Prom 16 - 29.07.14: Borusan Istanbul PO, Hope / Goetzel

[Tevot]

Overall, I agree with the positive assessment of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic in this concert. Bags of style, loads of character, much more so than the China Philharmonic, even though the BIPO is only a part-time ensemble by comparison, which perhaps makes it all the more remarkable. It may also reflect that Sascha Goetzel is simply a better conductor than Long Yu. Given a choice of which ensemble of the two to bring back, no question; bring back the BIPO, hands down.

Hello there,

Currently listening to the concert on the radio i-player and am in full agreement with you BSP. A really enjoyable concert - though the Gabriel Prokofiev didn't make much of an impression. I also agree with Teamsaint about the sound of the orchestra -(certainly light years away from the thin, metallic sound of the China Philharmonic) - indeed the clean, clear, fresh playing of the BIPO made one sit up and take notice. It's great having these concerts available for 30 days after first broadcast - as there have been so many I've missed first time round

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04bryvf

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Hornspieler]

Hello there,

Currently listening to the concert on the radio i-player and am in full agreement with you BSP. A really enjoyable concert - though the Gabriel Prokofiev didn't make much of an impression. I also agree with Teamsaint about the sound of the orchestra -(certainly light years away from the thin, metallic sound of the China Philharmonic) - indeed the clean, clear, fresh playing of the BIPO made one sit up and take notice. It's great having these concerts available for 30 days after first broadcast - as there have been so many I've missed first time round

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04bryvf

Best Wishes,

Tevot

Turkish Delight

I probably would not have bothered to watch this TV showing (I missed the R3 broadcast) but one item caught my eye and took me back almost exactly 65 years to September 1949 when I was a sixteen year old student in my first term at the Royal Academy of Music:

Friday afternoon, 1st Orchestra rehearsal conducted by Clarence Raybould. And the first piece that was produced from the Henry Wood Library (of which the RAM is custodian) was Beni Mora

A lot of 'firsts' but the point is that I have never played, or even heard, that work since that important day.

They do say that "Nostalgia is not what it used to be" so I must move on to last nights TV:

I thought that Katie Durham excelled herself with that presentation and getting her tongue round all those difficult words - much better than those Mutt and Jeff duos of previous TV relays. (No names, no pack drill, etc.) but it did strike me as a bit odd to describe this as "... a young orchestra, average age 35 ..." which I would have thought to be the average of of almost any symphony orchestra.

So, to the programme:

I recognised the Balakirev (first item) but I don't know from where or when. I'm sure I never played it but it was enjoyable and Oriental enough to make me wonder why those young violinists did not display bare midriffs (Sorry, Jayne)

Then the Holst:

After all those 65 years I found that, throughout the work, I knew what was coming next, just as if I had heard it yesterday. - that insistant rhythm in the last movement, started by the flute. A marathon for the player but finally taken over by the timpanist. Not only did it come alive for me, but I could see in my mind's eye those original fellow students - flautist Pauline Dale, oboist Mary Murdoch, E flat clarinet, Michael Meyerowitz, timpanist Donald Thomas. A salutary reminder that the past will always be there to remind us of past triumphs and disasters.

So, moving on:

The Gabriel Prokofiev piece was challenging to my ears but interesting. I was particularly drawn to the ravishing sound of that violin. What was it? Surely not a Strad - maybe a Guarnerius? At times it almost had the quality of a viola with its rich intensity.

The Beecham arrangement also took me back to the fifties. Terence McDonagh and Leonard Brain (Dennis Brain's older brother)

Delightful duet playing by the two oboists last night and truly worthy of "Tommy's" arrangement.

Finale, that Respighi ballet suite.

I remarked to my wife before it started, "Respighi never wrote anything that was easy to play."

Last night's work was no exception and I thought the entire orchestrawas magnificent.

If you did not catch this concert on the iPlayer or whatever, seek it out.

You will not be disappointed.

