Prom 70 (9.09.20) Philharmonia Orchestra/Paavo Jarvi

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Benjamin Grosvenor performs Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra and its Principal Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, bookended by Ravel’s neo-Baroque masterpiece Le tombeau de Couperin and Mozart’s titanic Symphony No. 41.

The sophisticated, transfigured Baroque dances of Ravel’s Le tombeau de Couperin offset Shostakovich’s boisterous Piano Concerto No. 1, with its cheeky sprinkling of quotations from Classical giants Beethoven and Haydn among others.

These two works of neo-Baroque and neo-Classical influences are followed by Mozart’s final symphony, the ‘Jupiter’, a high point of the ‘true’ Classical-period canon. Nicknamed posthumously for its majestic first movement and epic finale, the work is a summation of Mozart’s entire symphonic output with its unique blend of grandeur and subtlety.


Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No 1
Mozart: Symphony No 41, K551 (Jupiter)

Benjamin Grosvenor (piano)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Paavo Jarvi (conductor)

[Nick Armstrong]

I was looking forward to hearing Salonen in the repertoire.... Anyone know why the replacement?

[bluestateprommer]

I was looking forward to hearing Salonen in the repertoire.... Anyone know why the replacement?

The Philharmonia's page on this concert states:

"Esa-Pekka Salonen was originally announced as the conductor of this concert. He is no longer able to appear due to the recent extension of COVID-19 quarantine restrictions in Finland. We are grateful to Paavo Järvi for stepping in. The programme and soloists remain unchanged."

EP-S has been conducting the "Covid Fan Tutte" production at Finnish National Opera most recently.

[LMcD]

I was looking forward to hearing Salonen in the repertoire.... Anyone know why the replacement?

Extension of Covid regulations in Finland.
Is it REALLY necessary to describe K551 as 'titanic'?

[Nick Armstrong]

Thanks for the explanations bsp & LMcD. I assumed it was covid-related but hadn’t found the precise reason.

[cloughie]

Extension of Covid regulations in Finland.
Is it REALLY necessary to describe K551 as 'titanic'?

It didn’t sink!

[jonfan]

Is it REALLY necessary to describe K551 as 'titanic'?

It’s as good a description as Jupiter.
Terrific performance tonight, especially the finale which exuded overwhelming energy, (going to say titanic?: )
Wonderful music making tonight, seemed very sad, more than other nights for some strange reason, that there was no audience to applaud.

[bluestateprommer]

Very, very enjoyable concert here, "old school" in terms of its selections, but nothing at all wrong with that, and very well balanced. The finale of the Ravel went at quite a clip, where I admit that I'm not used to hearing it taken that quickly, but the Philharmonia dealt with that nicely, and fine solo work from Tom Blomfield in what is kind of a de facto "oboe concerto" from Ravel (or suite for oboe and orchestra, at the very least). BG and Jason Evans were both on strong form in the DSCH. Some traces of HIPP in the 'Jupiter', trimmed vibrato and such, no surprise given Paavo J.'s past work with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. I didn't know about the encore vote for this Prom (unlike the Jonathan Scott organ Prom), but no surprise at the choice, and actually quite appropriate for the general mood.

[LMcD]

Cheerfully blind to any imperfections , we enjoyed every single note. We applauded here - how could one not after that performance of the 'Jupiter'? We now feel ready to face BBC1's 10.00 p.m. dose of doom and gloom!
(I suspect the audience vote was a way of saying 'thank you' to Maestro Salonen).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Extension of Covid regulations in Finland.
Is it REALLY necessary to describe K551 as 'titanic'?

The BBC website people do have a rather limited vocabulary, but I'm sure they're nice people.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Extension of Covid regulations in Finland.
Is it REALLY necessary to describe K551 as 'titanic'?

If ever a symphony defied being summed up in a single adjective it’s this one. It’s variety of mood , depth of expression , that extraordinary final movement the summation of Mozart’s genius - where do you start ? I suppose the epithet ‘final’ at least has the merit of being accurate.

[LMcD]

If ever a symphony defied being summed up in a single adjective it’s this one. It’s variety of mood , depth of expression , that extraordinary final movement the summation of Mozart’s genius - where do you start ? I suppose the epithet ‘final’ at least has the merit of being accurate.

Magisterial?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Magisterial?

Definitely - I would go for ‘contrapuntal’ as I am struggling to think of another symphony with a similar masterful (and witty) finale