Prom 34 - 11.08.14: BBC NOW, Piemontesi / Søndergård

**Eine Alpensinfonie** · 06-08-14, 20:27

I'll never forget the day I saw Barbirolli conduct Nielsen 5. I was perplexed by it but it had a huge impact.

**Lento** · 11-08-14, 14:48

Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post

I'll never forget the day I saw Barbirolli conduct Nielsen 5. I was perplexed by it but it had a huge impact.

Apparently Rattle regards it as a war symphony, but its outcome seems positive. PS Having now heard it again, I have to agree with the Radio 3 commentary that any victory at the end is a close-run thing. I thought the Mozart was a bit of a waste of time.

**jayne lee wilson** · 11-08-14, 17:13

Off to rush about again now (might even get to eat if I'm really lucky) - but back in time for the Nielsen 5th at least - most def.
So, Roll up roll up... That great Mahlerian Deryck Cooke once called it the greatest symphony of the 20th Century....

Can't miss it now can you?!

**teamsaint** · 11-08-14, 17:58

somehow missed this on the listings.

Yum.

**jayne lee wilson** · 11-08-14, 19:04

Heavens, who needs Berlin or Vienna? A Death & Transfiguration of true terror and beauty, the textures transparent, the rhythms bitingly precise, but with touchingly contrasted tenderness in the lovely wind solos and lyrically reflective interludes. The cutting-edge brilliance and power into climaxes was quite overwhelming, but always controlled, carefully graded dynamically, with an architectural intelligence.

I only dare to hope that the Nielsen is half as good...

**Petrushka** · 11-08-14, 19:55

Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post

Heavens, who needs Berlin or Vienna? A Death & Transfiguration of true terror and beauty, the textures transparent, the rhythms bitingly precise, but with touchingly contrasted tenderness in the lovely wind solos and lyrically reflective interludes. The cutting-edge brilliance and power into climaxes was quite overwhelming, but always controlled, carefully graded dynamically, with an architectural intelligence.

I only dare to hope that the Nielsen is half as good...

This was indeed a magnificent Tod und Verklärung one to put alongside a live LSO/Böhm from 1973 (on Andante) and, believe me, you can't get higher praise than that. One could have been forgiven for thinking we were getting Karajan and the VPO instead of the BBC NOW. I saw Sondergard in his Shostakovich 11 Prom last year and was struck by how good he is. A major talent in my view and it'll be interesting to see where the future takes him.

Do find time to listen to this Tod. You won't be disappointed.

**maestro267** · 11-08-14, 20:37

Interesting to note that the snare drum sounded as if it was playing offstage near the end of the first movement of Nielsen 5.

**Alison** · 11-08-14, 20:43

What a good programme. Nielsen 5 still doesn't speak to me as much as I want it to!

**teamsaint** · 11-08-14, 20:44

Originally posted by Alison View Post

What a good programme. Nielsen 5 still doesn't speak to me as much as I want it to!

Alison, have you watched the Robert Simpson Commentary?

A Journey thru Nielsen's 5th Symphony, NPO/Horenstein (1st movt.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=homMLfg6ctk

From "Espansiva," a BBCTV Workshop presentation, directed by Barrie Gavin (1970 ca.).The speaker is the composer and BBC producer Robert Simpson. Nielsen's ...

fabulous.
Apologies if you have already seen it.

**Alison** · 11-08-14, 20:46

Cheers Sainty. Sounded a fine rendition tonight. There's something very endearing about BBCNOW.

**jayne lee wilson** · 11-08-14, 21:48

The start of Sondergard's Nielsen 5 with the BBCNOW was rapt deep in mystery, very quiet and withdrawn, with a slow calm rise and fall of hovering anticipation. But when the side-drum entered to a steady, rather than warringly aggressive, tramping accompaniment, I wondered if this wasn't too cautious even if part of a longterm view; so too those winds wailing over the bleak desert of basses were played safe, symphonically abstract motifs rather than cries of despair or bewildered naturlauts...

The big, warm melody of the movement's second half flowed in swiftly, perhaps at a tempo the strings weren't comfortable with - I felt articulation wasn't ideal here. As we approached the climax, the side-drummer's improvisations weren't nearly destructive enough, the orchestra seeming to triumph without enough of a battle; the climax was - "good, but"... again I felt a desire for greater abandon, a real sense of letting go into a shout of triumph.
Then, ironically, the supposedly-offstage side-drum was too prominent in the coda, robbing the solo clarinet of some poetry.

From the bursting floodgates the orchestral torrents roared...
And they did very excitingly at the start of Part 2, even if those wild winds and brasses overplayed against the slightly soft, warm strings - perhaps the brasses were relieved to be off the leash at last! I had fewer reservations about this symphony's second half tonight, and if Sondergard sacrificed some clarity to sheer wild power in the demonic, scherzoish 2nd fugue, perhaps with those offbeat strettos going off across snarling trumpets it really should lose control!
As the sports psychologist might say, losing control is learning control, and so follows the lovely dolce... as with the rest of his reading, Sondergard integrated this passage without any expressive emphasis. I felt just a little short-changed.
But the power was turned on splendidly for the blazing drive to the final allargando, gloriously fulfilling and deserving the roars which greeted it.

Overall - a carefully-judged, symphonically abstract reading (rather than poetically or dramatically evocative) which could have done with more sheer abandon, sharper definition and attack, especially in Part One. But - a great conclusion!

Nota Bene - all these observations made via the HDs live webcast - as we've often seen this year, impressions from different seats in the RAH or various broadcast portals can be VERY contrasting...

**gradus** · 11-08-14, 23:42

I managed to get to this one and am glad I did.
Bit of an odd programme mix and I'm not sure I particulary want to hear the Strauss or Mozart piano pieces again which is a pity because young Mr Piemontese is a very engaging performer who responds to and watches the orchestral players as much as the conductor, its a pity they didn't offer him better pieces to play, however he had the last laugh with a most sensitively played encore that held the audience in rapt silence.
Tod und Verklarung was good but I find it a difficult piece to love when set against the other Strauss tone poems and I felt the audience didn't seem over-enamoured either, but the Nielsen was something else. I didn't register any caution in the performance and the battle between orchestra and snare drum was carried magnificently and very movingly in the coda with some fantastic clarinet playing. The spatial effect of the second drummer placed high up opposite the orchestra worked very well in the hall, initially prominent but dying away with great effect.
The second movement was also a triumph, tremendous energy and committed and excellent playing, I imagine the conductor is liked and respected by his players.
I agree entirely about observations, mine are no less personal.

**bluestateprommer** · 31-08-14, 18:28

Originally posted by Alison View Post

Sounded a fine rendition tonight. There's something very endearing about BBCNOW.

Agreed; this was a fine, fine concert from all parties involved. While I'll admit that Tod und Verklärung isn't a piece that I'm necessarily in a hurry to hear often, TS paced it well, and it's pretty daring to open a concert with such a demanding work. The Burleske is more of a guilty pleasure, nothing profound at all, which Francesco Piemontesi said in the pre-recorded talks that he really loves. It showed. FP also did a very fine job in the Mozart Rondo, as well as his encore. Terrific Nielsen 5 as well, where I think that Christopher Cook mentioned that TS placed the side drummer in the Gallery, if memory serves (anyway, it was someplace in the hall but well off stage), but I might have to find that moment in his commentary to confirm. In any case, from all the reports, TS and the BBC NOW do seem to make a really splendid team. I'm not aware that TS has done a whole lot of guest-conducting on this side of the pond, but he's definitely on my concert radar.