HS

BTW Although within the theme of the concert, I felt that the Mozart Overture was out of place in this programme but I do have an amusing anecdote about Die Entfurung, which I will tell at another time

[salymap]

Turkish Delight

I probably would not have bothered to watch this TV showing (I missed the R3 broadcast) but one item caught my eye and took me back almost exactly 65 years to September 1949 when I was a sixteen year old student in my first term at the Royal Academy of Music:

Friday afternoon, 1st Orchestra rehearsal conducted by Clarence Raybould. And the first piece that was produced from the Henry Wood Library (of which the RAM is custodian) was Beni Mora

A lot of 'firsts' but the point is that I have never played, or even heard, that work since that important day.

They do say that "Nostalgia is not what it used to be" so I must move on to last nights TV:

I thought that Katie Durham excelled herself with that presentation and getting her tongue round all those difficult words - much better than those Mutt and Jeff duos of previous TV relays. (No names, no pack drill, etc.) but it did strike me as a bit odd to describe this as "... a young orchestra, average age 35 ..." which I would have thought to be the average of of almost any symphony orchestra.

So, to the programme:

I recognised the Balakirev (first item) but I don't know from where or when. I'm sure I never played it but it was enjoyable and Oriental enough to make me wonder why those young violinists did not display bare midriffs (Sorry, Jayne)

Then the Holst:

After all those 65 years I found that, throughout the work, I knew what was coming next, just as if I had heard it yesterday. - that insistant rhythm in the last movement, started by the flute. A marathon for the player but finally taken over by the timpanist. Not only did it come alive for me, but I could see in my mind's eye those original fellow students - flautist Pauline Dale, oboist Mary Murdoch, E flat clarinet, Michael Meyerowitz, timpanist Donald Thomas. A salutary reminder that the past will always be there to remind us of past triumphs and disasters.

So, moving on:

The Gabriel Prokofiev piece was challenging to my ears but interesting. I was particularly drawn to the ravishing sound of that violin. What was it? Surely not a Strad - maybe a Guarnerius? At times it almost had the quality of a viola with its rich intensity.

The Beecham arrangement also took me back to the fifties. Terence McDonagh and Leonard Brain (Dennis Brain's older brother)

Delightful duet playing by the two oboists last night and truly worthy of "Tommy's" arrangement.

Finale, that Respighi ballet suite.

I remarked to my wife before it started, "Respighi never wrote anything that was easy to play."

Last night's work was no exception and I thought the entire orchestrawas magnificent.

If you did not catch this concert on the iPlayer or whatever, seek it out.

You will not be disappointed.

HS

BTW Although within the theme of the concert, I felt that the Mozart Overture was out of place in this programme but I do have an amusing anecdote about Die Entfurung, which I will tell at another time

morning all- Holst's Beni Mora was an ongoing joke between Chris Newman, our much missed late member and myself.
He pretended to misunderstand my comments about Caravans crossing the Desert.

I can't hear music ATM but I remember the repetative rhythm of that piece.


Sorry - back to a review of the concert

[BBMmk2]

After watching the Proms Extra excerpt, I really must watch the rather colourful conductor!!

[Richard Tarleton]

Turkish Delight


The Gabriel Prokofiev piece was challenging to my ears but interesting. I was particularly drawn to the ravishing sound of that violin. What was it? Surely not a Strad - maybe a Guarnerius? At times it almost had the quality of a viola with its rich intensity.

HS - I've heard Daniel Hope talking about his violin on the radio -

Hope plays the 1742 “ex-Lipiński” Guarneri del Gesù, placed generously at his disposal by an anonymous family from Germany. The instrument carries the name of its owner, the 19th-century Polish violinist Karol Lipiński, who shared the stage with Paganini, Schumann, and Liszt.

...from his website. So yes!

I prefer Islamey in its original piano solo form, it has more bite. Here's Boris Beresovsky. Liszt admired the piece, famously sightreading it on first acquaintance.

[Hornspieler]

morning all- Holst's Beni Mora was an ongoing joke between Chris Newman, our much missed late member and myself.
He pretended to misunderstand my comments about Caravans crossing the Desert.

I can't hear music ATM but I remember the repetative rhythm of that piece.


Sorry - back to a review of the concert

Good morning Sally,

Glad to see that you're reading and posting.

Gives a new meaning to a caravan holiday in the Sahara.

"Bedouin and Breakfast, madam?"

HS