Prom 53 - 26.08.14: 'Brahms Night', Budapest Festival Orchestra / I. Fischer

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Tuesday, 26 August
7.00 p.m. – c 9.05 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

Brahms:
(a) Symphony No. 3 in F

(b) Symphony No. 4 in E minor

Budapest Festival Orchestra
Iván Fischer, conductor

The second of two concerts by Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra launches the Proms series of Brahms's symphonies. While the intimate, autumnal Third was inspired by a visit to the Rhine in 1883, the noble stature of the Fourth was dismissed by the composer as 'a few entr'actes and polkas which I happened to have lying about', despite it containing one of the most richly lyrical slow movements Brahms ever wrote.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Imaginative programming?

Perhaps not.


Fine music?

Definitely.

[pastoralguy]

Imaginative programming?

Perhaps not.


Fine music?

Definitely.

This is a concert I'm really looking forward to.

[teamsaint]

Anybody going to this and the late night Beethoven?

Too good to miss, surely?!

[Prommer]

Just the LBV... Will be in the pub during the Brahms!

[teamsaint]

Just the LBV... Will be in the pub during the Brahms!

Your call, of course, but at london prices you would save money by doing the Brahms concert.

[gurnemanz]

I'm tempted, though the early start may be awkward. We would definitely stay on for the JEG Missa Solemnis and might even make the journey just for that work which is quite special for me - Vom Herzen, möge es zu Herzen gehen. The last time I saw it at the Proms was at the surprising venue of Westminster Cathedral in 1971. This one

[Nick Armstrong]

Fine music?

Definitely.

Just got back in time for the slow mvt of No 3: delectable solo playing, and sounding brilliant over the airwaves.

[bluestateprommer]

Just got back in time for the slow mvt of No 3: delectable solo playing, and sounding brilliant over the airwaves.

The BFO do indeed sound very good on the air. I need to revisit the slow movement of Brahms 3 later (phone call interruption here). Curious mix of some relatively spacious pacing in the 1st movement, with a rather brisker start in the finale, but then pulling back for the closing section.

Edit: Just heard the PA announcement about the 10 minute delay. Will be interesting to read later what happened, for anyone who's there. I hope it's nothing serious. But at least it gives a chance to hear more from the 2 BFO musicians that SM-P is chatting with now.

[Petrushka]

Second half delayed by 10 minutes. Due to SM-P chatting to two orchestra members? A player gone missing?

[BBMmk2]

There was something going on but couldn't quite hear at the time, as was in another room.

[Petrushka]

There was something going on but couldn't quite hear at the time, as was in another room.

No explanation. Probably a duff microphone that needed replacing or some such.

[Nick Armstrong]

Will be interesting to read later what happened, for anyone who's there.

I know teamsaint was in the arena, I wonder if anything was apparent from there...

[teamsaint]

Nothing obvious re the delay that wa evident from the arena.

Most enjoyable evening. Refined is the word spinning round in my head.
More later.............

(Loved the encore too....)

[Nick Armstrong]

Nothing obvious re the delay that wa evident from the arena.

Most enjoyable evening. Refined is the word spinning round in my head.
More later.............

(Loved the encore too....)

Yes, that's how it came across on the radio, exactly.

Wonder what the encore was...