Prom 49 (24.08.20) Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen/Harding

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

BBC Proms: In 2003 the distinguished Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen made its second visit to the Proms, with its then Music Director Daniel Harding – making his fifth Proms appearance at the age of just 27. A suite of dance music from Rameau’s celebrated first opera and the Beethoven symphony that Wagner declared ‘the apotheosis of dance’ framed Sibelius’s Violin Concerto, whose final movement was once famously described as ‘a polonaise for a polar bear’. The soloist was the acclaimed Russian-born Viktoria Mullova.


Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie – suite
Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major

Viktoria Mullova (violin)
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Daniel Harding (conductor)

[Alison]

A fabulous LvB7, remember it well. For once the finale absolutely ablaze.

I had forgotten Mullova’s very striking tone in the Sibelius.

[bluestateprommer]

Another just-before-the-deadline and 1st listen for me. The stylistically diverse selections do certainly show the versatility of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and how well they change their style to fit each work. Alison's point is well taken about the LvB 7 finale really going to town with its drive. Interesting choice of the Webern encore to dial down the temperature, if somewhat in the same spirit as MG-T choosing the JSB Suite No. 3 movement to dial it down after her LvB 5.

One droll moment in the quarantine banter between Tom Service and Daniel Harding is that TS actually did apologize for verbally stepping on DH at one point. Plus, if nothing else, it shows again what an aural relief it is to switch from TS to Andrew McGregor as presenter.