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

[Petrushka]

Yes, I was there for that one and it was a real disappointment. As soon as I heard the first bars I knew it was going to be a long evening. Gilbert has always seemed like a steady-as-she-goes type rather than anyone to get worked up about.

Darkbloom, you seem to have been at the very same Proms as I have!! Every one you mention in your various posts I can say: 'Me too'

That Beethoven 9 was utterly dreadful, one of the few times I'd felt like leaving half way through. A real disappointment.

[Stanfordian]

Darkbloom, you seem to have been at the very same Proms as I have!! Every one you mention in your various posts I can say: 'Me too'

That Beethoven 9 was utterly dreadful, one of the few times I'd felt like leaving half way through. A real disappointment.

Mutter is a highly talented artist and I have always enjoyed her performances. I interviewed her in 2012 and she was clearly still highly motivated and gave a most splendid recital that evening. Whereas the same year back in Munich Gilbert conducuted the most lacklustre Beethoven 'Eroica' with the NYP I have ever heard. It seemed to go on forever!

[Darkbloom]

Darkbloom, you seem to have been at the very same Proms as I have!! Every one you mention in your various posts I can say: 'Me too'

That Beethoven 9 was utterly dreadful, one of the few times I'd felt like leaving half way through. A real disappointment.

Although it was announced well in advance, the withdrawal of Chailly was a real disappointment. It's not to all tastes, but his Beethoven set is one I often return to and I think he could have given us something special. Gilbert's attempt was totally directionless, until the finale when it pulled itself together a bit.

Although you've been to most of the ones I have, I wish I could have gone to some of the others you mentioned, vintage RCO/Haitink being among them.

[P. G. Tipps]

Friday's Bruckner deserved a boo. I was rather hoping someone would be brave enough.

Oh, I don't know ... it certainly seemed to be well-received by the punters but, of course, a Proms audience will be enthusiastic over just about anything served up!

I agree it was a somewhat ponderous performance, but heavyweight Bruckner can sound spectacular though this was rather too heavy for my liking.

However, in a strange way, a thunderous, grumpy-sounding and even scary Bruckner does seem to fit well with current national/international uncertainties and stark realities?

[underthecountertenor]

Sicher... Honeck carries the tradition.

I was sitting in the choir, and during the encores had to pinch myself to remember that I wasn't actually watching Kleiber in action. He suddenly bore more than a passing resemblance, at least from my viewpoint.

[underthecountertenor]

[QUOTE=bluestateprommer;637010]
Regarding the "3rd encore that wasn't" situation: I would go a bit further than Alison and say all credit due to Petroc for keeping the line open, as it were, from the RAH for the possibility (however remote in retrospect) of a 3rd encore. I know that he gets his share of criticism here, and he did, in the heat of the moment, accidentally say that the PSO would return to "Philadelphia" rather than Pittsburgh, but that's a forgivable and totally accidental, unintended slip. (Correct state, just the big city on the other side of it.) If his presentation manner slips into the over-enthusiastic sometimes, it's more a "positive fault" than a negative fault. FWIW, I've seen him chat with patrons outside Cadogan Hall after PCM's, when they'l talk with him about his show that morning, and he's always friendly and kind-spirited with them. To use the language of business, Petroc "engages with his customer base", and very well.

]

He's a good man, a fine broadcaster, and very much more often than not gets the tonal balance right as you suggest, perhaps even more so now that Roger Wright is no longer in charge.

[Barbirollians]

Mutter is a highly talented artist and I have always enjoyed her performances. I interviewed her in 2012 and she was clearly still highly motivated and gave a most splendid recital that evening. Whereas the same year back in Munich Gilbert conducuted the most lacklustre Beethoven 'Eroica' with the NYP I have ever heard. It seemed to go on forever!

I read an interview from 2012 online somewhere in which she said she was planning to play the Walton sadly no sign of that yet .