Prom 33 - 10.08.17: Sibelius, Grieg, Schumann and Hindemith

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Thursday 10 August 2017
Royal Albert Hall

Jean Sibelius: Karelia Suite
Jean Sibelius: Luonnotar
Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt (excerpts)
Robert Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor
Paul Hindemith: Symphony 'Mathis der Maler'


Lise Davidsen soprano
Alban Gerhardt cello
BBC Philharmonic
John Storgårds conductor

Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen makes her Proms debut singing Solveig's Song from Grieg's incidental music to Ibsen's dark drama 'Peer Gynt' and in Sibelius's late, great tone-poem Luonnotar. The sophisticated orchestral textures and sensuous melodies of Luonnotar contrast with the rough-hewn folk music of the same composer's struggle for freedom from Russian tyranny in his buoyant Karelia Suite.
Hindemith's opera 'Mathis der Maler', is set at the time of the Protestant Reformation; it was dubbed as "degenerate" by the Nazi regime who then banned all performances of his music. But not before the Symphony drawn from the opera was premiered in March 1934 at one of the early peaks of Hitler's power by one his artistic favourites and persuasive defenders of the artistic credo, Wilhelm Furtwängler. Alban Gerhardt is the soloist in Schumann's Cello Concerto, which rejects overt solo virtuosity, favouring instead dialogue between cello and orchestra.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt (excerpts)

A little more detail might have been more helpful.

Presumably it's Solveig's Song plus some or all of Suite no. 1?

[bluestateprommer]

A little more detail might have been more helpful. Presumably it's Solveig's Song plus some or all of Suite no. 1?

It was indeed 'Solveig's Song', along with the Prelude to Act I and the Dance of the Mountain King's Daughter, among the 5 movements. Martin Handley mentioned the titles at the start, but I didn't have a chance to transcribe them into the calendar (will do so later). Slight changes to the program order, i.e. the Grieg before the Sibelius, and Luonnotar the 1st of the Sibelius.

PS: Very fine rendition of Luonnotar from Lise Davidsen (and she also did well with the Grieg). LD seems to have a very dark-timbred soprano, from this hearing of her.

Otherwise, thinking ahead in terms of the BBC Phil, I wonder if the BBC Phil has tried to sign on John Storgards as its next chief conductor, as opposed to the new "chief guest conductor" post that is the title he's supposed to take next with the orchestra. It would seem the next logical step to give him the full title (unless he doesn't want it).

PPS: Excellent interval discussion by Erik Levi and Laura Tunbridge, with Andrew McGregor, about Hindemith, definitely worth listening to or catching up with later.

[Bryn]

Bit misleading of Mr. Handley to say that tomorrow night's Prom will be available in binaural sound. The binaural Taster page says the next Prom to be found in binaural will be Sunday's starting at 6 pm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/taster/projects/proms-binaural-2017

[edashtav]

I've been travelling today so I couldn't tunecin to this Prom before it's second half, a tale of two German works,one, the first great romantic cello concerto that was not performed it its composer's lifetime but has since grown in stature, the other made infamous by being first performed by Furtwangler and promptly banned by the Nazi authorities, has suffered a downward trajectory from being accepted as a serious contemporary classic to being infrequently performed and seen as marginal to the onward march of 20th century music.

Of the two, the Schumann is the more exploratory in terms of structure, with three short, inter-linked movements, the world's first accompanied cadenza, a sense of a discussion rather than a Concerto, and a rare duet for solo cello and leader of the orchestral celli. That highly romantic duet may be a conversation between Robert and his wife, Clara. Whatever, it was beautifully wrought and formed the heart of tonight's performance. I've long held Alban Gerhardt in great respect: he's at ease when performing and his interpretations have freshness. Success in Schumann frequently depends on capturing the essence of the moment for Schumann's mood can oscillate from melancholic to ecstatic within a few bars. I thought Gerhardt dealt with the Schumann see-saws with aplomb, not by adding starch and a heavy iron but through snappy characterisation of mood supported by clever transitions. Storgards and the orchestra aided and abetted Alban in a masterly fashion. The whole performance reinforced my belief that the piece is fine Schumann and important to the history of the cello concerto.

