Prom 43 - 17.08.17: Saint-Saëns – ‘Organ’ Symphony

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

18:30 Thursday 17 August 2017
Royal Albert Hall

Manuel de Falla: El amor brujo
Édouard Lalo: Symphonie espagnole, Op 21
Camille Saint‐Saëns: Symphony No 3 in C minor, 'Organ'

Stéphanie d'Oustrac mezzo-soprano
Joshua Bell violin
Cameron Carpenter organ
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Charles Dutoit conductor


Tonight's celebration of the sun-scorched landscapes of Spain opens with Falla's flamenco ballet El amor brujo, rich in Andalusian folk melodies and featuring the famous 'Ritual Fire Dance'.
Joshua Bell is the soloist in Lalo's Symphonie espagnole, whose title conceals a virtuosic violin concerto steeped in the sounds of Spain, while Cameron Carpenter takes to the organ console in Saint-Saëns's mighty 'Organ' Symphony. 'With it I have given all I could,' observed the composer. 'What I did I could not achieve again.'

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A great line-up of performers. I almost want to hop on the train and go to this one.

[BBMmk2]

Oh, Cameron Carpenter!

[Hornspieler]

18:30 Thursday 17 August 2017
Royal Albert Hall

Manuel de Falla: El amor brujo
Édouard Lalo: Symphonie espagnole, Op 21
Camille Saint‐Saëns: Symphony No 3 in C minor, 'Organ'

Stéphanie d'Oustrac mezzo-soprano
Joshua Bell violin
Cameron Carpenter organ
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Charles Dutoit conductor


Tonight's celebration of the sun-scorched landscapes of Spain opens with Falla's flamenco ballet El amor brujo, rich in Andalusian folk melodies and featuring the famous 'Ritual Fire Dance'.
Joshua Bell is the soloist in Lalo's Symphonie espagnole, whose title conceals a virtuosic violin concerto steeped in the sounds of Spain, while Cameron Carpenter takes to the organ console in Saint-Saëns's mighty 'Organ' Symphony. 'With it I have given all I could,' observed the composer. 'What I did I could not achieve again.'

I'm looking forward to hearing this.

The Falla and the Lalo* in particular

* Especially great performances by Sidney Humphreys and Ralph Holmes.

The Saint Saens? Well I played it many times but never with a decent organ (those Hammond organs make the music sound like "Chapel in the Valley" music). Ugh!
So let's see what that lovely instrument in the Albert Hall adds to the performance.

HS

NB. All the big solo horn bits are written for the Third Horn - a chance to shine (one hopes - Good Luck, Pal!)

[Bryn]

Always good to see the Proms chasing the Classic FM audience. They might even get to hear what a better engineered radio station can do for the music.

[Stanfordian]

Always good to see the Proms chasing the Classic FM audience. They might even get to hear what a better engineered radio station can do for the music.

Well said that man!

[VodkaDilc]

A great line-up of performers. I almost want to hop on the train and go to this one.

Exactly my reaction. (Apart from the word 'almost'). It will be my first Prom this year.

[BBMmk2]

Always good to see the Proms chasing the Classic FM audience. They might even get to hear what a better engineered radio station can do for the music.

.......and presentation!

[VodkaDilc]

.......and presentation!

Sadly not as much difference as there used to be. With the Proms these days, it all depends on who is presenting.

[BBMmk2]

What do people think about Cameron Carpenter? Too much of a showman?

[VodkaDilc]

What do people think about Cameron Carpenter? Too much of a showman?

Or a supreme musician with a well-developed sense of showmanship? The 21st century equivalent of Paganini?

The Organ Symphony will keep him within certain boundaries - though perhaps we will be lucky enough to get an encore or two, where he can show his more extrovert side.

[Alain Maréchal]

The Organ Symphony will keep him within certain boundaries.

Presumably he is there to attract an audience, unnecessarily, it seems to me - the work is a "draw" in itself. A celebrated organist of my acquaintance told me that this work requires merely a competent organist (although he has recorded it himself and is happy to be engaged to play it for a good fee).

(I cannot pass by the opportunity to wish that Jongen's Symphonie Concertante might be played at the Proms. I'd make the journey myself to hear it).

[Stanfordian]

In 2011 at Philharmonie, Berlin I reported from a concert with the DSO Belin under Leo Hussain with organist Cameron Carpenter playing Liszt's La Campanella (arranged for organ solo by Carpenter) and Saint-Säens Symphony No. 3 ‘Organ Symphony’.

Carpenter wore predominately white clothing with diamante trimmed shoulders and shoes. His playing of his arrangement of La Campanella was somewhat clumsy and disjointed, making for uncomfortable listening. Although entertaining it felt too Vaudeville for me. I did enjoy his playing in the ‘Organ Symphony’; a much less virtuosic work.

[makropulos]

It maybe worth noting that Saint-Saëns himself played in a series of organ recitals to demonstrate the new Royal Albert Hall organ in 1871. The premiere of the symphony, by the Philharmonic Society in 1886 conducted by S-S, was not in the RAH but in St James's Hall. Still, the RAH organ was one Saint-Saëns knew.

[pastoralguy]

Nice playing from Joshua Bell. Not a player I'm terribly fond of since he's always been a bit too 'interventionist' for my liking. However, this piece suits him well. We're going to hear him play the Bruch 'Scottish Fantasy' with the Academy of Saint Martin in the Field next week. Hope he plays that as well as he's playing this.