Prom 4 (1.08.21) - An Evening of Mozart with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

[jayne lee wilson]

Re Msg 7

Notes inégales - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notes_in%C3%A9gales

Discussion on this type of thing still happens and has an influence in some places. For example in MuseScore and perhaps other music notation systems there is a Swing option which can affect playback in a player or midi system, and the degree of “swinginess can be adjusted by numerical factors. Of course if human players see the notation mark they can adjust what and how they play, and musicians who play together a lot may converge on a common style.

Too much sounds wrong.

Other similar/related effects, such as double dotting, can be effective if applied sparingly, but tiring if carried to extremes or for too long.

Same link posted in #8.....

[LHC]

Reference to this recalls an incident in my last year at primary school. The music teacher allowed some of us to bring our own records to play to the class. One brought the 1812 Overture, but Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard were predominant. I took Mozart’s 40th conducted by Furtwangler. Inevitably, this led to some taunting. One particularly unpleasant character wouldn’t let it drop. For days he went on and on about it, saying “I bet you a million pounds Mozart’s 40th Symphony won’t get into the Top Ten. I accepted the bet, even though I’d never heard of the Top Ten. I hardly saw him again, but a decade later I should have claimed my winnings. There were actually two versions in the singles charts - Waldo de Los Rios, and The Sovereign Collection. One of the few occasions when I bought “a single”.

Our music teacher did something similar; my contribution was a single of Madison Blues by George Thorogood and the Destroyers. Our music teacher got quite excited by this, as he was able to use it to explain the 12 bar blues structure to the class.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Reference to this recalls an incident in my last year at primary school. The music teacher allowed some of us to bring our own records to play to the class. One brought the 1812 Overture, but Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard were predominant. I took Mozart’s 40th conducted by Furtwangler. Inevitably, this led to some taunting. One particularly unpleasant character wouldn’t let it drop. For days he went on and on about it, saying “I bet you a million pounds Mozart’s 40th Symphony won’t get into the Top Ten. I accepted the bet, even though I’d never heard of the Top Ten. I hardly saw him again, but a decade later I should have claimed my winnings. There were actually two versions in the singles charts - Waldo de Los Rios, and The Sovereign Collection. One of the few occasions when I bought “a single”.

On a similar occasion I took the Elgar Cello Concerto. (No, not that recording, I couldn't afford it It was the 99p Decca Eclipse reissue of Pini with Van Beinum.) Response: "Sounds like film music." Well, I'm sure it could have been a lot worse...! A similar occasion introduced us to 'Bluegrass', an introduction I've still to follow up properly, even though I quite liked it.

[LMcD]

Great as my admiration for Mozart is, I'm not sure I want to hear these 3 masterworks in one go, so I shall probably watch the first tonight and catch up with the others in the next couple of weeks.

[Nick Armstrong]

20:00 Sunday 1 August 2021 ON TV

Royal Albert Hall

Mozart: Symphony No. 39 in E flat major
Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C major, 'Jupiter'

Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor

Anyone got any bright ideas about the illustration on the “Sounds” page for this concert….?



Update: further research indicates that it’s a rather effete picture of Maestro Emelyanychev: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/m...resh-5frqd5c20

[Simon Biazeck]

Anyone got any bright ideas about the illustration on the “Sounds” page for this concert….?



Update: further research indicates that it’s a rather effete picture of Maestro Emelyanychev: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/m...resh-5frqd5c20

He's quite a character! His conducting of Agrippina at the ROH was something to remember. Very moving.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A very interesting performance of no. 39. Interesting that modern instruments predominate, apart from the brass.

Very much "controlled" by the conductor (with no baton, but a wooden dickie-bow) with many added pauses and ritardandi. The results fully justified the approach.

[jayne lee wilson]

This is very fine Mozart playing: appealing tonal warmth from this wonderful band, flexible of phrase with subtle and telling rubato. No.40 palpably increased the inner tension, sharpness of attack and dynamics after a more relaxed but still poised and alert 39 (with lovely sweet wind solos in the andante) . The performance style moving easily between singing lines and crisp rhythmic energies.

I rather like Maxim in his Hat; carries it off very well, channelling his inner Oscar...

[pastoralguy]

I’m absolutely exhausted watching Tom Service pontificate on BBC4…

[Barbirollians]

I have decided to record the TV Proms and start watching them at least 30 minutes late so I can fast forward through the ghastly presenting style. So far I think this is some of the most joyful and thrilling Mozart Symphony playing I have heard for a very long time .

[Ein Heldenleben]

Am I mishearing or is the flute player improvising a bit in the Jupiter minuet movement ?

[bluestateprommer]

Am I mishearing or is the flute player improvising a bit in the Jupiter minuet movement ?

Not at all; in both the #39 and #41 minuets, the woodwinds added some "twiddles". Need to give the finales of #39 and #40 a re-listen (unfortunate interruptions of various sorts here). Plus, encore noted in the Forum Calendar entry (as with last night, not that anyone noticed :) ).

[Ein Heldenleben]

Not at all; in both the #39 and #41 minuets, the woodwinds added some "twiddles". Need to give the finales of #39 and #40 a re-listen (unfortunate interruptions of various sorts here).

Thanks Bluestateprommer. I listened to 39 on R3 then the first movt of 40 before watching a 1 hour 30 min doc on W.G Sebald . I then picked up a bit punch drunk on BBC Four with the minuet and thought I was hallucinating. Good perf I thought . Never quite come across a conductor like him - hyper dynamic.

[LMcD]

I have decided to record the TV Proms and start watching them at least 30 minutes late so I can fast forward through the ghastly presenting style. So far I think this is some of the most joyful and thrilling Mozart Symphony playing I have heard for a very long time .

We watched No. 39 'live' on BBC4, but will save the others until later in the week - thanks to iPlayer, we shall be able to proceed direct to the music and cut out all the waffle. We certainly found the performance of No.39 'joyful and thrilling'!

[Historian]

Good perf I thought . Never quite come across a conductor like him - hyper dynamic.

I have worked with him once, in the chorus, and think he's a hugely interesting musician. He conducted and played harpsichord continuo as well. Really fascinating interpretation. His recordings are also very good, but perhaps I'll leave that to other people better qualified to give an informed opinion.