Proms Chamber Music 1: 18.07.16 - Debussy, Dutilleux and Mozart

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

13:00 Monday 18 Jul
Cadogan Hall

Claude Debussy: Cello Sonata
Henri Dutilleux: Ainsi la nuit
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K414

Paul Lewis piano
Bjørg Lewis cello
Vertavo String Quartet


Paul Lewis joins his regular partners the Vertavo Quartet for the first of the season's Proms Chamber Music concerts. They begin with music from France: Debussy's Symbolist Cello Sonata and one of the most important string quartets of the 20th century, Henri Dutilleux's exploration of sound constructed on a single chord, Ainsi la nuit. To end, all five musicians are united for the quintet arrangement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12, the jewel among his landmark concertos from the spring of 1782 and a work of rare intimacy, lightness and charm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07jlqnx

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This sounds fascinating. All new to me, including this chamber arrangement of Mozart's K414.

[bluestateprommer]

This sounds fascinating. All new to me, including this chamber arrangement of Mozart's K414.

This is indeed a very fine program, with a nice 'family affair' element, with husband and wife on the same stage. But then the PCM Monday series at Cadogan Hall almost always proves to be buried treasure in plain sight, for chamber music aficionados.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Is the Mozart arrangement by the composer?

[bluestateprommer]

Is the Mozart arrangement by the composer?

I think so. My understanding is that Wolfie composed his Piano Concertos 12-14 in such a way that the wind parts could be omitted, and the works could be done with piano/pianoforte and string quartet. I've actually heard K. 414 done live once this way.

[teamsaint]

This sounds fascinating. All new to me, including this chamber arrangement of Mozart's K414.

the Dutilleux is well worth getting to know, EA.

Wish I could be there. But I can't.

[bluestateprommer]

Not much comment here on PCM 1 (which may repeat past history on the Forum with respect to the PCM series), which is a shame, because it was a very good concert. Maybe some slightly indulgent touches from Mr. and Mrs. Lewis in the Debussy Cello Sonata, but understandable, especially with a married couple as the performers :) . Solid work from the Vertavo SQ in Dutilleux's Ainsi la nuit, although, in all honesty, the continual shimmering sound world in so many of HD's pieces kind of tells me not to listen to too much of his music at once. In the Mozart, one touch was that Paul Lewis took a page from the period performance movement and occasionally played some 'filler' support chords as back up to the string quartet in the introduction to the first movement. It makes more sense with a fortepiano, to be honest, where there's less of a timbre contrast there than between the modern piano and strings (but I digress). Hearing this performance showed up the spare textures of this treatment for the first time really to me, even compared to the one live performance I've heard, and just how different a concerto is in spirit from an actual piano quintet that was conceived as such (i.e. not a concertante work). But that aside, again, very good work from PL and the VSQ.

Likewise, Petroc was on good form, as he really does seem to enjoy having this particular presenter sub-gig at The Proms and realizes what a lucky treat it is. There was no between-music banter between him and any of the musicians, which presumably was the musicians' wish. So Petroc was pretty much all business, just like the musicians. Fine start to the PCM series, and looking forward to the rest.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Not much comment here on PCM 1 (which may repeat past history on the Forum with respect to the PCM series), which is a shame, because it was a very good concert. Maybe some slightly indulgent touches from Mr. and Mrs. Lewis in the Debussy Cello Sonata, but understandable, especially with a married couple as the performers :) . Solid work from the Vertavo SQ in Dutilleux's Ainsi la nuit, although, in all honesty, the continual shimmering sound world in so many of HD's pieces kind of tells me not to listen to too much of his music at once. In the Mozart, one touch was that Paul Lewis took a page from the period performance movement and occasionally played some 'filler' support chords as back up to the string quartet in the introduction to the first movement. It makes more sense with a fortepiano, to be honest, where there's less of a timbre contrast there than between the modern piano and strings (but I digress). Hearing this performance showed up the spare textures of this treatment for the first time really to me, even compared to the one live performance I've heard, and just how different a concerto is in spirit from an actual piano quintet that was conceived as such (i.e. not a concertante work). But that aside, again, very good work from PL and the VSQ.

Likewise, Petroc was on good form, as he really does seem to enjoy having this particular presenter sub-gig at The Proms and realizes what a lucky treat it is. There was no between-music banter between him and any of the musicians, which presumably was the musicians' wish. So Petroc was pretty much all business, just like the musicians. Fine start to the PCM series, and looking forward to the rest.

I've just caught up with this concert, and I thought it was superb. No real info on the "arrangement" of the Mozart.

[Bryn]

I've just caught up with this concert, and I thought it was superb. No real info on the "arrangement" of the Mozart.

My understanding is that K414 is one of three of Mozart;s piano concertos which he himself made availailable in versions for fortepiano and string quartet. Christoph Wolff edited the currently available edition published in the Barenreiter/Neue Mozart Ausgabe.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

My understanding is that K414 is one of three of Mozart;s piano concertos which he himself made availailable in versions for fortepiano and string quartet. Christoph Wolff edited the currently available edition published in the Barenreiter/Neue Mozart Ausgabe.