Prom 66: 3.09.16 - BPO/Rattle – Julian Anderson, Dvořák and Brahms

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Saturday 3 Sep 2016
Royal Albert Hall

Julian Anderson: Incantesimi (UK premiere)
Antonin Dvorak: 8 Slavonic Dances, Op 46
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No 2 in D major

Berlin Philharmonic
Sir Simon Rattle conductor

Overlooking a lake in the Austrian resort of Pörtschach, Johannes Brahms created a symphony that captured all he saw: the beauty of the sunset; the stillness of the night; the peaceful awakening to a new day. And yet its musicians were to play, said Brahms, as if 'with a mourning ribbon around their arm'.
Brahms's meeting of glowing melancholy and piercing brightness is the culmination of the Berlin Philharmonic's second Prom under Sir Simon Rattle, following Dvorák's colourful Slavonic Dances and a new work from Julian Anderson.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07rkv08

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

https://www.eamdc.com/news/world-premeire-of-julian-andersons-incantesimi-with-the-berlin-philharmonic-composer-in-residence-at-aldeburgh-festival/

[pastoralguy]

Once again, wonderful playing from Die Berliner Philharmoniker under Sir Simon Rattle. I'm really looking forward to Brahms' Second Symphony. However the Radio Times have it advertised as starting at 20.40 and finishing at 22.00! 80 minutes for Brahms 2?! I hope not.

And very immediate broadcast from the BBC engineers.

[kernelbogey]

Really interesting ideas thrown up in the interval discussion - but obscured, rather than enhanced, by the breathless argumentation of the 'chair'....

I consider that a preferable role for the presenter/chair is to bring out the discussion between the guests. TS appeared to want to wrestle his own ideas into the foreground, as a result of which the programme, for me, lost clarity.

[oddoneout]

Once again, wonderful playing from Die Berliner Philharmoniker under Sir Simon Rattle. I'm really looking forward to Brahms' Second Symphony. However the Radio Times have it advertised as starting at 20.40 and finishing at 22.00! 80 minutes for Brahms 2?! I hope not. :

The 10pm 'finish' time is standard for the RT listing.I'm assuming they've worked out that it gives a sufficient buffer for over-runs without having the printed programming being adrift; sometimes what the Beeb choose to fill the spare time with is even worth listening to...

At the beginning of the interval talking there was a comment from 2 chaps in the queue for the concert that this was one of the few concerts worth coming to - guessing they weren't too keen on this year's Proms offering then.

[EdgeleyRob]

Super Brahms 2,so good the applause started before the music had finished.

[Beef Oven!]

It’s official, Proms audiences are morons. It’s now got to the stage where the music hasn’t even finished and the audience goes ape-shit. I may boycott next year’s festival (based on this year’s thus far, I won’t be missing much).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Really interesting ideas thrown up in the interval discussion - but obscured, rather than enhanced, by the breathless argumentation of the 'chair'....

I consider that a preferable role for the presenter/chair is to bring out the discussion between the guests. TS appeared to want to wrestle his own ideas into the foreground, as a result of which the programme, for me, lost clarity.

Isn't it time for his contract to be reviewed?

[Petrushka]

It’s official, Proms audiences are morons. It’s now got to the stage where the music hasn’t even finished and the audience goes ape-shit.

Afraid you're right. I don't know how apparent it came across on the radio but some exhibitionist idiot was shouting just as the final chord began.

I was sitting in G Stalls this time directly opposite where I was sitting last night and not only was there shouting before the music had ended there were numerous 'noises off', bottles knocked over, programmes dropped and the lady sitting next to me fancied herself as able to take over from Sir Simon should he have felt disinclined to continue. Other than summary execution by firing squad, how can one deal with such idiots?

Not all that keen on hearing the Dvorak op 46 played as a set as it can all sound a bit samey but the Brahms, distractions apart, was excellent with much detail I'd not noticed before.

[David-G]

Complete silence, and no disturbances, in my part of the Arena. (Until the unforgivable early applause.)

[Petrushka]

Complete silence, and no disturbances, in my part of the Arena. (Until the unforgivable early applause.)

I was in the Arena last Sunday and can say that most 'noises off' just don't seem to penetrate down there. In my view the real culprits are those in the boxes situated behind the stalls. It's high time that the hall management stopped drinks being consumed in these boxes but there's no chance as this is where the corporate patrons go.

[makropulos]

It’s official, Proms audiences are morons. It’s now got to the stage where the music hasn’t even finished and the audience goes ape-shit. I may boycott next year’s festival (based on this year’s thus far, I won’t be missing much).

Nothing new here - I've got two live recordings of Brahms 2 from the 1950s, and in both of them the applause starts before the music has stopped. So your threats of a boycott (which I'm sure would be a crushing blow to the Proms) are either 70 years too late or a tad extreme, or both.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Justifying the actions of ill-mannered oafs by quoting instances of ill-mannered oafs of the past hardly relinquished the responsibly of today's audiences to be more considerate.

[Bryn]

Oh come on. It's only music, and Brahms at that.

[I've already got me coat and am heading out the door to work.]

[underthecountertenor]

Isn't it time for his contract to be reviewed?

A lawyer writes: is it, I wonder, a contract of Service or a contract for Services?