Prom 30 - 5.08.13: Borodin, Prokofiev, Edward Cowie & Tchaikovsky

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Monday 5 August
7.30pm – c. 9.55pm
Royal Albert Hall

Borodin
Prince Igor (24 mins)
overture; Polovtsian Dances
Prokofiev
Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor (32 mins)
INTERVAL
Edward Cowie
Earth Music I – The Great Barrier Reef (c9 mins)
BBC Commission, World Premiere
Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, 'Little Russian' (35 mins)

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet piano
BBC Philharmonic
Gianandrea Noseda conductor

Borodin's overture to 'Prince Igor' opens a programme celebrating the 70th birthday of composer Edward Cowie and the close musical relationship between the BBC Philharmonic, their Conductor Laureate Gianandrea Noseda and pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Bavouzet plays Prokofiev's brilliant Second Piano Concerto, its original score destroyed in the Russian Revolution and revised by the composer in Paris in 1923. The fragile beauty of the Great Barrier Reef is the subject of Edward Cowie's Earth Music 1, while the 'Little Russian' continues the season's Tchaikovsky symphony cycle.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

For many years in my youth, the "Little Russian" was my favourite Tchaikovsky Symphony. That unaccompanied horn solo at the beginning would send me into a whole new world.

[pilamenon]

For many years in my youth, the "Little Russian" was my favourite Tchaikovsky Symphony. That unaccompanied horn solo at the beginning would send me into a whole new world.

And I also agree with the presenter - why isn't it performed more often? Absolutely terrific - as it was indeed the last time it was played at the Proms, by the BBCSSO under Martyn Brabbins in 2010.

[Petrushka]

Having commissioned a new work the Proms planners must then find a suitable home for it. Whoever thought of placing Edward Cowie's Earth Music 1 - The Great Barrier Reef amongst a programme of Russian favourites needs to have their head examined. Whatever the merits of the piece, and I'm not competent to judge what these might have been, it made for an incoherent programme in which the work had no discernible reason to be there. It gave the whole programme a 'thrown together' quality that did the Cowie (and come to that, Tchaikovsky) no favours.

More thought please, Planners!

[gedsmk]

And I also agree with the presenter - why isn't it performed more often? Absolutely terrific - as it was indeed the last time it was played at the Proms, by the BBCSSO under Martyn Brabbins in 2010.

Yes, really wonderful! Pity about the coughing, and what was the ironic applause about before the last movement? The BBC orchestras are doing themselves proud this season and no mistake.

[Simon B]

Try as I might (and have) I can't get much out of Tchaikovsky's 1st and 3rd symphonies, but the 2nd seems to be underperformed gem. Constructed almost entirely of great tunes, concise, lovely orchestration, exciting ending, what's not to like?

Very enjoyable in the hall tonight, though Noseda's conception, largely unchanged from a thrilling performance with the BBCPO about 6-7 years ago, differed mainly in a more hasty charge through the calmer bits of the last movement. If he'd just eased back a bit, the frenetic sections would have been more exciting still. Great fun all the same!

[Simon B]

Agreed, the Cowie seemed completely out of place, randomly inserted for no particular reason. Regardless, I could have throttled the self satisfied cretins behind me in the stalls who decided that because they were too smug to bother listening to it, no-one else should be given the chance to do so free from them talking drivel over it. Mind you, they made a point of naffing off to the bar for the, er, rebarbative modernism of the Prokofiev (I don't think) so enough said...

[edashtav]

Try as I might (and have) I can't get much out of Tchaikovsky's 1st and 3rd symphonies, but the 2nd seems to be underperformed gem. Constructed almost entirely of great tunes, concise, lovely orchestration, exciting ending, what's not to like?

Very enjoyable in the hall tonight, though Noseda's conception, largely unchanged from a thrilling performance with the BBCPO about 6-7 years ago, differed mainly in a more hasty charge through the calmer bits of the last movement. If he'd just eased back a bit, the frenetic sections would have been more exciting still. Great fun all the same!

Spot on, Simon, I agree with everything that you've written. There's yet more to be revealed. I have a CD of Igor Stravinsky conducting the NYPO in its scherzo during, I think, the early '40s. The peasant dances stamp and swirl in a convincing but Igor-full fashion.

[cloughie]

Caught the finale of Tchaik 2 on car radio - sounded an absolute cracker - superb BBCPO brass - no doubt all trained in northern brass bands! Those who don't find anything in Tchaik 1 and 3 should persevere - they're full of tunes.

[Serial_Apologist]

Agreed, the Cowie seemed completely out of place, randomly inserted for no particular reason.

But what a marvellous composer Cowie is! We hear so little by him - here was as good as anywhere.

[edashtav]

But what a marvellous composer Cowie is! We hear so little by him - here was as good as anywhere.

Absolutely correct!

[Hornspieler]

For many years in my youth, the "Little Russian" was my favourite Tchaikovsky Symphony. That unaccompanied horn solo at the beginning would send me into a whole new world.

It used to send me into the Gents if Horenstein or Dorati were conducting.

HS

Edit:

As an explanation of the above:

That opening horn solo is difficult to play in tune. I don't know if it is because of the key or the intervals, but there is nowhere to hide.

Last night's Principal (Guest) horn did pretty well, but the lower note (The eighth note of the phrase) was just a trifle sharp to my ears.

However, the big horn solo in the Prinz Igor overture (also a bit of a buttock-clencher) came off very well and if this young man is on trial for the job, I think he would fit in very well.

For me, Noseda always brings the best out of the BBC Philharmonic and I found this a very satisfying display of talents.

HS