Prom 41 - 13.08.13: Borodin, Glazunov, Gubaidulina & Mussorgsky

[LaurieWatt]

Borodin 2 with the RPO under Ashkenazy was my first London concert - I remember making my way to London on my own for the first time and trying to navigate my way around. Borodin 2 has always been a firm favourite - who cannot fall for that gorgeous horn solo in the third movement?

Gergiev is superb in this sort of repertoire. His Pictures with the Kirov in the Barbican some years back was superb. I also look forward to hearing Daniil Trifonov in concert, having greatly enjoyed his Tchaik 1 on disc.

Ashkenazy's recording, with the RPO, of the Borodin 2nd, on Decca, is one of the very finest. Also, Gergiev did an extremely fine Pictures with the LPO on Philips many years ago; it will be interesting to compare with what he does this evening. I didn't particularly like his recording with the Vienna Phil. This evening's Borodin was ok and I await, in particular, the Gubaidulina to follow as she has such a distinctive voice. I am sure the Pictures will be fine. It is another very good broadcast - so far!

[amateur51]

[QUOTE=ferneyhoughgeliebte;320319]A masterpiece of the Piano repertoire, /QUOTE] surely a performance like this by the wonderful Maria Yudina provides all the orchestration that Mussorgsky implied

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxIBmbLJfv0&list=PL209A0BA45858930D

[amcluesent]

I found Pictures... oddly jarring, the timing seemed all over the place right at the end.

I always sing along (ELP's version of the The Great Gates Of Kiev...)

There's no end to my life,
No beginning to my death:
Death is life.

[Petrushka]

It is another very good broadcast - so far!

Indeed it was. The three bass drums in the thrilling Gubaidulina piece nearly wrecked my speakers at one point! I very much like her orchestral music and as Laurie says she has such a distinctive voice.

Pictures was as mannered as they come, sometimes infuriatingly so and I too thought it was all over the place in the Great Gate of Kiev.

[LaurieWatt]

Indeed it was. The three bass drums in the thrilling Gubaidulina piece nearly wrecked my speakers at one point! I very much like her orchestral music and as Laurie says she has such a distinctive voice.

Pictures was as mannered as they come, sometimes infuriatingly so and I too thought it was all over the place in the Great Gate of Kiev.

Agreed on all fronts. I really loved the Gubaidulina. Although there were some good and virtuosic bits, I thought the Mussorgsky was very disjointed and parts were even quite messy which surprised me. The opening trumpet solo was very nervous and under-powered. It was, however, another generally first class broadcast.

[Petrushka]

Agreed on all fronts. I really loved the Gubaidulina. Although there were some good and virtuosic bits, I thought the Mussorgsky was very disjointed and parts were even quite messy which surprised me. The opening trumpet solo was very nervous and under-powered. It was, however, another generally first class broadcast.

I'll be recording the repeat broadcast on Friday to catch the Gubaidulina piece again and see if it will smash my speakers this time!

[edashtav]

I'm not sure I've ever heard it before, but I thought that Trifonov's "stunning" playing - as you put it - made it rather enjoyable!

I want to stand by Glazunov. Here's a man of 50 whose world has been shattered by a revolution. What does he compose? A piece of unruffled romanticism deeply rooted in Chopin's two concerti. But listen to its pianism- as beautifully realised by Trifonov - it fits the piano like a glove (c.f. his earlier Violin Concerto - try to listen to it being played by Hilary Hahn- again, wonderful writing for the soloist). Scriabin's piano concerto occupies similar territory to Glazunov's pair. Do note how Glazunov doesn't overstay his welcome: none of his five concerti exceeds 25 minutes ( shades of a similar petit maitre: Saint-Saens). There's a group of Russian / Soviet conservative composers (Glazunov, Medtner & Myaskovsky) whose music is easy to denigrate in terms of novelty but more difficult to dismiss when other "metrics" e.g. craftsmanship are considered. Small beer needs "stunning" playing: Trifonov was terrific.

[OldTechie]

I'll be recording the repeat broadcast on Friday to catch the Gubaidulina piece again and see if it will smash my speakers this time!

Clearly, with such a high level in the hall, the SIS engineers must have had to reduce it a bit to avoid overload. Obviously it is our duty to compensate by winding up the wick at home. It was rather splendid. A repeat play is absolutely essential!

[Pabmusic]

I'm afraid I'm with Bbm on this. Gave it another try this evening, it's just... gaudy somehow, and the seams are really visible. A dodgy suit of a symphony, in fact... (with a couple of lovely bits of cloth in a couple of places, admittedly)...

I've never really viewed Borodin 2 in that light. It was the very first symphonic work I 'discovered' for myself, courtesy of Ansermet and Decca, so I have a great affection for it. Over the years that's not diminished - in fact my admiration has grown because I've learnt that Borodin makes use of two folk tunes that he'd collected and that appear transformed in each movement. A pre-echo of RVW or Bartok. It's also the first successful symphony in B minor (Schubert's great attempt was never finished - partly perhaps for the technical limitations of horns and trumpets, which problem had been solved in the intervening 50 years).

