Prom 51: Strauss, Wagner & Per Nørgård – 20.08.18

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30
Royal Albert Hall

Richard Wagner: Parsifal – Prelude to Act I
Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs
Per Nørgård: Symphony No 3 - UK première

Malin Byström soprano
London Voices
The National Youth Chamber Choir
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Thomas Dausgaard conductor


Premiered in 1976, Per Nørgård’s Third Symphony is one of the great contemporary symphonies – a Danish classic that has never before been performed in the UK. Suffused with glowing microtones and thick, textural beauty, the eclectic score draws on everything from plainchant to Latin-American rhythms to spin its extraordinary narrative.
Thomas Dausgaard and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra preface it with two works of equal sonic breadth: Wagner’s exquisite musical meditation, the Prelude to Act 1 of Parsifal, and the autumnal warmth of Strauss’s Four Last Songs, sung by Swedish soprano Malin Byström.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It may not have been performed before in the UK, but there is this recording of the Nørgård symphony.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nørgård-Symphonies-No-3-7/dp/B001MUJSEQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1534184400&sr=1-1&keywords=norgard+symphony+no.+3

[Darkbloom]

At what point do they change the name to the BBC Thomas Dausgaard Promenade Concerts? He's everywhere. He must have a camp bed set up in a box somewhere.

[jayne lee wilson]

It may not have been performed before in the UK, but there is this recording of the Nørgård symphony.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nørgård-Sym...symphony+no.+3

More than one, in fact....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=norgard+symphony+no.+3

The two Koenig live releases must be the same, though the dates don't agree. I have the other two (Dausgaard, Segerstam) but find comparisons difficult, for reasons that will be obvious to anyone who has heard this extraordinary piece!
You might consider the coupling with the 7th the more attractive, given the latter's high ranking in the Nørgård oeuvre - not to mention its musical compulsions!

Bit of listening-homework to do then, before the transmission...

[Beef Oven!]

I plan on getting to this Prom. I like the Norgard 3 very much. I have the Dausgaard and Segerstam recordings.

[teamsaint]

At what point do they change the name to the BBC Thomas Dausgaard Promenade Concerts? He's everywhere. He must have a camp bed set up in a box somewhere.

10 appearances between 2001 and 2017.
And 3 this year including a double header.

[Pulcinella]

The two Koenig live releases must be the same, though the dates don't agree.

Looks to me like the conductor is actually Tamas Veto.
The DCCD issue gives the concert date as 14 October 1982, but no CD production date.
The other release (8.224041) simply has production dates 1968/1989, which I guess just might mean that the recording stayed in the vaults for a while.
I don't think I'll be buying the Segerstam, though it is a snip at only £56!

[edashtav]

I see the Beeb’s copywriters are back at top volume>

Thomas Dausgaard and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra preface it with two works of equal sonic breadth: Wagner’s exquisite musical meditation, the Prelude to Act 1 of Parsifal, and the autumnal warmth of Strauss’s Four Last Songs, sung by Swedish soprano Malin Byström.

Ooh, I’d love one of their sonic breadthometers for Christmas!

[cloughie]

10 appearances between 2001 and 2017.
And 3 this year including a double header.

The only conductor whose name sounds like a waterproof coating company.

[Bryn]

The only conductor whose name sounds like a waterproof coating company.

Only if very badly mispronounced. More like the act of drenching a pumpkin.

[jayne lee wilson]

Looks to me like the conductor is actually Tamas Veto.
The DCCD issue gives the concert date as 14 October 1982, but no CD production date.
The other release (8.224041) simply has production dates 1968/1989, which I guess just might mean that the recording stayed in the vaults for a while.
I don't think I'll be buying the Segerstam, though it is a snip at only £56!

Peering at the online CD inlays once again... yes, you're right about the Veto..... but of course the 1968 date could only apply to Luna...!
Probably 1982 for the Leto PN 3rd then. Koenig for Twilight, Blomstedt for Luna.... (probably )....

[BBMmk2]

More than one, in fact....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=norgard+symphony+no.+3

The two Koenig live releases must be the same, though the dates don't agree. I have the other two (Dausgaard, Segerstam) but find comparisons difficult, for reasons that will be obvious to anyone who has heard this extraordinary piece!
You might consider the coupling with the 7th the more attractive, given the latter's high ranking in the Nørgård oeuvre - not to mention its musical compulsions!

Bit of listening-homework to do then, before the transmission...

This is new to me JLW. Looking forward to this immensely. Perhaps I better do some homework, as you suggested.

[jayne lee wilson]

Useful note on the Nørgård 3...(also included with the Dausgaard recording)....

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/work/21630

[Beef Oven!]

Still deaf in my left nostril, so 'fraid I must give this gig a miss. No point trying to listen to Nørgård 3 with one King Lear.

Bought a ticket for the Manic Regret-Penguine Liszt/Bruckner4 next week. Hopefully the antibiotics will have sorted my left-lug out by then.

[jayne lee wilson]

I get the feeling it might be just me and the cat for this one.... and she will probably leave the room once the the big climaxes arrive....

Still, the two movements of Nørgård 3 are around 15'+ and 25'+, with a very flowing continuous character, though varying widely (or wildly) in colour and motion. The chorus becomes increasingly prominent in Part 2. It can be described sectionally to some extent, but for a first hearing it's probably best to go with the flow...