Prom 15: 26.07.16 - BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sir Andrew Davis

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Tuesday 26 Jul 2016
Royal Albert Hall

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Tempest
Anthony Payne: Of Land, Sea and Sky (BBC commission: world premiere)
Max Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Toward the Unknown Region
Ray Chen, violin
BBC Symphony Chorus
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis, conductor

Vaughan Williams's Toward the Unknown Region was his first large-scale masterpiece, setting the visionary words of Walt Whitman. Sir Andrew Davis also conducts Tchaikovsky's swashbuckling The Tempest and the world premiere of Anthony Payne's Of Land, Sea and Sky, with texts by Payne himself which reference nature and the Somme. Bruch's radiant First Violin Concerto completes the programme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07lg4l8

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

One of my top choices of the season.

The best of little-known Tchaikovsky, a new Tony Payne composition and the VW work that first blew me away.

[LeMartinPecheur]

One of my top choices of the season.

The best of little-known Tchaikovsky, a new Tony Payne composition and the VW work that first blew me away.

EA, you've left out the Bruch!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

EA, you've left out the Bruch!

That goes without saying. The Bruch inspired Strauss's "summit" theme in his final tone poem.

[mrbouffant]

Looking forward to being in the hall for this one tonight. For a change I have chosen seats in a Loggia Box. I hope my fellow boxsters are well behaved!

[edashtav]

One of my top choices of the season.

The best of little-known Tchaikovsky, a new Tony Payne composition and the VW work that first blew me away.

Towards the Unknown Region (somewhere in the Alps)?

[bluestateprommer]

Strong start to this Prom in its first half, with a very well played Tchaikovsky, and excellent work from the BBC SO, SC and Sir Andrew Davis in the Anthony Payne work. AP's work strikes me as generally in a very "audience-friendly" idiom, with very fine word setting. Perhaps it runs a bit long (much longer than the stated 20 minutes, it seems), but I'm keen to give it another listen later.

[Petrushka]

Strong start to this Prom in its first half, with a very well played Tchaikovsky, and excellent work from the BBC SO, SC and Sir Andrew Davis in the Anthony Payne work. AP's work strikes me as generally in a very "audience-friendly" idiom, with very fine word setting. Perhaps it runs a bit long (much longer than the stated 20 minutes, it seems), but I'm keen to give it another listen later.

Agree about the Payne but I really miss having the text in front of me when listening. It would make all the difference. No matter how good the choral enunciation you never manage to hear all the words. This is where having the printed programme online was so useful.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Towards the Unknown Region (somewhere in the Alps)?

?

[edashtav]

?

Shhhh - yes, I've not opened my VS since I last sang its bass line some 25 years ago!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Shhhh - yes, I've not opened my VS since I last sang its bass line some 25 years ago!

It's just about to begin.

[bluestateprommer]

Ray Chen just dispatched his encore of Paganini's Caprice No. 21, definitely running on adrenalin that I can tell, if his enthusiastic spoken remarks to the audience are anything to go by. Plus, I heard one audience member shout "yeah!" after the final chord of the Bruch. Happy audience, it seems.

[edashtav]

How to sum up my reaction to Anthony Payne's work? I'm usually inimical to conservative composers who write accessible music that fits within my comfort zone. Yet, I admit to enjoying Tony's new piece. Why? Firstly, because his music doesn't just illustrate his texts but illumines them. Each movement / section has a clear form and a sense of direction. Anthony understands the power of the eraser: "if a note is redundant rub it from the record". As a result, Tony's textures are not fogged with detail ( Magnus Lindberg please note). The score displays a mature grasp of a plenitude of musical devices - one senses that Tony can hear the whole in his head, a virtue not shared by all 21st century composers. Finally, the performance by the BBC Chorus, Symphonic Orchestra under Andrew Davis was more than assured, the singing and playing displayed freshness and relish. The audience reaction in the RAH seemed enthusiastic, too.

I'l try to catch up with the Tchaikovsky later- it's not as well- wrought as AP's new piece but it has noble pages.


I've heard, or been involved in, performances of many Bruch works from full length cantatas through a myriad of concerted works to some of his chamber works. Many have attractive features but none have the concentrated virtues of Max's early G minor concerto. Its form is quixotic, but that can be read as original, and if its idiom borrows much from Mendelssohn and Gade,its material is memorable and at its core is a slow movement of pristine beauty. Ray Chen gave a fine performance combining virtuosity and good taste. There is no doubting Ray's ability to connect with his audience.

Like Alpie, my introduction to RVW's choral music 58 years ago, was his Toward the Unknown Region which made a deep impact on me. These days, I tend to dismiss it, unfairly, as Parry and Mash.That Sir Andrew believed in the work was demonstrated by his bravery in ending his Prom with it. Much of his interpretation blew cobwebs from the score but lazy moments where RVW leans on the crutch of sequential treatment caused me to doze. The peroration underpinned by the RAH organ was very good, indeed. A worthwhile revival.

[EdgeleyRob]

Like Alpie, my introduction to RVW's choral music 58 years ago, was his Toward the Unknown Region which made a deep impact on me. These days, I tend to dismiss it, unfairly, as Parry and Mash.That Sir Andrew believed in the work was demonstrated by his bravery in ending his Prom with it. Much of his interpretation blew cobwebs from the score but lazy moments where RVW leans on the crutch of sequential treatment caused me to doze. The peroration underpinned by the RAH organ was very good, indeed. A worthwhile revival.

Hi Ed.

I only tuned in for the RVW and like you and EA this was one of the first pieces of his that I got to know and love.
I thought it as good a performance as we are ever likely to hear live.
I like your Parry and Mash comment and you are right,it is unfair (very IMO).
Not sure what sequential treatment is but I'm surprised you nodded off

[edashtav]

Hi Ed.

I only tuned in for the RVW and like you and EA this was one of the first pieces of his that I got to know and love.
I thought it as good a performance as we are ever likely to hear live.
I like your Parry and Mash comment and you are right,it is unfair (very IMO).
Not sure what sequential treatment is but I'm surprised you nodded off

Sequential treatment is where a passage is repeated, sometimes ad nauseam, with subsequent repetitions starting on a different note, often rising up the scale. It's lazy ' coz of its mechanical nature. Although the composer often thinks (s)he is cranking up tension, and the sequence may be emphasised by a gradual crescendo, in reality, the musically development is being put on hold, thus easily bored listeners e.g. EG(me) are made listless ( no not Lisztless!) and may suffer I.B.S. Elgar was found of sequential treatment.