Prom 48: Rachmaninov, Prokofiev & Silvestri - 24.08.19

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Saturday 24 August 2019
Royal Albert Hall

Constantin Silvestri: Three Pieces for strings
Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No 2 in G minor
Sergey Rachmaninov: Symphony No 2 in E minor

Seong-Jin Cho piano
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Cristian Macular conductor

Tracing a thrilling journey from doubt to triumph, Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2 sits at the centre of this concert .From a brooding opening it moves through a lovely slow movement to an ecstatic close – one of the most exciting in the repertoire. Romanian conductor Cristian Măcelaru makes his Proms debut with the BBC SO.

There’s more drama and still greater virtuosity in Prokofiev’s demanding Piano Concerto No. 2, performed here by 2015 Chopin International Piano Competition winner Seong-Jin Cho. The concert opens with the folk-inspired Three Pieces for strings by the Romanian composer-conductor Constantin Silvestri, who defected to the West in 1956 and died in London 50 years ago.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I never knew Silvestri was a defector.

[bluestateprommer]

Silvestri's Three Pieces for Strings just completed; fine, fine piece. Parts of the reading seemed a bit careful and stately, which sort of chimes with what I've heard of Măcelaru in concerts and on Philadelphia Orchestra radio/webcasts. On the more debit side, his gestures seem a bit limited, and he hasn't generally blown me away as a conductor. On the positive side, he is a very intelligent speaker and communicates well in English, as his remarks to Penny Gore just now show. He led the US premiere of Wynton Marsalis' Violin Concerto in Philly a few years back, and he did a very good job from what I recall of it. My musician acquaintances have said that Măcelaru is a very friendly and nice guy, a "plays well with others" type of chap. Presumably the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne (Bychkov's and Saraste's old orchestra) sees something in him, as he becomes their chief conductor with the new 2019-2020 season.

PS: The same 'careful' feeling came about with the Prokofiev 2nd Piano Concerto just now, where S-JC seemed to take time especially in the 1st movement to be sure of getting all the right notes in (and in the right order). He cut loose a bit more in the scherzo, but only really let it rip in the coda of the finale, it seemed. His Mozart encore also seems in the same vein. However, he does seem to have quite the fan base in the RAH, based on the vociferous applause upon his entrance. On the good side from the audience, the "happy clappers" kept a lid on it between the movements of both the Silvestri and the Prokofiev. Fingers crossed for the 2nd half.

[jayne lee wilson]

Taut, spiky, sparkling Prokofiev 2nd Concerto….but finding warmth and fluidity too, from a soloist and conductor I’ve not encountered before. BBCSO on fine form, getting along with both….
They explored every corner of this strange far-flung musical adventure.

Lovely unusual Silvestri curtain raiser for the strings alone…

So an absorbing Part One.

Now for it….fresh air and coffee to prepare....

[Serial_Apologist]

Fascinating interval talk just now locating the Rachmaninov 2 in its Russian context of the early 20th century, even though the rather frantic pacing of the contributions to the discussion left several interesting contributions about to be made (I felt) hanging.

[jayne lee wilson]

Wow! Bet some of you were on your feet for the end of that one!

Terrific Rachmaninov 2nd, with sweeping power and sweet and careful detail too, right through.Tremendous swinging, swaggering momentum in the finale, and how gloriously indulgent Mãcelaru's drawing out of the Big Tune at the stunning final climax...!

Another wonderful Proms Night!

[Alison]

Fresh and crisp Rach 2 as Edward Greenfield might have said.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

[bluestateprommer]

Fascinating interval talk just now locating the Rachmaninov 2 in its Russian context of the early 20th century, even though the rather frantic pacing of the contributions to the discussion left several interesting contributions about to be made (I felt) hanging.

Well, for that 'frantic' aspect, we can blame the usual suspect, namely Tom Service and his comparative inability to phrase his comments and questions concisely. It took a bit of time to get up to 1906 and Dresden.

The second half with Rachmaninov 2 in CM's hands felt of a piece with the first half of the concert, namely well prepared, and well played (the BBC SO sounds in very strong form indeed), but again a bit 'careful' on CM's part. Others may react differently, of course. From Penny Gore, just a wee tiny bit of gush in her commentary on the caliber of the BBC SO's instrumental solos, but not too much.

[edashtav]

Wow! Bet some of you were on your feet for the end of that one!

Terrific Rachmaninov 2nd, with sweeping power and sweet and careful detail too, right through.Tremendous swinging, swaggering momentum in the finale, and how gloriously indulgent Mãcelaru's drawing out of the Big Tune at the stunning final climax...!

Another wonderful Proms Night!

I'm 100% behind your view of Part II of this concert, Jayne. It was a magnificent and full-throated interpretation of Rachmaninov #2 symphony by Christian Măcelaru and BBC SO. It was so full of telling detail but that was subsumed within a holistic, sweeping view of the whole. If not the greatest performance of this year's Proms, this was close to it. Utterly compelling in every way.
[part 1 of the concert was a different matter which I shall cover in another post as I heard it with bsp's transatlantic ears.]

