Prom 8: Invitation to the Dance - 24.07.19

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Wednesday 24 July 2019
Royal Albert Hall

Claude Debussy: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Péter Eötvös: Alhambra (violin concerto) - BBC co-commission with Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada, Orchestre de Paris and Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker: UK première
Béla Bartók: Dance Suite
Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird – suite (revised version, 1919)


Isabelle Faust violin
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Péter Eötvös conductor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

An interesting programme.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm very much looking forward to the Eotvos.

[bluestateprommer]

Solid start to this Prom with the Debussy, which tends to be the case whenever a concert opens with the Prélude. Will be interesting to hear how PE's incorporation of place-names and people-names works out, as he's just explained to Martin Handley.

[jayne lee wilson]

Eötvös Concerto sounded really fascinating, but.... long and tiring day, just caught it, will have to catch up later....

Maybe Ed will have something on it...

[Ein Heldenleben]

That was a very short prom .....

[edashtav]

Eötvös Concerto sounded really fascinating, but.... long and tiring day, just caught it, will have to catch up later....

Maybe Ed will have something on it...

I was out at a meeting and then cooked haddock in a red wine and wild mushroom sauce. I overheard the Eötvös which I found knotty and very musical although it didn't showcase Isabelle who is 'one of my faves'.

Will listen again...sorry.

[jayne lee wilson]

First Impression of Spanish Impressions….

Peter Eotvos’ Alhambra (his third violin concerto) has a playful, scherzo-like character, a scherzo with wildly contrasting episodes, the soloist insinuating melodic lines among the quirkier ensemble voices; then borrowing ideas from them, imitating them, playing with them, throwing them back; a continuous, sparsely-instrumented, kaleidoscopic interplay of light, translucent, suddenly spiky single notes and tiny figures; lingering on tuned resonances; at last the violin finds some rest from the fantasia, the ensemble holding back from its caprice, hovering…. as if trying out this new, hypnotically calmer mood, creating a new mystery…. the melody returns for a longer song…..a deepening of sentiment and sonority…. the violin dies away, solo, on the idea we began with, a gently swaying, Spanish hint-of-a-dance, reminding me of Gerhard's Don Quixote.

The traveller departs, as she arrived, alone….

An exquisitely pleasurable work; I shall soon be its promenading companion once again…

[edashtav]

Ooh, Gerhard's Don... mouth-watering... another 'fave', Jayne
I must listen again but Mother Hubbard's cupboard is bare and I'm deeply immersed in a local political row.

[Darkbloom]

I was out at a meeting and then cooked haddock in a red wine and wild mushroom sauce. I overheard the Eötvös which I found knotty and very musical although it didn't showcase Isabelle who is 'one of my faves'.

Will listen again...sorry.

Can we at least get a review of the haddock?

[edashtav]

Can we at least get a review of the haddock?

Slightly overcooked but the porcini provided a perfect, dark-hued accompaniment, Darkbloom.

[jayne lee wilson]

I did Ok with a late night Wasabi Katsu Curry & Rice, a dish of Courgette, Tomato & Mushrooms baked in sesame & ginger oil with herbs, & steamed green beans....
Set me up very well for the late night listening.....

The food and the Eötvös are both highly recommended!

(...ps....
(Alhambra will be webcast live from the Berlin DCH on 08/09/19, excellent program including works by Xenakis and Varèse...)

[edashtav]

Eötvös has travelled a long way from his earnest youth. His keen ear for musical line and sonority were demonstrated in his wonderfully plastic interpretation of Debussy's Prélude à l'Après Midi d'un Faune.
Colour and texture were to the fore in Eötvös Third Violin Concerto, Alhambra, an imaginary journey inspired by an on-line wander through a City that the composer would subsequently visit in reality for the work's premiere. The soloist, Isabelle Faust, conjured the City through her wizardry on the violin. She was supported by Sancho Panza-like friend (James Ellis) on Mandolin and the orchestra added an enveloping mantle of myriad colours. It was all very sophisticated and, at times, witty. The style was post-Modern eclectic. The textures never clogged and were full of light and air. Various episodes knitted together into a convincing whole. Sometimes, I thought Eötvös was extending the world of Ligeti, at other times the intricate fantasies of the late Ollie Knussen came to my mind. Throughout, one was aware of a Master who over 75 years has built an Aladdin's Cave of instrumental effects.
The performance was of exhibition quality and absolutely thrilling. Isabelle Faust and the BBC SO were on top of their game. For me, the most enjoyable performance so far in this Prom season. Please do not miss it on iPlayer.