Prom 55: SWR SO Baden-Baden and Freiburg (26.08.15)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I don't recall Explosante-Fixe as containing any electronics. This must be another revision.

Not present in the first "presentation" of the work, which was a "toolkit" of notations and (verbally) written suggestions as to how the work might be put together in performance. This was published in Tempo in 1971 as one of their commissions from composers to commemorate the death of Stravinsky, and was performed only once in this guise as part of the commemorative concert of those works. The next year, Boulez withdrew the "aleatory" aspects of the work and produced a "definitive" performing version of the instructions - this version already included electronic manipulation of the instrumental sonorities, but as Boulez was dissatisfied with the sounds this produced, he withdrew that version after composing Repons and produced the version that was heard last night, which is now (gawdelpus) over twenty years old!!!

[Roehre]

Not present in the first "presentation" of the work, which was a "toolkit" of notations and (verbally) written suggestions as to how the work might be put together in performance. This was published in Tempo in 1971 as one of their commissions from composers to commemorate the death of Stravinsky, and was performed only once in this guise as part of the commemorative concert of those works. The next year, Boulez withdrew the "aleatory" aspects of the work and produced a "definitive" performing version of the instructions - this version already included electronic manipulation of the instrumental sonorities, but as Boulez was dissatisfied with the sounds this produced, he withdrew that version after composing Repons and produced the version that was heard last night, which is now (gawdelpus) over twenty years old!!!

many thanks for this. Duly added to my files

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

many thanks for this. Duly added to my files

[Ferretfancy]

[QUOTE=bluestateprommer;505083]Solid work from Sophie Cherrier, 'echoed' by two flutists, including SWR flutist Dagmar Becker (unfortunately didn't note the other flutist's name), with F-XR and the SWR orchestra, in the Boulez Explosante-fixe. There's a similarity of manner here that reminded me of Derive 2, in the continual shimmer of sound that seems to stay rather long in the same style, and thus becomes a bit wearing to me after a while. It must have made a stronger impact in the RAH, with the ability of the SWR electronics folks to ping the sound around the hall.[/QUOTE

There wasn't much pinging around the hall from where I stood, the electronics were mostly acting as a cushion to the rest of the instrumental sound. They did add anextra sense of space in the final section.

This was a very poorly attended Prom, with acres of empty seats and the Arena half full. This of course tends to make the acoustic even more reverberant.

It was a shame that the audience was sparse, since the orchestra sounded splendid. Roth had the viola section on his right, with the cellos centre and violins on the left. This created a wonderful sonority in the Bartok, and re-enforced those deep bass drones in Lontano.

I have to say that if I stand in front of my CD shelves, I rarely think 'a nice bit of Boulez' would be just right for my mood, but at concerts I'm well trained to endure!
]

[jayne lee wilson]

Not present in the first "presentation" of the work, which was a "toolkit" of notations and (verbally) written suggestions as to how the work might be put together in performance. This was published in Tempo in 1971 as one of their commissions from composers to commemorate the death of Stravinsky, and was performed only once in this guise as part of the commemorative concert of those works. The next year, Boulez withdrew the "aleatory" aspects of the work and produced a "definitive" performing version of the instructions - this version already included electronic manipulation of the instrumental sonorities, but as Boulez was dissatisfied with the sounds this produced, he withdrew that version after composing Repons and produced the version that was heard last night, which is now (gawdelpus) over twenty years old!!!

To fill out a few details, this, from the DG 20/21 CD booklet note by Paul Griffiths:

"Explosante-fixe [... ] published as a composition kit, proposing performance by instruments moving through a cycle of six "Transitoires" (numbered II to VII) to arrive at an "Originel", all notated in sketch form. The "Transitoires" here are derivatives, the "Originel" presents the elemental material, focussed on the note E Flat (in German "Es" and so the initial of Stravinsky, to whose memory the piece was inscribed). That note was the hub of concentric ripples: first the "Originel", expanding the note to a melodic formula; then the "Transitoires" making a set of variations on the formula; finally the complete work, which would be a grand elaboration of the given components."

SO - in its present form (as heard in Prom 55) we have:

Transitoire VII - Interstitiel 1 - Transitoire V - Interstitiel 2 - Originel.
(i.e. moving from the variational elaborations back to the source.)

These are the only "Transitoires" to have been fully composed, and the "Interstitiels" are the purely electronic interludes (occurring at around 12'30 and 29'30 on the DG, a bit earlier in this Prom).
Following "Interstitiel 2", the final section, "Originel", is of course a rescoring of the better-known "Memoriale", in memory of.... Stravinsky.

