Prom 7 (4.08.21) - Vaughan Williams, Respighi and Mendelssohn

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Wednesday 4 August 2021
Royal Albert Hall

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Ottorino Respighi: Concerto gregoriano
Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 in D major, 'Reformation'

Sayaka Shoji - violin
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko - conductor

Conductor Vasily Petrenko appears for the first time at the Proms in his new role as Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. They are joined by Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji for Respighi’s Concerto gregoriano – a spiritual serenade in which the soloist becomes a wordless cantor, whose plainsong-inspired melodies soar over the orchestra. Two more tributes to the musical past complete the programme: Vaughan Williams’s haunting Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis takes inspiration from Tudor polyphony, while Mendelssohn’s youthful ‘Reformation’ Symphony climaxes in Martin Luther’s stirring chorale ‘A mighty fortress is our God’.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Respighi is new to me.

[Serial_Apologist]

The Respighi is new to me.

A fine work.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Unfortunately, I'll be missing this concert, but will catch up later.

[LMcD]

A fine work.

[jayne lee wilson]

Among many points of interest in the Mendelssohn 5th - the Dresden Amen in the first movement, and the Ein' Feste Burg chorale in the last, so splendidly integrated here, were very influential on Meyerbeer, Liszt and Wagner who all made very different use of these themes. (This also provoked some Theological controversy at the time).

The linking interlude between andante and finale (an unusual blend of sonata and contrapuntal chorale fantasia) is now a brief passage on the chorale for solo flute; but it was originally much more extended (as can be heard on the COE/YNS/DG set). I doubt we'll hear that tonight, but Mendelssohn was stung by early criticism of his work (chronologically his 2nd Symphony) revised it and withdrew it. He was very influenced by Beethovenian models i.e the return of the slow intro later in a movement (although Haydn also did this in e.g...the 103 we heard last night), and the brief slow movement linked to the finale.

A point of interpretive choice is whether to increase tempo gradually though the finale chorale intro into the main final allegro, or to make (as it were) a leap of faith with a sudden acceleration into the main thrust.

Well, we'll see.... but I hope Petrenko exploits the RAH spaces to spectacular effect as the symphony's splendid final pages resound.....

[Alison]

I’m really quite excited about this new conductor-orchestra partnership and looking forward to this ever so slightly offbeat programme.

So good to see the Reformation have a second half to itself!

[jonfan]

Enjoying the VW with plenty of sensitive ebb and flow with lovely very quiet passages which must be even more magical in the hall. All strands heard clearly.

[jayne lee wilson]

Hey...!
Petrenko IS doing the original.... listen out for that extended flute solo/transition between andante and finale....

[Alison]

The symphony is sounding magnificent in this acoustic.

[jonfan]

The symphony is sounding magnificent in this acoustic.

[edashtav]

The symphony is sounding magnificent in this acoustic.

I agree - this was a reformation with commitment and belief!
Excellent performance, well shaped by Vassily Petrenko.

[jayne lee wilson]

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No.5 (Original Version)/RPO/PETRENKO/R3 AAC live.

Initial impressions were of quite a big, warm RAH-sized orchestral sound, nicely articulated nonetheless, but I would have liked a little more bite, and the winds were slightly too blended, not coming through very colourfully. Weighty and impressive for sure, if perhaps some lack of inner tension in the rapid contrapuntal lines.
(This doesn’t have to be a HIPPs speciality - try YNS or Zehetmair, admittedly on smaller orchestras).
But Petrenko kept things flowing and alive, the vivace took flight well, despite the warm string sound - this was delightful, as was the andante; like the Mozart slow movement the previous night, this was really lovely: very sensitively phrased with subtle, expressive dynamic gradients.

Fascinating to hear the extended andante-finale interlude. As YNS says in his COE set, when the chorale enters after this, it sounds like “the outcome of a metamorphosis”. It restores more of the innovative boldness of this work, and sounds very aptly placed to me. The finale is such an exhilarating release, the poignant andante so brief and fragile, both movements make more sense with the elaborated interlude in place; time to reflect, and anticipate...
The complex contrapuntal developments of the finale remained impressively clear, despite the big-boned weight and warmth, and as for the allegro - Petrenko made a very exciting sudden “leap of faith” into it! That special Mendelssohn moment, the serenely eloquent second subject in the finale, was again, beautifully sung by the cellos, then the clarinet, then the wind choir. A gorgeous, seductive respite.

Then, in the Mighty Fortress of the Albert Hall, the crowning apotheosis of the chorale was truly Godlike.

A wonderful “Reformation” then; all the better for me as I took some persuading early on - Petrenko won me over! I guess thats why we like to listen live sometimes….(sound-balancing was fine, as with most of this week's concerts, the individual orchestral character vividly conveyed).

Great week for symphonies! Lets see what MGT makes of that Brahms 3rd ….. now there's a challenge...

[BBMmk2]

I couldn’t wait long enough to hear the Respighi live, in a concert. It didn’t disappoint either. It was fabulous to hear.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Mendelssohn too.

[kernelbogey]

A much better interval feature (than Tuesday's) from Martin Handley, who managed a proper dialogue with his guest Diarmaid MacCulloch.