Prom 4 - 20.07.14: Mahler 6 etc, World Orchestra for Peace, Gergiev

[CallMePaul]

I was shocked that there was applause and even cheering a conductor who is one of the main apologists for the world's most dangerous (because of his nuclear arsenal) warlord, Vladimir Putin. I would have hoped for some kind of disruption to the concert. Putin is, in the view of most westerners, personally responsible for the deliberate murder of nearly 300 civilians and if Gergiev wants to be welcome in the UK or other western countries, he must issue an unqualified condemnation of this act of war. Otherwise he should be deported forthwith and banned from visiting the EU for life.

By the way, what happened to a series of posts relating to a comparison between Gergiev's support for Putin's military adventures and Herbert von Karajan's membership of the Nazi Party in both its Austrian and German incarnations? Karajan may have reached the top of his profession but he was never welcome in the USA because of his politics and conducted there only once or twice.

[Beef Oven!]

I was shocked that there was applause and even cheering a conductor who is one of the main apologists for the world's most dangerous (because of his nuclear arsenal) warlord, Vladimir Putin. I would have hoped for some kind of disruption to the concert. Putin is, in the view of most westerners, personally responsible for the deliberate murder of nearly 300 civilians and if Gergiev wants to be welcome in the UK or other western countries, he must issue an unqualified condemnation of this act of war. Otherwise he should be deported forthwith and banned from visiting the EU for life.

By the way, what happened to a series of posts relating to a comparison between Gergiev's support for Putin's military adventures and Herbert von Karajan's membership of the Nazi Party in both its Austrian and German incarnations? Karajan may have reached the top of his profession but he was never welcome in the USA because of his politics and conducted there only once or twice.

Paul (can I call you Paul?)

I have already replied to a similar post of yours.

Beef Oven!

[CallMePaul]

Sorry this last post appeared 3 times - technical gremlins I think, which led me to believe that the first post was not uploaded.

[french frank]

By the way, what happened to a series of posts relating to a comparison between Gergiev's support for Putin's military adventures and Herbert von Karajan's membership of the Nazi Party in both its Austrian and German incarnations? Karajan may have reached the top of his profession but he was never welcome in the USA because of his politics and conducted there only once or twice.

As I said above, the specific concert threads are for discussing the concerts. The posts are on a new thread on the "Proms general topics" board. It's high up in the What's New? list. I realise the title (Gergiev and the WOfP) was not relevant to von K and the Nazi Party, but when discussions go off topic they tend to ricochet off in all directions.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Karajan may have reached the top of his profession but he was never welcome in the USA because of his politics and conducted there only once or twice.

!955 (BPO tour), 56 (Philharmonia tour), 58 (BPO), 67 (La Scala on tour, and the Met), 82 (BPO), 86 (BPO), & 88(VPO) at least, Paul. Mostly sold-out houses (conspicuously less so with the Philharmonia tour) - so much so that Gelb was worried about lawsuits when Karajan had to pull out of a concert through illness - all the tickets had been sold, and Levine and Ozawa (the replacements) didn't have the box office draw of Karajan.

[Oliver]

I was surprised how many empty seats there were in the Circle. People with seats there were being given the option of moving to the stalls which, eventually, were more or less full.
The performance was good in parts, certainly not as overwhelming as the Barbican one in which Gergiev conducted the LSO a few years back but I liked the pacing and he put the slow movement second as I prefer. He didn't seem as involved as he usually is. Even his hair remained more or less under control!
The BBC was certainly fearful of demonstrations but (as usual) a little muddled as to their possible motivation. I wore my silk Palestine scarf in solidarity with my friends in Occupied Palestine where I stay each year. A very polite young lady from RAH management asked me whether I was going to be involved in a protest that night....two news stories seem to have been confused.

[Lento]

Whatever one's views about Gergiev's suitability for the rôle, and the impact of his busy concert schedule, I confess to having enjoyed (if that's the right word) much of the Mahler in particular. Did something go a little awry in the brass at the beginning of the last movement (around 1:19 on iPlayer pt 2)?

[Sir Velo]

I was shocked that there was applause and even cheering a conductor who is one of the main apologists for the world's most dangerous (because of his nuclear arsenal) warlord, Vladimir Putin. I would have hoped for some kind of disruption to the concert. Putin is, in the view of most westerners, personally responsible for the deliberate murder of nearly 300 civilians and if Gergiev wants to be welcome in the UK or other western countries, he must issue an unqualified condemnation of this act of war. Otherwise he should be deported forthwith and banned from visiting the EU for life.

By the way, what happened to a series of posts relating to a comparison between Gergiev's support for Putin's military adventures and Herbert von Karajan's membership of the Nazi Party in both its Austrian and German incarnations? Karajan may have reached the top of his profession but he was never welcome in the USA because of his politics and conducted there only once or twice.

Lot of Russians in town at the moment

[gradus]

Getting back to the Mahler, why do trumpeters have such difficulty with that very exposed short phrase in the opening bars. Similar problem to Gergiev's man in a live VPO performance last year conducted by Bychkov.
Grateful for elightenment from board brass players.

[amateur51]

Getting back to the Mahler, why do trumpeters have such difficulty with that very exposed short phrase in the opening bars. Similar problem to Gergiev's man in a live VPO performance last year conducted by Bychkov.
Grateful for elightenment from board brass players.

Rod Franks, LSO trumpeter, who has just died after a car crash ...

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/news/lso-trumpeter-rod-franks-has-died

... gives a Mahler synphony no.6 trumpet masterclass ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NcATpZzMA1Y

[gradus]

Thanks for the posting covering exactly the passage I raised and presented so ably by Rod Franks. A fine musician.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Rod Franks ... gives a Mahler synphony no.6 trumpet masterclass ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=NcATpZzMA1Y

That link was brilliant, ami; the way he just communicated information, sharing what he knew with intelligent listeners - a great tribute to a wonderful Musician.

[PJPJ]

That link was brilliant, ami; the way he just communicated information, sharing what he knew with intelligent listeners - a great tribute to a wonderful Musician.

Terrific stuff - thanks for the link. Rod Franks will be much missed. So sad.

[Boilk]

Giergiev announced his support of Putin's actions in Ukraine earlier this year - keep politics out of music and we all say.

Putin's actions were a response to the wishes of the vast majority of people in Crimea who perhaps did not wish to be governed by a US-backed regime in Kiev comprising mostly oligarchs and fascists (and not a few closet anti-semites). The mainstream Western media tacitly demonises the people of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine as "pro-Russians", whereas Russia sees them for what they are ... ethnic Russians.

But yes, politics generally belongs outside of music (and some other arts). Gergiev's pro-Putin stance is not new; in the 2013(?) Russian presidential elections he openly pledged his support in TV interviews.

[EdgeleyRob]

Whatever one's views about Gergiev's suitability for the rôle, and the impact of his busy concert schedule, I confess to having enjoyed (if that's the right word) much of the Mahler in particular. Did something go a little awry in the brass at the beginning of the last movement (around 1:19 on iPlayer pt 2)?

Yes it did,I watched on BBC 4 earlier.
The brass and timps seemed out of sync with each other,I think.
Minor blip though.