Prom 50: 23.08.16 - Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Prokofiev

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Tuesday 23 Aug 2016
Royal Albert Hall

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Fantasy-Overture 'Hamlet'
Sergei Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No 3 in C minor

Stephen Hough piano
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Alexander Vedernikov conductor

In 1919 Prokofiev started work on his opera The Fiery Angel, a touching love story set against the backdrop of demonic possession. He recast much of the opera's most impactful music into his Third Symphony. Alexander Vedernikov conducts it here after Stephen Hough plays Rachmaninov's devilish and ever-entertaining 'Paganini' Variations, and the final instalment of fellow-Russian Tchaikovsky's three Shakepeare overtures.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07pj9zk

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

"In 1919 Prokofiev started work on his opera The Fiery Angel, a touching love story set against the backdrop of demonic possession. He recast much of the opera's most impactful music into his Third Symphony." I never knew this.

Russian music

[EdgeleyRob]

Russian music

Yes indeed,but there is so much more Russian music other than that written by the usual suspects though theirs is.

[alywin]

"In 1919 Prokofiev started work on his opera The Fiery Angel, a touching love story set against the backdrop of demonic possession. He recast much of the opera's most impactful music into his Third Symphony." I never knew this.

Prokofiev was always fond of recycling his music: hence the Scythian Suite, played the other night, which was originally music for a ballet, Ala and Loly (I may not have spelled that correctly), which wasn't a success. (I think that's the right way round, rather than the suite preceding the ballet)

[mrbouffant]

Looking forward to this one tonight. Taking an old friend who has never been to a Prom or indeed the RAH. She is a sucker for the Rach so I am hoping she enjoys the front row choir seats on the pianist's side.

[BBMmk2]

A great location, mrbouffant! I am sure she will!

I can't wait for this. I am certainly very much in the mood for Russian music this year, maybe with the themed evening later, may prove me right!

[bluestateprommer]

Very fine start to this all-Russian Prom, with the BBC SO on cracking form with Vedernikov in the Tchaik. Hamlet. I didn't quite catch all of AV's pre-show comments with Martin Handley, so that'll have to be listened to later.)

On the Rachmaninov, nice quip from Stephen Hough about Variation # 15 as the "Art Tatum" variation.

[edashtav]

Very fine start to this all-Russian Prom, with the BBC SO on cracking form with Vedernikov in the Tchaik. Hamlet. I didn't quite catch all of AV's pre-show comments with Martin Handley, so that'll have to be listened to later.)

On the Rachmaninov, nice quip from Stephen Hough about Variation # 15 as the "Art Tatum" variation.

Full marks bsp for characterising tonight's Hamlet. T?he BBC SO have re-established their domination over the other BBC orchestras after some years of eclipse. In both works during tonight's first half they played out if their skins. Stephen Hough, although Mr Cool, gave a performance of the Rachmaninov that was full of insight, detail and precision. A refreshing performance.

I'm very fond of Prokofev's C minor symphony and arrogantly thought that I knew it backwards. Not five minutes had elapsed before I realised that Alexander Vedernikov understood it inside out. I was glad to learn from his insights for I've become disenchanted,recently, with SP's 5th, and have relegated his 4th and 6th symphonies to the second rank.

I felt that the structure of Prokofiev's first movement gained so much from AV's appreciation of he detail, allied to a firm grasp of the movement's structure and direction. Great interpretation made real by an orchestra as hot as the Fiery Angel. An unforgettable performance and a landmark in Prokofiev interpretation.

I wanted more a touch more awe and mystery at the start of the second movement but, again, the detail was compelling with some excellent work from the bass department led by the bass clarinet. The conductor is adept at conducting slow movementps in a manner that retains vibrancy - this certainly wasn't slow and dreary. I heard a welcome pre-echo of Carl Nielsen.

Furioso! Is there a composer who projects a malignant moto perpetuoso better than Prokofiev? It felt like the invasion of a million microbes across my skin. The sorcerer intervenes to create order from frenetic chaos. I admire the way AV shapes lines, builds paragraphs and delivers satisfying structures.

On to the bleak, malevolent finale, full of threatening gravitas. It's easy to relax after the opening measures, AV didn't. The war of good versus evil was joined and its outcome felt uncertain. The slower music predicted similar desolate, battle-worn moments in Shostakovich. Did the upper strings add a tad too much warmth and hope? The growling bassoon soon extinguished such thoughts as the clockwork War sprang back with elemental force now reinforced by heavy metal. The end- a frightening shriek followed by a fulsome chord leaves the battle unresolved.

A superb performance from conductor and orchestra. This is the stuff from which fine Proms are made!

[Lat-Literal]

Full marks bsp for characterising tonight's Hamlet. T?he BBC SO have re-established their domination over the other BBC orchestras after some years of eclipse. In both works during tonight's first half they played out if their skins. Stephen Hough, although Mr Cool, gave a performance of the Rachmaninov that was full of insight, detail and precision. A refreshing performance.

I'm very fond of Prokofev's C minor symphony and arrogantly thought that I knew it backwards. Not five minutes had elapsed before I realised that Alexander Vedernikov understood it inside out. I was glad to learn from his insights for I've become disenchanted,recently, with SP's 5th, and have relegated his 4th and 6th symphonies to the second rank.

I felt that the structure of Prokofiev's first movement gained so much from AV's appreciation of he detail, allied to a firm grasp of the movement's structure and direction. Great interpretation made real by an orchestra as hot as the Fiery Angel. An unforgettable performance and a landmark in Prokofiev interpretation.

I wanted more a touch more awe and mystery at the start of the second movement but, again, the detail was compelling with some excellent work from the bass department led by the bass clarinet. The conductor is adept at conducting slow movementps in a manner that retains vibrancy - this certainly wasn't slow and dreary. I heard a welcome pre-echo of Carl Nielsen.

Furioso! Is there a composer who projects a malignant moto perpetuoso better than Prokofiev? It felt like the invasion of a million microbes across my skin. The sorcerer intervenes to create order from frenetic chaos. I admire the way AV shapes lines, builds paragraphs and delivers satisfying structures.

On to the bleak, malevolent finale, full of threatening gravitas. It's easy to relax after the opening measures, AV didn't. The war of good versus evil was joined and its outcome felt uncertain. The slower music predicted similar desolate, battle-worn moments in Shostakovich. Did the upper strings add a tad too much warmth and hope? The growling bassoon soon extinguished such thoughts as the clockwork War sprang back with elemental force now reinforced by heavy metal. The end- a frightening shriek followed by a fulsome chord leaves the battle unresolved.

A superb performance from conductor and orchestra. This is the stuff from which fine Proms are made!

A great review which makes up for the absence of people from the broadsheets. Only representatives from The Times and The Independent seem to have been there. I am not so keen on the Prokofiev work but I very much enjoyed the Tchaikovsky and the Rachmaninov and thought that the orchestra was superb, especially during the first. Stephen Hough was, of course, very good indeed as were the short interviews on R3 with him and Vedernikov and the discussion in the interval on the devil. "Moscow Nights". For some reason I always mix that up in my mind with "Dark Eyes" which is odd because I used to be able to play the latter adequately on the guitar. Anyhow, I digress. It was another 4.5 out of 5.