Also, it's full of good tunes. Dodgy suit like Del Boy? More like an uncle who's a bit of a recluse turning up in a suit that's just not 'right' - probably wide lapels and - let me see - ... ? ... brown. cheers anyway.

[Kuhlau]

I note that the first half of this concert appears to be unavailable on IPlayer. The appropriate link takes you to "In Tune". I had hoped to listen again, having been in the hall last night, so this is rather disappointing. Hopefully it will be rectified in time.

The concert itself was very good. I (like others posting) have always had an affinity with Borodin's Symphony No. 2, the third movement is as overwhelmingly beautiful to me as the Cor Anglais solo in the New World Symphony, or the final movement of Sibelius's Symphony No. 5. Very touchingly played, and overall a great "take" on the symphony (somehow different to how I'd heard it played before in the Concert Hall)

Honestly, I could take or leave the Glazunov, however it was an interesting vehicle for Trifonov, who I have seen before several times in the Tchaikovsky / Chopin concertos. I think it suits this indefinable "dreamy" or "lyrical" quality that is often very evident in his playing. For his undoubted dynamism and power in contrast, we need only look at the encore, which is fast becoming his trademark!

I can't share the love for Gubaidulina, whilst I have certainly heard worse debut pieces, I wouldn't care to listen again. For example, it sounded to my ears that the organ was being abused not played! The drumming felt disjointed in the piece as a whole and I just didn't really engage with it. This may be personal taste, and perhaps I was influenced by an elderly gentleman sat nearby who looked utterly dumbfounded by it!

Pictures was great, and I actually thought the section soloists were terrific, particularly in "Il vecchio castello" and "Samuel" Goldenberg und "Schmuÿle".

Hopefully, the technical issues on the website will be resolved enough for me to hear the whole concert again and endorse my current opinions!!!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I enjoy Borodin #2, too - but I can see why others might be less enthusiastic : the First Movement is a bit "stoppy-starty", and the tunes aren't as soaringly generous as those in his Second String Quartet.

Off-Topic - Pabs, I don't think that the Brass instruments are responsible for unfinishedness of the Unfinished Symphony: in a B minor work, a Scherzo and Finale would offer lots of opportunity for plenty of D major brasserie. Schubert's catalogue at this time is strewn with "relics" of Piano Soanatas, "movements" for String Quartet, unrisen Lazuri - and Symphonic fragments in all sorts of keys other than B minor. I think that this is all part of an underlying lack of confidence in his own abilities to continue to explore the Tonal/Harmonic/Melodic worlds his Music had taken him to. That's why, I think, he sought lessons in Strict Counterpoint with Sechter right at the end of his life.

[johnb]

I note that the first half of this concert appears to be unavailable on IPlayer. The appropriate link takes you to "In Tune". I had hoped to listen again, having been in the hall last night, so this is rather disappointing. Hopefully it will be rectified in time.

This is very strange as I listened earlier this morning and iPlayer was then playing the correct item.

I've noticed that sometimes (perhaps always) the iPlayer 'programme' is later edited to 'top and tail' the selection. Perhaps that is what has happened and they messed things up.

[Nick Armstrong]

Also, it's full of good tunes. Dodgy suit like Del Boy? More like an uncle who's a bit of a recluse turning up in a suit that's just not 'right' - probably wide lapels and - let me see - ... ? ... brown. cheers anyway.

I'll go with that, pabs. And I grant you, that 3rd movement horn melody is a stunner, Kuhlau; and gorgeous when it comes back on the strings... but all the passage work in between I think sounds utterly banal, like Franck or Liszt at their very worst...

[Pabmusic]

...Off-Topic - Pabs, I don't think that the Brass instruments are responsible for unfinishedness of the Unfinished Symphony: in a B minor work, a Scherzo and Finale would offer lots of opportunity for plenty of D major brasserie...

Not if Schubert were to attempt a scherzo and finale in B minor, too. We know he began a scherzo in that key (and indeed wrote the entire first section up to the trio in short score) and he may have considered a B minor finale. If the B minor entr'acte from Rosamunde did begin as a finale for the Unfinished, then B minor was a serious possibility. This would have severely limited the available horn and trumpet notes that were available to him (D major would have been different, of course).

The truth is though that you are also right too. Schubert was very busy at the time and didn't complete a lot of things (the Wanderer Fantasy comes to mind as something that preoccupied him). Also of course he was diagnosed with syphilis during this time and may not have had quite the enthusiasm that he'd had earlier..

[Kuhlau]

This is very strange as I listened earlier this morning and iPlayer was then playing the correct item.

I've noticed that sometimes (perhaps always) the iPlayer 'programme' is later edited to 'top and tail' the selection. Perhaps that is what has happened and they messed things up.

Now seems to have rectified again - another Iplayer anomaly I guess!