Prom 18: Currentzis conducts Beethoven – 28.07.18

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30
Royal Albert Hall

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No 2 in D major
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No 5 in C minor

MusicAeterna
Teodor Currentzis conductor


One of the boldest, most exhilarating new voices in classical music, Greek-Russian conductor Teodor Currentzis, and his period-instrument ensemble MusicAeterna are together ripping up the classical rulebook with thrilling, award-winning results.

In the hands of MusicAeterna a classic programme of Beethoven symphonies - the vivacious, 'smiling' Second and the emotionally charged Fifth - becomes something altogether more punk and provocative.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Quite a short concert, even with all repeats.

By the way. I wonder who writes these description on the Proms website. It's like an anonymous letter.

[kernelbogey]

...One of the boldest, most exhilarating new voices in classical music, Greek-Russian conductor Teodor Currentzis, and his period-instrument ensemble MusicAeterna are together ripping up the classical rulebook with thrilling, award-winning results.

In the hands of MusicAeterna a classic programme of Beethoven symphonies - the vivacious, 'smiling' Second and the emotionally charged Fifth - becomes something altogether more punk and provocative.

Martin Handley more or less endorsed this view of Currentzis this morning; never having heard of him, I'm curious about this Prom.

Any views?

[cloughie]

19:30
Royal Albert Hall

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No 2 in D major
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No 5 in C minor

MusicAeterna
Teodor Currentzis conductor


One of the boldest, most exhilarating new voices in classical music, Greek-Russian conductor Teodor Currentzis, and his period-instrument ensemble MusicAeterna are together ripping up the classical rulebook with thrilling, award-winning results.

In the hands of MusicAeterna a classic programme of Beethoven symphonies - the vivacious, 'smiling' Second and the emotionally charged Fifth - becomes something altogether more punk and provocative.

Do I want punk, provocative Beethoven? Is that how LvB wrote it? I’ll ignore the stupid hype and see how it measures up to the best! Perhaps on the length of the programme we’ll get the Eroica as an encore!

[maestro267]

Quite a short concert, even with all repeats.

It'll be even shorter when you consider that this day and age of short attention spans means that "ripping up the rulebook" and marketing phrases like that usually means we'll be getting a ridiculously fast performance of these works. It's like, you know what this music's like...let's get this over and done with and head for the pub. Slow and stately is dead. Or dying as the old guard of conductors dies away.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Do I want punk, provocative Beethoven? Is that how LvB wrote it?

Well, Ludders should always be "provocative", and "punk" is closer to what the Second's about that those performances which seem to take a look at the death mask and decide "this has got to be p r o f o u n d - a n d - s l o w ". Yes, the Beeb Blurb is "stupid hype", but that's Beeb Blurb for you!

Curentzis. This is certainly one of the few Proms I would have attended had I lived closer to the Hall, and had a few more pennies to spare. He's something of a nutter, and his recordings of the (Tchaik) Pathetique and Rite are infuriatingly wilfully self-congratulatory and astonishingly insightful by turns - but hypnotically absorbing. He's the Stokowski of our times. I suspect that I'll be enraged and engaged in equal measure by this concert - but I wouldn't miss it for worlds.

[LMcD]

It'll be even shorter when you consider that this day and age of short attention spans means that "ripping up the rulebook" and marketing phrases like that usually means we'll be getting a ridiculously fast performance of these works. It's like, you know what this music's like...let's get this over and done with and head for the pub. Slow and stately is dead. Or dying as the old guard of conductors dies away.

According to the Proms website, the 1st half should last 31 minutes and the 2nd 32. I realize that quantity isn't the only criterion to apply to a musical experience, but 63 minutes is arguably short measure by any reckoning. (Perhaps there'll be an extended interval so that Prommers can recover from the overwhelming experience of the 2nd and prepare themselves for the visceral excitement of the 5th).

[jayne lee wilson]

Martin Handley more or less endorsed this view of Currentzis this morning; never having heard of him, I'm curious about this Prom.

Any views?

