Proms Chamber Music 1 - 15.07.13: Ravel, Mozart & Lutosławski

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

1.00pm – c. 2.00pm
Cadogan Hall

Ravel
Violin Sonata (17 mins)
Mozart
Violin Sonata in G major, K379 (20 mins)
Lutosławski
Partita (15 mins)

Vilde Frang violin
Michail Lifits piano, Proms debut artist

The charismatic young Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang makes her Proms concerto debut with the BBC Philharmonic later in the season, but today performs two of the best-loved chamber works in the repertory - Ravel's jazz-influenced work written in the 1920s, and Mozart's great sonata of 1781. And a rare chance to hear the expressive Partita by Witold Lutoslawski, whose centenary is celebrated across the Proms this year.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Potentially a fine start to the chamber music series.

[french frank]

Administrative bump!

[amcluesent]

Not a good start with Petroc's absurd bellowing obliging the sound engineer to leap to pull back the gain.

[edashtav]

Not a good start with Petroc's absurd bellowing obliging the sound engineer to leap to pull back the gain.

Oh, you're so right - and I was there in Cadogan - more of that later, perhaps.

But, firstly to the music. Vilde Frang and Michail Lifits are a young, vibrant and gifted duo. Their programme showed discrimination and their playing was simply wonderful:elegant, refined, precise and detailed. Every piece had been thought through afresh and Frang's technical mastery - which is of a very high order, indeed- was subservient to the music.

She started a tiny bit tight. The start of the Ravel sonata was spoiled by her lovely tone being occluded by Lifits's piano. Don't take that to heart, Michail, you were a rock to Vilde's jelly. Nerves steadied, Vilde's generous personality soon shone through. The banjo strumming in the middle music was too loud and over-aggressive for my liking, but Frang's "bending" of the blue notes plus her marvellous bowing and phrasing were to die for. The third movement came off remarkably well.

Mozart's great Sonata in G ( probably his "one-hour" composition) was equally successful. Lifits has laid down an all Mozart solo CD and his playing radiated authority, clarity and direction. It's not the G sections that I most admire - but, who doesn't respond to Mozart in G minor? - the tempestuous short, fast movement in the minor came off with passion and belief and the way both players acknowledged the frequent dips into that mode in the finale's variations was delightful: grace met artistry

I loved the freedom and projection that Vilde brought to Lutoslawski's Partita. Her belief and passion for the work was palpable. The only spectre at my feast was Salymaps's reference to "Luton Housewife" the BBC subtitler's effort on the first night of the Pros to make Witold's name a household world - I kept seeing a 100 year old Lutoslawski in drag: Luton's greatest Dame.

Do mark Fang and Lifits' cards. They're a great duo and she, I predict, will become one of the world's finest fiddlers.

Back to our dearly-beloved roving presenter: Petroc Trelawny, he of the resonant voice. Frankly, if he becomes more laid back he'll turn into Petrified Rock. Bring back, the desk, bring back presenters's notes. The musical introductions were perfunctory and off-the-cuff. I swear. that I heard our Rocker refer to Ravel's Violin Concerto! The notes for those of us in the Cadogan were little help, either. Only the performers seemed to know how many movement make a Lutslawski partita.

The BBC MUST do better. Bringing these great young musicians to the Proms deserves plaudits. Poor, casual, self-adoring presentation by a Rock Star deserves a spell in the cooler.

By the way, Cadogan has noisy air-conditioning - but boy does it work! I was such a cool kid, that I was the last, reluctant one out, given the order of the boot by the usherette.

This programe was recorded for TV - apparently, it will be available via the BBC's website - ENJOY!

[amateur51]

Oh, you're so right - and I was there in Cadogan - more of that later, perhaps.

But, firstly to the music. Vilde Frang and Michail Lifits are a young, vibrant and gifted duo. Their programme showed discrimination and their playing was simply wonderful:elegant, refined, precise and detailed. Every piece had been thought through afresh and Frang's technical mastery - which is of a very high order, indeed- was subservient to the music.

