Prom 68: Monday 5th September at 7.30 p.m. (Braunfels, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra visits the Proms with its Music Director Manfred Honeck, bringing favourites by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. First on the programme though is a concert rarity: a flamboyant orchestral work by Walther Braunfels, whose career was knocked off course in Nazi Germany. Although profoundly influenced by Wagner he was also a huge admirer of Berlioz, as is evident in this work. Beethoven's Fourth Piano concerto, played by Hélène Grimaud, shows the intimate as well as the dramatic side of the composer. Tchaikovsky's triumphant symphony concludes the programme.

This is the first of two Proms with the Pittsburgh Orchestra.

Braunfels: Fantastic Appearances of a Theme of Hector Berlioz
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor

Hélène Grimaud (piano)
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Manfred Honeck (conductor)

[prokkyshosty]

I know most people are looking forward to the Philadelphia end of "Pennsylvania Week at the Proms" but these two Pittsburgh concerts are looking quite promising indeed. I haven't heard them play live, but word is that Honeck is producing some magical stuff out there in Pittsburgh.

The presence of Hélène Grimaud doesn't hurt things either.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's strange what sticks in your mind, but I recall my first ever recording of Tchaikovsky's 5th. It was with this very same Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, under William Steinberg on EMI Music For Pleasure. In general, it was fine, but the first subject of the finale (after the introduction) was so scrappily played that I couldn't bear to listen to it. Let's hope they've done some practice since then.

[Chris Newman]

I am a great fan of Honeck. I am, however, intrigued to see if he can do that very rare thing and pull off the coda of the Fifth's finale (the bit after the long drum roll) without it sounding like thick porrige being stirred. The secret I believe is to seperate the notes in the strings and slightly in the wind and not to race through otherwise it still becomes real gloop. Russian conductors regularly get burnt on the bottom of the saucepan here. I have only heard it work twice: once with Lennie B (who sadly was gloopy everywhere else in the symphony) and an amateur orchestra who played their socks off. I can take the usual split notes from the trumpets in the final chords: PIT was cruel there and most great recordings are littered with them. It's just the gloop that does my head in and it is the composer's fault.

[amateur51]

I know most people are looking forward to the Philadelphia end of "Pennsylvania Week at the Proms" but these two Pittsburgh concerts are looking quite promising indeed. I haven't heard them play live, but word is that Honeck is producing some magical stuff out there in Pittsburgh.

The presence of Hélène Grimaud doesn't hurt things either.

You'd like to think not, but .....

'I'm going it alone: celebrated musical duo Claudio Abbado and Hélène Grimaud split over solo'

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/news/im-going-it-alone-celebrated-musical-duo-claudio-abbado-and-hlne-grimaud-split-over-solo-2331389.html

'[Hélène Grimaud] suffers from synesthesia – she sees manifestations of sounds and colour – and in 1999 founded a wolf conservation centre in New York.' - just don't let cavatina find out - she'll be soooo maaaaaad

[Ventilhorn]

Originally Posted by prokkyshosty
I know most people are looking forward to the Philadelphia end of "Pennsylvania Week at the Proms" but these two Pittsburgh concerts are looking quite promising indeed. I haven't heard them play live, but word is that Honeck is producing some magical stuff out there in Pittsburgh.

The presence of Hélène Grimaud doesn't hurt things either.

Yes, I'm looking forward to this one and the recorder is already set.

[Chris Newman]

There was a break in transmission at the start of the Braunfels.

[Roehre]

There was a break in transmission at the start of the Braunfels.

For a 47 minutes piece it's either very quickly played with just over a quarter of an hour , or this is an extract .
A couple of seconds more or less doesn't matter then
Has Breakfast taken over the Proms?

[Chris Newman]

No, I had several breaks in transmission including one just before the piano concerto. Apparently, Manfred Honeck is a friend of Braunfel's grandson who is in the audience. I do not know much about the authenticity of the shortened piece though to my ears it sounds more Wagnerian than Berliozian.

[Chris Newman]

Now that is what I call Tchaikovsky playing. Fabulous (to my ear, French sounding woodwind and lovely brazen brass). But so spontaneous and with masses of gooey tradition scraped away. That principal horn playing was almost edible, the flavour of that solo lingers. I bet he plays jazz.

And as I hoped it was one of the rare performances where the lead into the coda of the last movement was not like stirring sticky burning porrage.

I thought Honeck would be a hit. My spy in the the BBCSO says they wanted him but Pittsburg won. He may be from Vienna but definitely not the traditional dull kappelmeister.

[jayne lee wilson]

Porridge? Gloop?
I simply don't recognise this description as having much to do with the coda of the magnificent and highly original 5th Symphony of Tchaikovsky! Have you heard any of Svetlanov's recordings, Chris? Oh, wait a minute, that Russian brass won't agree with you, I guess... which I happen to love!

Tonight's was a truly magnificent performance, one of huge power (what brass!) passion and yes, fantastic precision, articulation-at-speed, but never too metrical. Hope that did it for you, Chris.

All I could do was admire it from a distance, as depression has struck once again. Perhaps the Mahler 5 will melt "the frozen seas around the heart" tomorrow...

I am a great fan of Honeck. I am, however, intrigued to see if he can do that very rare thing and pull off the coda of the Fifth's finale (the bit after the long drum roll) without it sounding like thick porrige being stirred. The secret I believe is to seperate the notes in the strings and slightly in the wind and not to race through otherwise it still becomes real gloop. Russian conductors regularly get burnt on the bottom of the saucepan here. I have only heard it work twice: once with Lennie B (who sadly was gloopy everywhere else in the symphony) and an amateur orchestra who played their socks off. I can take the usual split notes from the trumpets in the final chords: PIT was cruel there and most great recordings are littered with them. It's just the gloop that does my head in and it is the composer's fault.

[Chris Newman]

Jayne,
As I hope I implied in message 9, tonight's Tchaikovsky 5 was the cat's whisker. It was the nearest to perfection that I have heard in this symphony. It was fabulous playing. I have heard it lots of times but so often the coda gets bogged down. Shoot me for saying so...many Russians are the worst. I liked Silvestri and Jansons. My favourite recording is Sian Edwards. She does everything right - very like Honeck. The exciting Russian TV version with Svetlanov on YouTube is just too fast.

[prokkyshosty]

Did someone accidentally book the Chicago? I will happily let that brass section play me Mahler 5 tomorrow night. Wow!

[Petrushka]

No breaks in transmission on Freeview, Chris.

Honeck conducted Mahler 5 at the Proms before (with the Oslo Phil) when he replaced an ailing Mariss Jansons and very good it was too. I am ashamed to say that I failed to take my seat for that concert having cried off when learning of Janson's indisposition. My presence at the RAH tomorrow night is by way of penance.

[gedsmk]

Just back from the hall. Loved every minute of the 5th symphony. Interesting effect in my Loggia seat about 2/5 round was that I had a direct ("laser beam"?) focus from the horns and brass. In tutti the strings were practically inaudible. The effect was that the brass playing made me gasp several times at their precision, phrasing, stamina and sheer exuberance. I adored this orchestra's visits to the Proms in the Jansons era and am thrilled that I also have a ticket for tomorrow, but in a much better seat, acoustically