Prom 71 (4.9.12): St Louis Symphony Orchestra

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Tuesday 4 September at 7.30 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

Brahms: Tragic Overture (14 mins)
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major (40 mins)
Schoenberg: Five Orchestral Pieces, Op. 16 (16 mins)
Gershwin: An American in Paris (18 mins)

Christian Tetzlaff violin
St Louis Symphony
David Robertson conductor

The St Louis Symphony Orchestra makes its Proms debut, under Music Director David Robertson. Brahms's dramatic overture opens the programme, followed by Beethoven's challenging and energetic Violin concerto, with Christian Tetzlaff, a soloist who has made regular appearances at the Proms.

These two composers are at the pinnacle of Western music, and the next composer, Schoenberg, venerated both of them. He argued that his own new way of composing followed logically on from these greats. Gershwin may seem an unlikely pairing with Schoenberg, but both became firm friends when living in Hollywood, sharing an interest painting and tennis.

[bluestateprommer]

The local press in Saint Louis gave the orchestra's European tour (which starts, of course, at The Proms) a write up from last week:

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/slso-gears-up-for-tour-of-four-major-european-cities/article_3c4ec5fc-ecd3-11e1-af5d-0019bb30f31a.html

There's this interesting bit, after delineating all the complications of touring:

"After Wednesday's rehearsal, musicians will relinquish their instruments, which will be trucked to Chicago for the flight to Britain. It will be five days before the instruments can be reclaimed. That provides just one practice day before the first concert."

Well, you have been warned :) . However, the orchestra obviously got some other "practice time" in beforehand, such as a tour preview concert, or "Rally Concert" (very sports-oriented term, that), which the Saint Louis newspaper's critic blogged about here:

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/culture-club/slso-rally-concert-brings-out-enthusiastic-crowd/article_f1ce022e-f1e4-11e1-beda-0019bb30f31a.html

[kernelbogey]

How effortlessly KD irritates!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

What did she say?

[Alison]

How effortlessly KD irritates!

I was thinking exactly the same. Her comments are invariably flecked with silly exaggerations or meaningless gush.

[LeMartinPecheur]

What was the concerto's 1st movement's cadenza? I'm guessing - from the involvement of the timpanist - that it was based on the one Beethoven wrote for the piano version, but it seemed to have extra bells and whistles.

And what on earth were the extraneous noises at the start of the slow mov't? - sounded like a percussionist hitting coconut shells

[Petrushka]

Was that the dullest accompaniment I've ever heard to the LvB VC? It was rushed and lacked any depth or meaning.

Let's hope for a better second half.

[Alison]

The over familiar use of 'David' is grating. Please don't be at Thursdays Prom - Murray and Bernard ? - please not !!

[Petrushka]

And what on earth were the extraneous noises at the start of the slow mov't? - sounded like a percussionist hitting coconut shells

Thought there was a punch-up in the Arena.

[LeMartinPecheur]

How effortlessly KD irritates!

What did she say?

I believe (or do I?) that we just had Milhaud pronounced as 'milloo', while earlier there was [allegro] assai given as something like 'assay'.

[rodney_h_d]

What was the concerto's 1st movement's cadenza? I'm guessing - from the involvement of the timpanist - that it was based on the one Beethoven wrote for the piano version, but it seemed to have extra bells and whistles.

And what on earth were the extraneous noises at the start of the slow mov't? - sounded like a percussionist hitting coconut shells

You are right about the cadenza which I was unhappily anticipating - as he has recorded it.

I like to think that the noise at the start of [ii] was LvanB protesting at that cadenza by casting down missiles from above muttering "Why, oh why do they keep reminding me of that - I only did it for the money.....".

[edashtav]

It's a Long Way From St Louis in a Crate

Was that the dullest accompaniment I've ever heard to the LvB VC? It was rushed and lacked any depth or meaning.

Let's hope for a better second half.

Not much better, I fear.

After a routine performance of the Brahms, like you, Petrushka, I didn't feel that Beethoven's Violin Concerto worked very well. The finale, in particular, was rushed and although Christian Tetzlaff produced a winning, light and well-sprung line on his E-string, the accompaniment sound untidy, rushed and smudged. Bluestateprommer has allowed us to glimpse a reason - a one-night send-off rally followed by instruments stowed in crates for a 5-day journey from Missouri to London. Practice makes ... but stiff limbs, and a the very different acoustic of the RAH made for a discomforting first-half. The solution? Expensive, I fear: an extra night in a London hotel and more European rehearsal.

I found Schonberg's 5 Orchestral Pieces more enjoyable after the interval. Textures were better defined and the whole had a shape and purpose. When the composer first conducted the piece in London (1914) virtually 100 years ago, he was overjoyed after his work had been shunned in Vienna & Berlin, but one critic suggested," if the music had an affinity to anything on earth it was to the farmyard". David Robertson's version was assuredly urbane and urban. I was less convinced with his account of "An American in Paris" which lacked a tad in swing and its American sounded less than brash. I enjoyed the encore - but I have a weakness for Bernstein's Candide overture.

[LeMartinPecheur]

You are right about the cadenza which I was unhappily anticipating - as he has recorded it.

I like to think that the noise at the start of [ii] was LvanB protesting at that cadenza by casting down missiles from above muttering "Why, oh why do they keep reminding me of that - I only did it for the money.....".

Thanks Rodney. Are you saying it did indeed have bells and whistles added to the piano concerto transcription? By Tetzlaff??

I have the standard Schneiderhahn/ Jochum recording with S's version of the piano cadenza, which IIRC is much more retrained. But I see online that S wasn't the only one to transcribe it. Or did tonight's soloist perhaps emphasize the oddities more?

[Petrushka]

Any news from the hall on the origins of the 'noises off' as the LvB second movement began? It sounded truly terrible on the radio and if this came from the audience then behaviour this season (see comments on several threads) has reached a new low and the RAH management and BBC can no longer ignore it and must take action.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

...if this came from the audience then behaviour this season (see comments on several threads) has reached a new low and the RAH management and BBC can no longer ignore it and must take action.

I quite agree, but will they actually do anything?