Prom 36 - 13.08.14: VW/Alwyn Prom, BBC SO, Jansen / Oramo

[cloughie]

6. Wasps Suite
7. Tallis
8. Dives and Lazarus
9. Sym 6
10. Folk Song Suite

I was just checking the price of the Rozh RVW Syms - and it is bestseller in Soprano songs - is this down to the Sea Sym or the wordless solo in Sym 3 or Sym 7 ?

[mrbouffant]

I may be an outlier here, but I am very fond of the Tuba Concerto. Whilst the outer movements may be a bit Teddy-bears-picnic, the second movement is absolutely beautiful, IMO..

[Nick Armstrong]

Tuba Concerto... the second movement is absolutely beautiful

[bluestateprommer]

Just caught The Lark Ascending with JJ; interesting how she took the second half of the work at a more spacious pace compared to the first part. Some momentary near-slips from the BBC SO, perhaps surprisingly, but everyone obviously kept going. All credit to JJ for holding the silence in the hall after her solo close to the work, and for the audience for waiting a good spell before applauding. For anyone in the hall, did JJ perhaps keep her bow close to the string, to help keep the crowd in control?

Will have to catch up with the rest of the 1st half later; looking forward to Job in the 2nd half.

----

Quick update: very good rendition of Job from Sakari Oramo and the BBC SO. Admittedly, his pacing of the "Dance of Plague, Pestilence, Famine and Battle" is a fair lick cubed, much, much, much faster than I'm used to from my memories of Boult's 1970 EMI recording, the recording that I 'grew up' with for this music. There was one clap from the hall after the end of Scene 7 (surprised that there was only one), but fortunately Oramo dived straight into Scene 8 to cut off premature applause. The audience seemed quite pleased at the end, where hopefully those who know VW mainly for The Lark had their horizons opened up a bit.

[jayne lee wilson]

BBCSO/Oramo Prom 36.
HDs Ratings Part Two:

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS - Job: Sound 10/10, Performance 10/10.


BBCSO/Oramo

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

[EdgeleyRob]

Extraordinary how long that last note of Job was held for,which is good,for me,because I never want it to end.
Very envious of anyone who was there tonight,Cali etc.
Love to know what people,who don't know Alwyn,thought of his No1.
Lark and Tallis,heavenly,overplayed or not,would just die without them,in bits again.....
Heads gone,forget Tallis,wasps,although the comment still applies

[antongould]

Extraordinary how long that last note of Job was held for,which is good,for me,because I never want it to end.
Very envious of anyone who was there tonight,Cali etc.
Love to know what people,who don't know Alwyn,thought of his No1.
Lark and Tallis,heavenly,overplayed or not,would just die without them,in bits again.....

Shamefully didn't know the Alwyn ER but thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm sure Lady Gould's salmon salad was all the better for it......Like you I find the Lark eternally wonderful......

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

BBCSO/Oramo Prom 36.
HDs Ratings Part Two:

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS - Job: Sound 10/10, Performance 10/10.


BBCSO/Oramo

Agree totally - exactly the sort of performance that makes me think I seriously underestimated the work at putting it at "Number 7" - more inclined to agree with cloughie's verdict. I can't imagine this being done better: superb.

[Petrushka]

Disappointed I forgot the ridiculous start time as I wanted to catch this, if not live, then as a deferred relay. Will catch it on I-player when time permits.

[EdgeleyRob]

Agree totally - exactly the sort of performance that makes me think I seriously underestimated the work at putting it at "Number 7" - more inclined to agree with cloughie's verdict. I can't imagine this being done better: superb.

I know what you mean ferney,can't not have the 9th at No 1 though.

[Simon B]

The 18:30 starts are indeed a PITA - especially for those of us who attend but suffer the indignity of working for a living. Never mind live outside London - it is actually possible, honestly.

Also a PITA was a small but significant element of tonight's audience. It seems it's boom time for London's ENT specialists again.

That damaged the delicate (at times) fabric of an attention holding Job. A few rough edges aside - Oramo is perhaps not the most technically flawless conductor but clearly has the sweep of RVW's music internalised - marvellous performance of a great work.

Manze with the CBSO in early 2014 was even more compelling. Looking forward to his Pastoral with the BBCSSO on Sunday...

