Prom 14 (11.08.21) - Rachmaninov & Stravinsky

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

15:30 & 20:00 Wednesday 11 August 2021
Royal Albert Hall

Sergey Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Tom Service and Nicholas Collon introduce Stravinsky’s ‘The Firebird’ suite
Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite


Pavel Kolesnikov piano
Aurora Orchestra
Nicholas Collon conductor/presenter

[ucanseetheend]

Paganini and Firebird. Barely an hour for the concert?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Paganini and Firebird. Barely an hour for the concert?

That’s because the conductor and Tom Service are going to do a bit of dissection, live, as part of the concert. Time was, when programme notes did this extremely well.

[pastoralguy]

That’s because the conductor and Tom Service are going to do a bit of dissection, live, as part of the concert. Time was, when programme notes did this extremely well.

Thanks for the warning!

[LMcD]

Thanks for the warning!

Might Tom Service be a bit more bearable with the sound off and the subtitles on? ('Good news - we've got you down to subtitle Tom Service'. 'What - again!')

[ucanseetheend]

Omg so it's the building a library style dissection at the Proms ? What depths you have stooped Mr Pickard!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I anticipate that there'll be rather a lot of hot air about the Aurora Orchestra playing from memory. The orchestra is extremely fine, but its two gimmicks - playing from memory (thereby reducing its manageable repertoire) and requiring players to stand up throughout (possibly negating equalities legislation) - are only secondary features.

[LHC]

I anticipate that there'll be rather a lot of hot air about the Aurora Orchestra playing from memory. The orchestra is extremely fine, but its two gimmicks - playing from memory (thereby reducing its manageable repertoire) and requiring players to stand up throughout (possibly negating equalities legislation) - are only secondary features.

In 2011 the LSO were playing a concert with Daniil Trifonov and Gergiev in Guildford’s newly refurbished hall when, half way through the Tchaikovsky piano concerto all the lights out. Despite being in complete darkness, the LSO and Trifonov all carried on playing until they reached the end of the first movement some 15 minutes later. Playing from memory in such circumstances without any prior warning or preparation is, I think, rather more impressive than the Aurora Orchestra’s carefully prepared concerts.

The full story can be read here:

https://lsoontour.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/bad-light-stops-play-eventually/

[Ein Heldenleben]

In 2011 the LSO were playing a concert with Daniil Trifonov and Gergiev in Guildford’s newly refurbished hall when, half way through the Tchaikovsky piano concerto all the lights out. Despite being in complete darkness, the LSO and Trifonov all carried on playing until they reached the end of the first movement some 15 minutes later. Playing from memory in such circumstances without any prior warning or preparation is, I think, rather more impressive than the Aurora Orchestra’s carefully prepared concerts.

The full story can be read here:

https://lsoontour.wordpress.com/2011...ay-eventually/

Great story . Reminds me of the time a nervous tenor singing Don Ottavio at the Met in New York is said to have got confused and started singing Il Mio Tesoro rather than Dalla Sua Pace . The band knew the piece so well they all cut to the right piece and played it from memory. The LSO are so experienced I am sure there are quite a few pieces they could play from memory particularly if they’d rehearsed it on the day.

[Simon B]

In 2011 the LSO were playing a concert with Daniil Trifonov and Gergiev in Guildford’s newly refurbished hall when, half way through the Tchaikovsky piano concerto all the lights out. Despite being in complete darkness, the LSO and Trifonov all carried on playing until they reached the end of the first movement some 15 minutes later. Playing from memory in such circumstances without any prior warning or preparation is, I think, rather more impressive than the Aurora Orchestra’s carefully prepared concerts.

The full story can be read here:

https://lsoontour.wordpress.com/2011...ay-eventually/

More recently the soprano soloist in an LSO concert at the Barbican was indisposed at the last moment - during or even after the afternoon rehearsal, with no understudy. Admittedly they had the orchestral parts to hand so it's not directly comparable. All the same, the leader (Roman Simovic) happening to have the Tchaikovsky concerto in his repertoire and everyone else (incl G Noseda) being fine with performing it with zero notice or rehearsal as part of a substitute programme was also rather impressive. It was just about the most engaged and thrilling performance of the (far too) many I've heard...

[ardcarp]

Paganini and Firebird. Barely an hour for the concert?

Forgive my stupidity, but I still don't quite get it, despite Alpie's explanation. How do you cram the two works (Rach and Stravinsky) into 1 hour on BBC4 on Friday whereas they take 2 hours tonight on R3. Is Tom Service going to witter on for an hour or will we just have edited highlights on the telly?

Can someone explain to a bear of very little brain?

Hugely looking forward to the music on R3 tonight.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Forgive my stupidity, but I still don't quite get it, despite Alpie's explanation. How do you cram the two works (Rach and Stravinsky) into 1 hour on BBC4 on Friday whereas they take 2 hours tonight on R3. Is Tom Service going to witter on for an hour or will we just have edited highlights on the telly?

Can someone explain to a bear of very little brain?

Hugely looking forward to the music on R3 tonight.

The proms ,like most of the evening live concerts, often underrun the scheduled tim8ng by 30 minutes so the scheduled timing ( which is later tonight 20.00 to 22.00) is pretty much arbitary. The under run is usually made of related fillers timed to hit the junction at 22.00 .With the Proms there’s also the chance of a live encore.

[LHC]

The proms ,like most of the evening live concerts, often underrun the scheduled tim8ng by 30 minutes so the scheduled timing ( which is later tonight 20.00 to 22.00) is pretty much arbitary. The under run is usually made of related fillers timed to hit the junction at 22.00 .With the Proms there’s also the chance of a live encore.

The BBC Four programme is also scheduled for 90 minutes rather than 1 hour, so not that much different really once the standard R3 overrun is taken into account.

[jayne lee wilson]

All that really matters here - the performances themselves....try to listen without thinking too much about how they are prepared, or offered - we can go back to that later. Personally I never object to Tom Service, who writes very well on music, and often has much to observe, even if some find his vocal delivery a challenge....

But usually, with any lengthy intro, I "listen in", but just wait for the performance to start....I can always go back to the intro later if it feels worthwhile...

Two very spectacular and virtuoso concert works, but very familiar too - I hope they sound very distinctive, tonight!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Oh dear : dozed off during the “Fats Waller” variation and woke up during the “Groundhog Day “ one . Strings sounding on top form wonder if it’s a full section ? …Pavel’s conjuring up a bit of a storm.
And here’s the rain !