Proms 72 & 73 - Symphonie fantastique - 12.09.19

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Prom 72 - 19:00 Thursday 12 September 2019
Prom 73 - 22:15 Thursday 12 September 2019
Royal Albert Hall

Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique (orchestral theatre staging)

Matthew Baynton actor
Aurora Orchestra
Nicholas Collon conductor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A diabolical witches’ sabbath, a riotous ball, a march to the gallows and an unrequited passion make up the hallucinatory narrative of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique.

Inspired by the composer’s own romantic infatuation with a young actress, the score is a cinematic fantasy full of tragedy and passion, a work teeming with orchestral drama – by turns gorgeous and grotesque.

Nicholas Collon and the Aurora Orchestra perform this grandiose work from memory, in a specially devised production incorporating elements of design, lighting and choreography, as well as Berlioz’s own words about his music.

Staging concept by the Aurora Orchestra

[bluestateprommer]

From the video on this Tweet, the proceedings this evening for RAH look to include a glitter ball for the 2nd movement, but perhaps of more interest musically, 4 harps in the ensemble:

https://twitter.com/bbcproms/status/1172120413930999808

[Frances_iom]

... but perhaps of more interest musically, 4 harps in the ensemble:

there is music in the performance ? - my repeated sampling hoping for the start merely give an illustrated lecture with short + interrupted musical passages - probably more exciting if you are there but a light show on the radio fails to illuminate me

[Ein Heldenleben]

I enjoyed the Aurora from memory performance. The Berlioz acting I found a tad annoying....

[kernelbogey]

What I heard, mostly in the car - Mvts 3 - 5 - sounded good. Georgia praised the Aurora heartily in her back-announcement.

Query: what is the very low-sounding instrument in the march to the scaffold? Contra bassoon? Or a brass instrument? (Good farty sound, suitable for such a march, I thought.)

[Darkbloom]

Query: what is the very low-sounding instrument in the march to the scaffold? Contra bassoon? Or a brass instrument? (Good farty sound, suitable for such a march, I thought.)

An ophicleide, I believe.

[kernelbogey]

Thank you.

From Wiki:
The bass ophicleide.... [o]ther famous works which employ it include.... Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, which was originally scored to include both an ophicleide and a serpent. Today, it is replaced with two tubas but the original effect is lost. The tubas are too loud for the intended sound.

[Richard Barrett]

Query: what is the very low-sounding instrument in the march to the scaffold? Contra bassoon? Or a brass instrument? (Good farty sound, suitable for such a march, I thought.)

The low farty B flats are played by a bass trombone. An ophicleide is also present but it's not playing those low notes.

[kernelbogey]

Thank you Richard.

I've loved this work ever since my brother introduced it to me when I was about 16 - he bought an LP which I thnk was Ace of Clubs/Monteux.

Somehow it remains perpetually fresh. The lovelorn musician appealed to a teenager in the sixties... and the gothic vision of the last two movements is kinda Lucy in the Sky....

[cloughie]

Thank you Richard.

I've loved this work ever since my brother introduced it to me when I was about 16 - he bought an LP which I thnk was Ace of Clubs/Monteux.

Somehow it remains perpetually fresh. The lovelorn musician appealed to a teenager in the sixties... and the gothic vision of the last two movements is kinda Lucy in the Sky....

Ace of Clubs was CAO/Van Beinum, VPO/Monteux was RCA Victrola! - Both excellent! For Gallic charm and the real French sound - PCO/Argenta on Ace of Diamonds

[teamsaint]

Any thoughts from anybody who was there ?
I was up in the choir. Mixed feelings about the event, but I think we have to be glass half full about this kind of event.

Don't we?

[Richard Barrett]

I think we have to be glass half full about this kind of event.

What, here at the R3 forum?

Personally I just want to hear the music. But it takes all kinds of listeners to make a world. As I said in the Bach thread, at the end of the day Berlioz and his symphony are still there and no permanent damage has been done...

[teamsaint]

What, here at the R3 forum?

Personally I just want to hear the music. But it takes all kinds of listeners to make a world. As I said in the Bach thread, at the end of the day Berlioz and his symphony are still there and no permanent damage has been done...

Phew.
Disclaimer...I was there sort of as a social thing rather than as a positive choice. It might have been interesting to see what the reaction was like to the late night performance.

At any rate, my mum loved it !!!

[Bryn]

[/B]

Phew.
Disclaimer...I was there sort of as a social thing rather than as a positive choice. It might have been interesting to see what the reaction was like to the late night performance.

At any rate, my mum loved it !!!

The late-night performance is on BBC FOUR tonight, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0008c35 .