Prom 52 - 23.08.17: Beyond the Score®: Dvořák’s New World Symphony

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Wednesday 23 August 2017
Royal Albert Hall

Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No 9 in E minor, 'From the New World'

Henry Goodman actor
Rodney Earl Clarke bass-baritone
Hallé Orchestra
Sir Mark Elder conductor
Gerard McBurney creative director
Mike Tutaj projection design

Have you ever wondered about the story behind Dvořák's haunting Symphony No. 9, with its yearning Largo and its ebullient, dancing Scherzo? Originally devised by Gerard McBurney and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, this newly remounted Beyond the Score(R) performance combines actors, projections and live musical examples to explore the history of this enduringly popular orchestral classic. In the second half, Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé give a complete performance of the symphony. A fascinating, dramatic insight into one of the great works of the symphonic repertoire.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Wouldn't this have been a suitable concert for television?

[bluestateprommer]

Wouldn't this have been a suitable concert for television?

In principle, one would think so. However, at a guess, the other factor may be legal restrictions from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which owns all the rights to the Beyond the Score presentations (FAQ here). One might guess that the CSO doesn't want this material to circulate on TV, because once that happens, someone will upload a video or excerpts to YouTube, and Pandora's Box is unleashed in terms of being able to control the content (i.e. they won't be able to).

[Nick Armstrong]

In principle, one would think so. However, at a guess, the other factor may be legal restrictions from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which owns all the rights to the Beyond the Score presentations (FAQ here). One might guess that the CSO doesn't want this material to circulate on TV, because once that happens, someone will upload a video or excerpts to YouTube, and Pandora's Box is unleashed in terms of being able to control the content (i.e. they won't be able to).

Same thoughts occurred to me, too - witness the unusual sight of the ® mark in all publicity about this concert

[Darkbloom]

In principle, one would think so. However, at a guess, the other factor may be legal restrictions from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which owns all the rights to the Beyond the Score presentations (FAQ here). One might guess that the CSO doesn't want this material to circulate on TV, because once that happens, someone will upload a video or excerpts to YouTube, and Pandora's Box is unleashed in terms of being able to control the content (i.e. they won't be able to).

I don't see how you can copyright an illustrated lecture, which is all this. Dispense with the trademark and you're back to the sort of thing Bernstein was doing decades ago, more or less. I doubt that a few extra bells and whistles are going to deepen anyone's appreciation of the music.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I don't see how you can copyright an illustrated lecture, which is all this. Dispense with the trademark and you're back to the sort of thing Bernstein was doing decades ago, more or less. I doubt that a few extra bells and whistles are going to deepen anyone's appreciation of the music.

Well, yes. The Americans wanted to patent DNA. There's a musical education chap from the same country who came across the pond to organise course for music teachers, promoting his "unique" copyrighted flashcards, which were the same as those that teachers had been making for themselves for many years.

[bluestateprommer]

I don't see how you can copyright an illustrated lecture, which is all this. Dispense with the trademark and you're back to the sort of thing Bernstein was doing decades ago, more or less. I doubt that a few extra bells and whistles are going to deepen anyone's appreciation of the music.

It turns out that I need to qualify my statement above a bit about YouTube. The CSO has actually posted videos themselves of a number of the Beyond the Score presentations. Here's a sample:

(a) Haydn: The London Symphonies
(b) Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
(c) The Tristan Effect
(d) The Rite of Spring

There are others, but the above should suffice for a taster.

To address Darkbloom's point, from what I see, these presentations are much, more than just "illustrated lectures". These are full-blown multimedia presentations, with live actors, dramatic readings, and narration in the manner of pre-concert talks, with live orchestra. Most pre-concert talks in the US certainly don't have the orchestra on stage as part of it. Little wonder that the CSO feels rather proprietary about it.

It also should be noted that one of the brains behind Beyond the Score is a Brit, Gerard McBurney. Can't completely blame greedy Americans for this one .

