Prom 65: Saturday 3rd September at 7.00 p.m. (Elgar, Berkeley, Rachmaninov, Kodaly)

[Quarky]

Michael Berkeley had the cavernous space of Westminster cathedral in mind with his organ concerto, he was a choirboy there. A central theme is of fire, a force that cleanses and obliterates all in its path. The Royal Albert Hall, with its immense Henry Willis organ and generous acoustic should prove an ideal venue. A sense of ritual and religious theatre also comes from offstage trumpets, high in the gallery.

It certainly passed the Oddball test for an excellent concert - everyone a winner! I wish I had made the effort to queue up for the arena - but just too busy.

The high spot for me was the Berkeley Concerto. Not normally fond of Organs plus orchestrra, but I felt the organ was fully integrated with the orchestra. And continuously inventive and interesting.

Slightly disappointed with the Kodaly. As it got to the final movement, I realised it was an old favourite, not a hitherto undiscovered jewel from Eastern Europe.

[Ferretfancy]

I sometimes think that a flood of indifferent new compositions like the Michael Berkeley must have washed through my ears in the last generation or so, not that last night's piece was very new as it dates from 1985. The opening of the concerto had an interesting timbre, more than reminiscent of Ligeti, as has been mentioned already, but apart from the palindromic return at the end not much happened in between that we hadn't heard a thousand times before, and in some cases better done.
After the interval it was if we were listening to a different orchestra, almost as if they had got a weight off their collective mind.

[Serial_Apologist]

It's a shame, to say the least, that Michael Berlekey's webiste tells you virtually nothing about his development, influences etc etc. You have to google a long way down the page to find anything worthwhile on him; and there really ain't much. I've found that a lot these days with composer websites

[Serial_Apologist]

I listened to some of the Berkeley but got bored quite quickly. Contrary to the experience of some on here, I found it to be undistinguished music of a generic 'modern' style with gestures towards tonality, but basically sitting on the fence and trying to be all things to all people. A lot of established 'new music' composers were producing pieces like this in the late 80's, and frankly, most of them are as unmemorable as this one, it seems to me. When I remember premieres of works by Walton, Tippett, Britten, etc, at the Proms, it strikes me we live in an age of pygmies as regards contemporary composers!

I agree with the general tenor of what you say, morebritgishmusicplease. I guess what I was finding in the Berkeley was what remained in the complexity with which British and other modern composers, pre-minimalism, but especially pre-1980s, were prepared to try in their different ways reflect the complexities of our understandings and responses to our complex age.

Sorry - rather a lot of complexes in this post!

S-A

[BBMmk2]

After the interval it was if we were listening to a different orchestra, almost as if they had got a weight off their collective mind.

Yes I found that to be tha case to, especially at the end of the Hary Janos piece! (Wonder why!!!

[Ariosto]

Entrance fee? I've got a season ticket; that's £190 for 74 concerts. Travel costs? That would be £0.00 then, as I have a freedom pass.

Now I always put you down as being about 25-30 ish -but a FREEDOM PASS!!! You must be as ancient as me then!!

[BudgieJane]

Now I always put you down as being about 25-30 ish -but a FREEDOM PASS!!! You must be as ancient as me then!!

Ha ha! But, haven't you noticed me saying how I'm always on the rail, and you can't usually get on the rail unless you've been queuing for most of the afternoon, so obviously I don't have work to go to, so I must be retired.

[Norfolk Born]

Just finished listening to the Rachmaninov - it was almost as if I'd never heard it before - what a performance!

[Lateralthinking1]

I have just listened to all of this Prom on Radio 3. Kodaly is my big classical music discovery of these Proms. I loved the Harry Janos Suite with its cimbalom and celesta. Absolutely beautiful from beginning to end. Enjoyed the Rachmaninov too. Less so the Elgar which seemed a little nondescript to me.

I didn't take to the Berkeley at all. The concept of light making its way into a room and then producing fire appealed. However, I didn't feel that it was realised. The composer admitted that it was "molten". Actually, it sounded more like water - that which tends to go round in circles. Overall it left me with a headache that only disappeared with the remedy of the Kodaly.

[Serial_Apologist]

Ha ha! But, haven't you noticed me saying how I'm always on the rail, and you can't usually get on the rail unless you've been queuing for most of the afternoon, so obviously I don't have work to go to, so I must be retired.

I thought you were going to say: "and you can't usually get on the rail unless you come with a zimmer frame, which they won't allow into the Albert Hall"

[mercia]

re: standing at the rail - is that a good position to be from the point of view of sound? (or is that irrelevant)

[BudgieJane]

Well, it's better than sitting at home listening to the radio

[cavatina]

re: standing at the rail - is that a good position to be from the point of view of sound? (or is that irrelevant)

It's extremely good if you prefer immediacy over balance...feeling the sound wash over you is a pleasure all its own. There's nothing like it for putting you right in the middle of the music; often, I feel like I'm standing with the first violin section. Which is appropriate, because some nights we're close enough to make out their sheet music. And when I was wedged in the extreme left corner for the Gothic, the timpani were beside (and behind!) me as the choirs towered overhead. Can you even imagine?

If you haven't tried it, you don't know what you're missing.

[NickWraight]

Good on your Cavatina!! Yes the sound can be very much violin dominated from there but the Budapest FO, Zurich and Gabrieli Players (for Elijah) were just about pefectly balanced for me, we ll from 3rd row anyway!

[Serial_Apologist]

I wonder metaphorically how standing at one end puts one in the middle of any music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIp6nf7U_Fo&feature=related