Prom 48 - 22.08.14: Iceland SO, Biss / Volkov

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Friday, 22 August
7.30 p.m. – c. 10.00 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

Haukur Tómasson: Magma (UK premiere)
R. Schumann: Concerto for Piano in A minor, Op 54

Leifs: Geysir (first performance at The Proms)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor

Jonathan Biss, piano
Iceland Symphony Orchestra (Proms debut ensemble)
Ilan Volkov, conductor

[Nick Armstrong]

I missed the introduction to Leifs on CD Review this morning.... What did anyone think?

Fun programme planning, it seems to me...

[Bryn]

I missed the introduction to Leifs on CD Review this morning.... What did anyone think?

Fun programme planning, it seems to me...

Very well done, I thought, covering the range of Leifs's work. Shortly after the release of the SACDs of Edda Part 1, I wrote to BIS re. their intentions re. Part 2 and whether anyone had tried 'completing' Part 3. I got a prompt email back from Robert von Bahr advising that they hoped to record Part 2 when resources allowed. No word re. someone having a go at Part 3, however. Let's hope today's feature gives their Leifs sales a boost.

[CallMePaul]

I missed CD Review on Saturday but have been following the COTW programmes on Icelandic music, which have shown just how much interesting music has been (and is being) written in Iceland. Haukur Tómasson is a major figure in contemporary Scandinavian music who deserves to be better known here. His piece is the one I am most looking forward to hearing.

[pastoralguy]

I missed CD Review on Saturday but have been following the COTW programmes on Icelandic music, which have shown just how much interesting music has been (and is being) written in Iceland. Haukur Tómasson is a major figure in contemporary Scandinavian music who deserves to be better known here. His piece is the one I am most looking forward to hearing.

It's the long, dark nights...

These Nordic folk have given us some wonderful musicians in recent years...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's the long, dark nights...

These Nordic folk have given us some wonderful musicians in recent years...

..but all these tricky accents

[CallMePaul]

Unfortunately my listening to this concert was interrupted by 2 long incoming phone calls, the first of which meant that I missed the Tómasson completely, and this was the piece I most wanted to hear! I will have to navigate the iPlayer to listen some time next week as I am away for the weekend early in the morning. Does anyone who heard it have any thoughts about it, and was the composer (a major figure in contemporary Scandinavian music but whose music is almost completely unknown in this country) present and take a bow?

I did hear the Schumann (fine performance) and Leifs pieces, which I greatly enjoyed, but the Beethoven struck me as a very pedestrian performance that certainly did not merit the inappropriate applause after the first two movements (when will they ever learn?). The second phone call meant that I missed the Beethoven finale and the encores. I also really enjoyed the interval feature on Icelandic literature and hope there will be lots more such programmes in the regular live concert intervals as well as at the Proms.

[Alison]

Did they say where Mr Volkov is off to next ?

[Bryn]

Unfortunately my listening to this concert was interrupted by 2 long incoming phone calls, the first of which meant that I missed the Tómasson completely, and this was the piece I most wanted to hear! I will have to navigate the iPlayer to listen some time next week as I am away for the weekend early in the morning. Does anyone who heard it have any thoughts about it, and was the composer (a major figure in contemporary Scandinavian music but whose music is almost completely unknown in this country) present and take a bow?

I did hear the Schumann (fine performance) and Leifs pieces, which I greatly enjoyed, but the Beethoven struck me as a very pedestrian performance that certainly did not merit the inappropriate applause after the first two movements (when will they ever learn?)

When will you learn that Beethoven would have expected such applause at the end of each separate movement.

[Blotto]

I was in the hall, Paul. The first half listening from the gallery was a little neither here nor there for me. I have an impression of the Tommason as three crescendos, the second being the most interesting and even exciting. The music was a little lost in the gallery, though, but I think it's worth a listen. The composer was present and took a bow; there were no cheers. It was an unexpectedly slow start and as I don't much care for the Schumann, I was a bit cool about the first half.

The second half (from a sneaked to stall seat at about 3 o'clock and near the back) was very enjoyable. There's no doubt that the hall made a fuss of the orchestra - when they came out, they were greeted in Icelandic by a prommer and the orchestra applauded him their thanks. The leaders of the first violins and of the double basses were both smiling with undisguised pleasure at various times through the evening. The bassist especially looked quite unselfconsciously delighted and fascinated. I think the hall, the prommers especially but not only the prommers, saw that this was a happy occasion for the orchestra and responded with warmth themselves.

