Prom 55 - 23.08.13: Lutosławski, Shostakovich & Panufnik

[BBMmk2]

Sensational in the hall and everyone I spoke to in the pub after seemed to agree. Also, his encore was almost unbelievable in the moment. Evidently one of those "you had to be there" things. Overall this concert was a highlight of the season IMO.

I still have the same opinion, Simon, after a second hearing, just in case I missed anything, which, imo, I havnt. It still sounded rushed, clarity not very good and not rehearsed very much beforehand, probably!

[edashtav]

Fascinating review Edashtav, thankyou...

I've never personally felt anything to be lacking in DSCH 6, and I wonder if it's the closest he came in a symphony to "pure music", in the classical sense, unencumbered by hidden programmes or meanings. The first few minutes of the Largo - a declarative cry of pain followed swiftly by a tragic climax - carry more weight than you would expect from a slow movement, emotionally and musically. For me this is enough of a "1st movement" in its depth and power. Then it sinks into darkness and stillness....a long night-watch... finally light breaks upon the vigil as those horns come in, mood lightening in a major key, near the close. You could see it as a dawn to dusk piece, and there are plenty of other DSCH vigils to relate it to.

The second movement gets gently under way... life's bustle returns again, becomes a bit too bright and garish and overstimulating, but ends with a lovely shadowy coda in which I don't find anything sharp or sardonic; it seems rather peaceful, beautifully scored too - DSCH just enjoying the pure pleasure of sound? The finale is indeed riotous, inhabited by the crazy, slightly unnerving hysterical joy of clowns tumbling around a circus ring... we've gone from catastrophe and desolation to recovery, creative joy and finally - way too much excitement. It is a way of seeing the world. However you see Shostakovich and what his life did to his creative personality, it would all make perfect sense from the point of view of a manic depressive.

Shostakovich Symphony No. 6 "The Classical"... yes, why not? It offers a very unusual foreground against classical models of allegro-adagio-scherzo-finale, with the first two movements compressed into one (the Largo). The great emotional import of those first few minutes makes it work (I hope not just for me), but think of the opening of Bruckner 7, and how B7 follows two slower movements with two quick ones; or the reverse in Schnittke 5...).

The 6th is a symphony of extremes; whether you "understand" it may even depend upon your own life-experience. It may be divided against itself, but I think it does find a delicate balance - delicate and emotionally fragile.

A probing and thoughtful post, Jayne. I often think that there's nothing so fascinating about Shostakovich's music as the questions and arguments that arise from it.

[Maclintick]

Fascinating review Edashtav, thankyou...

The 6th is a symphony of extremes; whether you "understand" it may even depend upon your own life-experience. It may be divided against itself, but I think it does find a delicate balance - delicate and emotionally fragile.

Good thoughts on one of Shostakovich's most confusing and/or enigmatic scores, JLW. The 6th really does give ammunition to those who, along with Boulez, dismiss the composer's offerings as "second and third pressings of Mahler", particularly the long winter of the soul in the first movement - the glacial stasis of meandering woodwind recitatives, underpinned by bass harp notes, echoing similar passages in "Der Abschied". We know that Shostakovich was obsessed by Mahler & "Das Lied" in particular during the time of of composing the 4th & 5th symphonies, so one can regard the disjointed extremes of the 6th as a textbook example of the Mahlerian concept of the "Symphony as The World", emotional strife, dictators, family life, circuses and all.

The finale isn't entirely a romp in the Big Top, however. Between fig. 107 & 112 the clouds sweep in & the mood darkens as the bassoon pricks our collective & deliberate amnesia. Flute & solo violin jog our memory towards earlier tragedies before encouraging the dancers & tumblers back onto the floor to celebrate the triumph of The People. The message couldn't be clearer.

Perhaps it doesn't all hang together. I love it.

[mlb7171]

Just been on LA with the Shostakovich PC. Last movement was rather smudgy, lots of pedal down covering inarticulate finger work. But the worst moment for me was the initial piano entry in the second movement. Sounded like he walloped the key with a mallet. Supposed to be beautiful and subtle...