Prom 73: VPO/Bychkov (10.09.15)

[Nick Armstrong]

the original Sony CD coupled this quintet with Korngold's Suite for piano quintet opus 23, also composed for Wittgenstein.

Yes that's the one on Apple Music.

Did you hear the Concertgebouw recording of Wittgenstein in the Ravel concerto under Bruno Walter in 1937 on Through the Night the other day, ahem night? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0680pdr It's also on YouTube. Bit of a dog's breakfast, sadly....

[Roehre]

Yes that's the one on Apple Music.

Did you hear the Concertgebouw recording of Wittgenstein in the Ravel concerto under Bruno Walter in 1937 on Through the Night the other day, ahem night? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0680pdr It's also on YouTube. Bit of a dog's breakfast, sadly....

I know that recording/performance, but haven't listened to it recently. Indeed not a fully enjoyable experience

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

One of the world's finest orchestra plays Brahms like no-one else can and a few moronic audience clap after the slow movement.

Move the Proms to Birmingham or Mancheater where they have better manners.

[Petrushka]

Terribly dull Brahms in the hall blighted by a barrage of coughing.

[Maclintick]

I-Player for the Brahms, but caught the Schmidt, which was beautifully played but unmemorable in a sub-Straussian (even sub-Korngoldian !) kind of way -- noodling along as if the orchestra had just played the premiere of "Der Rosenkavalier" & were asked to improvise in similar manner for an interminable 50+ minutes.
Great music to cook to, but.....

[jayne lee wilson]

PROM 73 VPO/Bychkov. R3 HDs (USB Asynchronous Mac to Dac - now with Audioquest Jitterbugs!). This orchestra's distinctive sound clearly caught on the webcast.

"A passionate BRAHMS 3", I thought at first, "clear-eyed in its detail and argument".... but -
This wasn't an "interpretation" as such, was it? Just the Vienna Philharmonic playing Brahms as they have for over a century with only minor modifications, more or less well, according to how they feel about the figure standing on the podium. Which in Semyon Bychkov's case, seems to be - "we quite like him, really..."

"Ah, but the sound..." Yes, distinctively warm and richly coloured, but with open-weave textures within those strings, and plenty of cutting edge in the violins. VERY powerful dynamics too, full-bass-underpinned. Brasses always a part of the mellow orchestral character, rather than soaring above it with any hubristic Icarian assumptions.

***

At which point my shaky health got the better of me, and I only just made it to the end of FRANZ SCHMIDT's genial-yet-symphonically-ingenious SYMPHONY NO.2. Groggily unable to give it my best attention but, that Viennese character aside (a lovely glow from the violins in the "leidenschaftlich" 8th variation, softly ruminative brass in the opening, fugal section of the finale), it didn't seem to offer me much more than I discovered in the two recordings I've been listening to this week, Chicago SO/Jarvi and Malmo SO/Sinaisky (forming a strong preference for the lyrical, Schubertian Sinaisky, whatever the mighty Chicago Brasses might have to say in persuasion). As with the Brahms, it simply sounded like the VPO playing him as they've always known how to do, with Bychvov taking care not to get in their way...

Is it genuinely monothematic? Well, I THINK so - as I hear it, the three movements certainly begin with the same theme (soft chorale against flowing motion in the 1st movement, gentle dance for the variations, fugue for the finale). The least you can say is that the melodic shapes all seem to have a close family resemblance; and many thematic versions recur throughout in a cyclical way.

[Nick Armstrong]

caught the Schmidt, which was beautifully played but unmemorable in a sub-Straussian (even sub-Korngoldian !) kind of way -- noodling along as if the orchestra had just played the premiere of "Der Rosenkavalier" & were asked to improvise in similar manner for an interminable 50+ minutes.

Quite. Not music I need in my life. Didn't make it to the end

Beautifully played but...

Saving the lug-holes for tomorrow evening.

[Prommer]

The Brahms was a bit dull... I was in the hall tonight. A very unimpressive start to the first movement too.

The Schmidt I had only ever heard once before, live, at the RAM last year, conducted by Bychkov on a visit as Klemperer chair of conducting there. The Duke Hall just could not deal with the thick textures and sheer volume.

Tonight, with the VPO and in the Albert Hall, it was wonderfully played and it simply bloomed in to life. People who had never heard it were turning to each other and mouthing wtf - in a good way. Sales of Schmidt 2 will grow exponentially now... from a base of about 2! There were so many influences in there (Parsifal, Bruckner, Mendessohn) but still something very original too. The brass were on top form.

Did R3 hang about for the Nimrod encore? It was outstanding, and a lovely way to yoke this concert with the Gerontius to follow tomorrow evening.

[Nick Armstrong]

The Duke Hall just could not deal with the thick textures and sheer volume.

Tonight, with the VPO and in the Albert Hall, it was wonderfully played and it simply bloomed in to life. People who had never heard it were turning to each other and mouthing wtf - in a good way.

In the words of the old cliché: I guess you had to be there! I think the radio suffered from the same handicap as the Duke Hall...

