Prom 37: 12.08.16 - BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Thomas Søndergård

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Friday 12 Aug 2016
Royal Albert Hall

William Walton: Partita
Huw Watkins: Cello Concerto (BBC commission: world premiere)
Anton Webern: Passacaglia
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No 4 in E minor

Paul Watkins (cello)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Thomas Søndergård (conductor)

Thomas Sondergard conducts his BBC National Orchestra of Wales in a Prom exploring the idea of the orchestral 'passacaglia' and some of the most delicious and subtle sonorities ever conjured. Brahms's fourth and final symphony feels like the composer's supreme achievement for orchestra; its finale, a radiant passacaglia, is the summation of the composer's quest to wed discipline and emotion. After Walton's boisterous Partita comes the world premiere of the latest Proms cello concerto, a piece written by Huw Watkins and played by his brother, Paul. It's a work that stems from the brothers' long experience of performing chamber music together. "I'm biased of course," says Huw, "but there's no cellist I know who makes a more expressive and beautiful sound."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07mwnyr

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A nice idea, but there are some who think there's too much nepotism and cronyism in the classical music world.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/records/n3jb8c

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

http://cso.org/uploadedFiles/1_Tickets_and_Events/Program_Notes/ProgramNotes_Webern_Passacaglia.pdf

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Cello concerto just starting.

[edashtav]

I got to know the Partita through Szell’s polished and plated recording and Walton’s own with the Philharmonia that evinced a North country mordant humour coupled with sensual delight in the slow movement. The BBC NOW under Thomas
Sondegard started the Toccata briskly at an appropriate tempo. Dynamics were well observed and the woodwind soli were poised and accurate. Perhaps, the whole was too cautious and safe along the lines of Bryden Thompson’s recording. I enjoyed the balance that the BBC engineered between wind, brass and strings. The rallentandi were overdrawn.

The duet between viola and oboe at the start of the Siciliano was neat but a trifle bland. The tempo was, or sounded, slow, maybe because of the general lack of pointing and incident. The whole was too cool and lacked a glorious Mediterranean swelter. The squareness and lack of rubato invoked the spirit of Stravinsky in neo-classical mode.The conductor would benefit from listening to Barbirolli conducting the Halle in a live performance.The trumpet solo was nicely played but so cautious.

The Giga movement started at a conservative pace and, again, attention to metrical accuracy denied raucous vigour and Northern blunt speaking. Thomas, you need to take a swig or two of the hard stuff before you mount the rostrum. This movement is as near to the spirit of Malcolm Arnold as Willy Walton ever got. If it does come off it should be a close to a raucous riot. This performance was as riotous as an Assembly in Cheltenham Ladies College.

I attended and hugely enjoyed the first performance of Watkins’ Violin Concerto at the Proms with Alina Ibragomiva and Ed Gardner at the Proms a few years ago, so I was “up” for Huw’s new concerto. I loved the start with woodwinds introducing the cello soloist who was immediately plangent and expressive.The movement had a big feel to it as it unfolded and developed in a concentrated but stately manner. Its idiom was pure Watkins, neither conservative nor cutting edge but aware of the state of music in 2016. The scoring was sensitive to the special requirements of a bass instrument as soloist and the engineers ensured that textures were crystal clear. Sondergard’s conducting was much more relaxed and malleable than in the Walton. I felt the work was being given every encouragement to thrive and survive.

The second movementwas a great contrast, full of elfin wit and charm and contrasting textures from wind and brass. It was accessible but not trivial. Material was worked hard and permutations were unexpected and illuminating. The movement grew and developed in a satisfying manner. Did I detect a touch of Jimmy MacMillan in the brassy climax? Straight on to more serious issues, again, in an emotionally charged, slow and unexpected coda.

The finale wasted no time in emphasising that it would deal with weighty matters. Once again, the performance of both soloist and orchestra was extremely polished, detailed and convincing. This was the best premiere, thus far, of this Prom seasons both in musical content and execution. Full marks go to all involved in its production.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This was the best premiere, thus far, of this Prom seasons both in musical content and execution. Full marks go to all involved in its production.

I agree. This new concerto deserves to have a bright future.

[edashtav]

Whilst Webern’s Passacaglia is an exercise with a purpose, it works well as a bridge between Mahler and the Serial School. The performance this evening was warm, clear and cogent. It had spit and polish and both orchestra and conductor sounded convinced of its worth. The sound world spoke of enjoyment and not of labour in a barren field.

As a programme, this evening’s was excellent- varied and substantial. I always relish another opportunity to hear Brahms E minor Symphony. Did Thomas Sondergard respond to his teacher’s advice to lighten up up and think of Schumann? Certainly, the first movement had more grace, flow and lyricism than I’m used to hearing, and yes, I did imagine Robert Schumann smiling from afar. The mood didn’t declare that we were hearing the start of Brahms last and ultimate symphonic achievement. Was the piece diminished by such a view? Possibly so, but found the treatment sympathetic and refreshing and the movement grew and blossomed in a satisfying manner.

