Prom 45 (10.09.21) - Bach's Goldberg Variations

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Friday 10 September 2021
Royal Albert Hall

JS Bach: Goldberg Variations

Pavel Kolesnikov, piano

‘Is it a coded message, an exercise in numerology? Is it a glorious attempt to marry old and new, or is it a nocturnal, private, fanciful tale?’ Russian-born Pavel Kolesnikov asked these questions and more when he took up the challenge of deciphering one of the undeniable peaks of the piano repertoire, Bach’s ‘Goldberg’ Variations. And, going by the judgement of The Guardian, which declared that Kolesnikov’s recent recording of the work ‘stands alone’ – the Russian-born pianist has found some answers. Bach’s beguiling sequence of a gentle Aria followed by 30 miniature variations was designed ‘for the refreshment of the spirits’, a mindful mix from the 18th century.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's a change from Beethoven's 9th of years gone by. Cheaper too. But in the RAH?

[Barbirollians]

It's a change from Beethoven's 9th of years gone by. Cheaper too. But in the RAH?

Terrific pianist but the fact that Beethoven 9 has gone missing for two years now is a concern - last year was impossible but no reason why it could not have been one of the mystery Proms.

[Petrushka]

It's a change from Beethoven's 9th of years gone by. Cheaper too. But in the RAH?

Might it have been a more appropriate choice for the Proms Festival Orchestra, perhaps with a Proms Festival Chorus?

[Barbirollians]

Might it have been a more appropriate choice for the Proms Festival Orchestra, perhaps with a Proms Festival Chorus?

Good point.

[mopsus]

I think full orchestra + symphony chorus concerts are still problematic? Certainly the two such choirs I'm involved with are avoiding such programmes in the coming season, although they did happen at the 3 Choirs Festival this year.

[Barbirollians]

Could have gone for a HIPP performance !

[Cockney Sparrow]

Terrific pianist but the fact that Beethoven 9 has gone missing for two years now is a concern - last year was impossible but no reason why it could not have been one of the mystery Proms.

I trust it isn't the sidelining of competent symphonic choruses. I hope its a matter of planning somewhat ahead for a very uncertain situation. Professional artists could perform in larger numbers in the transition out of lockdown - so that brings the (for obvious reasons) favoured BBC Singers into the equation, and other singers. The Glyndebourne chorus was piped in to the auditorium..... Looking weeks ahead a lot of weeks and not so many, they cannot have known whether there would be raging infection rates and the risk level.

Think about 100 - 150 non-professionals travelling to a tutti rehearsal before the day (venue? - more risk assessments) and then to the Hall for the day (is that right - a tutti rehearsal on the day in RAH. Plus the rehearsals themselves.

The Unions would rightfully want assurance their players would be protected from a virus carried on exhaled vapour and that the ventilation system would eliminate risk to an acceptable risk. Just to add to that, the BBC must be aware its a plum target for civil and criminal litigation on negligence and health and safety grounds respectively so all risk analyses will be uber cautious.

I definitely choose to attend large choral and operatic performances at the Proms - the Beeb is able to mount these given the finances etc of a whole season. I can't wait to attend them again. But I think I might be waiting for the virus to become - I think the phrase is endemic - i.e. of limited effect, with the population so resistant its manageable like flu...... I'm hoping that's next year's Proms (and not just for music performance reasons).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Could have gone for a HIPP performance !

A clavichord in the RAH?

[Barbirollians]

How big was the choir for the Mozart Requiem concert?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Think about 100 - 150 non-professionals travelling to a tutti rehearsal before the day (venue? - more risk assessments) and then to the Hall for the day (is that right - a tutti rehearsal on the day in RAH. Plus the rehearsals themselves.

Does the virus distinguish between singers who get paid, and those who don't?

But I take your general point.

[Barbirollians]

As do I but no such reason has been put forward by the BBC for no Beethoven 9 and won't there be a full chorus there for the LNOTP ?

[Simon B]

There hasn't been a single concert all season with anything approaching a large chorus. The BBCSC is listed for the last night - what this means remains to be seen.