Sir Mark Elder has guest-conducted the CSO on several occasions, and he has participated in Beyond the Score in Chicago. To state the obvious, this must be what led to eventually to this upcoming Prom. SME must have been taken enough with this series that he presented it in Manchester with the Halle, and thus things trickled down to lead up to this Prom.

[Cockney Sparrow]

..........
It also should be noted that one of the brains behind Beyond the Score is a Brit, Gerard McBurney. Can't completely blame greedy Americans for this one ...................

Brains - perhaps the creative ideas, do we know he then drove the trademark registration of the execution of the idea?

I don't want to be disputatious though. Here in the UK, we have a TV programme "Dragons Den" where entrepreneurs and/or inventors present products/business ideas to get financial backing from or partnership with one or more of the Dragons - experienced business people. Don't have to watch that many of the programmes to come across novel innovations where the Dragons ask whether it can be (or has been) patented or otherwise protected. They point out without that protection, there is no point investing - competitors will come in and undermine any small start up.
Its just capitalism. And, it seems to me (without having made a study) that the US has taken capitalism to the limits; its the economic system the US and we (perhaps for us a little modified) live under, and its a fact of life.

Just think about all those competitors, across the globe, lining up to introduce innovative multimedia presentations of classical music.............

[Petrushka]

Does anyone else recall a BBC2 programme that James Loughran did on the Dvorak New World, probably back in the early 1980s? Not a 'multimedia' presentation, maybe, but I wouldn't mind betting that Elder's goes over similar ground. Oh and I think it was with ... the Halle!

[Nick Armstrong]

I don't see how you can copyright an illustrated lecture, which is all this.

Yes, you can't copyright a 'format' as such - and indeed it doesn't say ©. The trademark protection ® must just refer to the title. (The script of the lecture will be copyrighted automatically - you don't need to register copyright, just be the creator).

[Stanfordian]

Does anyone else recall a BBC2 programme that James Loughran did on the Dvorak New World, probably back in the early 1980s? Not a 'multimedia' presentation, maybe, but I wouldn't mind betting that Elder's goes over similar ground. Oh and I think it was with ... the Halle!

You are probably right about Elder going over similar ground. He seems more of an imitator than a innovator. But his interpretations are none the worse for that.

[Pianorak]

(c) The Tristan Effect

What a treat! Thanks for the link, bluestateprommer.

[Roslynmuse]

This was presented in Manchester in May 2016 as part of a fairly substantial Dvorak Festival (which included the relatively obscure St Ludmila as well as more familiar fare). The Beyond the Score event was excellent, thought-provoking and quite moving in places. Even for those who feel they never want to hear Dvorak 9 again!

[bluestateprommer]

This was presented in Manchester in May 2016 as part of a fairly substantial Dvorak Festival (which included the relatively obscure St Ludmila as well as more familiar fare). The Beyond the Score event was excellent, thought-provoking and quite moving in places. Even for those who feel they never want to hear Dvorak 9 again!

Andrew McGregor said that this Beyond the Score presentation on Dvorak 9 was a revision of the original Chicago presentation from some seasons back. It would be interesting to know if this was the same revision that was presented in Manchester in May 2016, per Roslynmuse's note. The 19th century attitudes towards African-Americans and Native Americans, as expressed in some of the bluntly prejudiced language, obviously take on unfortunate new resonances now from this side of the pond. On this presentation from the RAH, while it did run a bit long, overall, and there were a few awkward transitions in the narrative, overall, Roslynmuse's evaluation captures it well. I generally knew about the influences of Af-Am melodies and The Song of Hiawatha on the symphony, but not nearly in as much detail as the presentation indicated. Obviously the music is strong enough that one can enjoy it and love it without the background knowledge, but that background knowledge does add to the appreciation.

[Alison]

You are probably right about Elder going over similar ground. He seems more of an imitator than a innovator. But his interpretations are none the worse for that.

Good observation