Prom 47 - 21.08.14: War Requiem, CBSO, Gritton / Spence / Müller-Brachmann / Nelsons

[Mary Chambers]

And info. re the score is here:

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/...-music/4163152

The SATB version is by Julius Harrison and dates from the 1950s, as far as I remember, so that information isn't entirely accurate. Britten allowed it, but he didn't arrange it himself.

[Lento]

Miles sung by a GIRL??? Crikey.

Short trouser role?

[Ferretfancy]

There's a letter from Peter Pears written at the time of its composition that says it's for women's voices, and the first (incomplete) performance was by women. The first recording was by the Morriston Boys' Choir.

Britten was in fact fairly liberal about who sang what. He liked to get his work performed, and therefore allowed for a contralto to sing Oberon if no counter-tenor was available, and sanctioned the SATB version of Ceremony of Carols. I think War Requiem, though, has particular resonances and needs boys. Similarly I am not at all happy when a girl sings Miles in Turn of the Screw, which has happened occasionally. I wonder what he'd have thought of that?

I've just looked up The Ceremony of Carols in my copy of the Record Guide ( 1953)

Of two versions listed, one is by the Morriston Boys Choir with Maria Korchinska, the other is by The Copenhagen Boys Choir and Enid Simon, which I remember well.
"The new issue records very faithfully the combination of brashness and innocence required by the music and wonderfully captured by the Danish boys, who display besides a sense of pitch remarkably true for their age"

I was curious to see if this has ever been reissued on CD, but failed. However, Amazon have one copy of the Morriston Boys version on offer, the price asked is £3449 . 93 ! I particularly like the 93!

[PJPJ]

The Copenhagen recording was on CD and can be had as a download:

http://www.deccaclassics.com/gb/cat/4363942

The Morriston recording was on a Beulah CD, available on iTunes if you're set up for that:

http://www.eavb.co.uk/britten/index.html

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/britten-premieres/id413491250

or on Naxos Classical Archives

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Naxos/981092P

http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/britten-classic-premiere-recordings-various-artists/0747313109210

[Ferretfancy]

The Copenhagen recording was on CD and can be had as a download:

http://www.deccaclassics.com/gb/cat/4363942

The Morriston recording was on a Beulah CD, available on iTunes if you're set up for that:

http://www.eavb.co.uk/britten/index.html

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/britten-premieres/id413491250

or on Naxos Classical Archives

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Naxos/981092P

http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/bri.../0747313109210

The version of the Morriston with that price tag was on Pearl

[BBMmk2]

I saw Nelsons conduct this a couple or so years back. Very moving.

[johnn10]

Rather a strange start to the performance on R3. Several minutes late starting but no explanation or apology given. Rather gabbled and imprecise information about the work -for example, Suzy Klein stated that it had been commissioned in the 1960s, which could give the impression that it was at any time in that decade and it did not matter because it was such a long long time ago. In fact it was commissioned near the start of the decade and the first performance was in May 1962. The only interview was with the tenor. Were the others too busy or was what they had to say considered to be above our heads?

[Bella Kemp]

A deeply moving performance. And apropos the discussion above: of course it matters whether or no boys voices are used. A girl's voice is a completely different instrument.

[Ockeghem's Razor]

Very moving indeed and how completely appropriate was the prolonged silence at the end.

[Mary Chambers]

The CBSO Children's Chorus (mixed) sang the boys' choir bits. Why, I wonder? At least they sounded young.

I have quibbles about this performance, but now is perhaps not the moment to air them. It was very moving, as ever, and must have been an overwhelming experience for the young choirs taking part - unless, of course, they are too young to understand. They would still be overwhelmed by the sense of occasion.

[Bella Kemp]

That's very interesting, Mary - I heard the CBSO Children's Chorus as a Boys' Chorus! Note to self: get a new radio or be careful about making sweeping statements. But, yes, perhaps it is the very youthfulness of these voices that makes the effect so utterly moving - and, as you say, although one may have quibbles it seems churlish to air them.

[Petrushka]

Just back in hotel room from the hall.

In a word: sensational. Prom of the season for me.

The children's choir sounded wonderful from my seat in J stalls and the final climax was colossal, capped by the full organ.

[Petrushka]

Didn't anyone else listen? Expected more comments.

[VodkaDilc]

The CBSO Children's Chorus (mixed) sang the boys' choir bits. Why, I wonder? At least they sounded young.

I have quibbles about this performance, but now is perhaps not the moment to air them. It was very moving, as ever, and must have been an overwhelming experience for the young choirs taking part - unless, of course, they are too young to understand. They would still be overwhelmed by the sense of occasion.

Looking at the names of the members of the Children's Choir, I would guess that there were about 12 boys out of a choir of 55. (Names like Alex make it difficult to be accurate.) In the hall the impression was nothing like the boys' sound which Britten presumably wanted, but I suppose the CBSO has a mixed choir and needs to give it opportunities like this. From my seat they were not distant enough, but I was in the Circle, not far from the singers.

Otherwise the performance was impressive. And the long silence which Nelsons managed to maintain at the end was truly magical. I cannot remember witnessing a longer silence after any concert I have attended.

On a lighter note, I loved one phrase in Paul Kildea's profile of Britten in the programme (surely deliberate): " As a peerless pianist and conductor, Britten engaged with the music of his heroes - Schubert, Mozart and Mahler........."

The lateness of the beginning of the concert, mentioned by a R3 listener, was equally puzzling in the hall.

[mlb7171]

In the hall last night it was a pretty extraordinary performance. I've never heard the Dies Irae at that pace, slower than I remember than other performances. But altogether more powerful. And the big climax with full organ almost took the rook off the place. Nelsons managed to hold the audience at the end, in total silence, for what seemed like an eternity. In fact it was 1.45, I just listened again to the whole thing on iplayer, but I for one could hardly breathe. Best concert this season so far?