[Colonel Danby]

I loved the 'Job' tonight: I have both Adrian Boult and Tod Handley on record, but it was good to see it performed live even if I didn't actually make it to the Albert Hall. Actually, I'm a bit of a fan when it comes to the music of William Alwyn too, as I do have all five of his Symphonies, (1 and 4 with Hickox, and the composer in 2, 3 and 5 on Lyrita) John Ogden in the piano music, the chamber music, and the marvelous Opera 'Miss Julie' (again on Lyrita). So it was so good to hear his 1st played excellently by Oramo and the BBCSO. And as for 'The Lark Ascending' this work has very deep meaning for me, and I tend to burst into tears at the end, so it was probably just as well that that I listened at home, where my tears were reduced to a minimum.

And now for Steve Reich in the late Prom: oh my goodness, I've got both recordings too: Reich's wonderful 'It's Gonna Rain' and MTT's 'The Desert Music' on Nonesuch. Good to see them live though. I must be such a classical music geek.

Anyway, I shall be in the Albert Hall on Saturday myself with Uncle Bernie conducting Mahler 4, so I shall be quite content with that.

[Nick Armstrong]

BBCSO/Oramo Prom 36.
HDs Ratings Part Two:

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS - Job: Sound 10/10, Performance 10/10.


BBCSO/Oramo

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

Extraordinary how long that last note of Job was held for,which is good,for me,because I never want it to end.
Very envious of anyone who was there tonight,Cali etc.
Love to know what people,who don't know Alwyn,thought of his No1.

Back from the hall leaving companions Reiching out.

It was a great, great performance of Job. We were at Andrew Davis's 2008 prom performance - this eclipsed it. The lyrical passages glowed, the strident passages blazed (those chords with the organ! amazing). And yes Rob the ending was marvellous - Oramo can certainly hold the rampant clap-merchants at bay.

Personal mini-blips - sour tuning among the oboes etc in that very exposed woodwind section (but it's sour music anyway); and some of the earlier quieter bits had to be enjoyed despite the best efforts of an inconsiderate idiot of an elderly man who sniffed, coughed, rustled, whispered etc his way through the whole concert - anyone hear a massive sneeze not long into Job? That was him... (Actually I was aware through the whole concert of 4 or 5 moronic open-mouth coughers. It's just unbelievable.)

But the performance obliterated such concerns.

And J. Jansen was ravishing in the Lark - my strategy paid off, of studiously avoiding it every time it comes on the radio thanks to lazy programme planners: to hear it live, not having heard it at all for maybe 5 years, was wonderful... It caused an immediate catch in the throat, and it was a floating experience throughout.

I also got a lot out of the Alwyn. Not so much the opening, for me it's anonymous ... but interesting things start happening with the lyrical subject, and then the brass-topped sections later in the movement; the scherzo and slow movement were great - especially the whiff of 1940s dance hall/palm court ambiance; and the final movement, again exhilarating brass-capped sections stood out. Very glad I heard it, want to hear it again.

Amusing how a number of silver haired hardcore Alwynites hastened from the hall afterwards, to avoid a soiling from Lark droppings - the managing board of the William Alwyn Society presumably, going to hold a de-brief over pints of Spitfire...

Three out of three so far for this punter, in terms of memorable proms this season.

Also a PITA was a small but significant element of tonight's audience. It seems it's boom time for London's ENT specialists again.

That damaged the delicate (at times) fabric of an attention holding Job.

We cross posted. See above - glad it's not just me. They want shooting, don't they?

[Pulcinella]

Job worked its magic, but not quite the 10/10 jlw gives: saxophone needed to be oilier, for one thing.
Guests delighted, so main purpose of evening a great success.
I know the early start is a pain for some, but it meant we could get there and still be home in decent time: caught the 2145 from Marylebone!
Conductor and soloist good at keeping audience quiet at end of Lark and especially Job.
Not sure it was applause in the middle of Job: more like something being dropped.

But oh the coughing (as mentioned above). Why can people not stifle the noise with a handkerchief?
And the woman behind me had an iPad with smart magnetic cover that kept clicking on and off with every movement she made. Absolutely infuriating! Enough to make this grumpy godfather even more resolved to stay home with his CD collection, sad to say for the cause of live music.

[Simon B]

Caliban - were you in Stalls G/H by any chance? Your description is ringing bells with me. The particular culprit wasn't me I hasten to add. By far the worst audience interference of the 7 Proms I've been at so far. It did mean that I enjoyed the loudest bits the best and may be underestimating the performance overall as merely very good...

PS EdgeleyRob - you probably know this already, but just in case, Job is being performed just up the road in Manchester in 14/15 sometime by the BBC Phil. Can't remember when, but the interweb will know...