Prom 32 - 10.08.14: ASMF, Bell / Marriner

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Just listening to this concert. I have to pinch myself to convince myself that the conductor really is 90 years old.

[pilamenon]

Just listening to this concert. I have to pinch myself to convince myself that the conductor really is 90 years old.

And played for Henry Wood at the Proms!

I adore this full Henry V scenario. Wonderful to hear it, and John Hurt's narration.

[AjAjAjH]

[QUOTE=Eine Alpensinfonie; I have to pinch myself to convince myself that the conductor really is 90 years old.[/QUOTE]

So do I when Stanislaw Skrowaczewski conducts the Halle. He's back next season aged 91+ conducting Weber, Schumann and Brahms.

[Ferretfancy]

Joshua Bell played and conducted the Beethoven seated next to the leader. His body language was pretty vigorous while doing so, but he achieved a vivid performance. He returned to the platform to play and conduct the Max Bruch. I know there are those who never want to hear it again, shades of Classic FM and all that, but this was a beautiful performance. Joshua Bell has the measure of this hall from his many appearances, and is obviously getting very good results with his conductorship of the ASMF.

I enjoyed the Walton very much, running through the Olivier film in my minds eye - that lovely technicolor can now be seen at its best on Blu Ray. John Hurt was expressive in his narration, but underpowered. His voice is really too light, and he had to work hard to rise above the orchestra. Perhaps this Shakespeare assemblage works better on the Chandos CD, or on air. Marriner brought everything possible out of the music, with fine playing from the orchestra and singing from a surprisingly large chorus.
This was one of those Proms that worked much better than a glance at the programme might have suggested, and the rain had stopped by the time we came out ready for the NYO later in the day.

[PJPJ]

I enjoyed the Walton very much, running through the Olivier film in my minds eye - that lovely technicolor can now be seen at its best on Blu Ray. John Hurt was expressive in his narration, but underpowered. His voice is really too light, and he had to work hard to rise above the orchestra. Perhaps this Shakespeare assemblage works better on the Chandos CD, or on air.

John Hurt seemed to me to come across very well on air; I was utterly seduced by his performance. A splendid concert. I wish I'd been there.

[Ferretfancy]

John Hurt seemed to me to come across very well on air; I was utterly seduced by his performance. A splendid concert. I wish I'd been there.

As I said, he was very expressive, I'm glad it came across well on air. If only they would redesign the Albert Hall's sound system, which from the vantage point of the Arena booms like a voice in a tunnel.Of course, it will never be ideal, but I do think that it could be better than it is.

No more quibbling, it was a hugely enjoyable concert, and incidentally it was better attended than the NYO concert in the evening.

[PJPJ]

As I said, he was very expressive, I'm glad it came across well on air. If only they would redesign the Albert Hall's sound system, which from the vantage point of the Arena booms like a voice in a tunnel.Of course, it will never be ideal, but I do think that it could be better than it is.

No more quibbling, it was a hugely enjoyable concert, and incidentally it was better attended than the NYO concert in the evening.

That shocks me - the last Prom I went to, several years ago, was an NYO one and the RAH was packed. The sound system seems from comments on other concerts not to be up to the job.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Perhaps is was unwise to have two full-scale orchestral concerts on the same day?

[mlb7171]

So do I when Stanislaw Skrowaczewski conducts the Halle. He's back next season aged 91+ conducting Weber, Schumann and Brahms.

What a pity the BBC couldn't have managed a Prom for Stan, he was amazing earlier this year with the LPO.

[Simon Biazeck]

What a pity this seems not to be scheduled for TV. Someone tell me I'm wrong!

[Simon B]

What a pity this seems not to be scheduled for TV. Someone tell me I'm wrong!

There weren't any cameras*, so it seems wrongness is sadly unavailable to you on this occasion.

(Ok, technically there were, but they weren't in use - unlike during the later NYO Prom).

I'm not sure what was more visually impressive - the sprightly ease with which our nonagenarian conductor strode on and did his thing, or John Hurt's voluminous facial topiary...

[Tevot]

Hello there,

Just heard Joshua Bell's performance of the Bruch concerto. Lovely.

