Prom 26: Semyon Bychkov and the Labèque Sisters (5.08.22)

[jonfan]

I prommed for this one.
Tend to disagree. perfect "non allegro" tempo to start. v strong "last composition/missing mother Russia" dies irae vibe throughout.
Stupendous playing in all departments. perfectly controlled by the conductor.

I’ll have another listen. BBCSO have given wonderful performances of the piece in the past so maybe I wasn't expecting this one to measure up. Our orchestra worked on the piece last season and we came away from the experience convinced we were attempting to do justice to a great masterpiece.

[jonfan]

I remember reading all Friday and Saturday proms are recorded for later viewing

BBC Four has proms on Fridays and Sundays but they are recordings from any day of the week.

[gedsmk]

Didn't see any cameras.

[Maclintick]

I would say the exact opposite, actually. From what I recall of my days as a young person when I briefly paid attention to such things, the pop charts are not exactly stuffed full of sad songs.

Bono was not necessarily alluding to "pop charts" or global playlists in terms of streaming, downloads etc., but was vouchsafing his opinion that bands or songs which might be characterised as "miserabilist" are accorded greater artistic worthiness, & thought of as possessing greater integrity & authenticity by the rock cognoscenti of NME or Rolling Stone than those which emphasise positivity or "joyfulness".

[Pulcinella]

Four stars from The Times:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bbcso-bychkov-review-a-stunning-proms-premiere-for-julian-anderson-x6jqdfd5g?shareToken=e0269dfb2f21fcc6c5821af75a053c03

[Joseph K]

his opinion that bands or songs which might be characterised as "miserabilist" are accorded greater artistic worthiness, & thought of as possessing greater integrity & authenticity by the rock cognoscenti of NME or Rolling Stone than those which emphasise positivity or "joyfulness".

Hmm not so sure about this. I bought the NME frequently between c. 2002-2005, and while bands to whom you might apply the the epithet 'miserabilist' such as Radiohead were featured quite a lot (much to my pleasure) there were also bands like The White Stripes, The Strokes, The Coral and The Libertines who got lots of coverage and who weren't miserabilist; also older groups such as Pixies ... I never got the impression that the magazine deliberately accorded more worth to so-called miserable bands though - perhaps it's a case that many more successful groups of a certain generation like Joy Division, Nirvana or Radiohead (the great joy these bands have given me notwithstanding!) just happen to have pessimistic traits... certainly preferable to the anodyne tosh Bono produces in any case...

[gurnemanz]

Just heard an interview with Bychkov on the World Service. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct32lh

[edashtav]

I enjoyed the Anderson piece. Stupidly forgot about it so missed the first ten minutes though...

I, too, enjoyed Anderson’s Second Symphony but felt it was self-indulgent. A huge orchestra was used without economy and, I’m afraid, plagiarism ruled. It could have been subtitled ‘The Thieving Magpie’, and it may become a mine for those looking for passages to quote in games of ‘spot the influence’. My list was without end …
Yes, it had warmth and was brilliantly embroidered. It was never dull but its sum was less than its component parts. Modern music decked out and disguised for those who can’t stand it in the buff. More suite than symphony and so sweet for folk like me who prefer something more tart and astringent.

The performance under Semyon Bychkov’s clear direction sounded assured and well balanced.
Earlier performances had consisted of only the first two movements. The Proms audience seemed to have heard enough and decided to clap after the central movement.

[Bryn]

I, too, enjoyed Anderson’s Second Symphony but felt it was self-indulgent. A huge orchestra was used without economy and, I’m afraid, plagiarism ruled. It could have been subtitled ‘The Thieving Magpie’, and it may become a mine for those looking for passages to quote in games of ‘spot the influence’. My list was without end …
Yes, it had warmth and was brilliantly embroidered. It was never dull but its sum was less than its component parts. Modern music decked out and disguised for those who can’t stand it in the buff. More suite than symphony and so sweet for folk like me who prefer something more tart and astringent.

The performance under Semyon Bychkov’s clear direction sounded assured and well balanced.
Earlier perfirmances had consisted of only the first two movements. The Proms audience seemed to have heard enough and decided to clap after the central movement.

Ouch! I have not listened yet.

[Joseph K]

I, too, enjoyed Anderson’s Second Symphony but felt it was self-indulgent. A huge orchestra was used without economy and, I’m afraid, plagiarism ruled. It could have been subtitled ‘The Thieving Magpie’, and it may become a mine for those looking for passages to quote in games of ‘spot the influence’. My list was without end …
Yes, it had warmth and was brilliantly embroidered. It was never dull but its sum was less than its component parts. