Prom 19: Alina Ibragimova plays Bach (31.07.15)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

10.15 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

Live at the BBC Proms, the first of two late-night concerts in which Alina Ibragimova performs all six of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin.


Bach: Sonata No. 1 in G minor for solo violin, BWV 1001
Bach: Partita No. 1 in B minor for solo violin, BWV 1002
Bach: Sonata No. 2 in A minor for solo violin, BWV 1003

Alina Ibragimova (violin)

When you place a single, solo instrumentalist in the Royal Albert Hall, a peculiar alchemy occurs.
Suddenly the huge space becomes charged with a collective energy, a concentration that amplifies the emotions and gestures of the music performed. When that happens at a Late Night Prom, it's particularly magical. Violinist Alina Ibragimova, making the first of several appearances this season, takes us back to what can seem like the purest expression of music, performing Bach's complete Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, split across two concerts (see also Prom 21).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Imagine this as a late night concert immediately after Mahler 8.

[Richard Tarleton]

On BBC4 on 20 August (hopefully the lot)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Imagine this as a late night concert immediately after Mahler 8.

I'd rather not!

My imaginings tend around the "after a really rotten day when everything has gone wrong" mode.




But I'm looking forward to hearing these concerts just as much after a couple of days when everything else has gone really well, too. (Just in case Fate is feeling tempted.)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'd rather not!

My imaginings tend around the "after a really rotten day when everything has gone wrong" mode.

I was just thinking of the extreme contrast between the "Symphony of a Thousand" and having a complete concert with a single unaccompanied violinist. How will the latter work in te RAH? But I look forward to it.

[richardfinegold]

I was just thinking of the extreme contrast between the "Symphony of a Thousand" and having a complete concert with a single unaccompanied violinist. How will the latter work in te RAH? But I look forward to it.

I once attended a concert by the AAM in Boston in the main Concert Hall. I was in town for a meeting and bought a last minute ticket for the cheap seats. Could see Robert Levin furiously pounding the fortepiano in Beethoven's Emperoro. Couldn't hear a single note of him.

[David-G]

I once attended a concert by the AAM in Boston in the main Concert Hall. I was in town for a meeting and bought a last minute ticket for the cheap seats. Could see Robert Levin furiously pounding the fortepiano in Beethoven's Emperoro. Couldn't hear a single note of him.

At the age of nine my school took my class to a concert at the Dolmetsch Festival in Haslemere. We were up in the Gallery, and the programme included some pieces for clavichord. I couldn't hear a thing.

[David-G]

I wonder if I could consult you all about the form for queueing for the late-night concerts? I shall be going to this late-night Prom (but not the one earlier in the evening), and I have a Weekend Pass. Several questions come to mind. Do Prommers from the earlier concert have priority for the late-night concert? How does this work? Given that I will not be at the earlier concert, will there be a queue for people such as me - and where will it be? I have a feeling that there will not be much point in my arriving particularly early - would you think that is correct? What time would you advise that I start queueing? Thanks in advance!

[Bryn]

Those who attend the concert earlier in the evening do indeed get priority (via their own queue). Cloakroom tickets are issued to those in the earlier queue, so they may even regain their earlier order in queue. I will be attending a friends 50th birthday do earlier in the evening (at a pub close to her workplace in Portland Place), so hope that the queue for those not attending the earlier Prom is not too long.

[David-G]

Thanks Bryn. So since I will not be attending the earlier concert, I expect that for the late-night Prom I will find myself towards the back of the Arena - and so there does not seem to be much point in queueing for long. Perhaps the thing to do would be to aim to join the queue somewhat before the earlier concert finishes.

A similar question arises for the Saturday late-night Prom; I will not be able to be early for that because I will be coming on from Angela Hewitt playing the Goldberg Variations at the Sam Wanamaker.

[David Underdown]

Don't forget that the weekend pass means that you join the season ticket queue. While I'm sure the concert will be popular, the hour means some won't go, so it's unlikely the queue that side will be enormous.

[CallMePaul]

A similar question arises for the Saturday late-night Prom; I will not be able to be early for that because I will be coming on from Angela Hewitt playing the Goldberg Variations at the Sam Wanamaker.

This sounds like an unfortunate clash of major Bach performances on the same evening. Living "up north" as I do I will be listening to the Proms on R3. Given Alina's recent Mendelssohn recording using gut strings and the OAE, does anyone know what violin she will be playing and whether gut strings/ Baroque tuning or steel strings/ A = 440?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Given Alina's recent Mendelssohn recording using gut strings and the OAE, does anyone know what violin she will be playing and whether gut strings/ Baroque tuning or steel strings/ A = 440?

I suspect gut strings would make projection difficult in such a vast auditorium, though A = 415 should still be possible (for those who notice).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Do we have any "views from the RAH" in regard to this concert? It was clearly close-miked for the broadcast.

Vibrato-free but impeccable tuning - clearly a good advocate for this playing style.

It seemed to be only marginally flatter than A=400, but not even close to A = 415.

[french frank]

Do we have any "views from the RAH" in regard to this concert?

That would be interesting to hear. I think I read that her recording was no vibrato, no gut; not sure about tuning.