The slow movement carried on in the same vein with obvious concern for legato lines and beauty at the expense of drama. It felt to me somewhat analogous to Bax’s last symphony, a final goodbye Tom and retirement from the symphony and a farewell to an era. Was the tempo self-indulgently slow? I fear that it was although the broad sweep of the coda was beautifully turned.

The performance needed something less somnolent from the third movement, and I’m glad to find that Sondergard agreed.Rhythms were crisp and phrases were given more weight.

The Passacaglia started well with scrupulous attention to dynamics. Strings produced a Viennese swirl and the wind played neatly. Good use of rubato gave the music shape and tenderness. Sondergard ensured that the sun was rarely absent from the scene. The glory of some of the brass variations that can sound like a majestic organ were missing.

Overall, a thoughtful, well-prepared performance, lacking visceral power and impact, but revealing aspects of the score that are sometimes under-emphasised.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Chaconne a son gout

A pedant writes: Whilst the Webern Opus1 is, as the composer declares, a Passacaglia (in duple metre), the Finale of the Brahms Fourth Symphony is a Chaconne, in triple metre.

[edashtav]

A pedant writes: Whilst the Webern Opus1 is, as the composer declares, a Passacaglia (in duple metre), the Finale of the Brahms Fourth Symphony is a Chaconne, in triple metre.

Nothing wrong with the pedant's eyesight, I note!

[jayne lee wilson]

I got to know the Partita through Szell’s polished and plated recording and Walton’s own with the Philharmonia that evinced a North country mordant humour coupled with sensual delight in the slow movement. The BBC NOW under Thomas
Sondegard started the Toccata briskly at an appropriate tempo. Dynamics were well observed and the woodwind soli were poised and accurate. Perhaps, the whole was too cautious and safe along the lines of Bryden Thompson’s recording. I enjoyed the balance that the BBC engineered between wind, brass and strings. The rallentandi were overdrawn.

The duet between viola and oboe at the start of the Siciliano was neat but a trifle bland. The tempo was, or sounded, slow, maybe because of the general lack of pointing and incident. The whole was too cool and lacked a glorious Mediterranean swelter. The squareness and lack of rubato invoked the spirit of Stravinsky in neo-classical mode.The conductor would benefit from listening to Barbirolli conducting the Halle in a live performance.The trumpet solo was nicely played but so cautious.

The Giga movement started at a conservative pace and, again, attention to metrical accuracy denied raucous vigour and Northern blunt speaking. Thomas, you need to take a swig or two of the hard stuff before you mount the rostrum. This movement is as near to the spirit of Malcolm Arnold as Willy Walton ever got. If it does come off it should be a close to a raucous riot. This performance was as riotous as an Assembly in Cheltenham Ladies College.

I attended and hugely enjoyed the first performance of Watkins’ Violin Concerto at the Proms with Alina Ibragomiva and Ed Gardner at the Proms a few years ago, so I was “up” for Huw’s new concerto. I loved the start with woodwinds introducing the cello soloist who was immediately plangent and expressive.The movement had a big feel to it as it unfolded and developed in a concentrated but stately manner. Its idiom was pure Watkins, neither conservative nor cutting edge but aware of the state of music in 2016. The scoring was sensitive to the special requirements of a bass instrument as soloist and the engineers ensured that textures were crystal clear. Sondergard’s conducting was much more relaxed and malleable than in the Walton. I felt the work was being given every encouragement to thrive and survive.

The second movementwas a great contrast, full of elfin wit and charm and contrasting textures from wind and brass. It was accessible but not trivial. Material was worked hard and permutations were unexpected and illuminating. The movement grew and developed in a satisfying manner. Did I detect a touch of Jimmy MacMillan in the brassy climax? Straight on to more serious issues, again, in an emotionally charged, slow and unexpected coda.

The finale wasted no time in emphasising that it would deal with weighty matters. Once again, the performance of both soloist and orchestra was extremely polished, detailed and convincing. This was the best premiere, thus far, of this Prom seasons both in musical content and execution. Full marks go to all involved in its production.

After a very trying week, I managed to hear this part one... your account here, eloquent, insightful and accurate to what my weary ears imperfectly conveyed to me, is a pleasure to read. Thank you, Ed. I'll seek out Huw Watkins' Cello Concerto for a second, hopefully more refreshed listen, later on....

[Daniel]

I had a listen to the Huw Watkins cello concerto tonight, a contemporary work which in some ways feels about 100 years old and unlikely to cause any restlessness amongst the animals (in a parallel horse universe it may be playing on CFM as I write). Confronted by such works life can pretty soon seem a bit short, but this held my attention and I enjoyed its lightly wrought and unverbose way. The movements had a way of ending a touch unexpectedly, in line with a kind of sparsity to the work, and moments of charm/inventiveness pepper the work, all in all enough to make me want to hear it again.

The scoring was sensitive to the special requirements of a bass instrument as soloist

Yes, I think his craftsmanship in this and other ways was very clear, and was one of the things that appealed to me.