Prom 15: Paul Lewis plays Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ concerto – 25.07.18

[Nick Armstrong]

Great performance of the concerto, I thought.

As for the git who shouted YEAHH a split-second after the end of the first movement....

[jonfan]

Great performance of the concerto, I thought.

As for the git who shouted YEAHH a split-second after the end of the first movement....

Sad Caliban that you haven’t been so moved by what you’ve just heard that you haven’t felt the need to shout out.

Fascinating interval talk with T D which was a pity not to hear before her piece was performed.

[Bryn]

Sad Caliban that you haven’t been so moved by what you’ve just heard that you haven’t felt the need to shout out.

Fascinating interval talk with T D which was a pity not to hear before her piece was performed.

You should have gone to the event itself, over the road at Imperial College.

[Nick Armstrong]

Sad Caliban that you haven’t been so moved by what you’ve just heard that you haven’t felt the need to shout out.

Glad jonfan that you don't live next door if you shout every time you're moved.

[PhilipT]

Ah well. I guess it makes a change from “bravo!” …

A change? I haven't heard a "Bravo!" after a first movement of a piano concerto since Garrick Ohlsson played the Dvorak, more years ago than I care to remember. I was in the Arena for that one, and I can still remember the look on his face.

[edashtav]

Tansy Davies’s Opera ‘Between Worlds’ was felt by many critics to have fallen between stools: the more sympathetic felt that it was a brave effort when confronted by a immense subject; rather than confront an impossibly huge subject, the composer had tip-toed around it and given most of the musical interest to the orchestra rather than her singers.

I approached tonight expecting the “best of the rest”. However, I was disappointed by music that was stiff-jointed rhythmically and no more ground-breaking than Harry Birtwistle’s half a century ago. The original orchestration was spare, based, if memory serves me right, on a chamber orchestra of fewer than 40 players. Conflation added visceral impact but it did not bring intellectual gains. Perhaps, the finest premiere so far of this year’s Proms, but, surprisingly, flat beer.

I loved Paul Lewis in Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. I tend to think of it as the Escaper’s Concerto for here is Beethoven going deaf and surrounded by the turmoil of a war-zone, retreating into his own world, a world of majesty and nobility in the first movement, where the BBC PO under Ben Gernon were over-brusque and wayward for my taste. The mystical, almost ecstatic slow movement saw a greater rapport between soloist and orchestra in its heavenly chant centred on the remote key of Bb. Beethoven, the escapee, achieves the ultimate denial in the 3rd movement where he shields his imagination from present chaos and the future risk of complete deafness to turn in an exultant rondo, full of dancing, laughter, and joy. It was played in a most captivating manner. Apparently, I was not alone, in standing and cheering. Well done!
I must draw breath before tackling the Brahms.

[jayne lee wilson]

I didn't shout "yes!" at the end of that Brahms 2nd but I could well have done!
Bbm, Your boy done good!.

Terrific performance, with a super-fast finale (Gernon responding to the lively occasion) which never lost its stunningly precise grip, after a remarkably detailed, beautifully-paced reading which seemed to let the music speak, and sing, for itself.

Uptempo first movement, exposition repeat, at first I thought "a place for everything and everything in its place". Or "I've heard more overtly exciting readings but this is still lovely and very articulate"...."wide dynamic range, true pps, wonderful string playing in adagio, almost fanatical attention to detail.." Etc.

But then Ben let rip in the finale, drawing me into another air-conducted coda.. .one to watch...
I've listened to many Brahms Symphony recordings this year (not least the Venzago cycle), but this was still one of the most impressive 2nds I've ever heard.

(Glorious sound on HDs, very natural, great dynamics. We really are getting spoiled this week, and it's been impressive how differently the orchestras have responded, in style and sound, to each conductor, and how clearly that has been relayed.)

(Note on typeface... I make so many typos that I usually write comments in Pages, correct and post them later; but then the choice here is always between too small or a bit too big, so...anyway this one's OK, isn't it?)

[jonfan]

You should have gone to the event itself, over the road at Imperial College.

Would have loved to have done but I’m up in Yorkshire and listening on the wireless.

[edashtav]

I didn't shout "yes!" at the end of that Brahms 2nd but I could well have done!
Bbm, Your boy done good!.

Terrific performance, with a super-fast finale (Gernon responding to the lively occasion) which never lost its stunningly precise grip, after a remarkably detailed, beautifully-paced reading which seemed to let the music speak, and sing, for itself)
[...] [/I]

What a relief... I agree with everything that Jayne has written about the Brahms second symphony. Perhaps, she skated al little over its middle movements, so I’ll add one thought: were their basic tempi a little too relaxed? Great, perhaps, as evocations of hot summer holidays, but Brahms is more complex than that. It felt to me like Brahms seen as the progenitor of Bruckner. However, the accuracy and transparency of textures were wonderful. The BBC PO sounded like a top six European orchestra.

[jonfan]

What a relief... I agree with everything that Jayne has written about the Brahms second symphony. Perhaps, she skated al little over its middle movements, so I’ll add one thought: were their basic tempi a little too relaxed? Great, perhaps, as evocations of hot summer holidays, but Brahms is more complex than that. It felt to me like Brahms seen as the progenitor of Bruckner. However, the accuracy and transparency of textures were wonderful. The BBC PO sounded like a top six European orchestra.

Great reading Jayne and Ed on these boards; always articulate and erudite. There have been some great performances already from all the BBC orchestras that we’ve heard so far and it’s only week two. Tonight from the Phil, Schumann from the NOW and Rachmaninov from the Symphony to name just three occasions. What top 6 orchestras in Europe then Ed?

[Pulcinella]

I'm wondering if we listened to the same second half!
Here at Casa Pulcinella we thought it rushed, scrappy, not well articulated.....didn't enjoy it very much!
Maybe the fact that it was my A-level set work (very) many years ago has something to do with it (but that doesn't explain my partner's feelings).
We both enjoyed the Emperor, though.

[BBMmk2]

Glad everyone enjoyed this Prom. Ben and I have worked together on a couple of occasions in his build up to being on the Rosta of guest conductors and to been really good seeing how people have responded to this event.

[edashtav]

Great reading Jayne and Ed on these boards; always articulate and erudite.
[…]
What top 6 orchestras in Europe then Ed?

Oh dear, I’m now on the spot:
Concertgebouw, BPO, London PO, Leningrad PO, Lucerne Festival O., BBC PO...
I should have said top dozen!

[BBMmk2]

Oh dear, I’m now on the spot:
Concertgebouw, BPO, London PO, Leningrad PO, Lucerne Festival O., BBC PO...
I should have said top dozen!

LSO surely? Bavarian RSO.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I suspect that Alpie is typing as we "speak".