Prom 40 - 15.08.17: Brahms, Berg, Larcher and Schumann

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:00 Tuesday 15 August 2017
Royal Albert Hall

Johannes Brahms: Tragic Overture
Alban Berg: Violin Concerto
Thomas Larcher: Nocturne – Insomnia UK première
Robert Schumann: Symphony No 3 in E flat major 'Rhenish'

Christian Tetzlaff violin
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Robin Ticciati conductor


Brahms's Tragic Overture is not so much tragic as a 'serious' follow-up to his more frivolous Academic Festival Overture.
Dedicated 'To the memory of an angel', Berg's luminous Violin Concerto is an intensely moving personal testament to the death of a young woman, quoting Bach's funeral chorale 'Es ist genug'.
Thomas Larcher's nocturnal wanderings receive their UK premiere before a joyous journey down the Rhine in Schumann's Third Symphony, which climaxes in a musical homage to Cologne Cathedral.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Looking forward to this one.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Looking forward to this one.

[Pulcinella]

Reminder to self and others: 1900 start.

[Bryn]

I intend to attend. My first of this year. I also plan to stay on for the late night Prom.

[Bryn]

Unless there is to be a last minute rush, tonight's Prom looks to be somewhat sparsely attended. That does, however, mean I have got but three back from the front rail, just to the right of the podium.

Ah, the just in timers are now flowing in.

[pastoralguy]

Lovely performance of the Berg Concerto.

[Bryn]

Lovely performance of the Berg Concerto.

In many ways. Really fine pianissimo playing. Just a shame about the intonation weakness at the very end, I thought. Good audience control, too. A decent hiatus at the close.

[Bryn]

A truly huge bass drum has now joined the complement on stage. Beside it is a thunder sheet. A celesta and Steinway piano have been wheeled on to the right side of the stage.

Oh, there's also. Piano accordion.

Forgot to mention the two marimbas, one with folded resonator tubes for its extra-deep bottom octave.

[jayne lee wilson]

PROM 40 PART 1. BRAHMS, BERG. TEZTLAFF/SCO/TICCIATI. Radio 3 Concert Sound - slightly close-set, impeccable balances, very dynamic.

Very considered reading of the Brahms’ Tragic Overture. Warmly-coloured, full-toned; accents sharp but not too whiplash; widely varied pace following the dramatic moods very closely, big punchy climaxes. Excellent.

Ticciatti switched styles to become a keenly responsive, idiomatic, very powerful collaborator to Tetzlaff’s breathless delicacy and effortless range of colour and attack in the Berg Violin Concerto. Those very full, rounded brass climaxes so distinctive in this work came across rather more dynamically than usual - they sometimes sound too restrained; but not here. Wonderfully done.

[Petrushka]

PROM 40 PART 1. BRAHMS, BERG. TEZTLAFF/SCO/TICCIATI. Radio 3 Concert Sound - slightly close-set, impeccable balances, very dynamic.

Very considered reading of the Brahms’ Tragic Overture. Warmly-coloured, full-toned; accents sharp but not too whiplash; widely varied pace following the dramatic moods very closely, big punchy climaxes. Excellent.

Ticciatti switched styles to become a keenly responsive, idiomatic, very powerful collaborator to Tetzlaff’s breathless delicacy and effortless range of colour and attack in the Berg Violin Concerto. Those very full, rounded brass climaxes so distinctive in this work came across rather more dynamically than usual - they sometimes sound too restrained; but not here. Wonderfully done.

Agreed in all respects.

Can someone with more knowledge of the Berg VC comment on the scoring? This is the second time I've heard the work performed by a chamber orchestra, then there is the Abbado recording with the Orchestra Mozart. While there is much delicacy in the piece I wouldn't have expected chamber orchestra scoring. There is certainly bass drum and cymbals plus what sounds like a full brass complement. Is it really a chamber orchestra work?

[edashtav]

Tetzlaff loves Berg's Concerto and we love him, too. In my case, the last three performances that I've experienced had him as the soloist set amidst very different bands and conductors. The presence of Christian is more than a Pluvius insurance against rain, his qualities, so admirably sketched by Jayne, lift everybody to his level of excellence.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Nocturne Insomnia by Thomas Larcher. It was precisely imagined and notated and the whole piece had structure and direction, from disturbed sleep to disturbing sleeplessness. The range of sonorities plotted by Larcher and delivered by Ticciati and his reduced forces was remarkable but these sounds were at the core of the music and not mere decoration. I want to hear this piece again.

Tempi in the Rhenish Symphony were on the brisk side. The reduced string section allowed woodwind and brass plenty of scope to colour the ensemble. Accents were sharply defined but not disruptive to flow. A lovely performance of a great work.

( I missed the Tragic Overture, a favourite piece of mine through lack of insomnia at 7pm. I shall catch up.)

[Pulcinella]

Agreed in all respects.

Can someone with more knowledge of the Berg VC comment on the scoring? This is the second time I've heard the work performed by a chamber orchestra, then there is the Abbado recording with the Orchestra Mozart. While there is much delicacy in the piece I wouldn't have expected chamber orchestra scoring. There is certainly bass drum and cymbals plus what sounds like a full brass complement. Is it really a chamber orchestra work?

The scoring is as follows.
Solo violin
Two flutes, both doubling piccolo
Two oboes, second doubling cor anglais
Three clarinets, third doubling alto saxophone
Bass clarinet
Two bassoons
Contrabassoon
Four horns
Two trumpets
Two trombones (one tenor, one bass)
Tuba
Timps
Bass drum
Cymbals
Snare drum
Low tam-tam
High gong
Triangle
Harp
Strings (number not specified)

[Petrushka]

Thanks Pulcinella. That looks much more like a symphony orchestra scoring to me, not the reduced forces we usually expect from the words 'chamber orchestra'. All that said, this was a very fine performance so no quibbles regarding that.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That looks much more like a symphony orchestra scoring to me, not the reduced forces we usually expect from the words 'chamber orchestra'.

The Schumann Symphony has only five fewer players - and an extra Trombone.