Prom 71: Bach Night 11.09.19

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Wednesday 11 September 2019
Royal Albert Hall

Johann Sebastian Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069
Johann Sebastian Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C major, BWV 1066
Johann Sebastian Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067
Johann Sebastian Bach: Orchestral Suite No 3 in D major, BWV 1068

Dunedin Consort
John Butt conductor

Bach specialist John Butt and his period-instrument Dunedin Consort continue our series of composer themed nights as a tribute to Proms founder conductor Henry Wood.
They pair Bach’s four Orchestral Suites with four newly commissioned works taking inspiration from the suites’ dance movements – providing both companions and contrasts.
Bach's suites are interspersed with four new works from Stuart MacRae, Nico Muhly, Ailie Robertson and Stevie Wishart (BBC co-commissions with the Dunedin Consort: world premieres).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Let me guess. The programme planners think people will go home after number 3, so they change the order.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Not me ..I could listen to these in any order all night....

[oddoneout]

I'm getting a slight sense of deja vu here - but I think it was Brandenburgs last time?

[jayne lee wilson]

Any more info on the new works here....? Can't find such....

Wondering if they will precede or follow, etc....

A great idea.... hope listeners will tune in etc....

[jayne lee wilson]

Wonderful concert, glorious playing from the Dunedins, palpaby warming to the task as the evening deepens, both sweepingly fluid and rhythmically alive, in truly lovely live sound…. transparent to inner detail like those adorably gruff bassoons...

New works blending in well (coming after each work so far...), offering their crosslit commentaries….

If you start with Bach’s 1st Suite and end up with the call of the Hooded Grebe, cantus-arcticus-style within an orchestral tango, I think you’re doing OK!

[bluestateprommer]

Any more info on the new works here....? Can't find such....

Wondering if they will precede or follow, etc.....

This is why I put all this effort into the Forum Calendar (ahem ):

http://www.for3.org/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=1025&day=2019-9-11&c=1

"J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069
Nico Muhly: Tambourin (BBC co-commission with the Dunedin Consort: world premiere)
J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C major, BWV 1066
Stevie Wishart: "The last dance?" (a Baroque tango) (BBC co-commission with the Dunedin Consort: world premiere)

Ailie Robertson: Chaconne (BBC co-commission with the Dunedin Consort: world premiere)
J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067
Stuart MacRae: Courante (BBC co-commission with the Dunedin Consort: world premiere)
J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068"

[BBMmk2]

I think it’s been a rather a good night, even if the new works do interrupt the flow of the Bach. A companion Prom to the Brandenburgs we heard last year.

[jayne lee wilson]

Cheers for info bsp but - Hey, don't rain on my parade!

(I have RT & Proms Guide, specifics weren't in either, so...
Coulda/Shoulda been on this thread-header, surely?)

[jayne lee wilson]

Celebratory flourishing end to the 3rd Suite to crown a wonderful night!

Nice touch to use 3 flutes in No.2, emphasising the intimacy which was a striking feature of these wide-ranging, above all joyful performances, making this one of the Proms of My Season... (Sound-Balance over AAC was simply A***!)

(...and the last truly substantial one, with only TV-Berlioz and rather bitty Beethoven to come... (hope to hear the 5th Symphony though...)....

Dear bsp....sorry I missed your listings.... but with two print media to look at (including the hefty voluminous Proms Guide), this thread and the BBC Webpages, it never occurred to me that the more specific info would be trouvable elsewhere.... I do enjoy our exchanges here each Summer, and always feel that tinge of regret as it, and Summer itself, draws to an end once again.... so thanks again & hope you enjoyed tonight as much as I did!)

[bluestateprommer]

I think it’s been a rather a good night, even if the new works do interrupt the flow of the Bach. A companion Prom to the Brandenburgs we heard last year.

Only heard the 2nd half, through headphones, but I agree with you overall based on that. Besides a few borderline shaky moments in the Suite No. 3, the Dunedin Consort did well. Ailie Robertson's new work did rather hover in the same dynamic range, in contrast to Stuart MacRae, which seemed to have just a touch of snarky humor, perhaps understanding the slightly odd pairing of a period-instrument orchestra performing a contemporary work with crunchy harmonies that are so not-Bach. Will have to catch up with the first half later, to be sure.

Interesting to hear from SM-P that 3 flutes were features in the finale of the Suite No. 2, which I couldn't tell at all from hearing it. (That is a compliment.) Fortunately, it was good to learn of this afterwards, and not before, i.e. to be surprised. SM-P allowed Hannah French to "take the fall" in adding her commentary on the Suite No. 2, but otherwise went back to adding her extraneous reactions after the Suite No. 3 (even if they were fairly restrained compared to Kate Molleson or Tom Service). I kind of see SM-P as the main progenitor for the trend of various presenters who try to tell us after the performance what to think about it, with their personal impressions. This is a shame, because if SM-P and KM held back on that and kept that subjectivity (however well-meant) to themselves, they'd be perfectly fine.

[edashtav]

I think it’s been a rather a good night, even if the new works do interrupt the flow of the Bach. A companion Prom to the Brandenburgs we heard last year.

Good to very good, BBMmk#2. I heard 3/4 JSB Suites ( missed #2) and the postlude dances of Nico Muhly and Stevie Wishart. The Dunedin's playing was lively, rhythmically bracing and, where appropriate, soaked in the spirit of the dance. Were I to critique John, who, normally Butt-ers my parsnips, I wondered more than once whether he was sufficiently visible at the start of movements as I felt the Dunedin needed a bar to settle.
I liked both of the Postludial Dances although I dozed before the Muhly and awoke, thought it was still JSB, and swore at JB's gross interpretative licence. Once I became, is it 'woke'?, I thought the piece was interesting and awarded it a B grade.

Over the 75 % I heard, I awarded the Concert an A grade.

Stevie Wishart piece was a delight - a brilliant Last Tango in the RAH. Constantly inventive and full of switches and surprises: if I award it only an A grade, it's because her basic idiom was very conservative. C'mon Stevie throw your caution to the wind, no more STRICTLY, please embrace the 21st century.

[Guest]

What an evening!

[Edgy 2]

What an evening!

Wonderful

[jayne lee wilson]

But - what about The Hooded Grebe....?

Co-Star of the show with the Dunedin Consort, surely....?