Prom 17 (14.08.21) - Prokofiev, Bach, Mozart & Shostakovich

[Ein Heldenleben]

VO is a Marmite pianist, love or hate him. Some years ago he did a Bach recital at St Luke’s that was his own continuous performance of pieces that was utterly mesmerising, in a Glen Gould way. He’s at his best in solo items as Bach, modern orchestra and Steinway just don’t mix.

I’m quite enjoying it - though his playing is a little too cool for me. Interesting finger technique - very top of the fingers with them acting like hammers . Means a great staccato and crisp ornaments - though some of his trills I find over fussy almost weedy . I just prefer the more legato style of a Perahia . Of course none of this applies to the way it would have sounded in Bach’s time !

PS Joanna McGregor has just described it as scholarly - that’s just right.

[mrbouffant]

The Telegraph loved it.

[jonfan]

I’m quite enjoying it - though his playing is a little too cool for Me.

PS Joanna McGregor has just described it as scholarly - that’s just right.

Yes spot on. It’s all the right notes but that something extra that a Clifford Curzon would bring is missing. Considering he’s noted for being creative in his interpretation of solo Bach being scholarly in the concertos is surprising.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes spot on. It’s all the right notes but that something extra that a Clifford Curzon would bring is missing. Considering he’s noted for being creative in his interpretation of solo Bach being scholarly in the concertos is surprising.

Clifford Curzon in Mozart is a glimpse of heaven . The limpid touch , phrasing , pointing , humour and not over fussy - the real pitfall in these concerti. Funnily I prefer VO in the C minor to the Bach earlier - interestingly he’s a bit more flat fingered in this : getting some nice sounds !

[jonfan]

Thoroughly enjoyed the Shostakovich with some wonderful stand out wind solos especially from the clarinets, flute and piccolo in the slow movement and the famous bassoon cadenza before the last movement. Excellent camera work catching all the rapid changes. I especially enjoyed seeing the gusto the lower brass put into their unison chorale. Great stuff!

[jayne lee wilson]

Looking in on the BBC4 replay, I was shocked at the inadequacy of the discussion before the DSCH 9, which barely touched on what they referred to as "darker moods"...
There was no mention of just how brave and open an act of dissent it was at the time, against the Heroic-Celebratory 9th-Symphony expectations of the Stalinist rulers, a defiant satire and cartoonish send-up of pompous power and political pretensions, with deep sadness, elegy and tragedy, at its heart in (ii) and (iv).
On the R3 live relay, P-Jarvi did discuss this in some detail with the presenter...perhaps this input was on the TV as well (I saw Jarvi on there briefly but was too cat-distracted at the time to listen...) but the presenters in the box seemed ignorant of the issues.

Stalin certainly understood - whilst covered by bland press releases for the world's onlookers, the symphony was effectively banned immediately after its first performance, only reappearing in Russia over 10 years later...

[Nachtigall]

Agreed. Also shallow and inadequate was their discussion of the current touring difficulties of musicians. It was all about the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. No one mentioned the elephant in the room: Brexit.

[ucanseetheend]

Philharmonia under Jarvi failed to capture the dark side of the DSCH 9th. Played it like a Mozart symphony

[jayne lee wilson]

Philharmonia under Jarvi failed to capture the dark side of the DSCH 9th. Played it like a Mozart symphony

But probably not like Harnoncourt doing No.40........

[jonfan]

The discussion would have undoubtably been better if TS had been there.

[Goon525]

I watched the concert on BBC 4 last night before reading the carping here, and thoroughly enjoyed it, reinforcing my impression that VO is an absolutely exceptional young pianist. Struggling to believe the negativity here, I can’t resist quoting Richard Morrison’s Times review (and though I can’t access it, I understand Telegraph also very positive).
“
★★★★☆
In the past year only once have I heard the piano played as beautifully as Vikingur Olafsson played it in Mozart’s dark Concerto in C minor, K491. And that was about half an hour earlier, when the Icelandic virtuoso gave an equally transfixing performance of Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in F minor.

The Proms have seen some spellbinding debuts, but I can’t remember anyone achieving such an impact by daring to play so quietly. And not just quietly, but with a touch so exquisitely nuanced that it was an experience akin to watching snowflakes falling gently on a still night.

That magical pianissimo is but one facet of Olafsson’s artistry. Others include his crystalline articulation and willingness to drop in and out of the overall sound, so the orchestra is not just providing a backing-track — as is often the case with concertos — but properly making music on equal terms with the soloist.

Most striking of all, however, is his way of ambushing you with grandeur, solemnity or forcefulness just when you think he has settled for prettiness. He is by no means a maverick, yet he’s never predictable. After the concertos he gave us two ravishing encores, fittingly Bach and Mozart again in romanticised arrangements that showed off his ability to send inner melodies glowing through the texture. I think the audience would have liked two more.

The Philharmonia was scheduled to be conducted in this concert by its new Finnish principal conductor, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, but he withdrew this week apparently due to “scheduling difficulties arising from the pandemic’’. The difficulties must have been severe indeed to miss your debut at the world’s most important classical music festival, and a chance to show London what you can offer with your new orchestra.


In the event the Estonian conductor Paavo Jarvi, for whom the expression “safe pair of hands’’ could have been invented, stepped into the breach. And he did a fine job of steering the Philharmonia through two Russian symphonies with plenty of potential pitfalls: Prokofiev’s First, the “Classical’’, and Shostakovich’s Ninth.

The violins sounded a bit stretched by their high exposed lines in the outer movements of the Prokofiev, but the Shostakovich was played with flair and character. It’s not the easiest symphony to interpret — Shostakovich at his most ambiguous and ironic at a time (1945) when Stalin wanted a grandiose victory celebration — but Jarvi made sense out of its disconcerting mix of bleak tragedy and sardonic glee.”

(Incidentally, through a source close to the orchestra, I understand the reason for Rouvali’s non-appearance does not reflect well upon him.)

[kernelbogey]

Looking in on the BBC4 replay, I was shocked at the inadequacy of the discussion before the DSCH 9, which barely touched on what they referred to as "darker moods"...

My experience of the Proms TV broadasts is that these introductions are toe-curlingly embarassing, with the presenter gurning away at the camera the whole time (TS an honourable exception in that particular aspect of his presentation ) and the 'knowledgeable guests' frequently looking embarassed or slightly bored - Jane Glover and Joanna McGregor come to mind.

(Perhaps Suzy Klein will in her new role do something about this.)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

But probably not like Harnoncourt doing No.40........

I’ve never heard a Shostakovich symphony with a tea-break in the middle.

[cloughie]

I’ve never heard a Shostakovich symphony with a tea-break in the middle.

Just the Tahiti Trot as an encore!
I wonder if Paavo thought of the Prokofiev and Shostakovich as ‘Symphonies my father taught me’!

I listened to the Bach and Mozart on Sounds via ipad and found them quite satisfactory performances and don’t agree with the slating given on this thread. The Mozart was certainly more acceptable than the massacre of the last three symphonies a couple of weeks ago.

[antongould]

Just the Tahiti Trot as an encore!
I wonder if Paavo thought of the Prokofiev and Shostakovich as ‘Symphonies my father taught me’!

I listened to the Bach and Mozart on Sounds via ipad and found them quite satisfactory performances and don’t agree with the slating given on this thread. The Mozart was certainly more acceptable than the massacre of the last three symphonies a couple of weeks ago.

Welcome back young sir you have been missed …..