Prom 5 - 21.07.14: Tonhalle Orchestra, J. Fischer / Zinman

[Hornspieler]

A voice from beyond has contacted us to give his view of the concert. For those who welcomed the comments of the member formerly known as Ariosto:

"PROM 5

I heard this in part on iPlayer and also on TV and it was somewhat different on the two platforms. I only heard the first half.

However, I’m surprised at all the hype about the orchestra, conductor and soloist.

Obviously I’m going to present a different opinion to the norm as I’ve seen elsewhere. So maybe you should stop reading now!

Till

I thought this an unsubtle and rather raucous rendition and it lacked finesse and was also a bit un-together at times. Poor balance too from the BBC (on TV at least). Not that impressive and I would say it would rate as an average performance from one of our lesser provincial orchestras. (Well by me at any rate).

Dvorak fiddle concerto.

My wife commented on JF’s awful sound just before leaving the room! OK, Julia Fischer played the easy bits OK (apart from the sound), but struggled with the more difficult passages. It was for me a very un-memorable performance. When you hear really great violinists play this piece you realise what is missing.

Oh, I forgot the conductor. Well, I’m well known for my generosity about conductors so I will be generous and say Mr Zinman was a good to average stick waver. But I’m pleased I never played for him"

I'm sure the pleasure would have been mutual.

Did this message come from Ariosto or from his lurcher?

Oh! Sorry! They are one and the same, aren't they?

Is Ariosto a member now or is he not ... and if he is not, why are his uninformed prejudices being aired on these message boards?

HS

[Flosshilde]

Just as an aside - when is the BBC (and other broadcasters) going to dispense with those unsightly face-hugging microphones which, presumably, are considered visually less intrusive. Yet to me they look like some horrible exzema if not outright psoriasis.

When I first saw one I thought the person wearing it had an unfortunate boil. Daley Thomson was wearing one for his bit after the Commonwealth Games the other day - in his case it wasn't unobtrusively flesh coloured (if that's what they're supposed to be). If they insist on using them they'll need a range of colours to suit the wearer.

Re Ariosto - I rather agree with HS. If he wants to comment, why not do it directly, rather than in that 'hit & run' manner? (I do wonder what he was like playing in orchestras - has he saved up all his bile against conductors for his retirement, or did he give vent to it during rehearsals?)

[Hornspieler]

Re Ariosto - I rather agree with HS. If he wants to comment, why not do it directly, rather than in that 'hit & run' manner? (I do wonder what he was like playing in orchestras - has he saved up all his bile against conductors for his retirement, or did he give vent to it during rehearsals?)

He was once described on the BBC message boards (As I recall) as "behaving like the 5th form bully with a large chip on his shoulder"

I don't remember if he was "Big Jamie", "Queen of the Night" or "Cellini" among his various nom-de-plumes at that time.

A rank and file viola player who claimed to have played with opera orchestras, Provincial orchestras and the BBC orchestras.

Best just to ignore him and treat his posts as those of a failed Wannabee.

HS

[cloughie]

Danielle de Niese is an absolute pain.

Looked good but talked twaddle!

[french frank]

Looked good but talked twaddle!

It is television we're talking about!

[amateur51]

He was once described on the BBC message boards (As I recall) as "behaving like the 5th form bully with a large chip on his shoulder"

I don't remember if he was "Big Jamie", "Queen of the Night" or "Cellini" among his various nom-de-plumes at that time.

A rank and file viola player who claimed to have played with opera orchestras, Provincial orchestras and the BBC orchestras.

Best just to ignore him and treat his posts as those of a failed Wannabee.

HS

You're way down on your comments re orchestral Proms HS (not Ventilhorn or several of your sundry noms-de- Forum )

Stop bickering & get commenting ... or I'll set Sir Geoffrey Boycott on you!! "My mother could conduct Shostakovich symphony no.10 wi' a stick o' rhubarb!"

[french frank]

I've just listened to Till and found it mesmerising. Zurich is a smaller city than Bristol - if only we had a 'provincial-rate' orchestra this good . Lovely, light, springy, when it needed to be - I did enjoy. The concerto when I've done a few Saturday chores.

[Bryn]

You know Johnson & Johnson cotton buds are freely available from most chemist shops...

But one is advised never to put anything smaller than one's elbow into one's ear.

[cloughie]

I've just listened to Till and found it mesmerising. Zurich is a smaller city than Bristol - if only we had a 'provincial-rate' orchestra this good . Lovely, light, springy, when it needed to be - I did enjoy. The concerto when I've done a few Saturday chores.

How big is Bournemouth cf Zurich?

[Nick Armstrong]

I've just listened to Till and found it mesmerising. Zurich is a smaller city than Bristol - if only we had a 'provincial-rate' orchestra this good . Lovely, light, springy, when it needed to be - I did enjoy. The concerto when I've done a few Saturday chores.

[teamsaint]

How big is Bournemouth cf Zurich?

i think the crucial factor here may be age profile........

[Nick Armstrong]

i think the crucial factor here may be age profile........

you may be on to something there...

[amateur51]

you may be on to something there...

Have a care, you two - a certain windy member lives in/near Bournemouth

[Hornspieler]

I've just listened to Till and found it mesmerising. Zurich is a smaller city than Bristol - if only we had a 'provincial-rate' orchestra this good . Lovely, light, springy, when it needed to be - I did enjoy. The concerto when I've done a few Saturday chores.

I'm sure that fans of the Royal Liverpool, Hallé, and Royal Scottish National Orchestra would dispute that statement.

The population of Zurich is approximately 396,000. Well in excess of Bournemouth and Poole (where the BSO is now based)

BTW Nobody seems to mention the Orchestra of the Swiss Romande these days. Are they still in existence?

HS

[Nick Armstrong]

BTW Nobody seems to mention the Orchestra of the Swiss Romande these days. Are they still in existence?

HS

Yes they do and they are - there was a week of afternoon programmes featuring concert recordings by the OSR on Radio 3 a few months ago http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03t0b9v