Prom 6: Poulenc/Stravinsky/Haydn/Mozart (21.07.15)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:00
Royal Albert Hall

Organist James O'Donnell, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and Thomas Søndergård live at the BBC Proms in music by Stravinsky, Haydn and Mozart, and Poulenc's organ concerto

Poulenc: Organ Concerto
Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms
J Haydn: Te Deum in C major, Hob. XXIII
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C major, K551 'Jupiter'

James O'Donnell (organ)
BBC National Chorus of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Thomas Søndergård (conductor)

The Royal Albert Hall's great organ is showcased in a series of Proms this year, starting with Poulenc's Baroque-inspired Organ Concerto - all Gothic flourishes and grand gestures. Also gazing back to the Baroque, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms is a devout musical gesture, reimagining religious rituals on a symphonic scale. The second half pairs two Classical masterpieces: Haydn's cheery Te Deum and Mozart's enduringly popular 'Jupiter' Symphony.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I once played 2nd oboe in Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms - horrible scoring for the instrument. pp right at the bottom of the range.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I once played 2nd oboe in Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms - horrible scoring for the instrument. pp right at the bottom of the range.

No dynamic lower than P anywhere in the score, Alpie - but there is a low Bb marked P for the 3rd & 4th Oboes in the finale. The low, P B naturals in the first movement (and quite a few of 'em) are similarly played by both 2nd and 4th Oboes. I think it's a wonderful sound (daah-da, di daah-da, di) midway between the voices' legato and the Bassoons' staccati. (The 4th oboe has quite a few sustained quiet low Cs, too - unsupported by the other three in the higher octave.)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

No dynamic lower than P anywhere in the score, Alpie - but there is a low Bb marked P for the 3rd & 4th Oboes in the finale. The low, P B naturals in the first movement (and quite a few of 'em) are similarly played by both 2nd and 4th Oboes. I think it's a wonderful sound (daah-da, di daah-da, di) midway between the voices' legato and the Bassoons' staccati. (The 4th oboe has quite a few sustained quiet low Cs, too - unsupported by the other three in the higher octave.)

My memory must have deceived me. It was 44 years ago.

[Barbirollians]

More Haydn and a Mozart symphony - what a refreshing change from the Roger Wright years .

[bluestateprommer]

More Haydn and a Mozart symphony - what a refreshing change from the Roger Wright years .

Actually, RW probably had more to do with programming this Prom than it might appear, inferring from this 2013 Spectator article (emphasis mine):

"'There’s never a blank sheet,' says Wright. 'I can tell you what’s happening every night in 2014. I can tell you who will be performing most nights in 2015. And I can tell you some of the dates we’ve got booked for the big international orchestras in 2016.' Wright works to a three-year schedule, 'spinning plates in the air' until that dread moment in late January when the Proms programme has to go to press and no more drastic changes can be made."

So it's quite possible that Haydn and Mozart were set for this Prom as far back as 2013, and into 2014. Guess who was Controller at the time. That aside, the Poulenc has been a long-standing personal favorite, so it'll be worth iPlayer-ing for that alone.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

No dynamic lower than P anywhere in the score, Alpie - but there is a low Bb marked P for the 3rd & 4th Oboes in the finale. The low, P B naturals in the first movement (and quite a few of 'em) are similarly played by both 2nd and 4th Oboes. I think it's a wonderful sound (daah-da, di daah-da, di) midway between the voices' legato and the Bassoons' staccati. (The 4th oboe has quite a few sustained quiet low Cs, too - unsupported by the other three in the higher octave.)

I found the score I'd forgotten I had, and you are right on all counts. But I can see why I didn't like the 2nd oboe part. Anyway, it was good to hear it again this evening. I much unearth the LP I bought in 1970.

[VodkaDilc]

I once played 2nd oboe in Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms - horrible scoring for the instrument. pp right at the bottom of the range.

I played 2nd Piano in a performance in the early 70s. I still have an irritating habit of playing the first chord whenever I'm trying out a new piano.

Nice performance. (Was one of the pianos occasionally ahead of the beat?)

[mercia]

In the Poulenc the quiet passages disappeared, the loud passages blew me off my seat, I had to keep adjusting the volume. It was probably better balanced in the hall.

[VodkaDilc]

In the Poulenc the quiet passages disappeared, the loud passages blew me off my seat, I had to keep adjusting the volume. It was probably better balanced in the hall.

I have neighbours on all three sides of me on holiday, so I turned the volume up throughout and it was wonderful (until the speaking started at the end).

[LeMartinPecheur]

I have neighbours on all three sides of me on holiday, so I turned the volume up throughout and it was wonderful

So you reckon it's perfectly OK to wreck the holidays of three sets of neighbours, do you? For shame

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

In the Poulenc the quiet passages disappeared, the loud passages blew me off my seat, I had to keep adjusting the volume. It was probably better balanced in the hall.

There are always going to be differing views on dynamic compression of the original.

[richardfinegold]

In the Poulenc the quiet passages disappeared, the loud passages blew me off my seat, I had to keep adjusting the volume. It was probably better balanced in the hall.

I've never been to the RAH, but it seems like an awfully large venue from the pictures that I have seen, and the recordings that I have heard from live performances always make it sound like it is large, blowsy space, just not a good place to hear a concert. What do prommers think?

[bluestateprommer]

Only able to catch the 2nd half (mainly) so far, but from what I could tell, TS really has made the BBC NOW into a nicely tight ensemble (echoing praise from either EA or HS in another thread sometime back). Very fine work in the Haydn, and TS incorporated well period-performance practices for the Mozart (slimmed down vibrato, hard timpani sticks). Some mannered moments of phrasing, but the BBC NOW turned on a dime well for him. Any word on a contract extension by TS with the BBC NOW?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've never been to the RAH, but it seems like an awfully large venue from the pictures that I have seen, and the recordings that I have heard from live performances always make it sound like it is large, blowsy space, just not a good place to hear a concert. What do prommers think?

I'm not a prommer, but I've been to many concerts in the RAH. It depends very much upon where you are listening from. My theory is - the higher you go, the worse the sound. The stalls are best.