Prom 17: Hallé – Debussy/VW/Elgar (30.07.15)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I reckon K550 is a better symphony - K440 is an aria In te spero - not one of Mozart's more recorded works.

- as Alpie also pointed out.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I reckon K550 is a better symphony - K440 is an aria In te spero - not one of Mozart's more recorded works.

See my message 50.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Where?

I'm too ashamed to answer.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I'm too ashamed to answer.

[Simon B]

Back, sort-of, specifically at this evening's Prom, Elgar 2 addicts who found Petrenko/RLPO last year too fiery and unconventional will likely find Elder more to their liking.

Though hopefully he will restrict his activities to use of gesture rather than a session with a microphone.

The RVW is a rarity indeed. Has there been a performance by any major UK orchestra in say the last 10 years? Never found one myself.

[cloughie]

See my message 50.

Or even #15 - Then I missed the small print!

[BBMmk2]

Enjoying the RVW!

[bluestateprommer]

In the Debussy, definitely the traditional "langorous" approach here, but very well done, with one obvious tempo nudge. Well-deserved RAH cheers for Adam Walker for his flute work. Nice of Sir Mark to mention Michael Kennedy in the chat excerpt with Martin Handley before the start of the RVW (as well as an interesting comparison with Toward the Unknown Region).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Or even #15 - Then I missed the small print!

I was trying to be tactful - but, yes, 15.

[edashtav]

I felt in good hands from the moment Sir Mark Elder launched Elgar’s 2nd Eb Symphony with his Halle Orchestra. There was a sense of propulsion, of shape and of long-term structure but no neglect of the fine detail that Elgar uses to maintain interest and variety in his masterly score. The funeral march possessed nobility as well as pathos and the descent into momentary nightmare in the scherzo was wonderfully well handled. The autumnal glow of the finale was beautifully done and its scoring, so close to Mahler’s and the music's overt referencesto R.Strauss, Wagner, & Brahms were effortlessly integrated into a coherent whole. I think that I’ve heard all of Elgar’s major scores live in the Concert Hall but have managed always to miss this symphony. Next time I see it scheduled by Sir Mark and the Halle, I shall make amends.

[EdgeleyRob]

I felt in good hands from the moment Sir Mark Elder launched Elgar’s 2nd Eb Symphony with his Halle Orchestra. There was a sense of propulsion, of shape and of long-term structure but no neglect of the fine detail that Elgar uses to maintain interest and variety in his masterly score. The funeral march possessed nobility as well as pathos and the descent into momentary nightmare in the scherzo was wonderfully well handled. The autumnal glow of the finale was beautifully done and its scoring, so close to Mahler’s and the music's overt referencesto R.Strauss, Wagner, & Brahms were effortlessly integrated into a coherent whole. I think that I’ve heard all of Elgar’s major scores live in the Concert Hall but have managed always to miss this symphony. Next time I see it scheduled by Sir Mark and the Halle, I shall make amends.

Marvelous Ed.
I missed the RVW will have to catch up.

Suggestion for an English overture to replace the Debussy ?

Parry 'to an unwritten tragedy'.

As for the finest Symphony produced from these islands ?

RVW 9

Certainly doesn't sprawl,and it says more than Mahler or Bruckner ever can,in a lot less notes.

[cloughie]

Marvelous Ed.
I missed the RVW will have to catch up.

Suggestion for an English overture to replace the Debussy ?

Parry 'to an unwritten tragedy'.

As for the finest Symphony produced from these islands ?

RVW 9

Certainly doesn't sprawl,and it says more than Mahler or Bruckner ever can,in a lot less notes.

A couple of comments edge!
Moeran: Ov for a Masque for the intro?
...but then L'apres-midi is rather perfect but maybe better as the prelude to La Mer!

Got to say that I'm not in total agreement with RVW 9?
But then Maybe Elgar 1 is so far ahead of any other on the list that I am rather biased.

[edashtav]

I did find the Debussy a quixotic choice as opener particularly as it rears its hind quarters so frequently at the Proms.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I was there last night. In the circle for 1st half. The Debussy was just badly programmed although nicely played, it just felt the wrong opener in the wrong context. I had to attend just to hear Sancta Civitas, the use of the space of the Hall gave the performance real impact, though the Baritone soloist wasn't clear from where I was, the spacial and overlapping effects were superbly caught, especially at the awe inspiring climax on 'Lord God almighty'. The comments after of those nearby who didn't know the work, seemed highly positive and stunned by the work's impact. If I'm ever allocated a Circle ticket again though I'll have to cancel, the restricted leg room meant my knees where in total agony, had it not been RVW I wouldn't have had the will power to stay.

Very kindly the excellent RAH staff found me a more spacious seat in grand tier near the Choir for the Elgar. It gave a great opportunity to observe Sir Mark's conducting from a reasonably close distance nearly face on. He seemed to have caught a touch of the Gergiev occasionally. His interpretation of Elgar 2 I found rather dark & probing intensifying the underlying unease in the work. A pity that the organ pedal wasn't used in the finale having an organ to hand and used for the RVW.

[Ferretfancy]

Iain Paterson was swamped by the choirs once or twice, but that's hardly surprising! The effect in the Arena was overwhelming, especially when the chorus and trumpet in the gallery wrapped itself around us from behind our heads.

This was the first time I had heard the work live, it's astonishing that it has never been done before at the Proms. The programme mentions the BBC SO performance with Rhozdestvensky at the Festival Hall in the early seventies. I have a BBC Radio Classics CD of that performance which was superbly conducted, but no recording can really do justice to such a massive choral sound. That CD series was not available for long. The selection of items was not very good, but there were a few gems including some nice Boult performances.