[Maclintick]

Taut, spiky, sparkling Prokofiev 2nd Concerto….but finding warmth and fluidity too, from a soloist and conductor I’ve not encountered before. BBCSO on fine form, getting along with both….
They explored every corner of this strange far-flung musical adventure.

Lovely unusual Silvestri curtain raiser for the strings alone…

Prokofiev PC2 is a sleeping monster which has yet to receive due recognition as one of the greatest of the genre, & it received impeccable advocacy tonight from Seong-Jin Cho & the BBCSO under Christian Macelaru. Rach 2 was OK, but somewhat dispassionate IMHO.

[edashtav]

(

Silvestri's Three Pieces for Strings just completed; fine, fine piece. Parts of the reading seemed a bit careful and stately, which sort of chimes with what I've heard of Măcelaru in concerts and on Philadelphia Orchestra radio/webcasts. On the more debit side, his gestures seem a bit limited, and he hasn't generally blown me away as a conductor. On the positive side, he is a very intelligent speaker and communicates well in English, as his remarks to Penny Gore just now show. He led the US premiere of Wynton Marsalis' Violin Concerto in Philly a few years back, and he did a very good job from what I recall of it. My musician acquaintances have said that Măcelaru is a very friendly and nice guy, a "plays well with others" type of chap. Presumably the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne (Bychkov's and Saraste's old orchestra) sees something in him, as he becomes their chief conductor with the new 2019-2020 season.

PS: The same 'careful' feeling came about with the Prokofiev 2nd Piano Concerto just now, where S-JC seemed to take time especially in the 1st movement to be sure of getting all the right notes in (and in the right order). He cut loose a bit more in the scherzo, but only really let it rip in the coda of the finale, it seemed. His Mozart encore also seems in the same vein. However, he does seem to have quite the fan base in the RAH, based on the vociferous applause upon his entrance. On the good side from the audience, the "happy clappers" kept a lid on it between the movements of both the Silvestri and the Prokofiev. Fingers crossed for the 2nd half.

As a Bournemouth boy weaned on the BSO with the late hornspieler sometimes on horn and Silvestri as it mercurial conductor, I was enthralled to see the Silvestri's Three String Pieces on the Proms programme. I heard CS conduct it, and have enjoyed several other recordings and Radio Broadcasts. CS would rather run away than bore his audience so these pieces have a will o' the wisp, insubstantial nature. It was an adequate performance and bsp tells us, possibly, why.

I'm 100% with bsp's accurate assessment of Seong-Jin Cho's cautious view of Prokofiev's scintillating 2nd Piano Concerto. During , it's first movement, I dreamed that a hirsute Brahms was prompting the pianist... "Now, my lad, slow down, and you'll find that it's not aggressive 20th century music but it builds on my concerti". By golly was it earth-bound and dull. Things slowly improved but the performance was under-characterised, pedestrian, and very far from the standards of most live or recorded performances that I've enjoyed.

[mathias broucek]

Wow! Bet some of you were on your feet for the end of that one!

Terrific Rachmaninov 2nd, with sweeping power and sweet and careful detail too, right through.Tremendous swinging, swaggering momentum in the finale, and how gloriously indulgent Mãcelaru's drawing out of the Big Tune at the stunning final climax...!

Another wonderful Proms Night!

'xactly. We were in the hall and the reaction was justly rapturous.

Really enjoyed the Silvestri. Perhaps if the conductor is asked back he'll give us some Enescu next year. Only downside was lots of coughing from a generally noisy audience.

I don't really know the Prokofiev 2nd Concerto but the pianist played it with surprising sensitivity, I thought. Nicely played Mozart encore too.

BBC SO on good form throughout

[Sir Velo]

Silvestri's Three Pieces for Strings just completed; fine, fine piece. f.

I didn't know the piece but the opening seemed redolent of his compatriot Enescu's youthful Poeme Roumain, and the older composer's fingerprints seemed writ large at various points.

As someone else said later in the thread, how good it would be to have these artists bring Enescu himself to the Proms.

[jayne lee wilson]

I didn't know the piece but the opening seemed redolent of his compatriot Enescu's youthful Poeme Roumain, and the older composer's fingerprints seemed writ large at various points.

As someone else said later in the thread, how good it would be to have these artists bring Enescu himself to the Proms.

Absolutely! Symphony No.4 in Part One, Symphony No.5 in Part Two!

Not too much to ask, is it?

[mathias broucek]

Absolutely! Symphony No.4 in Part One, Symphony No.5 in Part Two!

Not too much to ask, is it?

Seconded!!!!

We also need a Tubin Prom and a Magnard Prom and a Roussel prom and a Honegger Prom and a Bax Prom and a Hanson Prom and....

Or perhaps we should schedule lots of Mahler and Shostakovich as usual...