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

[Bryn]

'twill be interesting to hear how tonight's SS3 compares to the 'live' Les Siecles/Roth CD.

[edashtav]

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.

I wasn't going to listen or comment on this Prom but I switched on the Lalo after my curiosity was roused by the exciting performance of Namouna excerpts last night. By golly, did I enjoy Bell's affectionate, sweet-toned, ingratiating performances (I include his chaste but warm encore from Massenet's Thais). I have to admit that the last time I heard the Lalo Concerto, it was somewhat improbably twinned with Brahms' German Requiem. On that Ruritanian occasion, the soloist played the notes well but transmitted them to the audience by wire. Tinnitus ruled!

Yet another excellent Proms Interval talk tonight. The standard during 2017 has been universally high.

Dutoit shaped Saint-Sean's' Third Symphony with care and individuality. The RPO were in good form.

[BBMmk2]

I wasn't either, edastv but Joshua bell had me succumbed to listening, which I did, with much praise for JB's playing. Very much taken by this performance. The Saint-Saens was very impressive, indeed. I am pretty sure Carpenter added in a few extra notes?

[Bryn]

As has previously been mentioned, the binaural Taster does not include presentation announcements. However, tonight's did include the medal presentation.

[VodkaDilc]

A very enjoyable Prom to attend, though the balance was very brass-heavy from my seat. Cameron Carpenter was on good form, but, to my mind, the end of the concert was very strange. Bell's encore was clearly on the way when three extra orchestral players came onto the stage. All very organised and conventional. The end of the Organ Symphony was very different. CC didn't seem to know whether to leave the organ or stay there. I wondered if he would appear on stage with Dutoit, but that didn't happen and Dutoit himself seemed a bit puzzled. Then I wondered if we would get an organ encore - but CC was not seen again. All very unusual and seemingly disorganised. Surely the movements of conductor and soloist would have been planned and co-ordinated somewhere. Perhaps CC's contract limited him to the one work and encores were forbidden. I have recorded the broadcast, so it will be interesting to see if the commentator has anything to say on the matter. I must say that I feel a bit short-changed. The audience was in full stamping mood, but we did not get the result we wanted. Perhaps CC was already in his car at this stage.

[gurnemanz]

I seem to be on a passing visit to La Lo Land at the moment. I'm just been enjoying getting to know his songs on a very good recent two CD complete set and now two Proms performances on successive evenings.

[Ferretfancy]

Joshua Bell's Lalo was the highlight of the evening for me, although the Lalo can outstay its welcome. All in all I was rather underwhelmed by this Prom. Dutoit is a reliable conductor, but he doesn't let go much. This was very apparent in the Falla, which seemed too polite. A few raw edges would have been welcome, where was the fire?

Stephanie d'Oustrac is a nice mezzo with too small a voice, no doubt helped by the engineers on air. From the front segment of the Arena she was difficult to hear in places and she seemed to 'put on' the necessary Spanish flamenco style without really feeling it

Cameron Carpenter made a good contribution to the symphony,quite subdued for the most part. I would have liked to have felt those pedal notes more strongly at the first organ entry, in fact the quieter passages did not make much of an impression at all beneath the orchestral sound. Rather odd.
Still it was a nice noise at the end, getting the usual roar of applause, but it was a rather bloodless evening.