Prom 20 (17.08.21) - The Manchester Collective

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Tuesday 17 August 2021
Royal Albert Hall

Henryk Mikołaj Górecki: Harpsichord Concerto, Op. 40
Edmund Finnis: The Centre is Everywhere
Julius Eastman: The Holy Presence of Joan d'Arc
Dobrinka Tabakova: Suite in Old Style, ‘The Court Jester Amareu’
Joseph Horowitz: Jazz Harpsichord Concerto

Mahan Esfahani harpsichord
Manchester Collective
Rakhi Singh violin/director

Fresh from the release of its debut recording, the dynamic Manchester Collective makes its first appearance at the Proms with a programme that draws on the musical past to help imagine a bold musical future. Award-winning harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani explodes stereotypes around his instrument in concertos by Joseph Horovitz and Górecki – the former a witty fusion of jazz colours and textures with Classical forms, the latter a musical ‘prank’, motoric and defiantly playful. Also looking back to the 18th century is Dobrinka Tabakova’s Suite in Old Style – a musical homage to Rameau (alias Amareu) that blends folk and Baroque details in its five contrasting movements. The concert also includes music by the black American avant-garde post- Minimalist and gay activist Julius Eastman and Novello Award-nominated composer Edmund Finnis.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Mahan Esfahani does seem to have a high profile at present.
It's very interesting to have modern harpsichord works, though I'm never quite sure about an instrument without any dynamic range.

[jayne lee wilson]

The Gorecki is a great start here - the rest a true adventure into the unknown for me!

After two Proms I can't do much with, I'll have a good go at this one...

[jayne lee wilson]

This ECM Tabakova album, including the Suite in tonight's program, was released to many glowing reviews....

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/dobrinka-tabakova-string-paths-lithuanian-chamber-orchestra/0002894764826

....playing now..... some very appealing music here.....do try it...
CD widely available.

[Serial_Apologist]

This ECM Tabakova album, including the Suite in tonight's program, was released to many glowing reviews....

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/dobrinka-tabakova-string-paths-lithuanian-chamber-orchestra/0002894764826

....playing now..... some very appealing music here.....do try it...
CD widely available.

Thanks jayne - tempted to listen to those samples as I am, I shall instead suspend impatience in readiness for tonight's concert, which looks to be quite possibly the most intriguing of the season.

[kernelbogey]

I had to switch off immediately because of the presenter, whose verbal ticks I simply cannot stand. My loss, I know.

[Tony Halstead]

Mahan Esfahani does seem to have a high profile at present.
It's very interesting to have modern harpsichord works, though I'm never quite sure about an instrument without any dynamic range.

Mahan owns and plays a superb and unique harpsichord that does indeed possess a dynamic range.

[bluestateprommer]

I had to switch off immediately because of the presenter, whose verbal ticks I simply cannot stand. My loss, I know.

Elizabeth Alker can bury the needle on the gush meter, but please tune back in anyway, because of the high level of music-making involved here. The representative of Manchester Collective is kind of taking over the gush factor from EA, but he's on stage for it, at least.

[DracoM]

It's pretentious rubbish
So far.

[Ein Heldenleben]

It's pretentious rubbish
So far.

Ooh I’m quite enjoying it !

[jayne lee wilson]

What an utterly thrilling, compelling sequence in Part One, with string playing of electrifying beauty and intensity, and Esfahani’s manic, pounding harpsichord, we adventured far between Gorecki’s monolithic drive, through the shining radiance of Finnis’s stasis, or stases - the energies passing around all those centres - to the pounding bases of what Szabo described as the “70s or 80s rock and roll”, (referencing Zappa) of Julius Eastman, whose Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc, which sounded to me more like minimalism on speed, and reached out, or up, for some hope of a peaceful apotheosis…..wonderful.

Sad to read the disproportionate comments on the presentation. This doesn't take long and the music is what matters…
Music longa, intro brevis, as it were… maybe just turn the level down until the piece starts…?

In fact, the Collective chief-exec Adam Szabo’s intros live from the stage were a model of informative clarity on the music and its background, really helping us get into each piece. Excellent!

***
Mad Goreckian scramble now to feed Cats and get back to my chair later....

[Ein Heldenleben]

What an utterly thrilling, compelling sequence in Part One, with string playing of electrifying beauty and intensity, and Esfahani’s manic, pounding harpsichord, we adventured far between Gorecki’s monolithic drive, through the shining radiance of Finnis’s stasis, or stases - the energies passing around all those centres - to the pounding bases of what Szabo described as the “70s or 80s rock and roll”, (referencing Zappa) of Julius Eastman, whose Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc, which sounded to me more like minimalism on speed, and reached out, or up, for some hope of a peaceful apotheosis…..wonderful.

Sad to read the disproportionate comments on the presentation. This doesn't take long and the music is what matters…
Music longa, intro brevis, as it were… maybe just turn the level down until the piece starts…?

In fact, the Collective chief-exec Adam Szabo’s intros live from the stage were a model of informative clarity on the music and its background, really helping us get into each piece. Excellent!

Agreed also for those of us who find North West accents not merely acceptable but appealing the interval feature is very informative !

[jayne lee wilson]

Agreed also for those of us who find North West accents not merely acceptable but appealing the interval feature is very informative !

You should hear me when I'm excited!

Yes, from what I heard of it whilst distributing Catfood (radios-all-over-the-house etc) a lively dialogue on Manchester's own rich history of nurturing toward new music, Birtwistle and Max Davies etc., even including the final section of Worldes Blis....!
Radio 3 at its best....

[kernelbogey]

Agreed also for those of us who find North West accents not merely acceptable but appealing the interval feature is very informative !

This particular presenter raises hackles not because of the accent (at least with me) but with overall style, verbal ticks, and a patronising tone - all of which could be adjusted by training.

[jayne lee wilson]

This particular presenter raises hackles not because of the accent (at least with me) but with overall style, verbal ticks, and a patronising tone - all of which could be adjusted by training.

"Adjusted by Training" ....What a truly terrifying thought.....
They tried to do that to me at school. I kept running home in tears...

Such a shame we can't all sound like Patricia Hughes or Alvar Liddell, isn't it?
Still, if Fr Cormac Rigby had been presenting this wonderful Prom, there would have been a certain unintentional hilarity about the culture clash...