Prom 44 - 15.08.13: Stravinsky, Penderecki, Debussy & Ravel

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

7.30pm – c. 9.30pm
Royal Albert Hall

Stravinsky
Fireworks (4 mins)
Krzysztof Penderecki
Concerto grosso (37 mins)
INTERVAL
Debussy
La mer (24 mins)
Ravel
Daphnis et Chloe – Suite No. 2 (17 mins)

Leonard Elschenbroich cello
Daniel Müller-Schott cello
Arto Noras cello, Proms debut artist
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Charles Dutoit conductor

Tonight's Prom opens with Stravinsky's short but brilliant Fireworks, and is followed by the Concerto Grosso by Krzyzstof Penderecki, who is 80 this year, featuring a trio of cellists Leonard Elschenbroich, Daniel Muller-Schott and Arto Noras. The concerto plays with Baroque forms, the cellists playing against choirs of woodwind. The work was written in 2000 and has been championed by Dutoit in Japan, Philadelphia and Chicago. The second half of the concert features 2 French scores: Debussy's sensuous orchestrations in La Mer, and concludes with the second suite from Ravel's stunningly beautiful Daphnis and Chloe.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Dutoit conducting Daphnis and Chloe brings to mind the first CD I ever bought on 1.03.83 - still playing perfectly and still stunning in every way.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Dutoit conducting Daphnis and Chloe brings to mind the first CD I ever bought on 1.03.83 - still playing perfectly and still stunning in every way.

That very same CD was in my first batch of discs that I bought two years later. By the time I "downsized" ten years later (it seemed a good idea at the time ), the Monteux had been released, so Dutoit went.

[pastoralguy]

Dutoit conducting Daphnis and Chloe brings to mind the first CD I ever bought on 1.03.83 - still playing perfectly and still stunning in every way.

Oddly enough, I read the review in Gramophone of the cd version recently. The reviewer said he waited for the the crackle and hiss that never came. My first cd was Mitsuko Uchida and Geoffry Tait with the ECO in Mozart's 20th
& 21st piano concertos on Phillips. Just as good now as it was when I first bought it.

[pilamenon]

Part Two Does Dutoit do anything much apart from early 20th century French - the same old scores endlessly recycled in concert? La Mer is on my list of works that should be banned from the Proms for a year or two, along with the Rite of Spring, Shostakovich 10 and the Alpine Symphony. Sorry for the grumpy sounding post!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Part 2 was a very popular LP coupling.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This is the first time I've heard the Penderecki Concerto grosso. What an incredible work.

[PJPJ]

This is the first time I've heard the Penderecki Concerto grosso. What an incredible work.

Isn't it just! I'm sorry I hadn't met it before.

indeed!

[LeMartinPecheur]

Isn't it just! I'm sorry I hadn't met it before.

indeed!

I see there's just one CD recording, Naxos, and it's well-rated on Amazon.

[Petrushka]

I see there's just one CD recording, Naxos, and it's well-rated on Amazon.

Would appear to be this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Penderecki-W...nderecki+naxos

Rather sorry that I had to unavoidably miss this Prom so will try to record the repeat.

[edashtav]

This is the first time I've heard the Penderecki Concerto grosso. What an incredible work.

Isn't it just! I'm sorry I hadn't met it before.

indeed!

I see there's just one CD recording, Naxos, and it's well-rated on Amazon.

I feel that I must disagree with the chorus of approval for Penderecki's idiosyncratic Concerto Grosso. It does have technical merits: marvellous scoring, memorable themes, sound craftmanship and a clear structure. The Prom performance was excellent, with wonderfully playing by the trio of cellists and a more than adequate accompaniment from the RPO guided by Charles Dutoit who projected well his own belief in the piece. My worries relate to the work's lack of originality. Penderecki had poured into his liquidiser 500cc of best Shostakovich, 100cc of Bruckner, 100cc of Schnittke and topped it with 300cc of MK 2 Penderecki. Now, I'm wary of the "new" Penderecki, I still prefer the challenges offered by MK 1. Can do better - should do better.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

My response, too, ed - but, at nearly 35 years "Penderecki Lite" has been around more than twice as long as "Penderecki Raw", so I suppose he thinks it's a good idea. Glad (-ish) that others enjoyed a New (-ish) work so enthusiastically, though.

[Roehre]

My response, too, ed - but, at nearly 35 years "Penderecki Lite" has been around more than twice as long as "Penderecki Raw", so I suppose he thinks it's a good idea. Glad (-ish) that others enjoyed a New (-ish) work so enthusiastically, though.

Makes three of us -

Certainly nice music, but also: nicely produced music (as that's how I fel it is composed), without even a shadow of the Raw Penderecki, let alone the shocking originality of the latter.

[edashtav]

My response, too, ed - but, at nearly 35 years "Penderecki Lite" has been around more than twice as long as "Penderecki Raw", so I suppose he thinks it's a good idea. Glad (-ish) that others enjoyed a New (-ish) work so enthusiastically, though.

Makes three of us -

Certainly nice music, but also: nicely produced music (as that's how I fel it is composed), without even a shadow of the Raw Penderecki, let alone the shocking originality of the latter.

Well the "score" looks about 3-3; I wonder if we can get a conclusive result in "extra" iPlayer time, or must we resort to penalties? I like your term Raw Penderecki, ferney, it does express the rough-edged, hit or miss, experimental nature of the younger version. I hadn't realised that Penderecki-lite has had more longevity than the Raw version. I wonder how Penderecki-lite views his Raw infancy? Some For3 poster is bound to know.

[LaurieWatt]

Well the "score" looks about 3-3; I wonder if we can get a conclusive result in "extra" iPlayer time, or must we resort to penalties? I like your term Raw Penderecki, ferney, it does express the rough-edged, hit or miss, experimental nature of the younger version. I hadn't realised that Penderecki-lite has had more longevity than the Raw version. I wonder how Penderecki-lite views his Raw infancy? Some For3 poster is bound to know.

Four in favour! I loved it.