Prom 74 - 8.09.17: Vienna Philharmonic – Brahms, Mozart and Beethoven

[Darkbloom]

Wow, I was prepared for blandness but not this bland.

[bluestateprommer]

As the token American here, I reluctantly agree that the Mozart was just OK, nothing great. Having met Emanuel Ax at CD signings, he's the nicest guy that you could ever want to meet, but I've heard him on much livelier form in other live performances. He's not at all a showoff, but he was self-effacing to a fault here. I got the sense in the Brahms that MTT had the sense to wind up the VPO, turn the key, and let them play, with just a slight bit of hesitation at the start of the last chord. It is rather ironic that an orchestra at the heart of the Austro-Germanic repertoire should have two Americans at the front of the podium for this Prom, in contrast to an Austrian conductor with an American orchestra on Monday.

[Petrushka]

I just found that K449 boring and lacking in any sort of sparkle .

I'm afraid I have to agree. The VPO recorded this very concerto with Abbado and Pires. Different class altogether. So far I'm glad I decided to skip this Prom. As I said above, this repertoire isn't MTT's territory.

[Tony Halstead]

I'm afraid I have to agree. The VPO recorded this very concerto with Abbado and Pires. Different class altogether. So far I'm glad I decided to skip this Prom. As I said above, this repertoire isn't MTT's territory.

Hmmm. ... surely it's not MTT's fault if the Mozart PC soloist is boring? A 'lifetime ago' I played on all but one of his Beethoven symphony 'chamber orchestra' CBS recordings, long before all the HIPP stuff, and he was never, ever boring!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This is Beethoven as it should be played.

[Nick Armstrong]

This is Beethoven as it should be played.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well, that was excellent, but I'd prefer it if the presenters would just shut up and let us savour the atmosphere in the hall.

[bluestateprommer]

This is indeed a surprise, the Vienna Philharmonic performing Delius as an encore, and very nicely. Dare I say that the best part of this VPO Prom was the last? (Also, I wonder how many of the VPO musicians in this Prom played Mahler 6 last night. That might have been enough to drain the energy out of anyone.)

[Barbirollians]

I'm afraid I have to agree. The VPO recorded this very concerto with Abbado and Pires. Different class altogether. So far I'm glad I decided to skip this Prom. As I said above, this repertoire isn't MTT's territory.

The very recording I was thinking of - I am afraid I gave up on the second half .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This is indeed a surprise, the Vienna Philharmonic performing Delius as an encore, and very nicely. Dare I say that the best part of this VPO Prom was the last? (Also, I wonder how many of the VPO musicians in this Prom played Mahler 6 last night. That might have been enough to drain the energy out of anyone.)

They may not play much British music, but when they do, they do it well. Two years ago, they played Elgar's Dream of Gerontius as though they'd been performing it all their lives.

[Alison]

On balance, the encore would have been more effective without the speech.

An enjoyable Seventh somehow not achieving full culmination at its end. Flecks of Debussy in the fabric.

[David-G]

For reasons I needn't go into, I was listening on FM, and I must say the FM sound is really awful. So that didn't help. But I thought the first movement of the Beethoven was dull in the extreme. The symphony picked up after that - but Beethoven dull??? I was thinking back wistfully to Edinburgh a fortnight ago, where we heard a period-instrument performance of the Piano Trio Op 1 No 3 with Kristian Bezuidenhout and Jonathan Cohen. That was electric. We could have done with some of that electricity here.

[boilinthebag]

As the Beethoven progressed so did the quality of the performance.
Agree with bluestate, the Delius was sublime. The warmth of those strings was just gorgeous

[Barbirollians]

I might listen to the Beethoven and encore on iplayer . Five minutes of listening to the Perahia recording of K449 enough to cleanse my ears of the dreary dullness of the Ax/MTT . Sparkle,wit and charm .

[BBMmk2]

I was very surprised as to how the VPO managed the Delius so well! maybe MTT gave them some helpful advice or their sheer musicianship came through. Mind you Delius was part German?