Prom 53: 25.08.16 - RLPO: Shostakovich and Rachmaninov

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Thursday 25 Aug 2016
Royal Albert Hall

Emily Howard: Torus (BBC commission: world premiere)
Dmitri Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No 1 in E flat major
Sergei Rachmaninov: Symphony No 3 in A minor


Truls Mørk, cello
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko, conductor

'A composer's music should express his love affairs, his religion, the books that have influenced him, the pictures he loves.' So said Rachmaninov, whose Third Symphony does just that through irrepressible yearning and longing. It forms the culmination of this Prom in which the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and its Russian Chief Conductor perform Shostakovich's disquieting First Cello Concerto.
A brand-new work by Liverpool-born composer Emily Howard opens the concert.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07pjdg5

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Not much to go on here, I'm afraid.

http://www.emilyhoward.com/work_detail/Torus.php

[arthroceph]

So, if a torus, it should manifest continuity in scales by following bass progressions with extremely high notes. But is could be a torus in other respects besides frequency.

[edashtav]

Emily Howard – Torus, Concerto for Orchestra..

“One to watch”, informs a national newspaper. Emily is close to the age at which Mozart, Schubert and Mendelssohn all died. Preceding tonight’s premiere , R.3 broadcast Mendelssohn’s “mature” masterpiece: his Violin Concerto in E minor. A telling moment.

Not one to watch but one to listen to in her maturity.For sure, Emily has a clear ear and a certain touch when it comes to orchestration. Stringsstart as a continuous frieze on which the rest of the orchestra project more dynamic motifs. There is an unworldly sense of continuous space, of infinity. I felt that I was being guided through a new fascinating world. “Events, dear boy,” Mac may have said: Emily is unafraid of an explosion, or in an all too awful comparison, an earthquake that sears the aural landscape and destroys all sense of place and position. Glissandi undermine and reset parameters. Fluttering woodwind add to a world in translation and transformation. The argument never slackens, Emily is mistress of her universe.

Fellow boarders, I loved this piece thanks to the wonderful performance that Petrenko conjured out of his players. I think it will appeal to a wider audience than the tight torus of 21st century musical buffs. I encourage you to give it a whirl. There’s a world of mystery and awe available. In the end, my mind recalled Sibelius’s 4th symphony.
Shostakovich – Cello Concert no 1 (1959)
Poor Herr Alexey Stadler arrived at the RAH at 16.30 summoned by telephone bells!

Perhaps, he was in a bit of a rush at the start, after all there are trains and buses that can’t be missed! This was Shostakovich a tad light but the orchestra was determined to fill the set with the right mixture of angst and militarism. What Stadler projected was the sheer nervous energy expended in living with uncertainty and constant stress.

Lovely horn playing from Timothy Jackson set the icy scene for the slow movement. Alexey relaxed, producing a noble flow of legato playing. Coordination with the orchestra was profoundly good considering the lack of rehearsal time.I’ve heard more desolate readings but Alexey’s beautiful tone offered consolation without failing to rise to the emotional heights that the climax demands.

By the way, I thought the BBC engineers excelled themselves tonight. Clarity, balance were accompanied by a good overall perspective.

I was constantly being reminded that this is my favourite cello concerto , although it is pushed hard by Haydn’s C major.

Well done, Alexey, congratulations also to Vasily Petrenko and the marvellous RLPO - surely becoming the “go to” orchestra for Shostakovich – you were all forced on to your metal, using that anvil and your adrenalin plus fire, you forged a fine performance and a signal achievement.

What else but Bach could bring us hope and peace through a well-chosen and played encore? This rounded a stunning and unexpected debut by Alexey Stadler. “One to watch” !
Rachmaninov Symphony in A minor
I found the interval score, examining Sir Henry Wood’s score engrossing and helpful.

Petrenko launched the first movement with energy and full characterisation. Perhaps, it’s a shame that Rachmaninov, like so many symphonists of the 1930s, allows the tempo to relax so soon but the RLPO under its chief conductor, Vasily Petrenko, maintained a sense of momentum and didn’t allow sentimentality to rule. The orchestra’s playing was confident, clean and precise. Some facets of the score’s intricate scoring were beautifully pointed and illumined. I don’t feel the work is amongst Rachmaninov’s greatest but tonight’s advocacy made a good case.

