Prom 1: First Night of the Proms

[salymap]

I've just listened again and am not questioning his playing for a moment but felt he looked stressed.
I'vealso heard the Lutoslawski and enjoyed it a lot.

Off topic- does anyone else use subtitles? I do and was told something about a 'Luton housekeeper,' before it was hastily changed to Lutoslawski. They are hilarious sometimes.

[amateur51]

I've now watched the first part of the First Night up to and including the Rachmaninov. For me the only real stinker was the over-loud percussion in the Storm section of the Britten Sea Interludes (was that down to the microphones tho'?). The Rachmaninov seemed a good performance to me with Hough being an ideally clear soloist. There were a couple of smiles exchanged with Oramo in performance and Hough's body language once the piece was over was delightful and delighted. I find Stephen Hough's body language in performance is no more disturbing than, say, Alfred Brendel's

The Julian Anderson premiere piece was smashing I thought and I hope that it gets another outing sometime, perhaps a choral concert with pieces by Judith bingham?

[Barbirollians]

I've now watched the first part of the First Night up to and including the Rachmaninov. For me the only real stinker was the over-loud percussion in the Storm section of the Britten Sea Interludes (was that down to the microphones tho'?). The Rachmaninov seemed a good performance to me with Hough being an ideally clear soloist. There were a couple of smiles exchanged with Oramo in performance and Hough's body language once the piece was over was delightful and delighted. I find Stephen Hough's body language in performance is no more disturbing than, say, Alfred Brendel's

The Julian Anderson premiere piece was smashing I thought and I hope that it gets another outing sometime, perhaps a choral concert with pieces by Judith bingham?

Interesting but the only concert to be at on Friday was in Manchester !!!

[Daniel]

Thanks for the Schubert duet, amateur51, what lovely music making.

By the way, I have nothing against awkwardness. It may not always be right (or very nice for the awkward person) but it's sometimes a pretty creative condition I think. But it's interesting what ardcarp says, that it may make ensemble a bit trickier, I hadn't thought about that.

[amateur51]

Interesting but the only concert to be at on Friday was in Manchester !!!

no need to rub it in, Barbs

[Flosshilde]

I still remember with affection the performances of Cyril Smith in the Rach Variations.

Presumably not this one? http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...th_cropped.jpg

[Colonel Danby]

Indeed he did while at the helm of the CBSO: in fact though RVW has been my passion since I was a callow schoolboy many moons ago, I had never heard the Symphony No 9 at all live until Oramo conducted the work a few years ago coupled with the 'Dynamic Triptych' of John Foulds played by Peter Donohoe: quite a concert!

Interesting to read from the Guardian profile of Sakari Oramo (who is, of course, the key factor in The First Night, since this will be his official start as chief conductor of the BBC SO) that this will be the first time conducting VW1:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/jul/10/conductor-sakari-oramo-first-night-proms

Anyone know if SO led much VW with the CBSO?

[gradus]

Bit late in the thread for this but I have never heard the Sea Sym live before and simply couldn't make head nor tail of some of the words ( I enjoyed the parodies quoted above) but as for the performance ...WOW. I thought Mr Williams singing was a master class in technique and musicality and I particularly enjoyed the Missa Solemnis Gloria-like shout from the choir at the end of one of the movts. How anyone can doubt that this piece is amongst the greatest in VW's ouevre beats me.

[Serial_Apologist]

Bit late in the thread for this but I have never heard the Sea Sym live before and simply couldn't make head nor tail of some of the words ( I enjoyed the parodies quoted above) but as for the performance ...WOW. I thought Mr Williams singing was a master class in technique and musicality and I particularly enjoyed the Missa Solemnis Gloria-like shout from the choir at the end of one of the movts. How anyone can doubt that this piece is amongst the greatest in VW's ouevre beats me.

[salymap]

Presumably not this one? http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...th_cropped.jpg

Err no Flossie, but perhaps if he'd done an Alicia Markova, [born Alice Marks], I guess he wouldbe better remembered. A fine pianist, anyway.

[Pabmusic]

Err no Flossie, but perhaps if he'd done an Alicia Markova, [born Alice Marks], I guess he wouldbe better remembered. A fine pianist, anyway.

He was quite well known as half of a duet with Phyllis Selleck. Didn't he lose the use of one arm (stroke?) and Malcolm Arnold wrote a concerto for piano three hands for them?

[salymap]

He was quite well known as half of a duet with Phyllis Selleck. Didn't he lose the use of one arm (stroke?) and Malcolm Arnold wrote a concerto for piano three hands for them?

Yes Pab, he was on a British Council tour abroad with, I think, Boult, Arthur Bliss and Phyllis and had a massive stroke. I remember him as a fit man, before that happened.

A friend of mine had piano lessons with him and acted as part-time nanny to their children in payment so I saw them quite a bit. A lovely couple and Phyllis was well thought of as a soloist too. All ages ago now

[Barbirollians]

Though of course Phyllis Sellick continued teaching into advanced old age at the RCM and she died at 95 in 2007.

Her Desert Island Discs is available to listen to on the BBC website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/5ee635f1

[Hornspieler]

Yes Pab, he was on a British Council tour abroad with, I think, Boult, Arthur Bliss and Phyllis and had a massive stroke. I remember him as a fit man, before that happened.

A friend of mine had piano lessons with him and acted as part-time nanny to their children in payment so I saw them quite a bit. A lovely couple and Phyllis was well thought of as a soloist too. All ages ago now

Yes. Sir Arthur Bliss wrote a special concerto for them and I had the privelege of taking part in the first recording of that work in the De Montfort Hall, Leicester with the CBSO.

[Sir Velo]

Yes Pab, he was on a British Council tour abroad with, I think, Boult, Arthur Bliss and Phyllis and had a massive stroke. I remember him as a fit man, before that happened.

A friend of mine had piano lessons with him and acted as part-time nanny to their children in payment so I saw them quite a bit. A lovely couple and Phyllis was well thought of as a soloist too. All ages ago now

Lovely Desert Island Disc with Phyllis talking to Sue Lawley about life with Cyril, and the VW Concerto for 2 pianos, etc. Still available as a podcast.