Prom 60 - 1.09.14: 'Roman Holiday', RPO, Driver / Dutoit

[PJPJ]

Respighi sounded utterly gorgeous in the hall, and it was wonderful to hear all three together. I thought Dutoit paced and balanced everything very effectively. Listening on iplayer it sounds like the engineer lost his nerve in the last minute of "Pines", there is a sudden drop in volume from the trumpets, which is a pity, because it really was stupendous at the end.

I do envy those who were there. The second half did sound wonderful at home except towards the end of the Pines as you note; I think you are right, only some of the levels were reduced. I thought these things were sorted out at the rehearsal.

[cloughie]

Charles Dutoit has never been a particularly inspiring programme builder.

Bit harsh Alison. Have you passed Maazel's baton on to Dutoit?

[Lento]

The composer's score demands a particular Roman bird

So not a Florence Nightingale, then.

[Boilk]

Respighi's work shows up the derivative penury of today's film composers. He really did do it all before, and so much more imaginatively, too.

There's no shortage of this "derivative penury" in a lot of 50s/60s Hollywood movies too.

[bluestateprommer]

Admittedly, in principle, I too was concerned that hearing all 3 of Respighi's Roman Trilogy in such close succession was a worrying prospect. In the event, as others have noted, the worry was unwarranted. Dutoit paced all 3 very well, where I noted particularly in Feste Romane that he took great care to emphasize the quieter, less bombastic passages, which of course made the contrast with the bombast all the more effective. There was a fractional slip from the brass at the very end of Pini di Roma, but that was forgivable at the end of such a demanding concert half. Plus, if one is going to do the entire Roman Trilogy in succession, the order that Dutoit chose was the only logical option that made any sense. Putting the least (and loudest) of the 3 first got that out of the way, with Fontane di Roma a perfect contrast of relative restraint, and then closing with the musical juggernaut of the Appian Way that is pretty much orchestra-proof and conductor-proof. Plus, Dutoit did echo Master Jacques' point on the air when he said that most composers these days should write for the orchestra as well as Respighi.

The first half was solid and straightforward, showing what I read in a Philadelphia critic's description of Dutoit's style as 'unflappable professionalism'. Maybe not plumbing all the depths, but good solid work from the RPO. Same from Danny Driver in the Walton, where granted the only Italian connection was Walton's love of Italy. But for the trilogy as well done as it was, in this particular set-up, worth the listen.