Prom 47: Sibelius/Leifs/Hillborg/Beethoven (21.08.15)

[Bryn]

There was a fair bit of garbage dished out about the Leifs Organ Concerto at the Proms Extra family event before the Prom. It was falsely claimed that the work dated from the 1940s and received its first performance in 1941. In fact the passacaglia was started when Leifs was but 17, was not completed until 1930, and received its first performance in 1935. So some of it is a very early work and none of it can justly be described as mature Leifs. It was, nonetheless, generally well received at first, though an infamous 1941 performance in Berlin went down like lead balloon. I have rather more time for it than edashtav does, but would not rank it among Leifs's greatest achievements. There is far more light an shade in it that edashtav implies, though it's not exactly handled with great subtlety.

[Anastasius]

I thoroughly enjoyed the concert. I must be going deaf as I didn't find the Leifs that loud but afterwards talking about it we came to the conclusion that a lot depends on where one is in the RAH and that. for example, the lower stops sound better up in the Gallery directly opposite the organ.

I think to full appreciate Beast one needed to be there as the sheer spatial swirl and shift of the music across the stage and back will probably be lost on radio or CD. I was front rail Arena and so perhaps ideally situated. I kept being reminded of the phrase 'It's full of stars' as Beast was very Ligeti-ish IMO. Very enjoyable and change my perception of modern music i.e. there is some god stuff out there!

As others have said theBeethoven moved along at a rollicking pace.

Where were you sitting/standing, Bryn? Perhaps we need little badges! But then again, perhaps not.

[Bryn]

... Where were you sitting/standing, Bryn? Perhaps we need little badges! But then again, perhaps not.

Standing a couple of metres behind and to the right of you, I would estimate. I did not stay on for the Bach as, like others, I did not look forward to the combination of AAM and BBC Singers. I will, however, have a listen via the iPlayer.

[Roehre]

.... I've been haunted by Tapiola ever since I first heard it in the summer of 1976 (Lorin Maazel/VPO) - a magnificent work, cold, grim and tough. No wonder the composer had such devastating doubts about his Eighth Symphony: how could anything follow this?! (But, oh, if only his matches had been damp that day!)

Coupled with a most expressive Symphony 4 it was one of the shattering experiences for me too that year (the year in which my ears were opened to the 20C, with Ives 4 and Webern's Symphony at approximately the same time as this Sibelius)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Coupled with a most expressive Symphony 4 it was one of the shattering experiences for me too that year (the year in which my ears were opened to the 20C, with Ives 4 and Webern's Symphony at approximately the same time as this Sibelius)

1976 was also the year that I encountered Webern for the first significant time, too - Op6 at a Robert Meyer concert, conducted by Bernard Keefe. One of those events when you can feel life changing - a door, that you didn't even know existed, opening.

EDIT: Bernard Keeffe, I beg his pardon; now in his 90th year. And when he conducted that concert he was younger than I am now!

[Serial_Apologist]

i.e. there is some god stuff out there!

No that's Messiaen!

[Norrette]

Jon Leifs' Organ Concerto -what a concatenation of high dissonances! ... It was right to give it an airing - now put in back on the shelf for 50 years, please!

I agree wholeheartedly. With the strings going at it like hammer and tongs (they wouldn't have helped) we still couldn't hear them at all, in parts. (Up in the grand tier).

For the 'Beast': I agree with Anastasius about the "the sheer spatial swirl and shift of the music across the stage and back" even from the tier it came across very well.

I hadn't intended to see this prom, was given a spare ticket, I enjoyed the Beethoven (what a happy conductor) and I suppose at least I've now heard what the organ sounded like

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

No that's Messiaen!

That's not Messiaen - that's a very naughty boy!

[Serial_Apologist]

That's not Messiaen - that's a very naughty boy!

[teamsaint]

I imagine that all the Life of Brian gags get well aired in the Ferneyhough fan club......

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Ferneyhough Fan Club? Splitters! This is the Fan Club of Ferneyhough, I'll have you know!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

What did the Roman Haubenstock-Ramati ever do for us?!

[Roehre]

What did the Roman Haubenstock-Ramati ever do for us?!

with those Credentials you are Mobile enough for Vermutungen über ein dunkles Haus to enjoy their Symphony K. as a Ständchen sur le Nom de Heinrich Strobel

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]