The programmed Leifs was very effective in the hall. There were 2 encores; first, another Leifs (I think) called "The consolation of spring". It was a slow, soft piece that grew and then subsided; it was a surprise as an encore but after adjusting to it, the audience enjoyed it. Then they gave a short, riotous dance and gave it splendidly. I'm sure it was incredibly famous but I'd never heard before.

Beethoven. I don't know that there were high hopes, particularly. The first half of the evening was politely-received, it seemed, but not greatly more. The Leifs after the interval helped and was clearly liked by the audience, as was the 'openness' of the orchestra. When the Beethoven started, it seemed a bit brisk but well-played however once it got going, the audience really paid attention and I could see people enjoying it, the slow movement especially. The finale wasn't quite at the same standard but the other three movements were well done. What struck me most was how softly they were able to play. If the Beethoven finale lacked a little tightness and real ffforte, to my ears the pppianos were notably beautiful throughout. They had what I heard as an excellent wind section and something about the oboe struck me as rather pure and fine.

I think the proms has made friends with the orchestra and I really hope they're asked back.

[Flay]

I think the proms has made friends with the orchestra and I really hope they're asked back.

Well said, Blotto. I now look forward to listening to this concert.

[cloughie]

When will you learn that Beethoven would have expected such applause at the end of each separate movement.

Why?

HIPP audiences?

[Sir Velo]

When will you learn that Beethoven would have expected such applause at the end of each separate movement.

Wasn't he famously exasperated by the Viennese audience's lack of attention in performance?

[Ferretfancy]

It was an interesting if slightly odd programme as heard in the hall. Haukar Tomasson's Magma had some rhythmic interest, and some stirling work in the percussion department, but was too loud for most of its course, and certainly too long.

Geysir by Leifs was a much more interesting work which sounded spectacular in the Arena. At the end of the evening the strings of the orchestra gave us a Leifs encore, a touching elegy called Constellation. I understand that there's a very good CD containing both these works, and I'm tempted.

I admire Jonathan Biss, but I'm afraid that his performance of the Schumann was seriously misjudged after a rather catastrophic open phrase. Perhaps he was disconcerted by this, but the performance never really took wing. The piano tone was very steely, with little light and shade, and I missed that sense in this concerto that the piano is riding the orchestra in an integrated ebb and flow. It was all too rushed and pushy, the poetry was missing.

After the interval came a nice performance of Beethoven's Fifth, in which we could really appreciate the orchestra. Volkov kept it brisk, but not too brisk, and not portentous, which can be an asset. I enjoyed it very much, especially for some nicely shaped woodwind playing. The upper strings are a little thin sounding, but this is a rather new orchestra drawn from an Iceland population pf only three hundred thousand, and they are good ambassadors.

This has been a good season for visiting bands, and once again I'm looking forward to the Budapest Festival Orchestra tomorrow.

[Blotto]

It was an interesting if slightly odd programme as heard in the hall. Haukar Tomasson's Magma had some rhythmic interest, and some stirling work in the percussion department, but was too loud for most of its course, and certainly too long.

Geysir by Leifs was a much more interesting work which sounded spectacular in the Arena. At the end of the evening the strings of the orchestra gave us a Leifs encore, a touching elegy called Constellation. I understand that there's a very good CD containing both these works, and I'm tempted.

The music of both composers seemed very approachable but you'll have heard the Tomasson much more clearly than me, Ff. From upstairs, it was soup.

Listening to it this morning, the first half seems full of snappy rhythm and interesting, enjoyable melody and harmony that didn't make it through Albert's Cave to the gallery. But somewhere after the midway point, the music sort of evaporates and then just hangs around. The performance sounded a little fragmented to my ears, not quite integrated but hearing it properly, I think, there's alot of enjoyable music.

I think the Jon Leifs encore was this one, played by the same band. Very Icelandic-seeming, lovely, a little hushed and undemonstrative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTVqUd7-NcA

I really felt the Leifs pieces were the hit of the night. Geysir seemed the point where the evening became interesting. Hearing the Leifs, the audience seemed grateful and reflected that in their general responses.

PS: It's not something I've ever noticed before, Ff, but do the Prommers usually make a fuss of new orchestras? I thought the welcome they gave and the appreciation they showed throughout the evening was really touching and the orchestra seemed quite visibly to feel it. It probably wasn't a classic performance of the Beethoven but the whole evening was one of honest music-making and, with the Leifs, gifts were brought and gratefully received.