Prom 69 - 4.09.17: Anne-Sophie Mutter plays Dvořák’s Violin Concerto

[bluestateprommer]

Well, didn't see those two encores coming (got the number correct, but the pieces wrong), but if that's the worst prediction mistake I ever make, I'll take it . Very spacious moments in Mahler 1, but also very well done, with some dollops of USA brashness in the brass (we do brash well on this side of the pond, if one considers that a good thing).

[Prommer]

Petroc clearly had no idea if third encore on the stands. Never heard a handover back to the studio that then suddenly wasn't, quite like that...

Who has ever done three anyway? Answers on a postcard...

[DracoM]

Now THAT'S how you play Mahler.
What a difference between that and the RCO!!!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes the commitment , the digging into the strings and yet the silkiness , the brashness of the brass . I loved it ....even when it seemed to be slightly grinding to a halt ....

[pastoralguy]

Petroc clearly had no idea if third encore on the stands. Never heard a handover back to the studio that then suddenly wasn't, quite like that...

Who has ever done three anyway? Answers on a postcard...

It added to the frisson of the moment...

[DracoM]

Yes the commitment , the digging into the strings and yet the silkiness , the brashness of the brass . I loved it ....even when it seemed to be slightly grinding to a halt ....

[bluestateprommer]

Petroc clearly had no idea if third encore on the stands. Never heard a handover back to the studio that then suddenly wasn't, quite like that...

Who has ever done three anyway? Answers on a postcard...

Well, that's a little bit harsh to judge Petroc that way. I suspect that he knew well in advance about the two Strauss family encores, since it's generally standard practice to let the venue know that encores are up the artists' sleeves. I wouldn't have done any better at a guess in the heat of the moment, to know if maybe the orchestra would pull a 3rd one out of its hat. I'm with pg's assessment there.

BTW, in hindsight, the Josef Strauss and Johann Strauss II encores may well have been the "two encores" alluded to in this PSO blog post, from their Grafenegg concert:

http://blogs.pittsburghsymphony.org/2017/09/the-brothers-honeck-grafenegg-part-ii/

The question of 3 encores by a single performer or ensemble in a single Prom: good question, which requires more spare time than I have to trawl the Proms performance archives. Now, a total of 3 encores in a single Prom, if from multiple performers, that's already happened 3x this season, granted that distributing 3 encores among the soloist and the orchestra is stretching the criterion, admittedly.

[Prommer]

Well, that's a little bit harsh to judge Petroc that way. I suspect that he knew well in advance about the two Strauss family encores, since it's generally standard practice to let the venue know that encores are up the artists' sleeves. I wouldn't have done any better at a guess in the heat of the moment, to know if maybe the orchestra would pull a 3rd one out of its hat. I'm with pg's assessment there.

BTW, in hindsight, the Josef Strauss and Johann Strauss II encores may well have been the "two encores" alluded to in this PSO blog post, from their Grafenegg concert:

http://blogs.pittsburghsymphony.org/2017/09/the-brothers-honeck-grafenegg-part-ii/

The question of 3 encores by a single performer or ensemble in a single Prom: good question, which requires more spare time than I have to trawl the Proms performance archives. Now, a total of 3 encores in a single Prom, if from multiple performers, that's already happened 3x this season, granted that distributing 3 encores among the soloist and the orchestra is stretching the criterion, admittedly.

Yes, afraid I meant who has done three encores there and then, not a cumulative total for a concert...

[Alison]

Some credit due to Petroc for not wanting listeners to miss out on a third encore.

[Darkbloom]

Well, Barenboim did four a couple of years ago. He played all the Carmen instrumental bits with the WED.

[pastoralguy]

Some credit due to Petroc for not wanting listeners to miss out on a third encore.

[Prommer]

Well, Barenboim did four a couple of years ago. He played all the Carmen instrumental bits with the WED.

Did he, by god? Lol. Never knowingly under-exposed.

[Prommer]

Agreed. Good man, PT.

[DracoM]

Interesting too that the Prommers seemed keen for a third encore too.
I just can't help thinking back to that RCO Bruckner and Mahler concerts and the post-concert reactions there - or as they came over on radio. Martin Handley seemed to think an encore was imminent from the RCO, but no dice, and presumably the BBC knows in advance if an encore is likely since they always seem to know the piece played in the encore even when there is no announcement by the artist / artists involved. One assumes such info is passed at rehearsal?

[Dave2002]

Brilliant concert. ASM's encore was stunningly done - fantastic playing, and the mermaid style outfit maybe helped! (perhaps not ...)

The Mahler was pulled around a bit, but it was not mauled too far. Much of it was very idiomatic, and there were real attempts at piano or pianissimo. The loud bits were!

I have no idea what the encores were. We did wonder when the conductor was going to shake hands, or give a signal that it was time to go home. Some continental (e.g. Swedish) orchestras are much more organised in that respect, usually with most of the orchestra members shaking each other's hands.

Are there, or were there, any online programme notes?