Prom 75: VPO/Rattle - Elgar Dream of Gerontius (11.09.15)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Aren't the VPO sniffy about Elgar I seem to remember JEG commenting that they asked where the other parts were when he first took them through the Introduction and Allegro?

Is that being "sniffy"? Sounds like everyday rehearsal banter.

(And was JEGgers actually rehearsing a work for String Orchestra with the full orchestra in attendance?)

[makropulos]

They may be sniffy about Elgar, but I've never heard any other orchestra matching yesterday's rendition of the Gerontius prelude.

I"m really looking forward to this. It sounds as if it was a splendid performance from the orchestra. How were the soloists?

[Simon B]

How were the soloists?

Problematic if any reliance is placed on this: http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/what...monic-10017630

Toby Spence and Roderick Williams took these roles in Liverpool in June where they seemed to have their work cut out riding over the orchestra at times, despite sensitive accompaniment. Good luck to them in Kensington's mighty bathroom.

[ardcarp]

Elgar was first professor of music at the university.

Though by all accounts he didn't actually do very much.

[MrGongGong]

Though by all accounts he didn't actually do very much.

Not a patch on Jonty (IMV)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Problematic if any reliance is placed on this: http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/what...monic-10017630

Toby Spence and Roderick Williams took these roles in Liverpool in June where they seemed to have their work cut out riding over the orchestra at times, despite sensitive accompaniment. Good luck to them in Kensington's mighty bathroom.

That's a fair review, though I thought the chorus was superb. Magdalena Kozena was the only weakness. She actually behaved as though on the opera stage, with various arm gestures. I spoke to people at hotel afterwards and they thought the same. But the overall performance was still world class.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I've waited before posting anything about my experience last night at Symphony Hall. I haven't looked at the link, above, to the review.

As to the live experience, it seemed like a walk in the park for the VPO. All done and dusted, great playing but, I felt somewhat uninvolved. (Small point - I can say I have experienced the 32 ft stop on the Symphony Hall organ - as written leading up to fig 103 - more a feeling than hearing - a throbbing movement of air (of massive construction"). Very evident as distinct from the orchestra at that point.

Roderick Davies - just about adequate in vocal scale. I prefer a more extensive. bass voice (e.g. David Soar at the Barbican/Chandos recording)but he has a lighter voice (and just to say, an artist I very much admire). Toby Spence - I heard hims sing Gerontius in July 2011 and it was mellifluous, wonderful. He managed to hold his own against the orchestra (I'd prefer a Mozart voice to a Wagnerian approach (cf Stuart Skelton, Barbican perf)) but his performance was a little "effortful" and at times he produced some vowel sounds which were less than beautiful. Again, I admire his voice and his artistry, and overall his performance was enjoyable, but not wonderful. Magdalena Kožená - I don't think the quality of her voice is suited to this work. There are parts of her vocal range where the voice loses its force against the orchstra, and it cannot be heard. At other times it can be clearly heard but it was not a particularly strong voice in this situation. She also has a vibrato or vocal quality akin to vibrato, which is not suited to the role. (I realise reaction to vibrato is very personal) For the record, she chose the E in preference to the A in the "Alleluia" - 3rd bar of Fig 117 of the vocal score. There are soft pronunciations of consonants which convey she is not a natural English speaker (obvious point - but just to say it was evident). Visually she was rather mobile in her movement of arms, shoulders, bove the waist etc - not excessive, and not a problem for me as I just shut my eyes. Once again, I was bowled over as she sang "Erbarme Dich" facing my part of the stalls in the Albert Hall Matthew Passion - a work definitely suited to her. Some of these factors as to the soloists will not apply to those listening to the Radio broadcast as the engineers will re-balance the sound, of course.

Proms Youth Choir. This was a very large choir (305 voices per the programme), and it filled the Hall in the fff passages. In command of the score and very competent rendition. Sorry to have a reservation, but it lacked a quality of voice - depth, slightly darker colour, weight - which was not compensated for by the weight of numbers. In respect of Tenors and basses in particular, these are young voices with rather more development to come - so this is not surprising. I say this, because I missed these vocal qualities in this performance.

