Prom 55: Iván Fischer & Budapest Festival Orchestra (II) – 23.08.18

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30
ON TV
Royal Albert Hall

Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 1 in C sharp minor
Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor
Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3 in B flat major
Pablo de Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen
Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 11 in C minor
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No 1 in C minor

József Lendvay Sr violin
József Lendvay Jr violin
cimbalom
Jenő Lisztes cimbalom
Budapest Festival Orchestra
Iván Fischer conductor


Hungarian folk tunes run through the veins of Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra, while Gypsy rhythms set their pulses dancing.
This concert – a true celebration of Hungary’s national music – traces the development of folk songs and dance, from their colourful, rough-hewn originals into virtuosic concert-hall reimaginings by Liszt, Brahms and Sarasate.
In the second half comes Brahms’s dramatic First Symphony, whose darkness and drama eventually give way to an ending of transcendent musical triumph.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Possibly a good choice for TV broadcast.

[BBMmk2]

Looks quite a lively programme! Be good to see how Iván Fischer does the Brahms 1!

[edashtav]

Looks quite a lively programme! Be good to see how Iván Fischer does the Brahms 1!

This may look lightweight but after last night’s concert, I’m confident it will be enlightening.
Hungarian music with added zing, and probably a clutch of cimbaloms.

[LMcD]

Possibly a good choice for TV broadcast.

...but not until tomorrow night!

[edashtav]

...but not until tomorrow night!

Why does TV have to be hung, drawn and quartered?

[bluestateprommer]

Hmm, not the usual start to any orchestral concert, Prom or otherwise, but in a very, very good way :) . Nice touch to have Jenő Lisztes do a bit of cimbalom improvisation at the start, and to incorporate JL with improvisations on cimbalom in the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 1. Some of JL's improvisations ran a tad long, but just a tad, and it's all in extremely good, clean fun. On to the Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 1 and József Lendvay Sr.....

[jayne lee wilson]

PARTY ON IVÁN!

[bluestateprommer]

PARTY ON IVÁN!

Yup, he is, as are the BFO and the guest artists. "FLiszt"'s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3 was definitely in the same spirit as the opening selections. The Zigeunerweisen was clearly in more of the "as written" mode, with discreet underpinning from Jenő Lisztes. For sheer entertainment at an exalted level, this may well be the Prom of the season.

[Constantbee]

I do like this orchestra. This is one of the best string sections I've heard for ages.

[edashtav]

I do like this orchestra. This is one of the best string sections I've heard for ages.

Even my kit declared the strings to be supreme. frankly, I had to put up with most of the first half, too bitty and of dubious musical value for me. However, if we have to endure Liszt, Brahms and Sarasate in gypsum mood, It’s unlikely to be bettered.

As for the Brahms- we’ll I’ve been listening live for 65 years: Schwarz, Groves, Silvestri, Loughran, Boult, Rignold,Rattle et al...and this was the most alert, brightly characterised,exact in rhythm, full of appropriate rubati. Just delicious.

And.. a second Choral/ orchestral encore.

For Festival music-making of the finest possible type filled with interpretations that shine light onto old favourites, Ivan and his Festival band’s two concerts reign supreme this Proms season.

[Darkbloom]

As for the Brahms- we’ll I’ve been listening live for 65 years: Schwarz, Groves, Silvestri, Loughran, Boult, Rignold,Rattle et al...and this was the most alert, brightly characterised,exact in rhythm, full of appropriate rubati..

You almost never hear Hugo Rignold mentioned these days. Was he any good? His sister was a family friend when I was a youngster and I'm always intrigued on the rare occasions his name pops up. There can't be many conductors who started out as a blacksmith.

[Bumfluff]

Well, this rocked. Head still spinning with Brahms 1. It feels like a work where the authors is struggling to reconcile the tradional structures, which represent classical values, with the varied frenetic moods that he has experienced and he knows he can represent aurally. In that sense, despite its magnificent development and inregration of all the themes in the last movement, it doesn't cohere like the subsequent symphonies, which have internalised the musical material, it seems to me. I warned you my posts would be crap.

Yer man with the fiddle, the father, his instrument was surely out of tune? I need some reassurance about this because of how little I know. But that fiddle did not sound right. I thought I could see Ivan Fischer looking at him with curiosity as if to say, "what's up??". Was he just drunk maybe ? (in which case, solidarity , and well done for managing that at work). I was in rausing circle which was still £14!! and could only hear half of what he played, and that half sounded wrong as well as quiet. The prommers must have loved it. Maybe.

But yeah, that Brahms 1 kicked all shades of butt. I agree with edashtav. The rhythm was perfectly executed, turn on a sixpence.

First movement is like a combo of Beethoven 9 mvmnet 1, and Beethoven 7 mvement er not sure. The slow movement is a combo of the respective slow mvments form those symphonies too. And then the cheeky riff on ode to joy in the finale.

[Bryn]

You almost never hear Hugo Rignold mentioned these days. Was he any good? His sister was a family friend when I was a youngster and I'm always intrigued on the rare occasions his name pops up. There can't be many conductors who started out as a blacksmith.

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?19120-Rignold-who&p=689903#post689903

[Darkbloom]

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...903#post689903

Thank you. I hadn't spotted that thread.