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

[Tony Halstead]

"London Musicii"

No. sorry, very very wrong: the conductor of London Musici ( with only one 'i') was Mark STEPHENSON.

[edashtav]

Like Jayne, I enjoyed tonight's D minor Concerto which I last heard live at the Proms played by the muscular Helene Grimaud accompanied by a Youth orchestra. Stephen Hough and Wigglesworth were more poetic without neglecting brio and bravura in the outer movements. A most satisfying performance.

I've heard and enjoyed a number of works by David Sawer over the last 25 years. His work is cogent,cleanly scored and doesn't over-reach itself: better a modest ambition fully realised, than a gargantuan vision that collapses like a building built on sand. Full marks to the BBC for reviving a twenty year old piece, second or repeated performances are as vital as premieres. The greatest happiness principle was fine and neatly performed but, for me, its principle infused and enthused the first movement of the Haydn who never fails to capture the essence of happiness. Goodness Gracious Me, Haydn's false ending worked again! What a master of surprise.

[DracoM]

<< 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...!" >>

Except that that trail and the DAB radio trail have been like dog poo along the lane to our listening for last month. Grrrr!

[jayne lee wilson]

PROM 20 PART TWO...CONCERT SOUND....(click-free this half, engineering well-nigh perfect; really outstanding )...

A really lovely Haydn 99, HIPPS-ish but with wit, warmth and character, a smallish band playing largely vibrato-free with effortless verve and style. Nicely outspoken brass (sounding natural/valveless, even if they weren’t) at all the right moments.

The expressive freedom and flow of this performance reminded me very much of Rattle’s CBSO Haydn (from me there’s no higher praise), and how he used to play with the RAH audience in, say, No.90.

So relaxed and spontaneous, this Haydn 99, it sounded like they’d been playing it together, forever ….

(David Sawer…. kept from the HCH by domestic demands, got back for the last 5, very entertaining, minutes…seemed brilliantly dispatched by tonight’s partnership… will catch up…)

Fabulous concert anyway!

[EdgeleyRob]

Except that that trail and the DAB radio trail have been like dog poo along the lane to our listening for last month. Grrrr!

OT,Best Prom so far IMO

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

No. sorry, very very wrong: the conductor of London Musici ( with only one 'i') was Mark STEPHENSON.

Unless I've missed it (not impossible ), there's no mention on Wigglesworth's own website of any Aurora-like orchestra of the sort Alison mentioned:

http://www.markwigglesworth.com/biography/

[Nick Armstrong]

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!

...

A really lovely Haydn 99, HIPPS-ish but with wit, warmth and character, a smallish band playing largely vibrato-free with effortless verve and style. Nicely outspoken brass (sounding natural/valveless, even if they weren’t) at all the right moments.

The expressive freedom and flow of this performance reminded me very much of Rattle’s CBSO Haydn (from me there’s no higher praise), and how he used to play with the RAH audience in, say, No.90.

So relaxed and spontaneous, this Haydn 99, it sounded like they’d been playing it together, forever ….

Fabulous concert anyway!

Glad it came over so well - the above exactly echoes the experience from seats front stalls near the orchestra. Brahms and Haydn pieces/performances unforgettable.

And the order of the programme worked very well indeed.

A great concert. (And yes, Mark W brilliantly sold us all Haydn's dummy at the end! )

[Petrushka]

Agreed it was an excellent concert. Every Proms season seems to throw up one of those unpromising looking concerts that you ignore on looking at the Guide but which turn out to be a season highlight when heard. This was one of them.

The Haydn 99 was spirited and played with zest and enthusiasm and was the concert highlight for me. A gem of a performance that makes you want to hear this partnership in the other 103. The programme order worked brilliantly, pleased to say, despite initial doubts. An enjoyable way to spend a drab, cool Saturday evening and hats off to whoever came up with this programme and orchestra/conductor combination. Any chance of MW succeeding Mena?

[jayne lee wilson]

Glad it came over so well - the above exactly echoes the experience from seats front stalls near the orchestra. Brahms and Haydn pieces/performances unforgettable.

And the order of the programme worked very well indeed.

A great concert. (And yes, Mark W brilliantly sold us all Haydn's dummy at the end! )

Thank you, Cal... these Home Concert Hall - Royal Albert Hall exchanges of impressions are the essence of FoR3 music-loving.

Yes Pet - they seemed to get on very well, tonight....(why isn't there a fingers crossed emoticon...?)

[bluestateprommer]

Glad it came over so well - the above exactly echoes the experience from seats front stalls near the orchestra. Brahms and Haydn pieces/performances unforgettable.

And the order of the programme worked very well indeed.

A great concert. (And yes, Mark W brilliantly sold us all Haydn's dummy at the end! )

Finally caught up with this concert very late in the game. Agree with Caliban and Petrushka about how well this program worked, admittedly contrary to my own expectations. Just about any other orchestra, certainly in the USA, would have put the 2nd half of this Prom as the first half. Good, solid, straightforward, no-nonsense music-making all around. The David Sawer work had moments that sounded like John Adams to me, and did seem to end a bit abruptly. DS might have written a 'sequel', if he had been so inclined.

On Petrushka's question of MW possibly being next, I had a look at the BBC Phil's schedule for next season. MW is nowhere to be found. John Storgards is notably featured as the current principal guest conductor, of course, including one very meaty program of Simon Holt's A Table of Noises and Mahler 7. I'm more hoping that the BBC Phil makes JS its next chief, more than his upcoming "chief guest conductor" title.

[richardfinegold]

Glad it came over so well - the above exactly echoes the experience from seats front stalls near the orchestra. Brahms and Haydn pieces/performances unforgettable.

And the order of the programme worked very well indeed.

A great concert. (And yes, Mark W brilliantly sold us all Haydn's dummy at the end! )

I saw him play this in Chicago a few years ago. He ran off the stage after the false ending only to do an "oops" move and return to the podium for the true ending

[Nick Armstrong]

Very glad to catch the rebroadcast this afternoon of this outstanding concert which I found the surprise stand-out of the 2017 season...

Glad it came over so well - the above exactly echoes the experience from seats front stalls near the orchestra. Brahms and Haydn pieces/performances unforgettable.

And the order of the programme worked very well indeed.

A great concert. (And yes, Mark W brilliantly sold us all Haydn's dummy at the end! )

[Ein Heldenleben]

Very glad to catch the rebroadcast this afternoon of this outstanding concert which I found the surprise stand-out of the 2017 season...

I only caught the Brahms and would echo your enthusiasm . I am though getting a bit worried that I'll end up extravagantly praising a Prom that I was lukewarm about when first broadcast and vice versa . Please ignore any contradictions...

[Keith]

Unless I've missed it (not impossible ), there's no mention on Wigglesworth's own website of any Aurora-like orchestra of the sort Alison mentioned:

http://www.markwigglesworth.com/biography/

The band he founded and ran for maybe 5 five years was the Premiere Ensemble and I remember a number of great performances with them of 20th Century music.

[Alison]

The band he founded and ran for maybe 5 five years was the Premiere Ensemble and I remember a number of great performances with them of 20th Century music.

Thanks Keith, you’ve finally cracked it!