Prom 31: NYO of Great Britain (8.08.15)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30
Royal Albert Hall

The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and Mark Elder, live at the BBC Proms, with Mahler's 9th Symphony and the London premiere of a new work by Tansy Davies: Re-greening

Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Sara Mohr-Pietsch

Tansy Davies: Re-greening (London premiere)
Mahler: Symphony No. 9

National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
Sir Mark Elder (conductor)

Mahler's bitterly beautiful Ninth Symphony is the focus for the National Youth Orchestra's annual visit to the Proms. Still unperformed at the time of the composer's death, the symphony was the last Mahler would complete - a requiem in all but name from a man who had already lost his daughter and knew his own death was imminent. The work's rich writing for brass and strings makes it one of the greats of the orchestral repertoire. The concert opens with the London premiere of Tansy Davies's Re-greening, a celebration of spring written specially as a complement to Mahler's Symphony No. 9.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

http://www.tansydavies.com/projects/c_55a65b2efdcf4a03289423d2/#menu

[bluestateprommer]

The NYOGB and Sir Mark recently performed the same concert at Snape Maltings, reviewed here.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Tonight's concert. I very much hope it will be judged on its musical merits, rather than yet more of the gushing excesses of presenters - ever present when the NYO is performing.

[Once Was 4]

Tonight's concert. I very much hope it will be judged on its musical merits, rather than yet more of the gushing excesses of presenters - ever present when the NYO is performing.

This comment really struck a chord with myself. I have got to say that I avoid concerts by any high profile youth orchestra like the plague - not because I am jealous and envious of the young and talented (although of course I am!) but because of comments by presenters and journalists such as "they played much better than the professionals!", "they gave much more than do professionals!", "they gave the professionals a run for their money!" etc.,etc.

Well, perhaps these comments are true but, could they 'give' as much if they were rehearsing and playing 5, 6 some times 7 days per week, every week, out at night in all weathers miles from home, with poor to indifferent conductors and managements who do not have enough money to run the orchestras properly and see the players as the best department on which to save money?

I have worked with many people who have toured the world with this or that all-star youth orchestra and began their careers bright eyed and bushy tailed - only to become cynical and depressed within a few years. Such players can be found in most, if not all, all professional orchestras and few have the professional qualifications to give them an escape route.

This should not be - nobody goes into these jobs in order to coast along. It is time that this country looked after its artists better; and also that the music colleges better prepared their students for the rigors to come.

Please do not see this as an attack on these young players; it is certainly not meant to be. And please do not take this to mean that orchestras are full of bitter and disenchanted people. For those who can survive the profession's downsides, they have a career which, when retired, they can look back on with pleasure and in which they will meet many fine and interesting characters.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Once was 4, thank you for those thoughts. The reality of the professional musician is not glamorous at all.
I once had ambitions to become a professional oboist, but I opted for teaching instead - for two reasons:

1. My teachers at school, and my ex-Halle/RLPO oboe teacher persuaded me this would be a better route;
2. I knew I had very little chance of success as a professional player.

Since then, I have never regretted that decision, despite may ups and downs in the teaching profession. But I have known many who have struggled to survive as professional players, and I feel for those NYO members who may have ambitions in that direction.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

As anticipated, the gush brimeth over.

[Alison]

Two ways to play the symphony? Ok, if you say so.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Two ways to play the symphony? Ok, if you say so.

But Three Ways to Listen?

[edashtav]

This "Young Persons' Guide to Mahler's 9th" had very much that was excellent. If the overall structure was not the sumo f the parts, never mind. I relaxed and enjoyed so many moments that were thoroughly prepared, pointed and balanced. At the end, I thought back to my first (provincial) encounters with Mahler's works and thought, "A performance such as tonight's would have been beyond the bounds of our dreams in the 1970s."

Good luck to these youngsters - they've been well schooled!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

This "Young Persons' Guide to Mahler's 9th" had very much that was excellent. If the overall structure was not the sumo f the parts, never mind. I relaxed and enjoyed so many moments that were thoroughly prepared, pointed and balanced.

Yes - I'd second that. I thought, too, that the performance got better as it went on: in the First Movement, I did wonder if the work was biting off more than they could chew. Some superb playing - especially the (16-year-old) leader and the principal oboe; but the whole orchestra sounded pretty damn fine. Odd sound balance, though - I could hardly hear the Timps!

At the end, I thought back to my first (provincial) encounters with Mahler's works and thought, "A performance such as tonight's would have been beyond the bounds of our dreams in the 1970s."

"'70s"? When we had Klemperer's, Walter's (2), Bernstein's, Haitink's, Kubelik's and Barbirolli's Ninths? Tonight's wasn't that good!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Oh! And credit due to Tansy Davies for coming up with a work so well suited to tonight's performers - I would have been happier if it had been another ten minutes longer. The best orchestral commission this year so far, I thought.

[kernelbogey]

As anticipated, the gush brimeth over.

Setting aside the question of whether a gush can brim, I thought SM-P was back on her pre-Breakfast form. I liked how she handled the little interview with Tansy, and I didn't find her at all patronising, but quite respectful of the musicians.

I found Mark Elder's comment on Mahler 9 'I don't know what it means but I love it' intriguing. Of almost anyone else I would want to say 'Why does it have to have a meaning?' Perhaps he was rebutting the Lenny stuff about the end of the last movement representing the faltering beat of a dying heart.

[Petrushka]

This "Young Persons' Guide to Mahler's 9th" had very much that was excellent. If the overall structure was not the sumo f the parts, never mind. I relaxed and enjoyed so many moments that were thoroughly prepared, pointed and balanced. At the end, I thought back to my first (provincial) encounters with Mahler's works and thought, "A performance such as tonight's would have been beyond the bounds of our dreams in the 1970s."

Good luck to these youngsters - they've been well schooled!

There hasn't been much comment other than that about the presenter's predictable gushing (not overly excessive in my view). Ed's short survey of this performance is about right. There was a great deal to enjoy here with some astonishing playing from the NYO who are, let us not forget, aged between 14 and 19. It must be more than enough for them to simply get round the notes in this difficult masterpiece never mind to thinking about what it all means. Let us also remember that it is not all that long ago that the Berlin Philharmonic would find the piece to be at the limits of their playing powers.

[mlb7171]

For anyone worrying about the lack of overall structure, remember that was the bit in the hands of an experienced professional.