Prom 44 - 19.08.14: Melbourne SO, Mørk / A. Davis

[Ferretfancy]

Carmen Callil sounds terrifying but I loved her no nonsense responses and retorts.

So proud to hear my fellow Melbournians this evening! Fabuluous, world class playing from the MSO! There's clearly a great rapport between players and conductor here.

Handel in the Strand was a perfect encore - brash larrikin joy!

I went to the talk, which of course was edited for the interval broadcast, and it was certainly enjoyable. I did have a few reservations though. Assuming that the intention was to talk about Melbourne cultural life in the context of the concert, why choose two speakers who left the city for Britain a generation ago, and who appeared to have no knowledge of classical music whatever!
When asked,Percy Grainger seemed to be the only Australian composer that they both knew, and this only a couple of weeks since the death of Peter Sculthorpe, probably the best contemporary composer the continent has produced.

[Simon Biazeck]

Assuming that the intention was to talk about Melbourne cultural life in the context of the concert, why choose two speakers who left the city for Britain a generation ago, and who appeared to have no knowledge of classical music whatever!
When asked,Percy Grainger seemed to be the only Australian composer that they both knew, and this only a couple of weeks since the death of Peter Sculthorpe, probably the best contemporary composer the continent has produced.

I suspect it's just the convenience of them being here and available, but the Beeb could try harder, I agree.
I was really hoping the MSO would play Sculthorpe's exquisite take on our national anthem, Advance Australia Fair.

[BBMmk2]

Convincing performance of 'Don Juan' IMHO. Sound level seems to have dropped for the concerto though.

I thought that too, PG. Thank you for highlighting this!

A thoroughly enjoyable concert

[pastoralguy]

Mrs. PG and I went to hear them tonight at the Edinburgh Festival. Outstanding orchestra in every department. Very fine performance. Erin Wall was superb in the Four Last Songs.

Sir Andrew and Erin Wall did a signing afterwards so it was great to shake hands with Sir Andrew and tell him how much I've enjoyed his work over the years.

Wonderful occasion. Czech Philharmonic tomorrow which will give Mrs. PG a chance to speak Czech!

[bluestateprommer]

Agree that this was a very enjoyable Prom to hear on iPlayer, rather 'old school' in many ways. On the debit side, this certainly wasn't the most imaginative program, far from it, especially when, as others have noted, surely the MSO could have brought an Australian work on the main program. Surely Sir Andrew's presence as conductor, given his high standing with the Prommers, would have guaranteed a pretty full house and allowed them to take a risk, by bringing a work by either Sculthorpe or Ross Edwards to the RAH. (The Sydney Symphony a few years back with Ashkenazy brought Australian works to Edinburgh, which concert I did hear in the Usher Hall, and also to the RAH, which I did not.) But that aside, as a "classical for starters" program, the MSO did a very fine job.

The other "old school" aspect I noticed was Sir Andrew's interpretation of the Berlioz, namely no repeats in the 1st and 4th movements, nor the optional cornet part in the 2nd movement. What I did note especially also was that at the very end, he resisted the temptation to speed up, which I liked, since it fits this most paradoxical of symphony endings in that this is up-tempo and in the major, but is not a "happy ending" that you would expect from an up-tempo, in the major ending. Overall, it's undeniable that the MSO has won a lot of new friends with this Prom, and rightly so.

[pastoralguy]

Agree that this was a very enjoyable Prom to hear on iPlayer, rather 'old school' in many ways. On the debit side, this certainly wasn't the most imaginative program, far from it, especially when, as others have noted, surely the MSO could have brought an Australian work on the main program. Surely Sir Andrew's presence as conductor, given his high standing with the Prommers, would have guaranteed a pretty full house and allowed them to take a risk, by bringing a work by either Sculthorpe or Ross Edwards to the RAH. (The Sydney Symphony a few years back with Ashkenazy brought Australian works to Edinburgh, which concert I did hear in the Usher Hall, and also to the RAH, which I did not.) But that aside, as a "classical for starters" program, the MSO did a very fine job.

The other "old school" aspect I noticed was Sir Andrew's interpretation of the Berlioz, namely no repeats in the 1st and 4th movements, nor the optional cornet part in the 2nd movement. What I did note especially also was that at the very end, he resisted the temptation to speed up, which I liked, since it fits this most paradoxical of symphony endings in that this is up-tempo and in the major, but is not a "happy ending" that you would expect from an up-tempo, in the major ending. Overall, it's undeniable that the MSO has won a lot of new friends with this Prom, and rightly so.

I certainly hope so. They have a cd of Don Juan, The Four Last Songs and Also Sprach coming out at the end of this month. Ms. Wall and Sir Andrew. We got advance copies at the EIF and dashed fine it is too...