Prom 60: Vienna Philharmonic and Bernard Haitink - 3.09.19

[Ein Heldenleben]

Born less than fifty years after it was written, now 90 years later BH gives one of the great performances of Bruckner 7. Boy can he nail a coda . Why can’t he go on forever? So good it made me forget you know what ....

[Bryn]

I'm a fan of 'Manny'. He was more Poet than Peasant which suits Beethoven's G major concerto well. Concerto and encore were lovely.

Me too but it seems unseemly[sic] to think of Uncle Bernice playing Beethoven with Manny Ax.

[Barbirollians]

A late back injury has cruelly stopped me attending this evening. Think I would have been a wreck in the hall; tears of joy and sadness in equal measure tonight.

What rotten luck - I shed a few for you in the finale and Adagio. Glad it sounded as wonderful st home as in the hall and the VPO oh what a brass section !

Although Bernard H looked frail with his stick and had a chair to sit on as the scherzo and finale went on he was up out of his seat conducting on his feet . Emanuel Ax did seem properly engaged this time round and gave a lovely performance of Beethoven 4 .

So glad to have been there and saw Jane Glover was also up with us in the cheap seats ! And if his sketch in Gramophone is at all accurate someone who looked a lot like Il Grande Inquisitor.

[kernelbogey]

A perfect Bruckner 7.

[Alison]

What rotten luck - I shed a few for you in the finale and Adagio. Glad it sounded as wonderful st home as in the hall and the VPO oh what a brass section !

Although Bernard H looked frail with his stick and had a chair to sit on as the scherzo and finale went on he was up out of his seat conducting on his feet . Emanuel Ax did seem properly engaged this time round and gave a lovely performance of Beethoven 4 .

So glad to have been there and saw Jane Glover was also up with us in the cheap seats ! And if his sketch in Gramophone is at all accurate someone who looked a lot like Il Grande Inquisitor.

My father was there so will get some feedback from
him. I recall Jane Glover being a fan. Manny Ax very much part of the occasion.

[jayne lee wilson]

It could only be one orchestra playing Bruckner’s 7th like that, couldn’t it?
The music and its soundworld abides within them.
It seemed to play itself…but it is the gift of a great conductor - to us and to the musicians - to achieve such grace.
This was Bruckner’s music at its most timeless. At once effortless yet so distinctively intense.

Such a performance surely needs no wordy appraisal; such a naturally evolving flow, such unshowy tonal beauty.

This was a supremely dignified, profoundly grateful farewell, from orchestra to conductor, from Haitink to Bruckner, from all of us in our listening rooms, in the hall and around the world to a great artist who has given us so much, for so long; so enriching our lives, musically and spiritually.

[Alison]

It could only be one orchestra playing Bruckner’s 7th like that, couldn’t it?
The music and its soundworld abides within them.
It seemed to play itself…but it is the gift of a great conductor - to us and to the musicians - to achieve such grace.
This was Bruckner’s music at its most timeless. At once effortless yet so distinctively intense.

Such a performance surely needs no wordy appraisal; such a naturally evolving flow, such unshowy tonal beauty.

This was a supremely dignified, profoundly grateful farewell, from orchestra to conductor, from Haitink to Bruckner, from all of us in our listening rooms, in the hall and around the world to a great artist who has given us so much, for so long; so enriching our lives, musically and spiritually.

[edashtav]

It could only be one orchestra playing Bruckner’s 7th like that, couldn’t it?
The music and its soundworld abides within them.
It seemed to play itself…but it is the gift of a great conductor - to us and to the musicians - to achieve such grace.
This was Bruckner’s music at its most timeless. At once effortless yet so distinctively intense.

Such a performance surely needs no wordy appraisal; such a naturally evolving flow, such unshowy tonal beauty.

This was a supremely dignified, profoundly grateful farewell, from orchestra to conductor, from Haitink to Bruckner, from all of us in our listening rooms, in the hall and around the world to a great artist who has given us so much, for so long; so enriching our lives, musically and spiritually.

[Simon B]

I've been to some "occasions" at the Proms since my first visits in impressionable early teens 30 years ago, but rarely if ever anything quite like this.

The most telling thing I can offer re the Bruckner is that I wasn't aware of a single tempo shift in the entire work. It just flowed.

I feel the only reason the standing ovation for BH didn't go on longer was the collective feeling that it would be unfair to make him walk off and on yet another time. A touching gesture to see the leader of the VPO abandon his post to walk arm-in-arm with BH for the 4th and 5th calls.

Quite the evening.

[David-G]

A great performance and a great occasion. It should be mentioned that Haitink stood much of the time, and conducted without a score.

[LMcD]

It could only be one orchestra playing Bruckner’s 7th like that, couldn’t it?
The music and its soundworld abides within them.
It seemed to play itself…but it is the gift of a great conductor - to us and to the musicians - to achieve such grace.
This was Bruckner’s music at its most timeless. At once effortless yet so distinctively intense.

Such a performance surely needs no wordy appraisal; such a naturally evolving flow, such unshowy tonal beauty.

This was a supremely dignified, profoundly grateful farewell, from orchestra to conductor, from Haitink to Bruckner, from all of us in our listening rooms, in the hall and around the world to a great artist who has given us so much, for so long; so enriching our lives, musically and spiritually.

Hear! Hear! And let's not overlook Mr Ax's contribution to the evening - a splendid Beethoven 4th concerto.
I thought the interval interview with Martin Handley was also very well done.

[Constantbee]

Hope you're feeling better soon, Alison

[visualnickmos]

It could only be one orchestra playing Bruckner’s 7th like that, couldn’t it?
The music and its soundworld abides within them.
It seemed to play itself…but it is the gift of a great conductor - to us and to the musicians - to achieve such grace.
This was Bruckner’s music at its most timeless. At once effortless yet so distinctively intense.

Such a performance surely needs no wordy appraisal; such a naturally evolving flow, such unshowy tonal beauty.

This was a supremely dignified, profoundly grateful farewell, from orchestra to conductor, from Haitink to Bruckner, from all of us in our listening rooms, in the hall and around the world to a great artist who has given us so much, for so long; so enriching our lives, musically and spiritually.

Absolutely!

You wrote "It seemed to play itself" That is one aspect of Bernard Haitink's genius, one that I noticed from a very young age, in his recordings, as my 1970s vinyl collection began to evolve.

[Alison]

Hope you're feeling better soon, Alison

Thank you. I was pleased to learn that my father picked out a young music student from the queue and gave him my ticket. They enjoyed a great conversation and it was the teenagers first experience of Haitink live!

[BBMmk2]

What a Prom! A couple of minor quibbles, but that didn’t distract me from quite a poignant evening.