Prom 11 (22.7.12): Berlioz – The Trojans

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

A fabulous evening! My review has just been published:

http://www.opera-britannia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=748:les-troyens-prom-11-22nd-july-2012&catid=8:opera-reviews&Itemid=16

Completely agree about the non-capacity audience. I'm sure if Jonas Kaufmann had been singing, it would have been packed, but a performance of this opera deserves to sell out the RAH by itself.

[Flosshilde]

Bryan Hymel ... At the end of Act 5 Sc 1 he gave a great account of "Inutiles regrets" - listen to how long he held on to the final note !

Absolutely - I was listening at home & it was hairs on the back of the neck stuff! I would have loved to have been there.

[gurnemanz]

A fabulous evening! My review has just been published:

http://www.opera-britannia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=748:les-troyens-prom-11-22nd-july-2012&catid=8:opera-reviews&Itemid=16

Completely agree about the non-capacity audience. I'm sure if Jonas Kaufmann had been singing, it would have been packed, but a performance of this opera deserves to sell out the RAH by itself.

We booked on the first day, obviously before Kaufmann's indisposition was known about, believing it would surely sell out and not wishing to turn up on the day stand for nearly five hours.

Neither of us knew the work well and we had a great evening. The experience was enriched by being able to get the measure of the original text rather than just following surtitles, as at ROH, since the libretto in French + translation was available. The sound filled the hall marvellously giving quite different spatial effects from ROH. Hymel was good and not a star turn as Kaufmann might have come across. As pointed out above it is fascinating to be able see as well as hear what is happening in the orchestra. Eva-Maria Westbroek was probably the the highlight in what was very much an ensemble show.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Lucky enough to have been there tonight

VERY! (<greenwithenvyemoticon> !)

and to have seen it at RoH last week.

Well, now you're just showing off!

in the Trojan March at the end of Act 3, the orhestra on stage is largely silent, but was answered by 3 players (tonight behind the harps) - who left the stage never to return. I am intrigued - they made a strident sound over the gallery brass - but I'm not sure what they were exactly - does anyone know if Berlioz used soprano saxophones? (or were they oboes?)

Not Saxophones, but Saxhorns, Richard. From Berlioz' Treatise on Orchestration (via the Hector Berlioz website):

The tone of the saxhorns is rounded, pure, full, even, resonant, and completely consistent throughout the whole range. The different keys of the saxhorn, like those of the cornet, start in descending order from the typical instrument, the little soprano saxhorn in C, which is an octave above the cornet in C. The practice has developed in France of writing all these instruments, as well as the saxotrombas and the saxtubas, both the lowest and the highest, on the G clef, as is done with horns. The only difference is that whereas for the horn in C basso the real sound must be imagined to be an octave below the written note in the G clef, for some very low saxhorns the sound must be imagined to be two octaves below. […]

The notes of the bottom range have a rather poor timbre and the instrument must not be used below the low A. But there is nothing more brilliant, better defined and more devoid of shrillness despite their brilliance than all the notes of the upper octave. This timbre is also so clear and penetrating that one can pick out a single soprano saxhorn through a considerable mass of other wind instruments. The soprano saxhorn in B flat is more frequently used than that in C; and though it is a tone lower than the C saxhorn it is already difficult or at least very strenuous for the player to sound the last two notes; these valuable notes must therefore be used very sparingly and must be introduced in a skilful way.

[Example in Berlioz: Te Deum, 8th movement; the original version of the Royal Hunt and Storm from Les Troyens was written for saxhorns, which nowadays are replaced by horns, trumpets, and cornets; the same applies to the great finale (the Trojan March) of Act I of Les Troyens]

[Stephen Smith]

day, 10:45#19




Thanks for the info ferneyhoughgeliebte - I was sure a forum member would know (or if that was not the case - next best thing - know where to find the information). My ignorance on this was going to niggle until I found the answer.

As to lucky - well it is so rarely staged in London (/the UK) i didn't want to miss it - and as I indicated its very interesting to see the orchestra out of the pit. I think they were pleased to get such deserved appreciation (not only at the end but also after the 2nd interval).
Stephen

[Resurrection Man]

Not familiar with this but found it thoroughly enjoyable and very much regret not being there.