Now listening to the engaging and intelligent interval talk / discussion between Neville and Andrew Marriner ( pere and fils)

This to my mind is the kind of content that should be a constant at R3...

Not yet heard the Walton... I'm looking forward to it

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Roslynmuse]

I was there on Sunday (and at the NYO evening prom). From my stalls vantage point (precisely 6 o'clock if the conductor is at 12 ) the difference between the rather soft-edged sound in the Beethoven and Bruch and the immediacy of the Walton was striking. Not just a question of the scoring, either. John Hurt was sometimes slightly obscured by the orchestra - although I've read reviews stating precisely the opposite, which just goes to show how problematic a hall (or sound system) it is. Marriner was remarkable - clear, unfussy conducting, had obviously prepared the orchestra and choirs thoroughly (although they don't have much to do, they need to be so alert to make the sort of impact they did on Sunday), looked hardly a day over 70!

I found the Beethoven a bit rushed (maybe because of the seat I was in); some of the wind playing was a bit flat (flutes), and I had the impression (although this again could be a function of the RAH acoustic) that ensemble was not all it should have been. But I'll listen again to get a different perspective.

[bluestateprommer]

Joshua Bell played and conducted the Beethoven seated next to the leader. His body language was pretty vigorous while doing so, but he achieved a vivid performance. He returned to the platform to play and conduct the Max Bruch. I know there are those who never want to hear it again, shades of Classic FM and all that, but this was a beautiful performance. Joshua Bell has the measure of this hall from his many appearances, and is obviously getting very good results with his conductorship of the ASMF.

I enjoyed the Walton very much, running through the Olivier film in my minds eye - that lovely technicolor can now be seen at its best on Blu Ray. John Hurt was expressive in his narration, but underpowered. His voice is really too light, and he had to work hard to rise above the orchestra. Perhaps this Shakespeare assemblage works better on the Chandos CD, or on air. Marriner brought everything possible out of the music, with fine playing from the orchestra and singing from a surprisingly large chorus.
This was one of those Proms that worked much better than a glance at the programme might have suggested, and the rain had stopped by the time we came out ready for the NYO later in the day.

Agree that LvB 1 was quite vivid and lively. Small horn blip towards the end of the slow movement, and the odd fractional slip elsewhere, but those aside, this performance seemed very much in spirit with his recent recording with the ASMF of LvB 4 and 7. Good Bruch 1 as well, the more impressive given that it must be that much more difficult to lead a larger-sized orchestra as a soloist than to have a separate conductor there. It was also a nice, if accidental, ice-breaker that Bell accidentally spoonerized Judi Dench's name when introducing the 1st half encore, a selection from the film soundtrack for Ladies in Lavender. I wonder if anyone in the audience was expecting Sir Neville to conduct the whole concert, rather than just the 2nd half.

Moving on to the 2nd half, I generally enjoyed the Walton / Palmer Henry V 'Shakespeare Scenario', although I can see Ferretfancy's points about John Hurt. It may just be the particular nature of his voice, that his vocal timbre is obviously not like the Olivier 'grand epic' style, when delivering the big speeches at Harfleur and Agincourt, so that JH sounds different, perhaps 'underpowered' in that sense. If you read that article in The Guardian in advance of JH's Proms appearance, he himself spoke of his own perceived limitations with Shakespeare. Still, though, I thought that JH did quite well, and he did seem to get caught up in the spirit of the occasion. Sir Neville paced things quite well, and got a very fine response indeed from the Academy and the choirs. (Maybe a slight slip from fatigue just at the start of the final bar, but never mind.)

Looking back at the archive, it's interesting to see that Sir Neville hadn't appeared at The Proms prior to this concert since 1997. One also wonders if he might be the last, or one of the last, living links to Sir Henry Wood.

[Prommer]

What a pity the BBC couldn't have managed a Prom for Stan, he was amazing earlier this year with the LPO.

He was indeed! Hope that Bruckner 3 is released on disc.

Remember Gunter Wand's Indian summer at the Proms? Well Stan and Neville make him look rather green!