Prom 68 - 2.09.13: Tchaikovsky, Szymanowski & Rachmaninov

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

7.30pm – c. 10.00pm
Royal Albert Hall

Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 1 in G minor 'Winter Daydreams' (44 mins)
INTERVAL
Szymanowski
Violin Concerto No. 1 (24 mins)
Rachmaninov
Symphonic Dances (36 mins)

Baiba Skride violin
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko conductor

Proms debut violinist Baiba Skride joins the Oslo Philharmonic and its new Chief Conductor, Vasily Petrenko, to continue the Proms focus on Polish music in their performance of Szymanowski's Violin Concerto No. 1, an opulent nocturnal fantasy from a composer enchanted by the sound-worlds of North Africa and the southern Mediterranean, and inspired by the 'amorous conflagration' of Tadeusz Micinski's poem 'May Night'.
Tchaikovsky's youthful Symphony No. 1, 'Winter Daydreams', and Rachmaninov's nostalgic final work, the Symphonic Dances of 1940, frame the concerto in a programme rich with dreams.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It was recordings of Tchaikovsky's symphonies that put this orchestra well and truly on the map.

[Roehre]

It was recordings of Tchaikovsky's symphonies that put this orchestra well and truly on the map.

As it did Mariss Jansons

[BBMmk2]

Yes and what a cycle it still is!! Thisd Prom looks very tempting indeed! Good to have an early Tcvhaik symphony, so underrated, imo.

The Syzmanowski Fest, looks also rather enticing with his VC no.1.

[Petrushka]

Yes and what a cycle it still is!! Thisd Prom looks very tempting indeed! Good to have an early Tcvhaik symphony, so underrated, imo.

The Syzmanowski Fest, looks also rather enticing with his VC no.1.

I was sorely tempted to include this in my Proms Planner on the grounds that the last week of the Proms was practically devoid of interest for me but had to rule it out for work reasons and also because it sat too awkwardly between the Jurowski Prom and the VPO, both of which I'm attending, to make travel worthwhile. All that said, this is a good programme and, I wouldn't mind betting, a good deal more up Petrenko's street than the Bruckner 4 in the following Prom.

[edashtav]

Yes and what a cycle it still is!! Thisd Prom looks very tempting indeed! Good to have an early Tcvhaik symphony, so underrated, imo.

The Syzmanowski Fest, looks also rather enticing with his VC no.1.

Spot on, BBM

[teamsaint]

Very tempted to make a late dash to this.great looking programme?

Queues shouldnt be too bad ? Or will they........?

[Zucchini]

Baiba Skride is seriously good (and she's a lovely person)

[teamsaint]

Baiba Skride is seriously good (and she's a lovely person)

Long queues then?

[Alison]

The Tchaikovsky should sound glorious in the Albert Hall ! A most appropriate choice for the last week when suddenly thoughts turn towards the harsher chillier days ahead ...

[Dave2002]

Long queues then?

Go for it anyway! I'm looking forward to this one - but I have a seat booked. There is another opportunity to hear the Tchaikovsky at the RFH I think, in the 2013-14 season - [12th January, LPO]. It's hardly ever played - and I'm hoping to enjoy it a lot. I did like the Tchaikovsky 2 a few weeks back.

I'll check out the comment re Petrenko's Bruckner too. Right now I don't have a very strong feeling about that one, but Tuesday may change that.

[edashtav]

The Tchaikovsky should sound glorious in the Albert Hall ! A most appropriate choice for the last week when suddenly thoughts turn towards the harsher chillier days ahead ...

Yes, I agree, Alison and so will Rachmaninov's masterly, late Symphonic Dances. I've taken a strong interest in Tchaikovsky's 1st Symphony since hearing a marvellous and original introduction to it by Professor Alexander Ivashkin, the great expert on Schnittke. He demonstrated the strength of its first movement and his analysis of the groping, motif free, start of the second movement showed how it pre-echoed later works that exist as a collage of sounds. With one of my 10 favourite violin concerti thrown in for good measure, it's no surprise that I shall be wending my way to the RAH later today.

[jayne lee wilson]

WOW! Well, so much for the Proms fizzling out this year...

What a wonderful Tchaikovsky 1st.
Petrenko kept tight control of ensemble and rhythm, upon which rich and weighty basis (lower strings focussing the sonority from centre stage), the orchestra played with freedom and intensity of expression. It's a sound we know well here in Liverpool - that sense of the strings having a tight grip on their phrasing, able to switch instantly from drive to delicacy. Waftingly sensuous in the slow movement, virtuoso brilliance in the finale (but the brass always clean and controlled), a Slavonic sound (without the Russian warbles) which comes from orchestra and conductor having the music in their blood, yes - but, evidently knowing how to play it after much practice and performance.

This one goes right to the top of the best orchestral performances this year, along with such as Alsop's Schumann 4, Salonen's Bruckner 7, Ticciati's Eroica and Karabits' BSO Tchaikovsky 3.

[LaurieWatt]

[QUOTE=jayne lee wilson;327310]WOW! Well, so much for the Proms fizzling out this year...

What a wonderful Tchaikovsky 1st.

Yes, Jayne but the strings were having a real old scramble to keep up in the last movement. The only other down side for me was an over slow and rather slack second movement. The rest was terrific and again a wonderful broadcast.

[Dave2002]

What was the encore?

i heard the Rachmaninov with the Philadelphia Orchestra a few years ago - lovely sound, but wish they'd been conducted by someone with a bit more drive than Dutoit. Petrenko was pretty good tonight, as was the orchestra, though I think it took them a while to warm up.