The adagio, for me, evokes sitting in front of the composer’s villa at the juncture of the four seas of Lake Lucerne on a moonlit night reminiscing about life, love and beliefs. Of course, being Rachmaninov, more troubled events scud across the scene like clouds in the sky, but they are counter-balanced by warmer episodes, perhaps, memorials of warm climes and relaxed times in pre-revolutionary Russia. The celesta seems to have a wizard’s role, casting this and that spell over the music, quickening and then relaxing its pace. I fear that what undermines the popularity of this symphony is its material that remains fit for purpose rather than transcendentally melodic and memorable.

The fugato brings us down to earth with a a bump in some busy metropolis. It isn’t long before a luscious interlude tries to re-establish a world of comfort and dreams. The city’s urgent swagger reasserts itself in a moment that has echoes of Carl Nielsen. Gradually, the energy and momentum are undermined by more powerful forces. Is it premonitions of mortality? The episode dominated by clarinets and timpani didn’t convince me in tonight’s performance, but the gradual emergence of the Dies Irae was well handled. However, structurally, this finale is undermined by its episodic nature. Moments of hesitation and pessimism were well captured by the RLPO. The final triumph, although well-projected, sounded as a hollow a victory as recorded in several symphonies by Shostakovich.
The Shostakovich Tea for Two encore sounded as relaxed as Walton's Facade.

Orchestra and conductor were on fine form.

[Alison]

Top review, 'Tavers.

I loved the beautifully articulated orchestral playing tonight. Power, delicacy and transparency all very much there when required. One of the more distinguished concerts this season.

[edashtav]

[...] One of the more distinguished concerts this season.

I agree with Alison!

[Simon B]

On the basis of the combination of repertoire, orchestra and conductor this was one of only 2 of the 13 Proms I opted for this season on my "dead cert" list - along with LSO/Mahler 3/Haitink. I wasn't disappointed...

The Rachmaninov was just glorious. The best orchestral playing of the season (as the LSO had an uncharacteristic slightly untidy - but still deeply affecting - night) IMO, discipline, attack, passion, depth and richness of tone, a _big_ sound that filled the place.

Fantastic work from the current best British conductor/orchestra team outside London.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I always think the RLPO sounds better when not playing in its Liverpool hall, though I haven't been to the Phil recently.

[gedsmk]

Fantastic work from the current best British conductor/orchestra team outside London.

And in the repertoire offered probably one of the top teams anywhere? I was there this evening and the richness of the sound experience - dynamic contrast, blend, focus, rhythmic spontaneity - was remarkable. In Shostakovich and Rachmaninov there is a total sympathy with the vision and interpretation of this conductor that raises what they do to the level of definitive. How I wish we could have had the Symphonic Dances from this orchestra rather than yesterday evening's somewhat stuttering comparison, where they attempted to mimic Petrenko's rubati but lacked his, or his orchestra's, level of precision.

Would it be too greedy to ask for ALL the Shostakovich symphonies in a single Prom Season from this one conductor/orchestra? What an astonishing experience that would be.

[Simon B]

Would it be too greedy to ask for ALL the Shostakovich symphonies in a single Prom Season from this one conductor/orchestra?

They've not performed (other than for recordings) all of them in Liverpool (yet). Of those they have (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15 I think) I've caught most on trips to Liverpool over the 10 years Petrenko has been in charge (apparently transforming the orchestra in about 12 months flat - though the potential must have already been there).

4, 7 & 8 were some of the most memorable concerts I've ever been to. 8 in particular sent me out speechless - which takes some doing!

[bluestateprommer]

I have to admit to some trepidation to the Emily Howard work, based on the selections in the Proms Composer talk before the concert. In the event, the more "audience friendly" parts of EH's new work Torus rather pleasantly surprised me, particularly in the consonant string writing that she mentioned in the talk with Andrew McGregor. Those portions went well. IMHO, the work was too long for its material, but full marks to VP and the RLPO for doing the work as well as they did. I likewise admit to a bit of disappointment that Truls Mork was unable to fulfil this gig, but Alexey Stadler did very well, under the circumstances. Perhaps the 1st movement skated the surface a bit overly, but he took his time in the slow movement and the cadenza. Very nice JSB encore as well, to echo edashtav's evaluation. I'm glad that he confirmed Timothy Jackson as taking the all-important solo horn part, as I guessed in the Forum Calendar entry out of the blue.

