Prom 31: 7.08.16 - Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky

[Pianorak]

the afternoon Prom at which the 2nd Concerto was performed).

Magnificently performed by Pavel Kolesnikov which was in stark contrast to the Decca recording by Postnikova/Rozhdestvensky.

[Anastasius]

Hedonism in all cases. A desperate need for adulation, even at the expense of the music. And I really don't give a fig about what long dead composers expected.

Bang on the money, EA. Couldn't have put it more succinctly myself.

[Bryn]

Bang on the money, EA. Couldn't have put it more succinctly myself.

So neither of you have any respect for those who created the music you purport to be defending, eh? Poor old Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven et al. Just a bunch of hedonists, eh? The true hedonism here is that of those who take their pleasure in denigrating those who break their trumped up rules of concert etiquette. Shame on you.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

So neither of you have any respect for those who created the music you purport to be defending, eh? Poor old Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven et al. Just a bunch of hedonists, eh? The true hedonism here is that of those who take their pleasure in denigrating those who break their trumped up rules of concert etiquette. Shame on you.

Yes! Mozart was pleased that the audience applauded during his Paris Symphony, because it meant he was having a little success at a very difficult time. But is this what you really want?

Next day I resolved not to go to the concert at all; but in the evening, the weather being fine, I made up my mind at last to go, determined that if it went as badly as at the rehearsal, I would go into the orchestra, take the violin out of the hands of M. La Haussaye, the first violin, and lead myself. I prayed to God that it might go well, for all is to His greater honor and glory; and ecce, the symphony began, Raaff was standing beside me, and just in the middle of the allegro a passage occurred which I felt sure must please, and there was a burst of applause; but as I knew at the time I wrote it what effect it was sure to produce, I brought it in once more at the close, and then rose shouts of "Da capo!" The andante was also liked, but the last allegro still more so. Having observed that all last as well as first allegros here begin together with all the other instruments, and generally unisono, mine commenced with only two violins, piano for the first eight bars, followed instantly by a forte; the audience, as I expected, called out "hush!" at the soft beginning, and the instant the forte was heard began to clap their hands.

I don't think so.

[jayne lee wilson]

Yes! Mozart was pleased that the audience applauded during his Paris Symphony, because it meant he was having a little success at a very difficult time. But is this what you really want?


I don't think so.

Where does that Mozart quote come from EA? Gosh, I wish more concerts were received and responded to like that. What responsiveness, and what fun! (Maybe those who left de Leeuw's Nachtliche Wanderer before the end were running away in strigiphobic terror....)
It might mean attendees of the Home Concert Hall feeling a bit left out on occasion, but what the heck. I can applaud when I like....or "leave the hall" in fear & disgust. (Even while listening to a CD...).

Engagé listening - that's what we want!

[seabright]

I think you will find that this particular edition of the 1879 version was only published last year, and tonight's pianist was indeed the first to record it, being granted permission to do so in advance of its publication. This is the new critical edition. That recorded by Hoteev was made prior to the work on the critical edition. So, the BBC did get its facts right.

I was specifically referring to Petroc T's remarks at the start and end of the work, as well as the pianist's. If you care to "listen again" for yourself you will hear what Radio 3 listeners heard: ie: no mention whatsoever of the "new critical edition" of the work to which you refer. Another thing PT got wrong was to say that five months after playing the work for Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky's "original version was published." Wrong again. The 1875 version was not published by Jurgenson, only the 1879 revision. And as stated earlier, at the end of the work PT told listeners that KG had made the World Premiere of the 1879 edition, again without making any reference to this so-called newly published "critical edition," thus confusing listeners who already knew about, or had in their collections, the Hoteev recording.

Apart from the arpeggiated chords at the start, which won't be new to anyone who has the Lowenthal CD of 1989, as they exactly are what he plays, it would be interesting to know precisely what the "differences" are in this "new edition" of the 1879 revision. A re-listening of the Lowenthal recording of the 1875 score suggests they'll be very minor indeed. Incidentally, the Soviets printed a massive Tchaikovsky Edition in the 1940s which published everything he ever wrote, so that would be where Lowenthal obtained his source material.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Where does that Mozart quote come from EA?

in a letter to his father, who had remained in Salzburg.

Engagé listening - that's what we want!

Listening is one thing. Preventing others from doing so is something else.

[BBMmk2]

Where does that Mozart quote come from EA? Gosh, I wish more concerts were received and responded to like that. What responsiveness, and what fun! (Maybe those who left de Leeuw's Nachtliche Wanderer before the end were running away in strigiphobic terror....)
It might mean attendees of the Home Concert Hall feeling a bit left out on occasion, but what the heck. I can applaud when I like....or "leave the hall" in fear & disgust. (Even while listening to a CD...).

Engagé listening - that's what we want!

I must say that, personally I find it rather intrusive when members of the audience begin to applaud. But, hey ho, why not, if they feel the need too?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I must say that, personally I find it rather intrusive when members of the audience begin to applaud. But, hey ho, why not, if they feel the need too?

And if they feel the need to shout abuse at the people on the row in front, that's fine too. Neville Chamberlain tolerance never works.

[BBMmk2]

And if they feel the need to shout abuse at the people on the row in front, that's fine too. Neville Chamberlain tolerance never works.

I simply do not like intrusive behaviour of any kind, including coughing, sneezing, etc :)

[richardfinegold]

Gerstein is playing this version here at the CSO Summer home , Ravinia, this weekend. I would like to go, but I 'm hampered now by a case of Cellulitis of my left lower leg, and walking the grounds of Ravinia in 90 plus heat and humidity isn't exactly what the Doctor ordered. WFMT is going to broadcast both the Proms concert and the Ravinia in the upcoming weeks.
OT, but WFMT is going to broadcast James Levine leading the CSO in Mahler 2 from late July. Levine has never commercially recorded the Resurrection, and given the fragile state of his health probably won't be doing much in the future. I am going to break out my CD recorder for this one...