Rattle - it would, I think, be hard to sustain a detailed argument criticising his direction. Perhaps he has taken the reading back to Elgar's markings - I'm not sure. But in a few places I found the tempi (perhaps together the VPO's ease of execution) jaunty and I'm wondering if the performing tradition (were I to consciously study it) is to reign back certain passages slightly, before building to the splendour and excitement of such passages as the Praise chorus.

In summary, I was strangely unmoved by this reading, in a work I love to hear live. It'll be interesting to hear the RaH performance on the HD stream, and then if necessary, on the iPlayer.

(Now I'll read that review).

[Nick Armstrong]

Great and detailed account, CS, many thanks. We shall see if the atmos. in the Halbert 'All generates those extra ounces of involvement, passion etc.

I'm preparing myself to dislike Lady Rattle's wobble (as I am highly susceptible to violent bouts of acute vibrato-itis), and hence I hope may be pleasantly surprised on the night.

I am though glad to hear that Sir Simon kept it moving... The tendency to 'rein back' is one I don't like and it's the urgency of the reading (and the resulting exhilaration of 'Praise to the Holiest...') that makes me love the Britten performance best of all.

.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Birmingham performance had no interval, but according to the Radio 3 Schedule, there will be an interval on Friday.

Many of Tuesday's audience were unaware of the lack of and interval break until they were in the hall itself, so had not made the necessary preparations. One elderly woman needed to leave the stalls during Part II, but collapsed and had to be given attention in the aisle for approximately 10 minutes. Magdalena Kozena looked justifiably concerned, as did the VPO first violinists, but eventually, the woman was able to leave the hall with assistance. Appropriately, the work's great climax "Praise to the Holiest..." followed soon afterwards.

[Nick Armstrong]

Appropriately, the work's great climax "Praise to the Holiest..." followed soon afterwards.

Certainly more appropriate than 'Jesus, Maria - I am near to death....'

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Am I the only person on this forum who didn't know that Magdalena Kozena was Mrs Rattle?

[Cockney Sparrow]

The Birmingham performance had no interval, but according to the Radio 3 Schedule, there will be an interval on Friday. One elderly woman needed to leave the stalls during Part II, but collapsed and had to be given attention in the aisle for approximately 10 minutes...

Another benefit of having my eyes closed.....I was totally unaware of this (I was at the very back of the stalls), but under the tier level above.

(I'm convinced that at the Sadlers Wells performances of "Pilgrims Progress" (late R Hickox and an outstanding, never to be forgotten Pilgrim from Roderick Davies) more than one person keeled over and were carried out, in the semi-darkness).

And yes, you never know, it could be very different on Friday ....... The lottery, err, well - excitement of live performance. Let's hope so for all who have those coveted tickets....

[teamsaint]

Another benefit of having my eyes closed.....I was totally unaware of this (I was at the very back of the stalls), but under the tier level above.

(I'm convinced that at the Sadlers Wells performances of "Pilgrims Progress" (late R Hickox and an outstanding, never to be forgotten Pilgrim from Roderick Davies) more than one person keeled over and were carried out, in the semi-darkness).

And yes, you never know, it could be very different tomorrow....... The lottery, err, well - excitement of live performance. Let's hope so for all who have those coveted tickets....

..and the lottery of when the performance will take place.....but I'm up for any VPO performance.....Dream time if they have switched the two concerts...

Lovely review BTW, CS.

[Darkbloom]

Am I the only person on this forum who didn't know that Magdalena Kozena was Mrs Rattle?

You sound like that high court judge who claimed never to have heard of Paul Gascoigne, and thought 'Gazza' referred to an opera by Rossini.

At least the cave you're living in has decent wi-fi

Did you never think it was a bit of a coincidence that she kept popping up in his concerts?

[teamsaint]

Am I the only person on this forum who didn't know that Magdalena Kozena was Mrs Rattle?

even I knew that, EA, try to keep up.

I was eyeing up a performance of something or other in Berlin in February 2016 . BPO and Rattle. Guess who the Mezzo is?

BPO Mahler 2 Festival hall this year...Mezzo? you guessed it.