Proms on Afternoon Concert 3 (22.07.20): Brahms (Hough), Sawer, Haydn

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Saturday 29 July 2017
Royal Albert Hall

Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No 1 in D minor
David Sawer: The Greatest Happiness Principle
Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 99 in E flat major

Stephen Hough piano
BBC Philharmonic
Mark Wigglesworth conductor

Though booed at its premiere in 1859, Brahms's First Piano Concerto has gone on to become one of the most beloved of the great rollercoasters among concertos. A giant of a piece with an emotional scope to match, it is at its most tender in the slow movement - a 'gentle portrait' of Clara Schumann. Tempering this intensity is Haydn's graceful Symphony No 99 and David Sawer's 'the greatest happiness principle', with its dancing, rhythmically charged textures, inspired by Jeremy Bentham's Utopian philosophies.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Though booed at its premiere in 1859. . .

I never knew this.

[BBMmk2]

Rather odd way of programming this Prom.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Rather odd way of programming this Prom.

My reaction too.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I never knew this.

Nor did I.

[CallMePaul]

Rather odd way of programming this Prom.

Rudolf Buchbinder, who has frequently played both Brahms concerti in one concert, always ends with the first, as he feels that nothing should follow it. I will have to catch this concert either on its repeat or via iPlayer as I will be going to an Opera North open-air concert in Leeds on Saturday.

[Alison]

Much looking forward to a programme ENDING with a Haydn symphony, the more so under the baton of Mark Wigglesworth.

I can't recall the name of his own orchestra, a sort of 1990s Aurora, but it delivered some spanking performances of classical symphonies back then.

[Nick Armstrong]

Much looking forward to a programme ENDING with a Haydn symphony, the more so under the baton of Mark Wigglesworth.

Agreed, Alison. Got a couple of ideal return seats for this last week, and looking forward v much.

[jayne lee wilson]

The Brahms concerto went through a remarkable series of evolutions, from two-piano sonata to symphony ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._1_(Brahms)

It always feels difficult to listen to anything after it, though.... I'll need something like a doubleshot espresso to keep going...
The Hough/Mozarteum/Wigglesworth recording (c/w No.2) is a very fresh & fascinating one, quite brisk & incisive, but still with lovely singing lines...(G.,1/2014, SP)... much will depend on the orchestral response tonight...

I've been longing for some Haydn for weeks & never did manage to cram it in between Enescu, Martinu etc...

[Petrushka]

On paper this looks like a concert best heard in reverse so it will be interesting to hear how it works out in practise. Always glad to hear a Haydn symphony wherever it might be positioned in the programme and we've certainly had a shortage of them in recent seasons at the Proms.

[edashtav]

Rather odd way of programming this Prom.

I agree!

[edashtav]

On paper this looks like a concert best heard in reverse so it will be interesting to hear how it works out in practise. Always glad to hear a Haydn symphony wherever it might be positioned in the programme and we've certainly had a shortage of them in recent seasons at the Proms.

I never tire of hearing Haydn and Symphony #99 is a favourite of mine.

[pastoralguy]

The Brahms concerto went through a remarkable series of evolutions, from two-piano sonata to symphony ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._1_(Brahms)

It always feels difficult to listen to anything after it, though.... I'll need something like a doubleshot espresso to keep going...
The Hough/Mozarteum/Wigglesworth recording (c/w No.2) is a very fresh & fascinating one, quite brisk & incisive, but still with lovely singing lines...(G.,1/2014, SP)... much will depend on the orchestral response tonight...

I've been longing for some Haydn for weeks & never did manage to cram it in between Enescu, Martinu etc...

I bought these CDs when they were released and was amazed to discover that I and a friend were in Salzburg at the same time as these works were being recorded. Thus, I have a soft spot for them which isn't only due to the coincidence of being there.

I did hear Mr. Hough play the first concerto at my first ever visit to a Prom Concert at the RAH. (The concerto was in the second half). Even then, I thought the building, impressive as it was, was far too big for musical events.

[jayne lee wilson]

PROM 20 PART ONE....

What a wonderful account of the Brahms D Minor Piano Concerto. Orchestrally embracing rugged and incisive articulation, weighty impact, and a lovely lyrical flow within its interpretive sweep, the soloist matching this with playing of great dynamic and expressive range and subtlety. The BBCPO under Wigglesworth were never too heavy, texturally obscure or overloaded.
Their strings were almost the equal of the Salzburgers' (from the Hyperion recording with Hough/Wigglesworth) in the tenderly played, purely-voiced adagio ("it is like an eleison", indeed...); then the finale was very thoughtfully done, quite light and restrained, very classically poised for much of its length before a final flourish of ecstatic relief. We made it!

I do like this repeated trailing of Concert Sound that Petroc Trelawney delivered to us again tonight .... "You'll feel that you are right here, in the hall...!" Gosh. Phew.
He told us a few nights ago that we'd feel like we were in the Radio 3 box, and that we'd be "very welcome" there......cuddly old Petroc!
On my CS feed in Part One tonight there were some low-level clicks - but no dropout, and no serious impediment to clear audition.
The sound balance was, again, impeccable, and Hough's very quiet playing in the latter part of the adagio beautifully resolved.

[Tony Halstead]

Much looking forward to a programme ENDING with a Haydn symphony, the more so under the baton of Mark Wigglesworth.

I can't recall the name of his own orchestra, a sort of 1990s Aurora, but it delivered some spanking performances of classical symphonies back then.

"London Musicii"