Prom 38: 13.08.16 - The John Wilson Orchestra performs Gershwin

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:00 Saturday 13 Aug 2016 ON TV
Royal Albert Hall

Gershwin:
including
'They All Laughed',
'Funny Face',
'Embraceable You',
'I Got Rhythm'
‘Love Walked In’
‘Fascinatin’ Rhythm’
and the ballet music from the 1951 film 'An American in Paris'

John Wilson Orchestra
John Wilson conductor

John Wilson returns to the Proms with a programme celebrating one of the greatest song-writing duos of all time: George and Ira Gershwin.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07nm5wc

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I do appreciate it when programmers let you know what's going to be played, rather than this rather vague compilation from various sources I've attempted to put together.

[seabright]

John Wilson certainly puts together a first-rate orchestra but where does its personnel come from?... ie: various first-desk members of leading London orchestras mixed in with session players or freelancers, perhaps? ... Any BBC SO players in there? ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSDTV3jSpBY

I see Julian Ovenden is in the vocal line-up. Pity he didn't sing to Lady Mary as 'Charles Blake' in "Downton Abbey" ... :) ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3iZczZnOjA

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

On TV now.

I would like to know why, in Rhapsody in Blue, the big romantic Andantino moderato tune is so often played with a statutory ultra-rubato, pulling back the first two bars to half the tempo of of the 3rd to 8th bars, repeating the travesty in the next 6 bars. In fact John Wilson even exceed the half speed exaggeration. The historical justification is doubtful. Gershwin, on his piano roll, plays the passage in more or less strict time.

[ARBurton]

I'm enjoying this I admit but I'm noticing that there's a microphone in front of virtually everybody. Surely that's not the norm...?

[Mary Chambers]

I don't like it at all, but I seem to be more or less alone in that. I keep switching it off and then on again to see if I like it any better, but I really don't.

[MrGongGong]

I'm enjoying this I admit but I'm noticing that there's a microphone in front of virtually everybody. Surely that's not the norm...?

[french frank]

I'm enjoying this I admit but I'm noticing that there's a microphone in front of virtually everybody. Surely that's not the norm...?

I suppose they need microphones to broadcast it, but if the singers need microphones to reach the audience I presume it's just underpowered voices.

Mary, I don't criticise what I haven't listened to, but I know every piece of music mentioned in the programme - which I find so inimical that I wouldn't switch on in the first place. I've been producing graphics for my blog, 'Where were the Belgae?' In silence.

[Mary Chambers]

Mary, I don't criticise what I haven't listened to, but I know every piece of music mentioned in the programme - which I find so inimical that I wouldn't switch on in the first place.

Oh, good. I'm not alone after all.

[Simon B]

John Wilson certainly puts together a first-rate orchestra but where does its personnel come from?... ie: various first-desk members of leading London orchestras mixed in with session players or freelancers, perhaps? ... Any BBC SO players in there? ...

From what I saw on the TV (in passing as this wasn't really my thing) the orchestra was the usual mix: The brass/kit/keyboards are mainly players who specialise in this rep/style, notably Mike Lovatt (trumpet) but all the other sections are a mix of session players and members of various orchestras.

In passing I spotted (E&OE!) Cormac Henry (flute-RLPO) and (maybe - not sure) Chris Richards (clarinet-LSO) plus various string players e.g. Simon Oliver (bass-Philharmonia), Jonathan Asgaard (cello-RLPO) and several LSO violinists I can't put names to.

The percussion seem to be different each time but usually with a core from the LSO (tonight: David Jackson, Sam Walton and one of the regular extras whose name has slipped my mind). There was also Alex Neal (BBCSO - so yes to your question there) and, I think, Grahame King (timpani - Birmingham Royal Ballet).

So, drawn from a range of the obvious suspects really...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm enjoying this I admit but I'm noticing that there's a microphone in front of virtually everybody. Surely that's not the norm...?

It's what you have to do when the orchestra/band plays too loudly.
Or the singers aren't capable of singing over an orchestra.
Or when you're trying to appear modern.

[Dave2002]

I don't like it at all, but I seem to be more or less alone in that. I keep switching it off and then on again to see if I like it any better, but I really don't.

The American In Paris section was absolutely brilliant - the best bit of the whole evening. It was worth going to that Prom just for that. I can't say that I'd be so bothered about much of the rest, though. Not sure that the American would have come across so well via the radio - but I'd say give it a try on iPlayer.

Interesting that the stand microphones had no wires and were moved deftly around from time to time - so must have been some form of wireless (digital?) microphones. I couldn't quite see why at one point they had to be placed about 1 or 2 feet apart, and the two mail soloists stood in front of them. I doubt that they'd have been that directional - though that could give a sort of stereo effect in the mix.

I did wonder if those mics were simply for show, or to act as props for the singers to grab hold of and move around, but they didn't!

I suspect that the singers wouldn't have been able to sound above the orchestra at full tilt, though obviously that didn't apply to every piece.

[VodkaDilc]

Oh, good. I'm not alone after all.

Not at all. You tried it - which is something I did not bother to do.

I love Gershwin, but I always find these Wilson Proms too much for me. I watched one and enjoyed it a few years ago, but now they seem to have got into too much of a crowd-pleasing rut.

Many people enjoy them though. I can't expect to appreciate every Prom.

[marvin]

I have enjoyed some of these concerts in the past but in this one there was, for me, too much brassy big band music and tunes of which I have never heard. All very skilfully done, I'm sure but it was blown out of all proportion by Ms Dereham. She's a lovely 'girl' but she don't half think a lot of herself, doesn't she and this is especially noticeable on the Proms Extra programme?
She has that very irritating habit of talking or speeding up her pronunciations of anything vaguely 'foreign' sounding.

Usually with these concerts I have archived them to DVD for future viewing (which very rarely ever happens) but this one was deleted immediately after I had watched it.

Interestingly, some of Gershwin's music is 100 years old and is still being played today but I cannot imagine that being the case with a large proportion of the so-called modern music being composed and commissioned today and that which always seems so discordant and un-tuneful, to use a clumsy phrase.

[Hornspieler]

Not at all. You tried it - which is something I did not bother to do.

I love Gershwin, but I always find these Wilson Proms too much for me. I watched one and enjoyed it a few years ago, but now they seem to have got into too much of a crowd-pleasing rut.

Many people enjoy them though. I can't expect to appreciate every Prom.

I'm with you, Vokda D I think that John Wilson and his orchestra have run their course and should retire while he is ahead and his orchestra have done enough.

His arrangements are not as good as they once were and his conducting is, to put it mildly, approximate.

The novelty has worn off and it's time for JW to stop while he is (just) ahead.

HS

BTW The lady who seems more intent on appearing in shot than attending to playing her fiddle was at it again.