Prom 36: Mahler, Wagner and Webern – 9.08.18

[Beef Oven!]

It's on the point about bleeding chunks, raised earlier.

It's not a 'bleeding chunk', though. It's the entirety of Act 1. Think a bit more about both analogies*

*'selling short' and 'bleeding chunk'

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I don’t know why they just didn’t have the whole of Die Walküre?

We had precisely that a few years ago with Pappano and a stunning cast.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

We had precisely that a few years ago with Pappano and a stunning cast.

And, of course, a complete Ring cycle with Barenboim a couple of years or so ago. (If Act One of Die Walkure is regarded as a "bleeding chunk", then it's as arguable to regard the whole thing as such without the remaining "evenings".)

[Beef Oven!]

And, of course, a complete Ring cycle with Barenboim a couple of years or so ago. (If Act One of Die Walkure is regarded as a "bleeding chunk", then it's as arguable to regard the whole thing as such without the remaining "evenings".)

Why didn't I think of that??

[jayne lee wilson]

I'm not sure how this will go... will I reach the interval feeling "where's the rest of it?!"

The 5-movement Mahler 10 with more 2VS, or...Schreker's Chamber Symphony, in Part One? Ah, if!

But I haven't listened to any Wagner for years...and it is Salonen and The Philharmonia, so...

[BBMmk2]

We had precisely that a few years ago with Pappano and a stunning cast.

Ture so why not Derycke Cooke's fine edition of the whole of Mahler's 10th?

[Nick Armstrong]

And try to check out Tennstedt's LPO CD of Act One of Die Walkure on the LPO label - it's stupendous!

[jayne lee wilson]

Oh my.... my word... that is some orchestra, some conductor.....

If you play the Mahler 10 adagio as well as that, then what a shame not to.... well, you know.

[Guest]

Fine playing - not heard the BBCSO on such fine form for a long time.
Die Walkure a tad slow for my taste, but well sung.
Webern's 5 Pieces is one of my favourites of his anyway, and I thought the band knew how to do less-is-more with it to perfection.

[jayne lee wilson]

I thought I'd leave this to the Perfect Wagnerites... after so long, I had a feeling that this most flowing, lyrical of Wagner Acts would be something of an event for me.
I was overwhelmed at the climax, at the arrival of Spring, at the Sword's euphoric brandish, at all those wonderfully tender melodies of sorrow and love.... the brasses were extraordinary - darkly rich, full of menace and triumph....

So Salonen and The Philharmonia were the true stars for me tonight. Every part of the orchestra excelled in the expression of the musical drama.
The Siegmund and Sieglinde gave me what I needed for the experience to be such as it was....
But I'll leave any comparative vocal judgements to the true connoisseurs....

***
But the Mahler 10 excerpt was beyond praise, beyond criticism...as crushingly, heartbreakingly, tragically beautiful as I've ever heard it, the shattered world that reveals its rifts at the climax truly and appallingly alien....

The Webern Op.10, flawlessly diamond-cut, already breathes the thin air from another planet; which Salonen seemed to recognise, calling it a "white dwarf" formed from a Mahlerian collapsing star...

[zola]

Fine playing - not heard the BBCSO on such fine form for a long time.

Forgive me if I'm being obtuse and missing some subtlety. But it wasn't the BBCSO.

[Guest]

Forgive me if I'm being obtuse and missing some subtlety. But it wasn't the BBCSO.

Aha, the Philharmonia! Which may explain my posting above?

[Bryn]

Aha, the Philharmonia! Which may explain my posting above?

Otherwise known as the Classic FM Orchestra. No wonder its name was withheld for a while here.

[VodkaDilc]

Otherwise known as the Classic FM Orchestra. No wonder its name was withheld for a while here.

What a strange statement. It was the presence of the Philharmonia which made me book this Prom and, as Jayne has rightly said, the orchestra and conductor were the true stars of the concert. It's clearly at the very top of the orchestral ladder (I won't get into the business of league tables) and that position has been strengthened by Salonen in recent years. There have been some wonderful new appoinments to the orchestra and the mixture of long-established players and new youthful ones has brought an amazing freshness to their sound.

[Bryn]

What a strange statement. It was the presence of the Philharmonia which made me book this Prom and, as Jayne has rightly said, the orchestra and conductor were the true stars of the concert. It's clearly at the very top of the orchestral ladder (I won't get into the business of league tables) and that position has been strengthened by Salonen in recent years. There have been some wonderful new appoinments to the orchestra and the mixture of long-established players and new youthful ones has brought an amazing freshness to their sound.

Writtten on the side of their pantechnicon, reminding me of a cdestain referendum bus. See here.

I caught site of the legend on the vehicle last night. Quite surprised me at the time. None of the images brought up by Google show this recent promitonal device.