Prom 24: A Hero’s Life – 1.08.18

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:00
Royal Albert Hall

Dame Ethel Smyth: The Wreckers – On the Cliffs of Cornwall (Prelude to Act 2)
Antonín Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B minor
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben

Daniel Müller‐Schott cello
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Otto Tausk conductor

Triumphant horns and a flirtatious, vivacious solo violin set the tone for Strauss's vivid autobiographical tone-poem Ein Heldenleben - 'A Hero's Life', outwardly inspired by 'an ideal of great and manly heroism'. The orchestra is also at the forefront in Dvořák's Cello Concerto, sounding as an equal partner to the soloist - German cellist Daniel Müller-Schott, who returns to the Proms under tonight's debut conductor Otto Tausk - in an intensely personal work that marries a pervasive sense of longing with real passion. And in the centenary year of British women gaining the right to vote, Ethel Smyth's evocative Act 2 Prelude from The Wreckers celebrates a key British composer who, as a suffragette, spent two months in Holloway Prison.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:00
The orchestra is also at the forefront in Dvořák's Cello Concerto, sounding as an equal partner to the soloist -

Isn't that what usually happens - I mean apart from Chopin's piano concertos?

[edashtav]

Isn't that what usually happens - I mean apart from Chopin's piano concertos?

The inequality can be viewed the other way around, Alpie: a romantic Concerto pits one soloist against many in the orchestra, and to gain some semblance of equality the soloist may be given technically difficult or flashy music. Such inequality is particularly relevant in cello concerti because of the low pitch of the solo instrument.

[gradus]

19:00
Royal Albert Hall

Dame Ethel Smyth: The Wreckers – On the Cliffs of Cornwall (Prelude to Act 2)
Antonín Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B minor
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben

Daniel Müller‐Schott cello
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Otto Tausk conductor

Triumphant horns and a flirtatious, vivacious solo violin set the tone for Strauss's vivid autobiographical tone-poem Ein Heldenleben - 'A Hero's Life', outwardly inspired by 'an ideal of great and manly heroism'. The orchestra is also at the forefront in Dvořák's Cello Concerto, sounding as an equal partner to the soloist - German cellist Daniel Müller-Schott, who returns to the Proms under tonight's debut conductor Otto Tausk - in an intensely personal work that marries a pervasive sense of longing with real passion. And in the centenary year of British women gaining the right to vote, Ethel Smyth's evocative Act 2 Prelude from The Wreckers celebrates a key British composer who, as a suffragette, spent two months in Holloway Prison.

Triumphant horns indeed with that writing for them at the end of the battle scene, a real spine-tingler. I have the magnificent and under-rated Beecham recording playing in my ear.

[jayne lee wilson]

Otto Tausk conjuring a wonderfully rich, full-bodied, red-wine Romantic sound from the BBCNOW tonight, but with much carefully-moulded expressive detail too. From the first impressionistic bars of Ethel Smyth's The Wreckers, you just felt right away, this is going to be a good night...
Müller-Scott in the Dvorak Concerto, matching it all for power and finesse.

More conductors seem to know how to play out into the RAH spaces these days, without loss of control (cf Karina Canellakis). And production values on HDs almost always equal to it.
Marvellous listening, yet again, here in the HCH.

(If like me, you never heard Tausk before, plenty of interest here..
http://www.ottotausk.com/video/)

[bluestateprommer]

Caught out a bit by the 7 PM start time, so just missed the start of Dame Ethel Smyth's The Wreckers Act 2 Prelude. From what I heard, the BBC NOW sounded good, with enjoably meaty writing from Dame Ethel, even if I can't hum any of it on demand after one hearing. The latter is much easier with the Dvorak Cello Concerto, where DM-S took the big, spacious approach, particularly in the slow movement, with quite audible sharp breath intakes from him. Otto Tausk was with DM-S all the way, although I thought that I heard a slight phrase scramble from the orchestra at the outset (ears may have been playing tricks on me). The orchestral sound balance seemed to me to bring the winds and brass more to the fore, compared to recent broadcasts. His encore just now, Prayer by Ernest Bloch (duly archived in the Forum Calendar), was in the same spirit, a big-hearted approach.

PS: Interval talk now, with Petroc hosting Sir John Tusa and Marina Frolova-Walker, talking about the 21 August 1968 Prom with the Dvorak Concerto, the day of the invasion of Czechoslovakia.

PPS: Promenaders' Musical Charities count so far, ~ £25K, from what I could hear.

