Prom 26 (6.08.20) Academy of St Martin in the Fields/Marriner

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Haydn’s Symphony No. 96 was written during the composer’s first visit to London and was premiered in Hannover Square, just two miles from where the Royal Albert Hall now stands. The lightest of the 12 symphonies he wrote in the city, its four movements perfectly capture the elegance and wit that brought Haydn such popularity in London society. His virtuosic First Violin Concerto, performed in this concert by the Japanese-born violinist Mayumi Seiler, was written two decades earlier, in the early years of his employment at the Esterházy court.

Sir Neville Marriner and his Academy of St Martin in the Fields conclude with a performance of the Fourth Symphony by Haydn’s frustrated pupil, Beethoven. Despite being written at the same time as his better-known Fifth, the symphony is classical in proportion, its bubbling finale imbued with the spirit of Beethoven’s teacher.

Haydn: Symphony No. 96 in D major, ‘Miracle’
Haydn: Violin Concerto No. 1 in C major
Beethoven: ‘Ah! pérfido’
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B flat major

Adrianne Pieczonka (soprano)
Mayumi Seiler (violin)
Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Sir Neville Marriner (conductor)

(From the BBC Proms 1994, 15 August)

[Alison]

Enjoyed this one, Sir Neville an amiable bean and interesting chat with Kenneth Sillito.

The Sillito book could be worth a read.

Just the nagging suspicion that little depth had been uncovered in the Fourth, with no feeling of culmination at its conclusion.

[kernelbogey]

I noticed a discinctive echo in the RAH. This was 1994. When were the 'flying saucers' brought in?

[Alison]

I noticed a discinctive echo in the RAH. This was 1994. When were the 'flying saucers' brought in?

Late sixties with further reconfiguration late 2001

[Petrushka]

Late sixties with further reconfiguration late 2001

Yes, I think they were installed in 1968.

[edashtav]

Enjoyed this one, Sir Neville an amiable bean and interesting chat with Kenneth Sillitoe.

The Sillito book could be worth a read.

Just the nagging suspicion that little depth had been uncovered in the Fourth, with no feeling of culmination at its conclusion.

Basically, I agree with you, Alison, but if you accept that Beethoven Fourth is akin to HAYDN- full of wit an bonhomie, his interpretation was a great success- the bassoon's chortling creased me up!

[bluestateprommer]

Very enjoyable Prom to hear, and to visit for the 1st time, a "comfortable" listen in the best and not the complacent sense of the term. Although "Ah, perfido!" does essay into darker territory (in the "my man done me wrong" sense, to use a somewhat off-kilter analogy), this was a Prom generally for pure pleasure, with two core composer names, but not necessarily the most 'popular' selections from each composer. LvB 4 happens to be my own very favorite of the nine (definitely a minority opinion, AFAICT), so it's always a pleasure to hear a concert performance, besides commercial recordings. Both soloists did well, and the "amiable bean" factor that Alison mentioned was certainly in evidence. Nice to hear Kenneth Sillito as interval guest as well for his reminiscences.