Proms on Afternoon Concert 5 (24.07.20): BBC SSO - Jonathan Harvey, Messiaen, Varèse

[bluestateprommer]

"Hannah French presents great Prom concerts from recent years by BBC Orchestras and Choirs. Today, a feast of 20th- and 21st-century music from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. In this remarkable BBC Prom from 2008, Ilan Volkov - then Principal Conductor of the BBC SSO, now their Principal Guest Conductor - leads a beautifully shaped concert featuring classics of electronic music by the French-American pioneer Edgard Varese and the modern master Jonathan Harvey, plus a Harvey world premiere. The concert is launched by two Proms premieres: from another towering French modernist, Olivier Messiaen, and Harvey's tribute to him on the centenary of his birth.

Jonathan Harvey: Tombeau de Messiaen for piano and tape
Cédric Tiberghien (piano)
Messiaen: Concert à quatre
with Emily Beynon (flute), Alexei Ogrintchouk (oboe),
Danjulo Ishizaka (cello) and Cédric Tiberghien (piano)
Harvey:
Mortuos plango, vivos voco
Speakings (world premiere)
Varèse:
Poème électronique
Déserts
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Ilan Volkov"

BBC R3 programme page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000l2zf

[Bryn]

Very much looking forward to hearing this again, this time in higher definition sound than was available via the Internet in 2008. Fond memories of attending.

[bluestateprommer]

Very much looking forward to hearing this again, this time in higher definition sound than was available via the Internet in 2008. Fond memories of attending.

I had the same reaction when I saw this Prom on the Afternoon schedule, for similar reasons, namely that I was also in the RAH for this Prom. In fact, this 2008 Prom was the very first Prom that I attended in person, on the evening of my arrival day (suitably jet-lagged). My one mistake that evening was not buying the program, as a souvenir. On the bright side, I scored a spot in the Arena just behind the fountain. I remember hearing JH at the pre-concert talk, and also him walking from the sound board up to the stage to take his bows.

Hearing it via BBC Sounds, obviously even the best sound through speakers can't compare to hearing the works in the RAH itself, especially the Harvey and Varese 'electronic' works resounding through the multiple speakers in the RAH. I also must admit that re-hearing JH's Speakings struck me a much sound and fury, signifying not very much. But it was nice to dredge up memories of this event, and I'm happy that R3 chose this off-the-beaten-path Prom as one of its selected repeats.

[Bryn]

I wonder how many audio channels of this concert Radio 3 has saved. I wonder whether they have enough channels for a binaural or surround mix to be constructed?