Prom 20: Schubert/Bedford/Bruckner (1.08.15)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

6.30 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

The BBC Philharmonic with Chief Conductor Juanjo Mena perform music by Bruckner, Schubert and the world premiere of 'Instability' by Luke Bedford.

Schubert: Symphony No. 4 in C minor 'Tragic'

Luke Bedford: Instability (BBC commission) (world premiere)
Bruckner: Mass No. 3 in F minor

Luba Orgonášová (soprano)
Jennifer Johnston (mezzo-soprano)
Robert Dean Smith (tenor)
Derek Welton (bass-baritone)
Orfeón Pamplonés
BBC Philharmonic
Juanjo Mena (conductor)

Although composed for the church, it is in the concert hall that the dramatic scale of Bruckner's mighty Mass in F minor comes into its own. A new commission from Luke Bedford puts the Royal Albert Hall's great organ in the spotlight, while opening the concert is Schubert's 'Tragic' Symphony, music of high drama seen through the eyes of a composer still in his teens.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Those of us who have difficulty with Bruckner's symphonies might well be persuaded by his choral works. Recent examples on COTW gave much food for thought.

[Alison]

I like the look of this programme.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Those of us who have difficulty with Bruckner's symphonies might well be persuaded by his choral works.

They'd be in excellent company - Brahms also regarded Bruckner's choral works very highly (and the progression Haydn - Schubert - Bruckner is a very clear one when considering the Mass settings).

And the Earth has nothing more beautiful to offer than writing like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZIZeiKisyM

[P. G. Tipps]

They'd be in excellent company - Brahms also regarded Bruckner's choral works very highly (and the progression Haydn - Schubert - Bruckner is a very clear one when considering the Mass settings).

And the Earth has nothing more beautiful to offer than writing like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZIZeiKisyM

Although I'm a passionate Brucknerian (surprise, surprise!) I've been largely unmoved by the composer's solely religious works, despite having every sympathy and understanding of his religious faith. It's a funny old world indeed.

Yet, the Benedictus from the Third Mass ... 'OMG', as contemporary youthful female parlance might put it!

Thank you, ferney, for reminding me yet again of this utterly divine part of Mass No 3 ... 'divine' may well be an over-used word in the classical music world, a bit like 'awesome' in football commentary, but I confidently contend that it is unarguably more than appropriate here!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Thank you, ferney, for reminding me yet again of this utterly divine part of Mass No 3 ... 'divine' may well be an over-used word in the classical music world, a bit like 'awesome' in football commentary, but I confidently contend that it is unarguably more than appropriate here!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A very early start.

[Padraig]

Although I'm a passionate Brucknerian (surprise, surprise!) I've been largely unmoved by the composer's solely religious works, despite having every sympathy and understanding of his religious faith. It's a funny old world indeed.

Ever experience a déja vu moment, P.G.? I remember a certain 'Scottish' member expressing those exact sentiments. You have a soulmate out there somewhere, who might remember my saying that my only experience of Bruckner was through the Jochum set of Masses. Enough - No 3 has started.

[edashtav]

Ever experience a déja vu moment, P.G.? I remember a certain 'Scottish' member expressing those exact sentiments. You have a soulmate out there somewhere, who might remember my saying that my only experience of Bruckner was through the Jochum set of Masses. Enough - No 3 has started.

I joined the concert only for the Bruckner his final mass, yet composed so early in his career. After some fine choral singing ( notably by the CBSO Chorus) in this year's Proms, frankly, I was disappointed by the contributions of the Orfeón Pamplonés, a old-established and well respected Spanish Choral Society. I wasn't worried ion the more homophonic "massive" sections but as the Mass wore on I noticed that exposed entries both in the tenors and the sopranos sounded as flat as beer that's stood too long at the bar. That issue particularly reared its head in the Agnus - perhaps the Chorus tired and felt exposed in the great void of the RAH What I like about the performance was its religious conviction : the chorus sang with soulful belief. There's a lack of the best of Bruckner in this year's Prom and this Mass, an odd choice, perhaps for Saturday evening given the pattern of the Saturday programmes so far this season, I fear will not resonate long in my memory.

