Proms Saturday Matinee 3: Alina Ibragimova and Apollo’s Fire (15.08.15)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

15:00
Cadogan Hall

CPE Bach: Symphony in B minor, Wq 182/5 'Hamburg'
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in D major, RV 234 'L'inquietudine'
Telemann: Burlesque de Quixotte, TWV55:G10 (excerpts)
JS Bach: Violin Concerto in E major, BWV 1042
JS Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050

Alina Ibragimova (violin)
Apollo's Fire
Jeannette Sorrell (harpsichord / director)

Apollo's Fire - otherwise known as the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra - has been a lively force in early music for over 20 years. Now, under director Jeanette Sorrell, this quirky, energetic band makes its BBC Proms debut in the second of this season's early music Proms Saturday Matinees. The ensemble is joined by violinist Alina Ibragimova, soloist in much-loved concertos by Bach and Vivaldi. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, with its brilliant writing for harpsichord and its bittersweet slow movement, and music from Telemann's vividly colourful suite following the adventures of Cervantes's knight-errant Don Quixote, complete the mix.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Following on from today's baroque Saturday Matinee, we have this one next Saturday.

(P.S. I know C.P.E. Bach isn't technically baroque.)

[doversoul1]

3.00pm today

I’d have preferred the programme to be just of Apollo's Fire playing works by less well known composers instead of a star performer playing (yet another) Bach. Still, I look forward to it.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... though in terms of historical musical development, CPE probably was a far more important composer than his great father.

[doversoul1]

I’m listening to Apolo’s Fire’s new CD on CD Review. This would have made an excellent Saturday Matinee. What a pity they didn’t programme this. Unless someone asks ‘is this classical music?’ Well…

Sugarloaf Mountain
An Appalachian Gathering conceived and arranged by Jeannette Sorrell
Apollo's Fire, Baroque Orchestra, Jeannette Sorrell (conductor)

[Roehre]

... though in terms of historical musical development, CPE probably was a far more important composer than his great father.

IMHO that's weird but very true.
JSB's influence during his lifetime and immediately after his death was hardly noticable.
CPE's was immediately felt, influencing almost everyone starting composing in the 1760s and '70s, including Haydn and Beethoven. Even JC's was more influential than JSB's, the development of the instrumental symphony through Mozart, e.g.

This however doesn't mean JSB was underrated: Mozart and Beethoven were certain JSB was one of the greatest.
But his music was -apart from the Clavierübungen, the 48 and the Goldberg, which were published in one way or another during JSB's lifetime- hardly known.

It's only in the 19C (Mendelssohn's St.Mark's, 1829 e.g.) that the musical influence of JSB's output started to be felt, and CPE's nearly fell into oblivion.

[rauschwerk]

3.00pm today

I’d have preferred the programme to be just of Apollo's Fire playing works by less well known composers instead of a star performer playing (yet another) Bach. Still, I look forward to it.

What's the matter with a 'star' performer who's as good as Ms Ibragimova? A typical star would surely not devote as much time to an HIPP quartet (the Chiaroscuro) as she does.

[Serial_Apologist]

IMHO that's weird but very true.
JSB's influence during his lifetime and immediately after his death was hardly noticable.
CPE's was immediately felt, influencing almost everyone starting composing in the 1760s and '70s, including Haydn and Beethoven. Even JC's was more influential than JSB's, the development of the instrumental symphony through Mozart, e.g.

This however doesn't mean JSB was underrated: Mozart and Beethoven were certain JSB was one of the greatest.
But his music was -apart from the Clavierübungen, the 48 and the Goldberg, which were published in one way or another during JSB's lifetime- hardly known.

It's only in the 19C (Mendelssohn's St.Mark's, 1829 e.g.) that the musical influence of JSB's output started to be felt, and CPE's nearly fell into oblivion.

Illuminating thoughts, Roehr! I often think that Terry Riley and Steve Reich in the late 1970s are still regarded as having had the most important idiomatic implications, if not always direct influences, on contemporary composers of today desperate to escape any equivalent charges regarding serialism that might have attached to JS Bach's development of contrapuntal elaboration to perceived limits and limitations, in the second half of the 18th century.

[doversoul1]

What's the matter with a 'star' performer who's as good as Ms Ibragimova? A typical star would surely not devote as much time to an HIPP quartet (the Chiaroscuro) as she does.

Nothing is the matter with Alina Ibragimova. It’s just that I personally prefer these matinees to be of somewhat off the beaten track; both performers and works.

(I’m thinking only in early music repertoire)

[rauschwerk]

Nothing is the matter with Alina Ibragimova. It’s just that I personally prefer these matinees to be of somewhat off the beaten track; both performers and works.

(I’m thinking only in early music repertoire)

Fine. I'm going to hear this programme at Snape tomorrow, and will not miss all the chat between items, I must say.

[Daniel]

... though in terms of historical musical development, CPE probably was a far more important composer than his great father.

IMHO that's weird but very true.
JSB's influence during his lifetime and immediately after his death was hardly noticable.
CPE's was immediately felt, influencing almost everyone starting composing in the 1760s and '70s, including Haydn and Beethoven.

Very interesting, Roehre (including the bit I've chopped off!).

One of the things that struck me the other day listening to CPE's Quartet No 1 in A minor, Wq 93 (apart from the fact that the quartet only had three instruments in it*), straight after I'd listened to JSB's Cantata BWV 131 , was how much more I could sense CPE (as a person) in his music, compared to JSB. I wonder if that difference of sensibility was as much of an influence on Mozart et al, as anything else?

(* It seems there was a bass/cello part, but it got lost. It's now performed as a trio, and if a bass is included, it doubles the LH keyboard part.)

[Richard J.]

But to get back to the actual concert, which this thread is supposed to be about:

I didn't think I'd heard Telemann's Burlesque de Quixotte before, but the movement Attack on the Windmills seemed very familiar. Did another composer use the theme, or was it used to introduce a TV or radio programme? (starts at 38:21 on the iPlayer)

[rauschwerk]

But to get back to the actual concert, which this thread is supposed to be about:

I didn't think I'd heard Telemann's Burlesque de Quixotte before, but the movement Attack on the Windmills seemed very familiar. Did another composer use the theme, or was it used to introduce a TV or radio programme? (starts at 38:21 on the iPlayer)

Years ago, it was the signature tune for The Brains Trust (played much more slowly in those pre-HIPP days).

[Richard J.]

Years ago, it was the signature tune for The Brains Trust (played much more slowly in those pre-HIPP days).

Thank you, rauschwerk! Gosh, that was years ago, yet I still remember it well enough to note the different phrasing (and speed) of Saturday's performance.

Re post #5:

I’m listening to Apollo’s Fire’s new CD on CD Review. This would have made an excellent Saturday Matinee. What a pity they didn’t programme this. ... Sugarloaf Mountain, An Appalachian Gathering conceived and arranged by Jeannette Sorrell

They got close, doversoul. The encore was Glory in the Meeting House (Appalachian fiddle tune, arr. by Jeannette Sorrell), which was on their earlier CD, Come to the River: An Early American Gathering.

[doversoul1]

They got close, doversoul. The encore was Glory in the Meeting House (Appalachian fiddle tune, arr. by Jeannette Sorrell), which was on their earlier CD, Come to the River: An Early American Gathering.

Thank you for the information. I’ll pick it up later. I listened to the broadcast but wasn’t too keen on how Vivaldi’s concerto sounded and had to go away soon after the Bach concerto started. Very much enjoyed the CPE Bach and the Telemann.