Prom 21: 31.07.16 - Aurora Orchestra, playing Wolfgang Rihm, Strauss and Mozart

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

15:45 Sunday 31 Jul 2016 ON TV
Royal Albert Hall

Wolfgang Rihm: Gejagte Form (2002 version)
Richard Strauss: Oboe Concerto in D major
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No 41 in C major, 'Jupiter'


François Leleux oboe
Aurora Orchestra
Nicholas Collon conductor

It's difficult to imagine how Mozart could have followed his final symphony, the 'Jupiter' - a work of such scale, majesty and intensity. Tom Service and Nicholas Collon unpick Mozart's continuous stream of joy and invention, allowing us to get under the skin of this great work, which the Aurora Orchestra plays from memory.
Before it, one of the world's leading oboists, François Leleux, plays Strauss's twisting, singing Oboe Concerto - itself preceded by Wolfgang Rihm's Hunted Form, whose animal energy suggests a pursuit more physical than a search merely for musical structure.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07m56vm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07m5f8g

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Strauss is magical (and I really wish I could play it), but the Rihm Gejagte Form should be interesting, though the description doesn't give too much cause for optimism.

[Bryn]

Very much looking forward to the Rihm. Until then I will only have known the 1995/6 version, played here by Mantovani and his orchestra

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I missed this one today - too busy in the garden, but it's safely recorded.

[bluestateprommer]

I missed this one today - too busy in the garden, but it's safely recorded.

Out of courtesy , I'd better not give too much away regarding the Mozart, the only part of this Prom that I caught live. But I think that it's OK to mention a few points: it's very much in the HIPP tradition, with vibrato trimmed, many (not sure if all) repeats taken, and very well played, from memory, like in past performances of standard repertoire from the Aurora Orchestra at The Proms. A few surprises come in some of the details, but I'll let others who want to catch up on iPlayer and otherwise discover them.

[jayne lee wilson]

Arriving somewhat breathlessly (and luckily, it started much later than I expected) for the Jupiter Symphony, I can only say WOW and DID YOU HEAR THAT! Etc.
Brilliantly performed, full of vibrant energy and stylishly expressive phrasemaking, with a strikingly close-set presentation on HDs live from the RAH - maybe it excluded the acoustic and sounds unusually dry, but I like it! Immediacy and fierce dynamic punch greatly appreciated..... HIPPS is very welcome, but performance style took second place to sheer virtuosic gusto here.

When I first tuned in, it sounded like mono on FM and right-channel only on HDs. Perhaps I misperceived in my breathless haste, the orchestra being small and close-seated, but after some switching about-and-back to HDs it was OK - well more than OK!

I'll seek out the Rihm later. No disrespect to Mantovani's preferred form, but I prefer the Klangforum/Cambreling one on KAIROS...includes Rihm's notes with comments about - Magpies, Santa Claus and a plea for "a great variety of ears"...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I really cannot see the point of concerts with a "presenter". Surely simple economics dictate that selling programmes is much more lucrative than paying a presenter.

I was so much looking forward to the Strauss Oboe Concerto. The soloist didn't disappoint, and there was wonderful luminosity of texture. Actual sound balance was unnatural in that it so obviously favoured the soloist.

Surprising molto rubato in the Mozart opening movement. A sort of HIPP/Romantic mish-mash. Sound balance? Not so sure about this - great clarity, but I had the feeling sound compression, uncharacteristic of the excellent work of the sound engineers at this year's Proms. I just had the feeling that the trumpeters and timpanist wanted to be heard at all costs - no subtlety at all.

But yes, BSP, all repeats were included.

TS does rabbit on.

[edashtav]

I’m a fan of Nicholas Collon, particularly in contemporary scores. Listening with only half an hour to spare this evening, I selected the Jupiter “from memory” performance both to test Collon’s credentials in the classical repertoire and to see how the lack of scores would impact on performance. It wasn’t long before I was both full of admiration and despair. With all performers glued to the tip of Collon’s baton, he was given so many degrees of freedom to mould the product. Did he respect that freedom? I think not. Wondrous phrases came and went, the musical baton passed from section to section with perfection, what I missed was the instant serving the whole. Structure and balance were forsaken in favour of momentary indulgence, perhaps even self-indulgence. A mountain of sweet trifles does not make for a satisfying meal. Too much freedom can lead to a loss of rigour. The finale of the jupiter is a stupendous construction. This performance trivialised the form. Yes, I revelled in some moments, and they will remain in my memory, but I missed the symphonic shape and drama. HIPP for Hippies? On balance, no: Hipster Jeans acknowledge form or fail in their prime function.

[Daniel]

Am very poorly supplied with opportunity for Prom listening at the moment, but somehow found myself with three quarters of an ear to the Jupiter and liked what I heard very much indeed. The whole thing felt so freshly painted and the brass in the last movement were making some really delightful noises. At some point I'll try to listen again more attentively, bearing ed's reservations above in mind.

I had some strange fading of the left channel for a few moments too. In my slightly distracted state it sounded like some accidental/outre editing on the hoof, but that seemed unlikely.
I'm interested in the effects of playing by memory on a large ensemble. Perhaps it makes players feel more interconnected, more like a single organism? Whatever they are, on this showing the effects are highly desirable, as the playing was to my ears unquestionably fine.

[MrGongGong]

I really cannot see the point of concerts with a "presenter".

I think he used one of those evil "microphone" devices
BURN THE WITCH

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I’m a fan of Nicholas Collon, particularly in contemporary scores. Listening with only half an hour to spare this evening, I selected the Jupiter “from memory” performance both to test Collon’s credentials in the classical repertoire and to see how the lack of scores would impact on performance. It wasn’t long before I was both full of admiration and despair. With all performers glued to the tip of Collon’s baton, he was given so many degrees of freedom to mould the product. Did he respect that freedom? I think not. Wondrous phrases came and went, the musical baton passed from section to section with perfection, what I missed was the instant serving the whole. Structure and balance were forsaken in favour of momentary indulgence, perhaps even self-indulgence. A mountain of sweet trifles does not make for a satisfying meal. Too much freedom can lead to a loss of rigour. The finale of the jupiter is a stupendous construction. This performance trivialised the form. Yes, I revelled in some moments, and they will remain in my memory, but I missed the symphonic shape and drama. HIPP for Hippies? On balance, no: Hipster Jeans acknowledge form or fail in their prime function.

[gradus]

The Aurora orchestra performed Beethoven 5 recently from memory at Bury St Edmunds and were introduced by Tom Service whose introduction to the piece took almost as long as the performance. Their extraordinary encore was to disperse amongst the audience and play the last movement again - I had a second violin and oboe standing next to me. They are a brilliant group of musicians and I too thought the Jupiter performance thrilling.

[Serial_Apologist]

The Aurora orchestra performed Beethoven 5 recently from memory at Bury St Edmunds and were introduced by Tom Service whose introduction to the piece took almost as long as the performance. Their extraordinary encore was to disperse amongst the audience and play the last movement again - I had a second violin and oboe standing next to me. They are a brilliant group of musicians and I too thought the Jupiter performance thrilling.

He probably came with lots of introductory notes, three of which were the same out of the four.