[Beef Oven!]

...........but I confidently contend that it is unarguably more than appropriate here!

As the Mass is Latin, and argue is from Latin, isn't it more appropriate to say 'inarguably' rather than 'unarguably' (which is more appropriate for German origin words like 'believe' (unbelievable))? I'm no expert.

[Padraig]

Thank you for that edashtav. I was disappointed too, though I cannot be so specific as you. It is too long since I listened to the Mass, and my memory was of something less dramatic and of even more conviction - the old catholic rearing its head I suppose. I'm going to listen again to the Jochum F minor, with your remarks and my memory, in mind.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Splendid orchestra, OK choir - but the soloists!!!! Some truly horrible noises - wobbling, scooping and squawking.

[jayne lee wilson]

PROM 20.

SCHUBERT 4:
Light on its feet, a little understated in (i), but finding more warmth and drive, in the strings especially, as the performance progressed, with a notably brisk scherzo and a nicely terse conclusion to the finale - no unnecessary drawing out of a final chord. No undue emphasis, either, in rhythmic attack or eccentricities of phrase or tempo in this reading. The winds sang out lucidly in the large, resonant acoustic. For me, this was early Schubert comme il faut - Fresh, crisp & austro-idiomatic, with darker emotions hinted at, glimpsed fearfully beneath a clear orchestral surface.

LUKE BEDFORD - INSTABILITY:
Orchestral outbursts and colour-washes against organ pedals; staccato tuttis as punctuation to this stasis; an isolated burst of Messiaen-ic birdsong; these elements cohering into more sustained ffs; in the lower strings, a melody tries to emerge; then, a longer series of staccato orchestral chords against silence; finally, the string melody climaxes against chiming percussion, then a fade-out to end. The influence of Kancheli, and possibly Arvo Part, just a little too obviously in the background of this piece. To sum up - a voice of many influences searching for a focus, or an identity.

BRUCKNER - MASS NO.3:
Perfectly paced, nobly and simply directed. Passionately sung by a full-throated choir who may have lacked some "smoothness" or vocal blend, but, with Mena and the BBCPO, were as alive to the devotional atmosphere of this mass as to its broader symphonic vistas. Of the soloists, the tenor was a little strained, with an uncomfortably audible "throb"(most obvious in the incarnates). The others were not always comfortable in their registers either, but blended in well enough.

Really fine Bruckner performances don't usually leave much to be said (exception proving the rule: Venzago...); the music should appear to play itself, unfolding naturally with no undue directorial emphasis; all (all..!) one asks of conductor and performers (strings especially) is the right sound, the right feel & touch for the idiom, a sensitivity to dynamic & harmonic shadings and careful weighting of a phrase. This was one of those performances. Mena is a natural yet fastidious Brucknerian who is prepared to take his time in approaching, and attempting to play, each work.
The measured fidelity of this performance still yielded to some lovely details: as in the colour, shape and dynamic subtlety of the non erit finis, and the sensuous luminosity of the Sanctus, heady with the bread and the wine, the blood and the body of Christ Himself.

(Heard on R3 Radio Player HDs 320 kbps, via JRiver MC19; wireless to Macbook, USB Asynchronous to DAC; excellent webcast, spacious & very well balanced, with no obvious manipulation of levels; fine engineering overall through a wide range of choral and orchestral textures.)

[cloughie]

They'd be in excellent company - Brahms also regarded Bruckner's choral works very highly (and the progression Haydn - Schubert - Bruckner is a very clear one when considering the Mass settings).

And the Earth has nothing more beautiful to offer than writing like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZIZeiKisyM

Ferness, are you suggesting that Brahms had trouble with Bruckner's Symphonies?