[blackalbum]

I have been meaning all day to add a note about what this was like in the hall - apologies this is so late. I was really surprised by the additional effects in the Boulez, which I hadn't expected, though I don't know much of his music. There were 3 people, presumably with laptops, at the back of the arena who mixed the sounds of the flutes and the various other percussive effects in and out of the music. These were amplified via about 6 speakers which were positioned around the circle at the top of the hall just below the top tier of seats, where some of the lighting usually sits. I had not experienced sound delivered via speakers in these positions in the hall before - it was highly effective from the arena. The mixing allowed elements of the the percussion etc to 'skitter' around from speaker to speaker, rather than have the same sound sequence delivered by all six at once. This was certainly a unique experience - much better than the usual bank of speakers blasting away above the stage. There were also 2 short sequences for which the lights were dimmed in the hall, which added to the drama of the Boulez. Given that it felt as though there could only have been 800 or so people in the audience, you really had a sense of the space in the air above the arena and how the sound was being shaped around it. Most effective.

The two pieces that followed were equally captivating but in very different ways. I presume that many of the audience were unprepared for the sad news within the speech which preceded the encore - I too would have been very shocked had I not read bluestateprommer's note above. I must admit I am not always at one with the audience at the Proms, but I was really thrilled at the collective decision by the audience to clap every last orchestra member off stage last night. The orchestra were at first nonchalant about this as they embraced and moved offstage, but given the loud continuation of the applause even after the last two players had been left alone on stage tucking their harps inside their protective covers, the message certainly hit home to the players by the end.

[jayne lee wilson]

Thanks for that report on those speakers, B-album...as I said in #6 though, I still would love to know what they used.

I guess the lights dimmed during those purely-electronic interludes, the "Interstitiels",as described in #20 above? Would seem apt...
Shame about the attendance - would it have been better if the BBC had promoted it with vivid evocations of the surround-sound effects? Why not do that anyway? And it would've been nice to see all this on TV too, but...

[Beef Oven!]

About the attendance, the unbelievably heavy rain would have dissuaded many people from queuing and possibly even some seat ticket holders might have been put off too. I witnessed the significant affect this had on the Sibelius 4, 5 & 6 Prom with much lighter rain (the Proms steward I spoke to about how short the queue was cited the rain as the reason). But I guess this was going to be a less well attended Prom, regardless.

I'm gutted that I was unable to get there last night (inconvenient Dr appointment time) and I thank ferney, Jayne et al for the posts on here that are helping me get my 'head around' this piece - I've had my heart, spirit, instincts, love and emotions wrapped around this piece for a long time!

[Quarky]

I had a £30 ticket for this prom, first prom I've been to for ages, but, although I left in good time, was still a couple of miles away, stuck in traffic, at 7.15 pm. so I turned back.

However the Boulez sounded absolutely luminuous in the multiple speaker system of my car radio. A work of great inner complexity, but the outer skin or surface of the music somehow reminded me of Prelude de l'Apres Midi d'une Faune (pardon my French).

[jayne lee wilson]

http://www.theartsdesk.com/classical-music/prom-55-swr-so-baden-baden-and-freiburg-roth

https://bachtrack.com/review-prom-55-roth-swr-baden-baden-freiburg-august-2015

http://classical-iconoclast.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/prom-55-f-x-roth-swr-so-boulez-ligeti.html

A sad consensus.... brilliance and poignancy, in one of the Proms of The Season....

[blackalbum]

Particularly lovely review from the Arts Desk - thank you for sharing these, Jayne. And sorry I couldn't help with more info about the speakers in the hall!

[Serial_Apologist]

I had a £30 ticket for this prom, first prom I've been to for ages, but, although I left in good time, was still a couple of miles away, stuck in traffic, at 7.15 pm. so I turned back.

However the Boulez sounded absolutely luminuous in the multiple speaker system of my car radio. A work of great inner complexity, but the outer skin or surface of the music somehow reminded me of Prelude de l'Apres Midi d'une Faune (pardon my French).

Then you're not the only one, Oddball. The more acquainted I become with Boulez's music - especially the later works - the stronger I hear the connection to be: even stronger than his relation to Messiaen's, or of Messiaen's to Debussy's. I remember first playing my recording of "Memoriale" to my girlfriend and saying, "What does this remind you of?", and her replying "The Debussy Sonata for flute, viola and harp".