Currentzis, with his own orchestra the Musicaeterna, is one of the most radically exciting, recreative artists of our time. The catalogue is small but remarkable:

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/interpreter/teodor-currentzis/download-streaming-albums

...I can personally vouch for, having lived with, the Mozart Requiem, the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto/Stravinsky Les Noces, and the absolutely stunning Rameau The Sound of Light albums (which latter was my 2014 Record of the Year - I say this as a huge fan of Bruggen, Savall, Kuijken, Christie and others in their various Ramovian productions). All exhibit that characteristic blend of originality, passion and virtuosic precision.

Many of the others have won awards, Gramophone Record of the Month and so on. Again I've heard excerpts from many of these and they seem entirely deserving. The readings will be controversial to some ears, but the ability to transform very familiar (often overplayed to the point of outworn) masterpieces into newly-expressed, often sensational experiences is a precious devotion.

Just try to approach his recordings with an open mind, free of preconception of how a given work should go, and without using earlier recordings too hyper-critically as a model or benchmark. Yes, Currentzis' readings make their mark against them to some extent, but the listener has to immerse herself in his vision, allow it to fly free.

***

With all repeats observed including scherzo and finale, the 5th can go well past 35'; Harnoncourt's COE coupling of 2 and 5 is timed at 70'26.
But personally I don't find such a concert too short; rather a relief, especially from those which have a lengthy epic as a mere Part Two (discipline and polish often suffer, not to mention my own concentration)...and I have a feeling that, however you respond to it, you'll be all passion spent by the end...

[vinteuil]

... the absolutely stunning Rameau The Sound of Light albums (which latter was my 2014 Record of the Year - I say this as a huge fan of Bruggen, Savall, Kuijken, Chistie and others in their various Ramovian productions). All exhibit that characteristic blend of originality, passion and virtuosic precision....

... Ramovian, eh? An interesting variant. I follow the late great Cuthbert Girdlestone (crazy name, crazy guy... ) in using the term Ramellian...


.

[Bryn]

... Ramovian, eh? An interesting variant. I follow the late great Cuthbert Girdlestone (crazy name, crazy guy... ) in using the term Ramellian...


.

Um, https://www.goodreads.com/series/138901-ramelian-saga

https://hemmingshouse.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/ramovian-chain-of-events/

[vinteuil]

Um, https://www.goodreads.com/series/138901-ramelian-saga
https://hemmingshouse.wordpress.com/...ain-of-events/

um indeed. Your chaps from the planet Ramel only have one L, I see

His contemporaries who didn't care for Rameau referred to his (in their eyes deluded) supporters as Ramistes - or, worse still, Ramoneurs ( = chimney-sweeps ).


.

[Bryn]

um indeed. Your chaps from the planet Ramel only have one L, I see

His contemporaries who didn't care for Rameau referred to his (in their eyes deluded) supporters as Ramistes - or, worse still, Ramoneurs ( = chimney-sweeps )


.

But what about poor old Ramelli? Does he not deserve to be the true Ramellian? Or perhaps you consider it a photo-finish?

[vinteuil]

But what about poor old Ramelli? Does he not deserve to be the true Ramellian? Or perhaps you consider it a photo-finish?

... ah! All honour to the great Agostino Ramelli! [1531–1610] -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookwheel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agostino_Ramelli

.

[french frank]

Petit Glossaire Ramiste (traditional)

or

Ne dites plus ramiste, dites plutôt ramélien

but translated into English …?

[LMcD]

Well, Ludders should always be "provocative", and "punk" is closer to what the Second's about that those performances which seem to take a look at the death mask and decide "this has got to be p r o f o u n d - a n d - s l o w ". Yes, the Beeb Blurb is "stupid hype", but that's Beeb Blurb for you!

Curentzis. This is certainly one of the few Proms I would have attended had I lived closer to the Hall, and had a few more pennies to spare. He's something of a nutter, and his recordings of the (Tchaik) Pathetique and Rite are infuriatingly wilfully self-congratulatory and astonishingly insightful by turns - but hypnotically absorbing. He's the Stokowski of our times. I suspect that I'll be enraged and engaged in equal measure by this concert - but I wouldn't miss it for worlds.

...and this lunchtime we have 'harpsichord maverick Jean Rondeau' at Cadogan Hall. It's almost as though people lack confidence in the works or performances they're promoting and feel the need to produce something apparently inspired by a certain Iraq-related dossier. I'm not sure what it is about the Sibelius 7th that makes it 'genre-bending'.....