The last time I heard the Hindemith live was during the 2010 Proms when Herbert Blomstedt conducted a bland, safe performance from the Mahler Jugendorchester. Nothing went astray but the whole was painted in pastel colours unlike the Grunewald Triptych that inspires its three movements. Hindemith had turned a corner round about 1930 and his enfant terrible phase with its bizarre scoring and frenetic speeds was behind him. This Symphony is classical: by golly the first two movements are written in impeccable sonata form. Storgards and the BBC PO were more exciting and involved than Blomstedt and his youngsters, but... but, I didn't come away thinking that my opinion of the work fomed around 1970 when I rushed from a Concert Hall to record & music stores to buy an LP and a MS had been right. Sadly, I found the piece , to damn with faint praise, "worthy" and "academically sound". Just a couple of moments in the finale when Storgards "nailed" a few bars that became real Jazz brought back a fizz of excitement. I hope other Boarders reacted more favourably for there are other Hindemith pieces that I've not heard in decades that I still long to revive! A la recherche du temps perdu
...

[Bryn]

Much as I like the Schumann, I would rather have heard the Hindemith 1940 Cello Concerto tonight. I do which they would programme it and Walton's variations on the theme from the 2nd movement some time.

[DracoM]

<< Very fine rendition of Luonnotar from Lise Davidsen >>
Yes, yes,yes. Eerie, otherworldly, and it went so well in that huge space at RAH.

[Hornspieler]

<< Very fine rendition of Luonnotar from Lise Davidsen >>
Yes, yes,yes. Eerie, otherworldly, and it went so well in that huge space at RAH.

Too much Vibrato for me, I'm afraid.

I would set Elisabeth Schumann's voice as a bench mark for this type of music.

HS

[BBMmk2]

Only the Sibelius works appealed to me with this Prom, although the Hindemith I do like. Would have been better to hear a lesser known work of Hindemith's, though.

[Constantbee]

Another 'Classical for Starters' prom. None the worse for that, except that looking at programmes for 20 - 30 years ago most were like this, imho. Can't say my memory serves me that we'll, but there used to be a sense that you could pick any prom to go to and feel at home.

Btw I'll second Bluestateprommer's recommendation of the interval discussion on Hindemith. Worth a listen.

[jayne lee wilson]

Only the Sibelius works appealed to me with this Prom, although the Hindemith I do like. Would have been better to hear a lesser known work of Hindemith's, though.

Yes - I always think how well the marvellous, post-Ivesian Pittsburgh Symphony would serve as a Prom finale roof-raiser.... yet, it's hardly known, it's existence in our minds almost entirely down to recordings....

Still, a fine, richly sonorous Mathis from Storgards, rather German-sounding I thought, from an orchestra with a long and deep tradition with this composer. Perhaps the pause before the coda was a shade too long, the brass within it not entirely unblemished; but it had the feel for the idiom, for the songs and the rhythms within. The right accent. That perky woodwind march in the first movement (so often somewhere in the back of my mind), had just the right youthful hope and freshness about it.
I still find it a beautiful, visionary set ofTableaux - whose impact has been lessened by overplaying, and its treatment as a conductor showpiece...(Tortellier serves it as devotedly as you'd expect...or seek out those Dresden/Kegel recordings for the sound from the Hindemithian fountainhead).

I came to love Hindemith’s orchestral music through the Chandos Tortelier series ( a different, sharper, cleaner sound - Gallic-Germanic Hindemith, perhaps), and R3 concerts associated with it, like those at the Barbican Weekend from which I taped much.
Perhaps there’s a parallel with my beloved Martinu here…. bewilderingly many compositions, but how many are great, or worth hearing? Well as it turns out, more than you’d think - the symphonies, concertos, overtures, string quartets and much else (some fascinatingly quirky chamber combos), even if you never listen to opera…!

[BBMmk2]

JLW, it could be a case that Hindemith has never hit the spotlight of say being fashionable? although I think I may start a campaign tweeting Radio 3 for bringing us more of Hindemith's music. I have the set of Hindemith's music from chandos as well. Very well worth acquiring.

[Ferretfancy]

If it's still possible to find it, can I recommend Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic in Mathis? It's an excellent early stereo from EMI, and excellent in every way.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

If it's still possible to find it, can I recommend Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic in Mathis? It's an excellent early stereo from EMI, and excellent in every way.

Recorded in 1957, and still available for under a fiver incl P&P:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bartok-Strings-Percussion-Celesta-Hindmith/dp/B00000DOIE

[richardfinegold]

JLW, it could be a case that Hindemith has never hit the spotlight of say being fashionable? although I think I may start a campaign tweeting Radio 3 for bringing us more of Hindemith's music. I have the set of Hindemith's music from chandos as well. Very well worth acquiring.

Hindemith was very fashionable. At least with critics, up until about 1980 or so, and then his star seems to have fallen. I would disagree with the poster upthread that complained about Mathis being played instead of a new work. It's nice to maintain a Composer who is teetering on the brink of falling into obscurity.