Prom 50: Mozart's Clarinet Concerto & Mahler's Fifth Symphony 19.08.18

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

20:00
ON TV
Royal Albert Hall

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A major
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No 5 in C sharp minor

Annelien Van Wauwe clarinet
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Thomas Dausgaard conductor


Recreating a Proms concert conducted by Leonard Bernstein in 1987, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor Thomas Dausgaard pair two of the best-loved and most beautiful works in the repertoire.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Good to have this one on TV as well. In recent years there has been a growing tendency to select only the more gimmicky ones.

[Petrushka]

I was present at the unforgettable original 1987 VPO/Bernstein concert and recreating the same programme is never going to give the same result. Specifically tying it up with the Bernstein is making the BBCSSO a hostage to fortune.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I was present at the unforgettable original 1987 VPO/Bernstein concert and recreating the same programme is never going to give the same result. Specifically tying it up with the Bernstein is making the BBCSSO a hostage to fortune.

There's nothing wrong with repeating the same programme, but why do they need to harp on about it?

[jayne lee wilson]

I was present at the unforgettable original 1987 VPO/Bernstein concert and recreating the same programme is never going to give the same result. Specifically tying it up with the Bernstein is making the BBCSSO a hostage to fortune.

Yes, a bit strange to draw the parallel... that VPO Mahler 5 was one of the first concerts I ever taped (on an AIWA ghetto-blaster...) but god knows what became of the tape...

Still, a very attractive programme; I hope the redoubtable Thomas gets a good night's sleep before tackling the Nørgård 3rd tomorrow....!

[LMcD]

There's nothing wrong with repeating the same programme, but why do they need to harp on about it?

You'd better ask Thomas, Mann.

[CallMePaul]

20:00
ON TV
Royal Albert Hall

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A major
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No 5 in C sharp minor

Annelien Van Wauwe clarinet
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Thomas Dausgaard conductor

Recreating a Proms concert conducted by Leonard Bernstein in 1987, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor Thomas Dausgaard pair two of the best-loved and most beautiful works in the repertoire.

Di we know whether Annelien van Wauwe will be playing standard or basset clarinet?

[gedsmk]

Di we know whether Annelien van Wauwe will be playing standard or basset clarinet?

It says Basset... In the concert programme I just bought.

[jayne lee wilson]

Maybe it is sometimes best to draw a veil, be discreet and offer few words...

Whilst appreciating the general interpretative approach to this Mahler 5 (tempi choices & relations etc) there were too many slips, miscues and approximations, intonation problems and some odd balances, to allow my close involvement. The last two movements were a little better, with a big final blaze to raise a cheer in the hall, but I felt very disconnected by then....some odd noises-off didn't help.

Almost the first time this season that an orchestra has sounded under-prepared. I guess we all have our bad nights, but given the rare and demanding epic they're taking on tomorrow, was it all too much to rehearse both?

[jonfan]

I waited for the tv broadcast to start and thoroughly enjoyed the whole concert. The concerto had a lightness and joy about the whole piece and lovely low basset sounds.
The symphony had lots of delicate moments and TD was most inspiring to watch. The first two movements had the darkness and despair which was relieved in the third by amazing controlled horn playing, going from very loud to the slightest whisper. The Adagio just right at 9 minutes (goodness knows what Bernstein’s 15 would have been like, I don’t really want to hear it). A transcendent finale beautifully built up to the great joy at the end. I didn’t notice general slips except the first trumpet didn’t have a good night. It didn’t spoil it for me. A great evening.

[pastoralguy]

The last time Mrs. PG and I heard the Mozart Clarinet Concerto was in the Usher Hall. Alas, it was supplemented with an obligatory crying baby in the front row under the soloist!! We can testify that a crying baby adds NOTHING to K.622's slow movement!

The soloist was Kari Krikku with the RSNO under a young conductor who didn't have the presence of mind to stop and say ENOUGH! I could not imagine Paavo Berglund putting up with that sort of nonsense.

[gedsmk]

Second time this orchestra has performed Mahler Five in recent years, same trumpet issues, unfortunately. My memory fades but I seem to remember Pittsburgh/Honneck in 2011 when the principal trumpet turned the first movement into a sort of trumpet concerto, such was his seemingly effortless superiority over the part.

As for the principal French horn, world class performance from a chap who might possibly be one of the finest players of that instrument alive today. Quite a coup for the BBCSSO. I

[PhilipT]

My impression from the front row was that the Clarinet Concerto was played beautifully, but the orchestra were definitely having an off night with the Mahler.

The (totally unsubstantiated) rumour in the queue was that the reason for the weird timings today was that the BBC were unwilling to pay for the BBCSSO to spend two nights in a hotel, so the first Prom had to finish early enough to allow them enough rehearsal time in a single day. Perhaps it still wasn't enough.

It was clear from the cameraman's cue-card (electronic now; it's an improvement, because it's silent) that there was an encore scheduled after the Clarinet Concerto (Bela Kovacs's "Homage a Falla" - not a piece I know but doubtless someone here does). Presumably it was cut in the interests of getting us all home at a reasonable hour.

[Nick Armstrong]

I waited for the tv broadcast to start and thoroughly enjoyed the whole concert. The concerto had a lightness and joy about the whole piece and lovely low basset sounds.
The symphony had lots of delicate moments and TD was most inspiring to watch. The first two movements had the darkness and despair which was relieved in the third by amazing controlled horn playing, going from very loud to the slightest whisper. The Adagio just right at 9 minutes (goodness knows what Bernstein’s 15 would have been like, I don’t really want to hear it). A transcendent finale beautifully built up to the great joy at the end. I didn’t notice general slips except the first trumpet didn’t have a good night. It didn’t spoil it for me. A great evening.

That all sums up my reaction having just watched the TV broadcast. Yes the trumpeter had a bit of a rough night, but as normally someone who is sensitive to ragged playing, this seemed generally pretty fine to me. Great horn player indeed (and good trombone section! as one who's played Trom 1 in this piece! )

Well paced by DT. Not bad at all.

(And I was at that Bernstein Prom too - that was astonishing!)

[kernelbogey]

I was obliged to listen to only (i.e. not watch) the performance in two bites - Mahler 1st two movements live, then remainder on iPlayer It sounded good to me, though the effect of that on my concentration was clearly not up to picking up the points made above (except for the unfortunate trumpet).

I'm posting mainly to draw attention to the interval feature which focused on Bernstein's contribution to the Mahler revival in the second half of the twentieth century. He conducted (speaking from memory of the broadcast) Mahler 2 in New York in 1948, and spread his 'cycle' over fifteen years. Much of interest here for those intersted in the performance history of Mahler.

Writer and critic Norman Lebrecht investigates Leonard Bernstein's relationship with the music of Mahler. *

I caught the last two movements only of the Mozart - will listen again as the soloist sounded excellent. Her basset hound too was in fine voice .

Edit: *Yet again, the programme website does not properly credit the Proms Plus speakers; Ian Skelly and A.N. Other ommitted.