Prom 32 - 10.08.14: ASMF, Bell / Marriner

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sunday, 10 August
4.00 p.m. – c. 6.20 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C, Op 21
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor

Walton: Henry V: A Shakespeare Scenario (arr. Christopher Palmer; first complete performance at The Proms)

John Hurt, narrator
Joshua Bell, violin

London Philharmonic Choir
Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Sir Neville Marriner, conductor

In his First Symphony Beethoven retained the 18th-century grace and wit of Haydn and Mozart, adding his own forward-looking innovations.

Bruch's First Violin Concerto is pure, swooning 19th- century Romanticism, while Walton's Henry V recalls a golden age of 20th-century film music. Sir Neville Marriner, 90 this year, returns to conduct the arrangement of Henry V he himself premiered in 1988. He is joined by Joshua Bell, the Music Director of The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, who appears as both director and soloist.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A very special event. Not many conductors are still active when in their 90s.

[Roslynmuse]

Do we know who the narrator will be for Henry V?

[Petrushka]

Do we know who the narrator will be for Henry V?

No mention on the Proms page but Samuel West did a great job in excerpts played at a Last Night some years ago.

[Roslynmuse]

No mention on the Proms page but Samuel West did a great job in excerpts played at a Last Night some years ago.

I saw him do the piece with the Hallé in Manchester, c 2002.

[David Underdown]

John Hurt - http://www.theguardian.com/music/201...-proms-henry-v

[Roslynmuse]

Ah, many thanks!

[Simon B]

No mention on the Proms page but Samuel West did a great job in excerpts played at a Last Night some years ago.

And (superbly) in the Palmer "Scenario" with John Wilson and the Philharmonia at the Three Choirs Festival just last Wednesday. My money was therefore on him doing the Prom as well. Wrong again!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Ah, many thanks!

And thanks from me too. OP duly amended.

[mercia]

what does the 'narration' consist of ? is it bits and pieces of speeches ? Hurt is a rather pensionable Henry I would have thought.

[Sir Velo]

what does the 'narration' consist of ? is it bits and pieces of speeches ? Hurt is a rather pensionable Henry I would have thought.

The narrator has to read more than just Henry's lines. Depending on what they cut/include it will incorporate speeches from the chorus, Mountjoy and others.

[Ferretfancy]

Chandos recorded most of Walton's film music with the ASMF and Marriner, back in the 1990's, including Henry V with Christopher Palmer, Richard III and Hamlet with Gielgud. Of these, I think that Henry V works the best, Gielgud is a bit OTT

The same forces recorded suites from lesser known Walton film scores, including Escape Me Never, Major Barbara, As You Like It, and Troilus and Cressida. I'm not sure if these are still in circulation, but they are very good, chips from the workbench maybe, but worth hearing. The film of Major Barbara with Wendy Hiller still comes out well for a British film of the period (1940), I haven't managed to see the others.

[bluestateprommer]

Calendar duly amended, also noting that this is JH's debut at The Proms.

what does the 'narration' consist of ? is it bits and pieces of speeches ? Hurt is a rather pensionable Henry I would have thought.

You can find the narration that Palmer assembled in the booklet pdf to the Christopher Plummer recording with the ASMF and Sir Neville:

http://www.chandos-records.com/pdf/CHAN%208892.pdf

Following up on Sir Velo's comment, on balance, the majority of the text in this adaptation comes from the Chorus. It does include Henry V's big battle speeches (Harfleur and St. Crispin's Day), of course, but also a "mash-up" where the speaker takes all the parts in the scene just after Agincourt.

If nothing else, it's nice to see old pros like John Hurt and Bernard Cribbins making their debuts at The Proms this season.

[mercia]

You can find the narration that Palmer assembled in the booklet pdf to the Christopher Plummer recording with the ASMF and Sir Neville:

http://www.chandos-records.com/pdf/CHAN%208892.pdf

thanks for that

[mercia]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28711725