My one disappointment with the Rachmaninov Symphony No. 3 in the 2nd half was that VP did not take the 1st movement repeat of the exposition, which I was very much hoping for. Thus I have still never heard this "Rach 3" live with the 1st movement repeat. I also thought that maybe VP skated over some of the deeper emotions in the 1st movement. But he made up for that very well in the 2nd & 3rd movements. Some very momentary wobbles, such as from TJ at the very start of the 2nd movement, but nothing to disturb the overall feel. Full marks to the clarinetist (I assume Benjamin Melfont) for his work her and in the DSCH concerto. Plus, the encore of DSCH's "Tahiti-Trott" (the orchestration of "Tea for Two") may partly explain why VP did not take the 1st movement repeat in the Rachmaninov. The audience were clearly having a good laugh and good time with this encore.

[maestro267]

I don't get it. Until the end, I felt like the Howard piece was incredibly static for what should have been a concerto (ie. a virtuoso showpiece) for orchestra. And yet it's receiving generally positive reviews. Other pieces with far more interesting stuff happening in them have been absolutely pounded by the Internet critics.

[edashtav]

I don't get it. Until the end, I felt like the Howard piece was incredibly static for what should have been a concerto (ie. a virtuoso showpiece) for orchestra. [...].

Since a Concerto for Orchestra is a contradiction in terms, pretty much anything goes. Although Emily's piece is at one end of the spectrum of possibilities, she's free to call it whatever she likes. Personally, I found that lots of fascinating stuff happened in her piece and I reject the notion, voiced elsewhere, that it outstayed its welcome.

[Ferretfancy]

I don't get it. Until the end, I felt like the Howard piece was incredibly static for what should have been a concerto (ie. a virtuoso showpiece) for orchestra. And yet it's receiving generally positive reviews. Other pieces with far more interesting stuff happening in them have been absolutely pounded by the Internet critics.

I went to the Andrew Mc Gregor pre Proms interview with Emily Howard, which was illustrated with extracts from three of her smaller scale works. She seems to be fascinated by the relationship between music and mathematics, and attempts to convey these relationships in her work.
She spoke about this at length without clarifying very much, and Andrew McGregor seemed unable to ask any really helpful questions -bewildered like most of us, I suspect.
Still, if you warm to the idea of a specially constructed microtonal tuba solo with the player singing falsetto at the same time, it might impress you more than it did me.

I admit I was surprised by the accessibility of the Proms item, Torus. Too long yes, but with some fascinating sonorities.

It must have been daunting for Alexey Stadler to make his Proms debut at only an hour's notice. Standing in the Arena about a third of the way back I was very impressed by his beautifully secure tone and accuracy, with the chance of real feeling being expressed in the slow movement.
The balance was excellent, with great playing from the RLPO.

[Maclintick]

Top review, 'Tavers.

I loved the beautifully articulated orchestral playing tonight. Power, delicacy and transparency all very much there when required. One of the more distinguished concerts this season.

Fully agree with Tavers' positive comments on this concert, which was certainly one of the best Proms of 2016 so far, though the excellent young Russian cellist deputising for Truls Mork might bridle at our fellow-boarder bestowing the appellation "Herr Alexey Stadler". From my vantage point at the rear of 'O' stalls Stadler's instrument projected with greater clarity than some others in this season's cello-fest. Execution & interpretation were unimpeachable, & especially brave in the cadenza where the cello's booming pizzicati filled cavernous spaces above the audience, the frozen silences inspiring that collective awe I only ever seem to experience in the RAH -- 5000 people (& yes, it was packed) holding their breath.

My reaction to Emily Howard's "Torus" was slightly less enthusiastic than that of my companion, who loved it (another hearing needed) but no reservations applied to the RLPO's performance, nor to their passionate yet immaculate playing throughout the evening. To pick up on an Alpie's observation that the band may sound better away from Hope Street, I can only refer to my own experience in the RAH where they've blown me away every time. After an incandescent Tchaik "Manfred" in 2010 I bought the Naxos CD. This was perfectly fine, of course, but couldn't possibly live up to the intensity of the live event.