[teamsaint]

Blimey, the VPO in town, and not much discussion to be had.

I was in the arena for this one last night, to see this orchestra for the first time. Too good an opportunity to miss I thought, as work commitments allowed me to be in the right place at the right time.
There was a nice beginners guide to Schmidt at the Proms talk, well handled by Martin Handley, certainly plenty of food for thought.

The VPO playing Brahms. Nothing can possibly go wrong really, can it? and it didn't. To stand just a few yards in front of this orchestra playing this music leaves you little option but to be overwhelmed in sound, magnificent sound. But you cant help wondering if it is all jst too easy, or familiar, or if the weight of expectation and history does stifle creativity . I had in my mind a vision of Bychkov conducting this from his favourite armchair, with a glass of something to hand. He wasn't uninvolved, but didn't seem to go out of his way to produce anything different , special , memorable. A bit of fear, maybe ?
In any case, a superb opportunity to witness a wonderful work, played by the very best.magnificent, but not life changing.

The Schmidt was rather different. The whole emphasis seemed to be much more about making a strong case for the music. Bychkov was so much more involved, and looked to be really enjoying the experience. Far more eye contact with the orchestra, smiles and encouragement both during and between movements. Altogether more relaxed, and the better for it. As for the music, I approached it with an open mind. A few listens hadn't done more than convince me that I like the second movement variations.
The First movement is something that I still haven't quite got my head round. I hear Mahler as much as Strauss, actually. Kind of feels like, "I missed Gustav's Fin de Siecle party, but it sounds like it was a bit intense, so I'll do my own but with less angst". or something. All played with great flair of course, and building to a magnificent climax.

The Variations were as good as I hoped. They are interesting in all kinds of ways, and of course a great showcase for the various sections. On the music, I just think that the movement outstays its welcome a fraction. Schmidt does a great job doing interesting things on the material, but I think he is a tad over optimistic on the interest that can be wrung from it. But I still think its a fabulous movement, and reminds me a little of Abrahamsen's first (?) SQ where he throws everything at the form.

The finale was unexpectedly wonderful. It kept on building and rebuilding, and sweeping me along with it. The structure feels like a mirror, in some ways , of the second movement.And that little slip of key close to the end (?not quite sure what he does yet), is a truly great moment in my opinion.It felt Like a slip in space time or something.Terrific stuff, and much enjoyed by the audience, and players. Bychkov looked pleased, and has a pleasantly reserved manner when taking the plaudits. I enjoyed his conducting.

Out in the hall, all as per usual really. The man next to me ( row 2 arena, so he had been queuing a while) read his book(without disturbing anybody) through almost the whole concert, breaking off just for a casual cough from time to time.

Oh, and there aren't many Ladies in the VPO , are there? 11 , according to the Prommers in front of me.
Best non music moment of the night occured right in front of me, as the orchestra returned for the second half. One of the few young ladies was sitting on her 2nd violins desk, about six rows back. Austrian musicians trooped past indifferent, in a serious and professional manner, until one young first violinist, swarthy, jet black slicked hair,(you know, Italian) wandered on and gave the young lady a typical italian style look and big smile as he walked past.Reckon it might just have made her evening. Magic.

And I had a splendid evening, actually.

[Prommer]

A lovely, thoughtful review, TS. Thank you.

Some more:

https://bachtrack.com/review-prom-73-schmidt-bychkov-vienna-philharmonic-september-2015

http://www.theartsdesk.com/classical-music/prom-73-vpo-bychkov

[Nick Armstrong]

Yes - great review teams! And IGI liked it, didn't he!

It seems you really did have to be there for the Schmidt!

[Ferretfancy]

I'm orry if I upset any sensibilities, but for me it was a disappointing evening. The VPO played beautifully, naturally they did, but I found the Brahms rather dull. All the tempi were on the slow side in this very measured symphony, and there was very little to excite the mind.

I went to the talk at the RCM, which was an excellent introduction to the Schmidt, and the performance was fine as far as I could judge, but there was not one memorable theme in the entire symphony. Another supposedly unjustly neglected work where the neglect is quite understandable.

[Nick Armstrong]

the performance was fine as far as I could judge, but there was not one memorable theme in the entire symphony. Another supposedly unjustly neglected work where the neglect is quite understandable.

Very interesting, all this! Am awaiting reports from two musical friends who were also there. Going to try and listen again this weekend on the big hi-fi to see if I think differently from the partial listen last night which tended to place me on your side of the fence, Ff.

[blackalbum]

Hello all

I'd be interested to hear your opinions about this week's Nimroff. I preferred Tuesday to Thursday, but perhaps it's all just a matter of circumstance, as I may have been rather less receptive to Elgar after the Schmidt than I had been after the glories of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto. Temirkanov felt softer and slower than Bychkov - the strings hardly seemed to move visibly at the start of the St Petersburg Nimrod and yet produced a lovely soft sound. And I'd echo Maclintick's assessment of the Schmidt - it made the orchestra sound lovely but seemed to leave no impression on me of actual music.