Prom 66 - 2.09.17: Haydn and Mahler

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Saturday 2 September 2017
Royal Albert Hall

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 82 in C major, 'The Bear'
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No 4 in G major

Chen Reiss soprano
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Daniele Gatti conductor

From its jingling opening sleigh bells to its charming closing song for soprano and orchestra, Mahler's Fourth Symphony is one of the composer's sunniest and most appealing works, lively with birdsong and youthful energy.
It's a mood it shares with Haydn's ebullient and richly orchestrated Symphony No. 82, nicknamed 'The Bear' for the lurching melody of its final movement, with its suggestion of dancing bears at a country fair.
For their second concert, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Daniele Gatti are joined by Israeli soprano Chen Reiss, making her Proms debut.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Despite including a Mahler symphony, this is quite a short concert.

[Alison]

Despite including a Mahler symphony, this is quite a short concert.

A Wagner Overture my guess for an encore.

[Petrushka]

A Wagner Overture my guess for an encore.

Would have been nice to have one at the beginning (Tannhäuser, perhaps) and another as an encore (Prelude, Act 3 Lohengrin).

I've mentioned on here before that the Concertgebouw have recorded Mahler 4 with every one of their chief conductors since Mengelberg (in the case of Haitink, several times) so if this performance is being repeated in Amsterdam then the RCO haven't wasted much time in seizing the chance to secure Gatti's interpretation.

Gatti's RPO recording is very good as was a previous Prom outing with them where Gatti, quite rightly in my view,brought out more bite in the symphony than one usually encounters. I hope he hasn't modified his view in the meantime.

[Darkbloom]

I can't think of any Mahler symphony where we could expect an encore afterwards. The Fourth ends so quietly you'd think that a conductor wouldn't want to follow it with anything, but we shall see. Or, rather, hear.

[Petrushka]

I can't think of any Mahler symphony where we could expect an encore afterwards. The Fourth ends so quietly you'd think that a conductor wouldn't want to follow it with anything, but we shall see. Or, rather, hear.

Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic gave us Rossini's William Tell Overture (!!) after their 1991 Prom performance of the 4th while Abbado, again, but this time with the Vienna Philharmonic the following year chose Wagner's Die Meistersinger Prelude as an encore to follow the Mahler 1.

I was present at both. Happy days!

[pastoralguy]

Let's hope this concert is better than last night's Bruckner...

[Petrushka]

Let's hope this concert is better than last night's Bruckner...

It could hardly be much worse!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic gave us Rossini's William Tell Overture (!!) after their 1991 Prom performance of the 4th

Ah, yes! With Brendel playing the Brahms' Second Concerto before the interval. The orchestra's first ever visit to the (Summer) Proms. I was there, too

[Barbirollians]

Gatti made a well liked recording of the Fourth with the RPO so hopefully things might be better tonight.

[Prommer]

A Wagner Overture my guess for an encore.

Bloody hope so! Gatti quite the big Austro-German these days viz repertoire. Conducting the Ring at Bayreuth in 2020 too...

[Prommer]

I can't think of any Mahler symphony where we could expect an encore afterwards. The Fourth ends so quietly you'd think that a conductor wouldn't want to follow it with anything, but we shall see. Or, rather, hear.

Agree in a way. Which Mahler symphonies invite (or at least do not discourage) an encore?

Unimaginable after the 9th. Redundant after the 2nd, 3rd or 8th, surely? Bit difficult after 5th or 6th!

[Alison]

Agree in a way. Which Mahler symphonies invite (or at least do not discourage) an encore?

Unimaginable after the 9th. Redundant after the 2nd, 3rd or 8th, surely? Bit difficult after 5th or 6th!

Probably only tonight's symphony thinking about it!

[Darkbloom]

I went to Mahler 7 with Barenboim and the CSO in 2001. They played some of the Midsummer Night's Dream as an encore.

[Stanfordian]

Probably only tonight's symphony thinking about it!

Why would anyone want an encore after a Mahler symphony?