Prom 26 - 3.08.17: Mozart and Brahms

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Thursday 3 August 2017
Royal Albert Hall

Erkki-Sven Tüür: Flamma UK première
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia concertante in E flat major, K 364
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No 2 in D major

Vilde Frang violin
Lawrence Power viola
The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Paavo Järvi conductor


The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and its Artistic Director Paavo Järvi return to the Proms, joined by British violist Lawrence Power and Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang for Mozart's genial Sinfonia concertante.
Sitting somewhere between a concerto and a symphony, it's a perfect showcase for the virtuosity of this ensemble and its sunny good humour offers a striking contrast to Erkki-Sven Tüür's arresting Flamma - a vivid musical portrait of fire as both purifying force and agent of destruction.
Smoke clears and sunshine returns in Brahms's optimistic Second Symphony, with its free-flowing melodies and irrepressible closing dance.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q3N5YawFqM

[french frank]

Vilde Frang/Lawrence Power an attractive partnership for K 364.

[Constantbee]

Loving this (Recently picked up a viola again after 35 years). Really appreciate concert broadcasts featuring the viola either as solo instrument or, as here. Seems to be having something of a renaissance at the moment. If you can't be bothered with the entire Prom the Sinfonia Concertante is worthy of your attention imho.

Connie
xx

[jonfan]

The cadenza of the slow movement of the Sinfonia Concertante was out this world; some place where time stood still and all was peace and contentment. You could feel the whole hall was there as well. One of the great moments of the proms this year and there was hardly any sound. Great concert.

[Goon525]

Anyone else remember Stern and Zukerman play this in late 73 with I think the ECO at the QEH? Now that WAS sublime. Haven't heard tonight's performance yet.

[pastoralguy]

Really sorry I missed this! I'll catch up with it one the iplayer.

I was lucky enough to hear Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman play it in Washington about 10 years ago at the opening night of the National Symphony Orchestra's season. It was a fund raiser and the Chairwoman of the Board stood up and announced that that evening had raised $7 million!

How much better could a concert get? Well, Alicia Weilerstein played the Tchaikovsky Roccoco Variations exquisitely in one her first 'big' concerts.

Oh, and I met my the woman who would become my wife!

[pastoralguy]

Anyone else remember Stern and Zukerman play this in late 73 with I think the ECO at the QEH? Now that WAS sublime. Haven't heard tonight's performance yet.

I heard Stern play it with Jamie Laredo in the 80's with the SCO in the Usher Hall. It was absolutely wonderful.

[jayne lee wilson]

PROM 26. TÜÜR, MOZART, BRAHMS. DEUTSCHE KAMMERPHILHARMONIE BREMEN/PAAVO JÄRVI.
R3 CONCERT SOUND. NO PROBLEMS, ORCHESTRAL STRINGS PERHAPS A SHADE DRY.

All I can say on a single hearing of Erkki-Sven Tüür's Flamma is that I found it a powerful and exciting piece played on the gutty, resilient strings of the DKPB…
Massive staggering unisons, florid, almost operatic soloistic/divisi passages, then combos of the two, hovering atmospheric harmonics haloing the body of the sound.
That peculiar characteristic of fire, at once constantly in motion yet inescapably static, was the essence of the piece, even experienced purely as an abstract, as trapped energy.

Decidedly idiosyncratic Mozart k.364. The orchestra, swift & briskly efficient in (i), very fast and quite fiery in (iii), found surprising intensity and power in (ii); the soloists were more contrasted than usual - sweetly singing graceful violin, large-toned, gruff, even harsh angularity of articulation from the violist. Perhaps more than usually suggestive of a male/female operatic duet. Both soloists took dynamics and tempi to extremes when the mood took them; well, why not?
But I wasn’t always comfortable with the tonal result when they played together, or their complementarity with the orchestra, either tonally or in dialogue with the ensemble - whether they were really "at one" with Jarvi. The three sonic elements of the work - violin, viola, orchestra - seemed almost to stand out in relief against each other, rather than attempt any conventional warmth or tonal blend. This performance seemed to aim at drive, contrast and intensity in a way which I couldn’t always settle with - but perhaps that was the point…
Why should Mozart be comforting? Very intriguing though.

***
That was some Brahms 2nd wasn’t it? Showing a very individual willingness to take risks, with daring extremes of tempi and dynamics; such unpredictable subtleties of phrase and free-spirited wind solos, such rubato all templated upon sharply defined rhythmic and melodic profiles and a clear structural view.
So volatile and newly-made it reminded me of some of Toscanini’s earlier Brahms readings, not something I ever thought I’d find myself saying after a Prom today.

Järvi encouraged a very wide dynamic range from the DKPB, with outspoken winds, ruminative, characterful brass and strings with a startling range of colour and texture. Frequently very quick, certainly not opulent and not very cantabile; an energetic, wilful, youthful Brahms but above all - alive!

[EdgeleyRob]

Flamma I found uninteresting.
Heard lots of detail in the non string parts of the Brahms that I'd not been aware of before,although I don't listen to the symphonies that often.
Almost to the point that the brass and woodwind seemed too prominent at times but didn't spoil my enjoyment.
Wonderful Mozart and fun encores.
A great listen.