Prom 48 (18.8.12): Weber, Mahler & Tchaikovsky

[ucanseetheend]

Where is the televised version of this concert? The Proms website says its a TV broadcast but not seen it on the Iplayer , Has it been broadcast on BBC TV yet or is it being shown at a later date?

[LaurieWatt]

Where is the televised version of this concert? The Proms website says its a TV broadcast but not seen it on the Iplayer , Has it been broadcast on BBC TV yet or is it being shown at a later date?

this coming Friday evening on BBC4 at, I think, 7.30pm

[Volti Subito]

this coming Friday evening on BBC4 at, I think, 7.30pm

Tonight, I have a choice between an opera (Peter Grimes) in sound only on Radio 3, or an orchestral concert of great master works in sound and vision on BBC TV.

No contest. What sort of planning is that? I am really looking forward to a feast of music, a box of chocolates and a comfortable armchair.
I do hope that the TV producer will keep his shots going for more than a few seconds at a time.

Is anyone going to join me?

V.S.

[Alison]

A really wonderful Prom, sheer class in the conducting and orchestral playing.

[Petrushka]

A really wonderful Prom, sheer class in the conducting and orchestral playing.

Indeed it was. Pity I can't say the same about the camera direction which had far to many shots of Jurowski and none at all of the percussion, except just the one shot of the cymbals (which were played on the night with such gusto).

The camera director gained a giold star, however, for showing an excellent clip of yours truly enthusiastically applauding. Better not say exactly where...

[teamsaint]

Indeed it was. Pity I can't say the same about the camera direction which had far to many shots of Jurowski and none at all of the percussion, except just the one shot of the cymbals (which were played on the night with such gusto).

The camera director gained a giold star, however, for showing an excellent clip of yours truly enthusiastically applauding. Better not say exactly where...

why not, was it between movements?!

[Petrushka]

why not, was it between movements?!

Perhaps I should have re-phrased that! I did, of course, mean at which point in the broadcast.

[Volti Subito]

Oh poor Pet, the coughing was unusually noticeable on the radio and spoilt my enjoyment too. I hardly feel like listening to my recording on that account. In Jurowski we surely have a LPO chief conductor worthy to follow in the great tradition of Solti, Tennstedt and Haitink and my lasting memory of the concert will be the quite outstanding musicianship of conductor and orchestra alike. It's kind of disappointing to see so few responses here to this concert which should have stretched our repertoire of superlatives like few other Proms this year.

Spurred on by the above recommendation, I tuned in to TV with high hopes. Further praise in messages #11

" ... high class concert"

and #35

"...wonderful concert... sheer class ... conducting and playing"

So I was shattered by the lack of ensemble, poor direction by Jurowski and the shortcomings in the woodwind in those admittedly difficult fast passages in the second movement. It appeared to me that at times the conductor was waiting for someone to give him a lead and the boat rocked out of control towards the dramatic ending of the first movement, where the menacing triplet figure underlying the main theme tune was undermining the ensemble to devastating effect

I have two recordings of Manfred:. A commercial disk of Silvestri conducting the French National Radio Orchestra and a live off air recording from the CBSO conducted by Sakri Oromo. Both immaculate in technique and far surpassing the LPO prom.

I have always liked this work for what it is - a colourful depiction of a much loved literary masterpiece written in symphonic form, but Tchaikovsky didn't consider it to be a symphony and, set against his others, he was probably right - but it is a magnificent work.

Sorry to disagree with the mainstream of opinion, but that is what this forum is there for, isn't it?

Volti

[Richard Tarleton]

Perhaps I should have re-phrased that! I did, of course, mean at which point in the broadcast.

I watched on TV, and I did wonder during the close-ups of the Prommers who the MBers were....

Nobody clapped between the Mahler songs...no inter-movement clapping in the Manfred...after the inter-movement clapping during Bruckner 8, it all seems puzzlingly inconsistent.

Seriously, it must give an extra headache to those who have the job of cleaning up the recordings for future BBC Legends issues. Buying a live recording with clapping at the end is one thing.....

[BBMmk2]

This season, I seem to be catching up on a lot opf Prom concerts on iplayer, rather than live. Apart froom last night's one. This one, for example, i have awaiting for me on the tele!!

[cloughie]

I watched on TV, and I did wonder during the close-ups of the Prommers who the MBers were....

Nobody clapped between the Mahler songs...no inter-movement clapping in the Manfred...after the inter-movement clapping during Bruckner 8, it all seems puzzlingly inconsistent.
Seriously, it must give an extra headache to those who have the job of cleaning up the recordings for future BBC Legends issues. Buying a live recording with clapping at the end is one thing.....

Not really, I suggest the control of the conductor makes the difference!

[Northender]

I thought the 'Manfred' was very well played, and agree that Jurowski displayed admirable control and restraint throughout. However, good as the performance was, I remain of the view that it is among the more self-indulgent of Tchaikowsky's works in which the whole is less than the sum of the parts. It lacks the discipline of, in particular, the 4th symphony.
I was impressed by Alice Coote's Mahler.
As for the coughing, I've heard worse.
It must have been hellishly hot for the performers, with the TV lights adding to any discomfort already resulting from what was obviously a very muggy evening.

[Volti Subito]

I thought the 'Manfred' was very well played, and agree that Jurowski displayed admirable control and restraint throughout. However, good as the performance was, I remain of the view that it is among the more self-indulgent of Tchaikowsky's works in which the whole is less than the sum of the parts. It lacks the discipline of, in particular, the 4th symphony.
I was impressed by Alice Coote's Mahler.
As for the coughing, I've heard worse.
It must have been hellishly hot for the performers, with the TV lights adding to any discomfort already resulting from what was obviously a very muggy evening.

Why should a conductor show restraint? So it was an enjoyable evening. I agree, but it does seem to me that some people listen with their eyes. There was a multitude of imperfections in the Manfred symphony. (But the Weber was very good and so was Alice Coote.)

Volti

[Resurrection Man]

Am I right in saying that the BBC have mixed up their iPlayer recordings for this Prom? Can't find the Mahler anywhere in either 'Episode'. Curious to hear what Alice Coote makes of this as I didn't warm to her voice in The Apostles.

Edit: Found a sample on the BBC website and just had a listen. Nope, not for me, I find her voice very 'sharp' if that is the right word to use. There's a rough edge to it IMHO. Give me Sarah Connolly any day.

[marvin]

Am I right in saying that the BBC have mixed up their iPlayer recordings for this Prom? Can't find the Mahler anywhere in either 'Episode'. Curious to hear what Alice Coote makes of this as I didn't warm to her voice in The Apostles.

Edit: Found a sample on the BBC website and just had a listen. Nope, not for me, I find her voice very 'sharp' if that is the right word to use. There's a rough edge to it IMHO. Give me Sarah Connolly any day.

Surely LEFG should be sung by a man and not a woman. The former makes for a far more effective result.
As for the Manfred, well I have only heard the first movement so far and get the impression that it was far too reined in and not enough freedom of expression. Even Vladimir jurowski's conducting style makes it visually worse. Perhaps that is the drawback of watching this. Perhaps it will sound better in the radio broadcast, if I'm not too late for that and where you haven't got the distraction of a conductor's antics.