Prom 63 (5.09.20) Live BBC SSO with Stephen Hough

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Beethoven’s economically scored Second Piano Concerto – written before his First and among the earliest of his works performed in concert halls today – looks both backwards to Haydn and Mozart and forwards to Beethoven’s future innovation and rhythmic fascination.

Tonight’s BBC commission is from Glasgow-based composer Jay Capperauld. Expressed in the context of the recurring 24-hour process that regulates our sleeping patterns, Circadian Refrains (172 Days Until Dawn) is Capperauld’s response to the cyclical nature of lockdown, enforced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Continuing the theme of mass upheaval, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra closes with Strauss’s Metamorphosen. Written for 23 solo strings during the final months of the Second World War (which Strauss described as ‘the most terrible period of mankind’), it quotes from the Funeral March of Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ Symphony (No. 3).

Walker Lyric for Strings
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2
Jay Capperauld Circadian Refrains (172 Days Until Dawn) (BBC commission: world premiere)
Strauss Metamorphosen

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Stephen Hough, piano
Alpesh Chauhan, conductor

[jonfan]

Prom 63 (05.09.20) BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Walker Lyric for Strings
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2
Jay Capperauld Circadian Refrains (172 Days Until Dawn) (BBC commission: world premiere)
Strauss Metamorphosen

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Stephen Hough, piano
Alpesh Chauhan, conductor

A thoroughly enjoyable prom from Glasgow. Stephen Hough on great form and two excellent contemporary pieces. BBCSSO strings on searing form in the Metamorphosen, an appropriate piece for these times. The strings of this orchestra, and BBC Phil in Tchaikovsky, have reveled in these big romantic pieces.

[Alison]

Rather lumbering orchestral accompaniment in the concerto which I never settled into. Houghy tried hard to bring inspiration which never quite arrived but I enjoyed a few original touches towards the end!

Enjoyable Strauss encore, must investigate that piece.

Metamorphosen was hugely impressive, sounded well rehearsed with real depth of feeling. I have never overdone this piece unlike a lot of Richard Strauss. Having missed the Walker and enjoyed the Circadian piece I am actually looking forward to hearing all this again soon.

Perhaps I am in need of therapy but am mostly enjoying the atmosphere created by the empty halls

[DracoM]

Strauss 'Meta' easily the star of the show for me.

[LMcD]

Rather lumbering orchestral accompaniment in the concerto which I never settled into. Houghy tried hard to bring inspiration which never quite arrived but I enjoyed a few original touches towards the end!

Enjoyable Strauss encore, must investigate that piece.

Metamorphosen was hugely impressive, sounded well rehearsed with real depth of feeling. I have never overdone this piece unlike a lot of Richard Strauss. Having missed the Walker and enjoyed the Circadian piece I am actually looking forward to hearing all this again soon.

Perhaps I am in need of therapy but am mostly enjoying the atmosphere created by the empty halls

Stephen Hough is always worth watching/listening to, so I shall catch up with this when time permits.
I'm not a great Richard Strauss fan, but I do have the excellent DG Galleria Karajan CD comprising Metamorphosen, the Oboe Concerto and the 4 Last Songs.
As my view on the atmosphere in the halls is the same as yours, we may need to compare post-treatment notes!

[mopsus]

Rather lumbering orchestral accompaniment in the concerto which I never settled into. Houghy tried hard to bring inspiration which never quite arrived but I enjoyed a few original touches towards the end!

Did he play his own cadenza? It wasn't Beethoven's own (much later) one.

[bluestateprommer]

Did he play his own cadenza? It wasn't Beethoven's own (much later) one.

I believe so, as I certainly didn't recognize the cadenza. Since Hough is also a composer among his many hats, not a surprise that he would dare to write his own cadenza. It sounded pretty good to me. Agree with others that RS' Metamorphosen was the highlight of the concert. Very good that Alpesh Chauhan was able to step into the breach for Thomas Dausgaard.