Prom 60: Vienna Philharmonic and Bernard Haitink - 3.09.19

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Tuesday 3 September 2019
Royal Albert Hall

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 4 in G major
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No 7 in E major (ed. Nowak)

Emanuel Ax piano
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Bernard Haitink conductor

n a year that marks both his 90th birthday and the 65th anniversary of his conducting debut, Bernard Haitink conducts the first of the Vienna Philharmonic’s two concerts this season.

Emanuel Ax is the soloist in Beethoven’s revolutionary Piano Concerto No. 4 – written by the composer as his own farewell to the performing stage.

A farewell of a different kind runs through Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7. Completed shortly after Wagner’s death, the work’s heartfelt slow movement, with its poignant closing elegy, pays homage to the man and mentor Bruckner described as his ‘dearly beloved Master’.

[Barbirollians]

Prom 61 - Murray Perahia indisposed

Replaced by Emanuel Ax - hope less dreary than his last performance with VPO and Haitink at the Proms - not a substitution in the same class IMO.

[Dave2002]

Replaced by Emanuel Ax - hope less dreary than his last performance with VPO and Haitink at the Proms - not a substitution in the same class IMO.

Probably not - quite up to MP's level. The worry about some of these performers is that I can remember when they were young, and now they're not so youthful, so there may not be so many more opportunities to hear them in the future. Of course, I'm following on too - so it may not be of concern to me either in a while.

[Darkbloom]

I've lost count of the number of stand-ins this season. It must be a record.

[DracoM]

Dare it be whispered - could it just be that the Proms just is NOT a mighty enough priority for some?

[underthecountertenor]

Dare it be whispered - could it just be that the Proms just is NOT a mighty enough priority for some?

You may have reasons for wanting to believe that, but I very much doubt that it is the case. In the case of Perahia, he has also withdrawn from engagements at the Salzburg and Lucerne Festivals, and has had health problems for some time.

[teamsaint]

Dare it be whispered - could it just be that the Proms just is NOT a mighty enough priority for some?

5k in the house most nights, and no doubt the agents demand and get their usual fee.

Its probably to do with brexit.......

[Ein Heldenleben]

5k in the house most nights, and no doubt the agents demand and get their usual fee.

Its probably to do with brexit.......

I would have thought a Proms performance with its big global audience and enhanced fees for tv and radio relays would be amongst the most attractive gigs going ....and also amongst the most stressful..

[bluestateprommer]

Dare it be whispered - could it just be that the Proms just is NOT a mighty enough priority for some?

You can whisper it if you wish, but that gets into gossip on the level of the worst, most narcissistic gossip in classical music who shall remain nameless (but the initials NL will suffice). IMHO, underthecountertenor is far closer to the mark, because Perahia has indeed cancelled many a scheduled appearance in the past several years, including recitals scheduled for Chicago. He is also resident in the UK, FWIW. Perahia knew that this engagement with Haitink was the last chance to make music with the great man, since Haitink is calling it a day after this last round of concerts. Their working relationship dates back several decades, captured in the one Beethoven concerto cycles for CBS (now Sony Classical) with the Concertgebouw back in the 1980s. To cancel such an engagement of such once-in-a-lifetime, last chance significance on multiple levels, in multiple venues, at multiple festivals, is not a decision taken lightly, and is a decision taken for very good reasons, on an unfortunate personal level for Perahia. The Proms is a fabulous festival, but Lucerne and Salzburg are hardly chopped liver themselves. No one calls the prestige of the latter into question because of cancellations.

BTW, since this is not one of EA's formal concert threads, I humbly suggest moving this thread to the general Proms 2019 section (as well as the "BBC Welsh" thread from the past trolling persona non grata).

[Maclintick]

You can whisper it if you wish, but that gets into gossip on the level of the worst, most narcissistic gossip in classical music who shall remain nameless (but the initials NL will suffice). IMHO, underthecountertenor is far closer to the mark, because Perahia has indeed cancelled many a scheduled appearance in the past several years, including recitals scheduled for Chicago. He is also resident in the UK, FWIW. Perahia knew that this engagement with Haitink was the last chance to make music with the great man, since Haitink is calling it a day after this last round of concerts. Their working relationship dates back several decades, captured in the one Beethoven concerto cycles for CBS (now Sony Classical) with the Concertgebouw back in the 1980s. To cancel such an engagement of such once-in-a-lifetime, last chance significance on multiple levels, in multiple venues, at multiple festivals, is not a decision taken lightly, and is a decision taken for very good reasons, on an unfortunate personal level for Perahia. The Proms is a fabulous festival, but Lucerne and Salzburg are hardly chopped liver themselves. No one calls the prestige of the latter into question because of cancellations.

BTW, since this is not one of EA's formal concert threads, I humbly suggest moving this thread to the general Proms 2019 section (as well as the "BBC Welsh" thread from the past trolling persona non grata).

Well said, BSP. In my experience "cancellitis", as the phenomenon is known among music biz professionals, promoters, agents, etc, affects opera to a certain degree -- I instance but one example in which a Russian diva ensured that her chosen replacement was not only available but actually in town on the night on which she planned to cancel -- but it's rarer in the orchestral/recitalist sphere, & certainly not applicable in this situation.

[DracoM]

I would have thought a Proms performance with its big global audience and enhanced fees for tv and radio relays would be amongst the most attractive gigs going ....and also amongst the most stressful..

Totally agree, and that makes the indispositions that occur - as one poster put it- rather more this season - as a bit....well, surprising?

I am not suggesting in any way that Murray Perahia is any way such an 'indisposee' at all, merely that perhaps the BBC mix of Proms [IMO] this year has not suited some performers who may see it as just a tad less serious than in some previous years?

ONLY a thought.

[richardfinegold]

Totally agree, and that makes the indispositions that occur - as one poster put it- rather more this season - as a bit....well, surprising?

I am not suggesting in any way that Murray Perahia is any way such an 'indisposee' at all, merely that perhaps the BBC mix of Proms [IMO] this year has not suited some performers who may see it as just a tad less serious than in some previous years?

ONLY a thought.

MP has had a lot of health issues. I wouldn’t make any more of it.
I think the Brexit saga has made some on your side of the Pond a bit defensive about any perceived slight to your National Institutions

[alywin]

Why am I not surprised at this news? (Apart from the fact that I gather MP has form in this area)

Perhaps we should have had a Proms cancellations thread so we could keep track of all of them together. How many has that been now? (And is there yet somewhere on the Proms website where one can keep up with these things? I'm still waiting for a reply from the Beeb)

Oh well, possibly the queues will be a bit shorter than they might otherwise have been. Thanks to the OP for letting us know.

[edashtav]

May I jump to the defence of Emmanuel Ax, please? The finest live performance that I've heard of Beethoven' Emperor Concerto was by EA and the Washington SO. Of course, I cannot promise excellence but he has it in him.

[cloughie]

Why am I not surprised at this news? (Apart from the fact that I gather MP has form in this area)

Perhaps we should have had a Proms cancellations thread so we could keep track of all of them together. How many has that been now? (And is there yet somewhere on the Proms website where one can keep up with these things? I'm still waiting for a reply from the Beeb)

Oh well, possibly the queues will be a bit shorter than they might otherwise have been. Thanks to the OP for letting us know.

Please remember that however big a name musicians have they are like the rest of us ageing human beings and not immune from ill-health - I sometimes wonder about the sensitivities of some forum members!