She started a tiny bit tight. The start of the Ravel sonata was spoiled by her lovely tone being occluded by Lifits's piano. Don't take that to heart, Michail, you were a rock to Vilde's jelly. Nerves steadied, Vilde's generous personality soon shone through. The banjo strumming in the middle music was too loud and over-aggressive for my liking, but Frang's "bending" of the blue notes plus her marvellous bowing and phrasing were to die for. The third movement came off remarkably well.

Mozart's great Sonata in G ( probably his "one-hour" composition) was equally successful. Lifits has laid down an all Mozart solo CD and his playing radiated authority, clarity and direction. It's not the G sections that I most admire - but, who doesn't respond to Mozart in G minor? - the tempestuous short, fast movement in the minor came off with passion and belief and the way both players acknowledged the frequent dips into that mode in the finale's variations was delightful: grace met artistry

I loved the freedom and projection that Vilde brought to Lutoslawski's Partita. Her belief and passion for the work was palpable. The only spectre at my feast was Salymaps's reference to "Luton Housewife" the BBC subtitler's effort on the first night of the Pros to make Witold's name a household world - I kept seeing a 100 year old Lutoslawski in drag: Luton's greatest Dame.

Do mark Fang and Lifits' cards. They're a great duo and she, I predict, will become one of the world's finest fiddlers.

Back to our dearly-beloved roving presenter: Petroc Trelawny, he of the resonant voice. Frankly, if he becomes more laid back he'll turn into Petrified Rock. Bring back, the desk, bring back presenters's notes. The musical introductions were perfunctory and off-the-cuff. I swear. that I heard our Rocker refer to Ravel's Violin Concerto! The notes for those of us in the Cadogan were little help, either. Only the performers seemed to know how many movement make a Lutslawski partita.

The BBC MUST do better. Bringing these great young musicians to the Proms deserves plaudits. Poor, casual, self-adoring presentation by a Rock Star deserves a spell in the cooler.

By the way, Cadogan has noisy air-conditioning - but boy does it work! I was such a cool kid, that I was the last, reluctant one out, given the order of the boot by the usherette.

This programe was recorded for TV - apparently, it will be available via the BBC's website - ENJOY!

Another excellent review - many thanks edashtav

[bluestateprommer]

From hearing this on iPlayer, VF and ML do indeed make a good team, and this was a fine recital. My one complaint was that VF perhaps tried too hard to "do American" in the 'Blues' movement of the Ravel Sonata. The encore of Manuel Ponce's Estrellita was a nice palate cleanser. (A check of the Proms Archive reveals that this is the only Ponce work ever to be done at The Proms, and this was its 2nd performance in the history of The Proms, and the first in the Jascha Heifetz arrangement.)

Petroc was indeed way over the top at the very start, especially given that I'm generally used to Catherine Bott's presentation style, both from the radio and from going to Cadogan Hall. Given the new video element introduced at Cadogan Hall, one can wonder about the choice of presenter in that new context. However, once past the bellowing, I didn't find him any worse or better than usual, given the general level of vitroil directed at him, sometimes for understandable reasons.

For edashtav, it's true that the Cadogan Hall Chamber Proms notes are minimal, but also keep in mind that one doesn't pay extra for them. One has to pay extra above and beyond the concert ticket cost, of course, for full Proms booklet notes at the RAH.

[mercia]

available for viewing [either in full or parts] - if you didn't already know - "4 weeks left to watch"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01cxc94

"Ravel's Concerto in G"

[Tevot]

Thanks Mercia and indeed Ed for his thoughts on this concert

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[pilamenon]

The encore of Manuel Ponce's Estrellita was a nice palate cleanser.

Thanks for this note - I did wonder if Radio 3 broadcast an encore, but sadly if so it was certainly left off the Saturday repeat. I loved the main programme. There is a passage in the opening movement of the Ravel sonata that is very reminiscent of the slow movement of the G major piano concerto.

[pilamenon]

available for viewing [either in full or parts] - if you didn't already know - "4 weeks left to watch"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01cxc94

What an excellent addition to the service - encore included! And you can watch it by individual piece, too.