[gedsmk]

Otto Tausk conjuring a wonderfully rich, full-bodied, red-wine Romantic sound from the BBCNOW tonight, but with much carefully-moulded expressive detail too. From the first impressionistic bars of Ethel Smyth's The Wreckers, you just felt right away, this is going to be a good night...
Müller-Scott in the Dvorak Concerto, matching it all for power and finesse.

More conductors seem to know how to play out into the RAH spaces these days, without loss of control (cf Karina Canellakis). And production values on HDs almost always equal to it.
Marvellous listening, yet again, here in the HCH.

(If like me, you never heard Tausk before, plenty of interest here..
http://www.ottotausk.com/video/)

Blimey, those french horns are really quite something in Heldenleben, no? Nothing like hearing well played brass in the RAH. Love it. The solo trumpet in BBCSSO was sensational the other night in the Alpine Symphony. And the VW last night was also top quality. Radio 3 sound seems lovely to me this season. What a great series this is turning out to be already with the home teams making a big impression.

[bluestateprommer]

Fine reading of Ein Heldenleben just now, with Otto Tausk guiding the proceedings well. A little bit of phrase nudging from Lesley Hatfield at the start of her work, and a very strong showing by her. Nice of R3 to give her a spoken spotlight before the work. Just realized a tenuous connection between the two main works, namely that EH is Richard Strauss' love letter to himself, while the slow movement of the Dvorak was a retro-love letter to his sister-in-law.

[Maclintick]

Otto Tausk conjuring a wonderfully rich, full-bodied, red-wine Romantic sound from the BBCNOW tonight, but with much carefully-moulded expressive detail too.

Yes -- never heard of him before, but I've rarely heard a better "Ein Heldenleben" than tonight's. Well done, BBCNOW & Herr Tausk !

[DracoM]

Agreed.
Meaured, beautifully paced, weighty tone when needed, loved woodwind chattering, and unsentimental and dignified conclusion - as Mr Handley said.
Glad I tuned in.

[mrbouffant]

I was in the hall, up in the circle, and it seemed a relatively sparsely attended concert which was a shame. I chose a completely different seat for the second half and enjoyed the Strauss very much.

Good to hear some Dame Ethel. The programme booklet revealed that we will hear her overture to "The Boatswain's Mate" at the Ally Pally Prom on Sept. 1st.

[edashtav]

Yes -- never heard of him before, but I've rarely heard a better "Ein Heldenleben" than tonight's. Well done, BBCNOW & Herr Tausk !

I’m not a great lover of Richard Strauss, but when he’s as well-served as he was this evening by the the BBC NOW and Herr Tausk, I find some of his harmonic transitions so meltingly beautiful that they bring tears to my old, dry eyes. The final horn solo dissolving into radiant strings was such a moment. Yes, Maclintick, I, too, have rarely heard a better Hero’s Life. Orchestra and conductor were both on their top form.

I, too, was caught out by the 7pm start but I turned on early enough to catch Daniel Müller- Schott’s winning, macho performance of Dvorak’s great cello concerto.Daniel has force and power aplenty but he can manage tenderness equally well. His virility ensured that the orchestra were not timid or sotto voice, unafraid that if they “went for it” they would drown the bass soloist. Having said that I must pay tribute to Dvorak’s classy scoring, I feel that this work and Shostakovich’s 1st Concerto are brilliant masterclasses in how to score a cello concerto. Daniel’s swagger added so much to the finale, and the moment when the composer reveals his love for his sister-in-law who had died whilst he was journeying back to his homeland from the New Work, was shocking and movingly tragic. A great performance from one and all, and Daniel’s encore, one of Bloch’ s scenes from Jewish life was so appropriate at this time when Jews are feeling uncertain of their welcome in Britain.

[BBMmk2]

This was a very well thought out reading of Heldenleben. Enjoyed it very much.

[bluestateprommer]

Just caught up with the whole of the Prelude to Act II of Dame Ethyl's The Wreckers; well done indeed. BTW, since Otto Tausk is Dutch, it's actually "Heer Tausk", or "Mijnheer Tausk", rather than "Herr" Tausk.

Meaured, beautifully paced, weighty tone when needed, loved woodwind chattering, and unsentimental and dignified conclusion - as Mr Handley [sic] said. Glad I tuned in.

Methinks you meant "Mr Skelly", but the point is well taken :) .

[jonfan]

Well we’re reaching for the superlatives this season to describe the work of the BBC orchestras. Here another Strauss Ein Heldenleben to rank with the best. Those horns at the climax to the battle scene were fearless and reminded me of my favourite recording of this work with Beecham and the RPO. Terrific playing throughout. Also fearless was the engineering which went for the climaxes with great panache and clarity but had room for the beautiful, gentle wind and string writing as the piece calms down. Wonderful.