Prom 13: 24.07.16 - Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

[Nick Armstrong]

O.K., I cheated and went straight to the 3rd movement, and yes the transition to, and execution of, the Lo stesso tempo 12:8 section at bar 99 is indeed beautifully done. Now to go back to bar one if the first movement.

I just sensed that towards the end of that section, it was slightly jumbled, and that the merest hint of more time would have let it lilt and breathe more.

But as I said at the outset: totally subjective!

[Bryn]

I just sensed that towards the end of that section, it was slightly jumbled, and that the merest hint of more time would have let it lilt and breathe more.

But as I said at the outset: totally subjective!

Listening just now to the first movement (my 1955 Penguin score with its fine introduction by Gordon Jacob put to one side) I did note a few somewhat jumbled bits there, but did not put it down to the tempo. Perhaps it was just too darn hot?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

. . . (my 1955 Penguin score with its fine introduction by Gordon Jacob put to one side)

In the Penguin score, have you noticed anything about the piccolo part in the Alla Marcia section of the finale?

[Lento]

I liked the way he managed the tempi in the finale.

[Bryn]

In the Penguin score, have you noticed anything about the piccolo part in the Alla Marcia section of the finale?

Must admit I had not previously noted the misplacing of that solo to the flutes stave. I can live with it though. I have been thinking aboutg spashing out on the Jonathan Del Mar edition boxed set (sans critical notes), but find it hard to justifuy the cost (even with B & H's curernt discount), given the use I might make of it. Might keep an eye out at the Schott Music shop though.

[bluestateprommer]

I suppose I will be one of the few dissenters on Magnus Lindberg's new work and say that I actually found it quite enjoyable. I admit to trepidation when hearing the opening motif of LvB 9 transmogrified at the start of ML's piece, but then it took off on its own terms while still making nice use of fragments of LvB 9. The work was also more neo-romantic in idiom than I was expecting from ML. While it was a bit extended for its material in places, overall, ML's work was infinitely better than the Friedrich Cerha Paraphrase on the Opening of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 from 2 Proms seasons back. Fine LvB 9 from VJ as well, taking into account HIPP practices, but not rigidly, and a fair counterpart to the more weighty "old school" version from Andris Nelsons last year.

FWIW, this Prom is the 3rd in the public radio series SymphonyCast from this season's Proms on this side of the pond. SymphonyCast isn't known for picking the most forward looking of a given season's Proms, but they did choose the Munich Phil Prom (with the Ustvolskaya piece), as well as this one, with the ML work. Even the encore from the First Night counts, I guess, in giving US audiences some more contemporary work.