Prom 60 - 29.08.17: Stravinsky, Rachmaninov and Shostakovich

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Tuesday 29 August 2017
Royal Albert Hall

Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird – suite (revised version, 1919)
Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No 4 in G minor (revised version, 1941)
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No 12 in D minor 'The Year 1917'

Leif Ove Andsnes piano
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko conductor

It would be impossible to mark this year's centenary of the Russian Revolution without a performance of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 12 - subtitled 'The Year 1917'. Its sweeping, filmic music paints a portrait of Lenin, both as a man and a political force.
Acclaimed Shostakovich interpreter Vasily Petrenko conducts the Oslo Philharmonic in an all-Russian programme also featuring Stravinsky's ever-popular suite from The Firebird and Rachmaninov's mercurial Fourth Piano Concerto (continuing our cycle of the composer's complete piano concertos).
Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, whose Beethoven concerto cycle was a highlight of the 2015 Proms, returns as soloist.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A veiled reference here to the sketch for Piano Concerto no. 0.

Does anyone know anything about it?

[bluestateprommer]

The first half of this Prom was good; not necessarily 'great', IMHO, but solid and well done. Admittedly, part of it may be the fact that Rach 4 is, again IMHO, the weakest of the Rachmaninov concerti, mainly because of the slow movement, which sounds too much for me like "Three Blind Mice" stuck in 1st gear. (I've read elsewhere that the slow movement also features the opening of the Robert Schumann piano concerto, which is another way to see it stuck in 1st gear.) Nice encore of solo Sibelius piano music by LOA (not coincidentally, featured on his new recital album, not that he mentioned the album from the platform, of course). Interesting interval feature on Lenin now.

[Bryn]

The first half of this Prom was good; not necessarily 'great', IMHO, but solid and well done. Admittedly, part of it may be the fact that Rach 4 is, again IMHO, the weakest of the Rachmaninov concerti, mainly because of the slow movement, which sounds too much for me like "Three Blind Mice" stuck in 1st gear. ...

Two Lovely Black Eyes, surely?

[LeMartinPecheur]

Two Lovely Black Eyes, surely?

It has been reported as 'Two Lovely Blind Mice' - I reckon that's closest.

(Or perhaps 'Three Lovely Black Eyes'?)

[kernelbogey]

Rachmaninov and Shostakovich: two composers I cannot get my head around. Listened to the Piano Concerto in the car on the way home in a kind of bafflement. Then loved the Sibelius encore. Came in, switched on the Shostakovich and switched it off again after five minutes.

Sorry, not that i haven't tried...

[jonfan]

Well I thought the whole concert was fantastic, especially so in Concert Sound. The Rachmaninov brilliantly played with wonderful ebb and flow; passionate and romantic. Amazing the Shostakovich hasn't been done at the proms more often; very 'in your face' music with no escaping the big canvass. Seemed to go down well in the hall. Loved it.

[Alison]

Nice fresh programme. The Twelfth sounds just right for the Albert Hall!

[BBMmk2]

You're right there, Alison. The opening of The Firebird sounded rather ponderous and plodding, but better as it went along. The Rach PC4, I never have liked all that much, but here, I think it was a reading where I have found something that I can latch onto. The Shosta 11, was in a different class. the orchestra shone here. Top drawer stuff, imo. First half okish, second half a different ball game altogether!

[DracoM]

Yep, band in top nick in Shostakovich 12.
Couldn't understand the tempi in the Stravinsky. What on earth was our man Petrenko at?

[Ferretfancy]

Although I know the symphony from recordings I had never heard it live until last night in the RAH. I thought the performance was excellent, but unfortunately no more convincing as a symphony. Most of it is banal to say the least, although Shostakovich gives us all his repertoire of orchestral devices which in this case fail to convince.
Never mind there's the 11th to look forward to.
Andsnes gave a fine performance of the Rachmaninov, which is in many ways the most interesting of the four, even with its shortcomings.

I know it's wrong, but I can't help comparing any version of this work with Michelangeli's marvellous 1957 recording, a desert island version if ever there was one.

[boilinthebag]

Definitely 2 lovely black eyes. If you want 3 blind mice they're scurrying around in Dvoraks 9th ☺