Prom 17 - 25.07.13: The Apotheosis of the Dance

[Hornspieler]

The Magnificent Seventh

Wow!

The most exhilerating performance of Beethoven's 7th Symphony that I have ever heard.

The BBC Philharmonic in tremendous form and their new Chief Conductor drew every nuance and climax out of them.

Was the finale too fast? Not for me - the excitement built and built into a glorious climax.

I did watch the rest of the programme but found it hard to concentrate after that euphoric experience.

Eat your heart out, DB. This is how to conduct a Beethoven Symphony.

HS

[pastoralguy]

Wow!

The most exhilerating performance of Beethoven's 7th Symphony that I have ever heard.

The BBC Philharmonic in tremendous form and their new Chief Conductor drew every nuance and climax out of them.

Was the finale too fast? Not for me - the excitement built and built into a glorious climax.

I did watch the rest of the programme but found it hard to concentrate after that euphoric experience.

Eat your heart out, DB. This is how to conduct a Beethoven Symphony.

HS

Wow indeed! I'll definitely catch that on the iplayer!

[edashtav]

Wow!

The most exhilerating performance of Beethoven's 7th Symphony that I have ever heard.

The BBC Philharmonic in tremendous form and their new Chief Conductor drew every nuance and climax out of them.

Was the finale too fast? Not for me - the excitement built and built into a glorious climax.

I did watch the rest of the programme but found it hard to concentrate after that euphoric experience.

Eat your heart out, DB. This is how to conduct a Beethoven Symphony.

HS

I beg to differ - I heard the start, live, found it rather pedestrian and couldn't resist the call of my off-switch.

[pilamenon]

I wasn't nearly as euphoric watching it live in the Arena. Heavy-footed climaxes, not nuanced at all for me and not nearly as rewarding as DB's tremendous outing with the West Eastern Divan Orchestra at last year's Proms, one of the highlights of their cycle.

[BBMmk2]

I agree with HS. I thought that this was one of the most liveliest 7ths I have evber heard. Not pedestrian by any means. Quite dance like, even!

[Anna]

You'll be able to revel in it on the telly then! (A week tonight, 2 August. And in HD too now, it seems, on Ch. 303, the HD redbutton)

Unfortunately the storm yesterday knocked out the tv signal temporarily so I only saw the second half - , the Falla and Ravel - and thought it was great fun in a very camp way. I enjoyed it immensely!

[cloughie]

Bolero was a dog's breakfast

Bolero is a dog's breakfast.....

[amateur51]

Bolero is a dog's breakfast.....

Does the dog woof it down then?

[Quarky]

Dancers at a Prom are nothing new. The Korean dancing drummers we had at a Late Night Prom in the mid-1990s were particularly memorable. Some Baroque operas have had integral dance sequences, of course; e.g. in Glyndebourne's "Giulio Cesare in Egitto", though I could have done without the bonking Duracell bunnies in their "Fairy Queen".

Caught this on BBC4 last night.

I felt it was a grand spectacle - although the leader of the dance troupe, a great dancer, danced rather too often for my taste (but then I guess most performers are egoists). And certainly gave a new dimension to these old warhorses.

The lead lady dancer was absolutely brilliant. But she didn't have that "look" that I associate with Flamenco dancers - very proud and imperious. Some of the other ladies did have that "look" - maybe they were a little bit older?

I asked a Spanish lady friend for her reaction. Unfortunately she hails from Catalonia, and this type of dancing from Andalusia, so I understand -so the reaction was not positive.

"Apotheosis" - since when has Wagner been a good judge of dance? Most of his operas, if they have any rhythm at all, seem to be a just a slow stately march. Beethoven certainly had a strong sense of rhythm - but no more so than JS Bach.

[bluestateprommer]

Hearing this on iPlayer, this was definitely a tale of two concerts. The more "traditional" first half was good, with Joybox as an OK opener, if not necessarily anything "great" to my ears, although it was of course nice that John McCabe was there to take a bow. JM's interpretation of Beethoven 7 was also OK, not necessarily splendiferously great to my ears. I did note that the "happy clappers" were in force, applauding between the movements of Beethoven 7 (as discussed in another thread, which I only just noticed now), but there may be a reason for that to be alluded to later.

So on to the 2nd half, which if nothing else, was a reminder of why broadcasting opera on the radio is OK, but broadcasting ballet on the radio isn't . Obviously the visual element of the visiting dance company is the unique twist for the 2nd half, with all the stamping on the radio as the obvious indication of their presence for radio audiences, unable to watch any of the dance. But if nothing else, the presence of the Antonio Marquez troupe is a reminder that both the Falla and Ravel works are, after all, dance scores, meant to be given with a dance production. Had circumstances permitted, I would have loved to have been present at this performance for the music, and to see the dancers in action. I can only imagine the energy that they must have emanated from the stage.

On the musical performance itself, I remembered an earlier performance of the Falla by the BBC Phil and Mena, again with Clara Mouriz, not that many months back. I was reminded of the husky timbre of her voice, which I recall liking then, and still like now. Several of the same general pacing aspects from Mena repeated themselves, although no doubt with some adjustment for the dancers this time. Likewise, one unique touch that I've never heard on record was that in one passage towards the end of the first part, one fanfare that I've always heard on recordings on trumpet, Mouriz actually vocalized that "fanfare". I presume that it's in the original score, but I don't have a copy. Regarding Bolero, I wish that JM had waited until the applause had completely finished after the dance company's unaccompanied work between the Falla and Ravel, before starting Bolero, but such is life.

Most of the audience loved it, and it was a very young crowd in the arena. The dancers didn't want to go home!

pilamenon's point makes me wonder about the young crowd, namely if many of them were people interested more in and more familiar with dance, and the Marquez troupe, than in classical music per se. In other words, perhaps many of the young crowd were first-time Prommers, and thus weren't necessarily familiar with Beethoven 7. So, just out of habit, since the music had stopped, the presumed "newcomers" applauded between the movements instinctively. I don't know for sure, as I'm just speculating here. However, applause after Part I of the Falla, if I assume that the dancing was really impressive, seems totally justified. I probably would have done the same had I been there in person.

I unfortunately can't watch the videos through the BBC Proms site, from this side of the pond. This isn't to say, however, that there may be other means elsewhere later .