Prom 23: Swan Lake - 5.08.19

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It’s the Swan Lake suite and nothing more because it was a Henry Wood Novelty in 1901. Sounds to be lovingly performed.

A very short second half then?

Also, it depends what you mean by the Suite.

[jonfan]

A very short second half then?

Also, it depends what you mean by the Suite.

More a selection, not sure if it’s Ben Gernon’s or Wood’s. Superbly played and enough to fill a second half adequately.

[bluestateprommer]

A very short second half then? Also, it depends what you mean by the Suite.

The Swan Lake selections went over 50 minutes total, so certainly it was more than the standard suite(s). Obviously the two most famous numbers were a given to be included, but a fair bit beyond the "greatest hits" made its way in. It was good, though again I wouldn't call this a "great" reading. BG did seem to charge ahead in the second part of the very first number, and at other points later. But he did take a fair pace in the great Act I Waltz, remembering there that this is music for ballet dancers to dance to, after all, and not just a showpiece for orchestra. Not the most scintillating of interpretations, but as I said above, it was good, and that's OK.

In response to jonfan, here is what Sir Henry Wood led in that 1901 Proms premiere from Swan Lake:

Danse des cygnes: Allegro moderato Act 2
Valse: Act 1, No. 2
Danse hongroise (Czárdás): Act 3
Introduction et Scène: Act 1, No. 1
Scène: Act 2 No. 5
Scène et Final: Act 4 No. 5

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/efw38g

So Gernon included a lot more than Sir Henry.

[mrbouffant]

Pity the Peterloo
Overture doesn't get more outings.

Relatively speaking it doesn't do too bad.

http://www.fabermusic.com/repertoire/peterloo-696/performances?PageNumber=1

[teamsaint]

Relatively speaking it doesn't do too bad.

http://www.fabermusic.com/repertoire...s?PageNumber=1

Especially considering that none of the symphonies ever get programmed, except at the MA festival.

But its its ok, because people like Kenyon think it is. So it must be. And who are we to tell them otherwise ?

[Pulcinella]

If you didn’t catch it live you can look forward to a meticulous encore from Florestán: Ginastera’s ‘Dance of the Outlaw Cowboy’ (Danza de gaucho matrero from the Danzas Argentinas, 3 dances for solo piano 1937). Only know it because a friend has been rehearsing this lately and played me a few bars a couple of weeks ago. Ginastera could do with flagging up on the composers thread imho. The (1956) harp concerto comes highly recommended, too.

Go for it!

So far so good for Prom 23. Pity the Peterloo Overture doesn't get more outings.

It does in Casa Pulcinella (although from a previous incarnation of this CD):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/British-Composers-Symphonies-Peterloo-Overture/dp/B0000241DR/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Arnold+peterloo&qid=1565039726&s=gateway&sr=8-2

[jonfan]

The Swan Lake selections went over 50 minutes total, so certainly it was more than the standard suite(s). Obviously the two most famous numbers were a given to be included, but a fair bit beyond the "greatest hits" made its way in. It was good, though again I wouldn't call this a "great" reading. BG did seem to charge ahead in the second part of the very first number, and at other points later. But he did take a fair pace in the great Act I Waltz, remembering there that this is music for ballet dancers to dance to, after all, and not just a showpiece for orchestra. Not the most scintillating of interpretations, but as I said above, it was good, and that's OK.

In response to jonfan, here is what Sir Henry Wood led in that 1901 Proms premiere from Swan Lake:

Danse des cygnes: Allegro moderato Act 2
Valse: Act 1, No. 2
Danse hongroise (Czárdás): Act 3
Introduction et Scène: Act 1, No. 1
Scène: Act 2 No. 5
Scène et Final: Act 4 No. 5

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/efw38g

So Gernon included a lot more than Sir Henry.

Thanks for this. It seemed to work quite well with the less familiar mixing nicely with the big numbers. Mind you for Sir Henry it would all be unfamiliar to his audience. How easily today we expect to have music so readily accessible all the time.