While there has been no public statement it's obvious that the BBC is operating further up the paranoia end of the spectrum to other concert promoters.

They are clearly all grappling in the dark for the right approach and have different tradeoffs to make between imminent risk of bankruptcy (not an issue for the BBC) versus risk of poor publicity or litigation.

There is a lot of inconsistency. The Three Choirs Festival had a full size chorus packed together in the usual way, albeit in fewer concerts than usual. Barely a week after the Last Night of the Proms, the RPO are mounting a concert at the RAH with multiple choruses to perform Walton's Belshazzar's Feast.

The LSO appear to have not programmed anything requiring a large orchestra this side of Christmas and have a large stage extension so they can spread out. Meanwhile, the Philharmonia are opening their season with Also Sprach Zarathustra & the Alpine Symphony...

The Hallé are performing what looks like normal programming with no social distancing of the audience in Manchester. In the same hall the BBCPO are playing mostly smaller scale repertoire to a heavily socially distanced audience with timed entry and all the rest of it. Meanwhile in Leeds... Mahler 2 in October from Opera North and the big Leeds choruses.

The CBSO have probably made one of the wisest calls - offering a mix of social distancing and not so for the audience to choose from. They appear to be opening their season with a large orchestra and chorus though.

Covid can't distinguish between amateur and professional singers. Their behaviour will generally be different though. If you're singing a named role at the ROH it is probably reasonable to expect you to focus on that, keep yourself to yourself, operate within professional bubbles and all the rest of it. That's less practical if you're a member of a large amateur chorus which doesn't dominate your working life and that of the hundreds of other members all drawn from different places and walks of life.

Overall it appears nobody really knows what to do. This is hardly surprising as... nobody really knows what to do.

Also to note: The RAH operated a policy of compulsory vaccine passports/recent negative test proof etc as a condition of entry for the Proms. As things stand, this won't apply to the ROH when it opens from next Monday, other venues are making open-ended statements like "you might be required to provide proof etc...". Inconsistency abounds.

[Cockney Sparrow]

How big was the choir for the Mozart Requiem concert?

Well it was the National Youth Chamber Choir. I wasn't there - not professional, agreed.
Chamber choir - small numbers.
Youth (BBC box - tick) - and all of them young - reduced risk as opposed to the age profile of many symphonic choruses (despite all their attempts to recruit more younger members).

Anyone there, or with sight of a programme?

[Cockney Sparrow]

There hasn't been a single concert all season with anything approaching a large chorus. The BBCSC is listed for the last night - what this means remains to be seen.

While there has been no public statement it's obvious that the BBC is operating further up the paranoia end of the spectrum to other concert promoters.

They are clearly all grappling in the dark for the right approach and have different tradeoffs to make between imminent risk of bankruptcy (not an issue for the BBC) versus risk of poor publicity or litigation.

I think the BBC is under severe financial pressure – mass redundancies in News operations etc, over 75’s declining to pay the licence fee. Plenty of folks who love to damn the BBC -for example at least one anti BBC story in the The Times each day (Murdoch can’t wait to carry off the bits of the BBC which could turn a profit). And an existential threat from the Johnson government (see previous sentence – and yet others…). It can’t afford to lose money or hand hammers to critics for more nails in its coffin.

If you're singing a named role at the ROH it is probably reasonable to expect you to focus on that, keep yourself to yourself, operate within professional bubbles and all the rest of it. That's less practical if you're a member of a large amateur chorus which doesn't dominate your working life and that of the hundreds of other members all drawn from different places and walks of life.

Quite – the average age profile, greater numbers travelling, the cross infection opportunities must be substantial

Overall it appears nobody really knows what to do. This is hardly surprising as... nobody really knows what to do.

Agreed! I’m not seeking to disagree with you, but I do think it really can’t have been easy. And surely no Proms planner would want a season with no Choral blockbusters or challenging large scale works – they are highlights of the season for many of their audience. When I started work a colleague gave me advice “if the solution to a problem isn’t clear or is intractably difficult, many end up solved by the effluxion of time”. (As in waiting for “endemic” – last para of my post #8, above).