Prom 68 (2.9.12): Cameron Carpenter plays Bach (2)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sunday 2 September at 4.00 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

Cameron Carpenter: Improvisation on the Bourée from Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009 (c8 mins)
J. S. Bach: Fantasia and Fugue in G minor 'The Great' (8 mins)
J. S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I – Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in G major, BWV 860 (5 mins)
J. S. Bach and Mahler: Syncretic Prelude and Fugue in D major (arr. C. Carpenter) (30 mins)

Cameron Carpenter organ

In the second of his two Proms, organ virtuoso Cameron Carpenter continues to explore the music of the grandfather of composers for the instrument - J S Bach - in works performed both as Bach originally wrote them, and as reconceived by Cameron Carpenter himself.

In the former category, this afternoon's Prom includes the well-known Fantasia and Fugue in G minor; in the latter, the famous Prelude and Fugue in D major, in a version cross-fertilised with the music of Gustav Mahler. And, in between, Cameron Carpenter demonstrates his prodigious abilities in that traditional organist's art - improvisation.

[french frank]

A second thread on Cameron Carpenter, this being a second Prom ...

[LeMartinPecheur]

No takers???


I did listen, having missed all but the final fugue of yesterday's.

Either the very bad press on these here boards for the first concert completely spoiled it for me, or my natural musicality led me to similar conclusions.

Now which was it??

[Vile Consort]

Florence Foster Jenkins lives on.

[VodkaDilc]

I hope the experiment of having two organ Proms over a weekend will be repeated. Cameron Carpenter might not be to everyone's taste, but it's good to know that he has such a following. I'd like to see him back again.

[rauschwerk]

I have not yet heard his playing, but is not Mr Carpenter the Virgil Fox de nos jours? (see Wikipedia). And is the controversy aroused by his playing and presentation not just the same as that generated by the approaches of Fox and (say) E Power Biggs? I suspect it is.

The RT article, which I have just seen, was a complete disgrace and had nothing to do with music at all. Why, I wonder, do I still spend money on such trash?

[french frank]

I have not yet heard his playing, but is not Mr Carpenter the Virgil Fox de nos jours? (see Wikipedia). And is the controversy aroused by his playing and presentation not just the same as that generated by the approaches of Fox and (say) E Power Biggs?

It sounds exactly the same (I have no memory of VF): "These events appealed to audiences in the 1970s who were more familiar with rock 'n' roll music and were staged complete with light shows." For 'light shows' substitute 'flashy gear' à la Liberace.

The imponderable is whether in fact it achieves anything other than - like An Evening with Michael Ball - providing another musical entertainment for the fans of Michael Ball/Cameron Carpenter. Or, to put it another way: following two afternoons with CC, would the fans be significantly more likely to attend an afternoon (Proms or not) recital by Thomas Trotter or Gillian Weir (the latter now not possible as she gives her last public performance in November)?

Or is it perhaps the less imponderable question of: "Put money in thy purse"? Which, in moderation, is understandable.

[VodkaDilc]

A rare 5-star review from Tim Ashley in today's Guardian. "His playing, with its use of stops to create vast spectrums of colour, is extraordinary. It's hard not to be seduced." "Redefining the organ recital in terms of glamorous virtuosity."

[rauschwerk]

A rare 5-star review from Tim Ashley in today's Guardian. "His playing, with its use of stops to create vast spectrums of colour, is extraordinary. It's hard not to be seduced." "Redefining the organ recital in terms of glamorous virtuosity."

In other words it was 'Cameron Carpenter plays Bach.' Why does he not play music that lends itself to that kind of treatment?

[amac4165]

A rare 5-star review from Tim Ashley in today's Guardian. "His playing, with its use of stops to create vast spectrums of colour, is extraordinary. It's hard not to be seduced." "Redefining the organ recital in terms of glamorous virtuosity."

I have to say the second concert was far better imho

The first one just seemed eccentric and bizarre - but the second was more "sensible" and had more substance to it. It also so help that when being interviewed it turned out that he was extremely funny !

amac

[mercia]

I would like to hear him play Bach on an historic Dutch or German instrument where he would not be tempted/able to change registration every other bar - I guess he would find it a personally unsatisfactory experience [ I may be wrong ]. I'm sure he has a flawless technique.

I was expecting a Carlo Curley Mark II in his chats with Christopher Cooke but he came over as personable, self-effacing, quite modest.

[amateur51]

I have to say the second concert was far better imho

The first one just seemed eccentric and bizarre - but the second was more "sensible" and had more substance to it. It also so help that when being interviewed it turned out that he was extremely funny !

amac

Oh thank you, amac!

Carpenter has a great sense of humour and fun and is trying, through his playing and his dress sense, to convey this to his enthusiastic audience, I feel.

Not to everyone's taste, I can see but it must act as a great magnet to those for whom the organ is perceived as inevitably tied to religious works, which possibly makes it seem rather dull. I just hope that they then get a chance to hear 'different' performances by other organists who use more traditional but every bit as worthwhile performance values.

[prokkyshosty]

As far as I'm concerned, I think JS Bach has been turning over in his grave on a spit continuously since the days of Mendelssohn. If the poor old fellow survived the Swingle Singers, he'll survive CC.

[french frank]

I just hope that they then get a chance to hear 'different' performances by other organists who use more traditional but every bit as worthwhile performance values.

Also available on YouTube (8,000 views compared with CC's 57,000).

The sort of thing which makes me very sceptical about the the idea of the popular leading into the more serious (or 'purist', if you like) is looking at André Rieu on Amazon. 'Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought' - 60 other items by André Rieu, plus a couple more pages of assorted artistes from Elvis and Brenda Lee/Rod Stewart to Watson/Jenkins/Bocelli/David Garrett/Anthony Hopkins/3 Tenors/Acker Bilk. Interestingly, the one stand-out is Jansons, Neujahrskonzert 2012 (on page 11 of 17). Oh, and a recital of Spanish music by Julian Bream on page 16.

If people enjoy Carpenter and Rieu, C and R serve their purpose and you can't ask any more of them. And much though people at Radio 3 and among the critics clearly do enjoy them (hugely), I wouldn't expect them to make no distinction between these different performances as to be interchangeable. It is only the packed houses and the money generated which makes CC's a more 'desirable' recital than TT's.

A rare 5-star review from Tim Ashley in today's Guardian

It seems to be a joint rating for the Carpenter recital and the Leipzig Gewandhaus's Mendelssohn.

[mercia]

why haven't we had Rieu at a proms season yet ?