Cadogan Hall?

S-A

[mercia]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/whats-on/2011/august-15/48

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/whats-on/2011/categories/chamber-music

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks, mercia

[makropulos]

Britten's Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge is based on Bridge's Elegy No. 2

According to Paul Banks's invaluable Britten catalogue, it's Idyll No. 2 rather than Elegy No. 2, and both Britten pieces use the same theme: "The theme is from the second of the Three Idylls for String Quartet (H67) by Bridge (the same theme was also used by Britten in 1932 for a quite separate...set of variations for solo piano)."

[mercia]

this would explain why Idyll no. 2 is included in the programme

[Serial_Apologist]

Really looking forward to this one. Britten wrote so little for piano.

[BudgieJane]

it's Idyll No. 2 rather than Elegy No. 2, and both Britten pieces use the same theme: "The theme is from the second of the Three Idylls for String Quartet (H67) by Bridge (the same theme was also used by Britten in 1932 for a quite separate...set of variations for solo piano)."

You are, of course, right. Sorry; I can only say that it was a senior moment.

Note, it's the piano variations that is in this concert; they only last 4 minutes, just 1 more than the Idyll. The orchestral variations are in a later concert at the RAH; Prom 50 on 21 August.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Date corrected. Thank you.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A concert I would like to attend but can't.
However, one of my oboe pupils will be there.

[Roehre]

Nice concert.
I found the "solution" to present the original theme of the Britten variations played in its original form (Idyll no.2 for string quartet) an example of inventive programming.
I seem to understand why Britten himself didn't publish these Bridge-variations for piano. Compared with the opening piece, his phantasy for oboe and strings opus 2, the piano piece is less ripe (but to be fair: it hasn't been revised either, as the oboe quartet eventually was).

Good to hear the Bridge piano quintet. Performances IMO are all too rare.

Btw, was the volume as broadcast (FM) at the beginning of the oboe quartet really so low that I had to reach to the volume knob on my radio?

[Serial_Apologist]

Nice concert.
I found the "solution" to present the original theme of the Britten variations played in its original form (Idyll no.2 for string quartet) an example of inventive programming.
I seem to understand why Britten himself didn't publish these Bridge-variations for piano. Compared with the opening piece, his phantasy for oboe and strings opus 2, the piano piece is less ripe (but to be fair: it hasn't been revised either, as the oboe quartet eventually was).

Good to hear the Bridge piano quintet. Performances IMO are all too rare.

Yes, I'm listening to the Bridge quintet right now - which, for a Bridge devotee, not having heard previously, I find an exceptionally passionate work, even by early Bridge standards.

A remarkable performance!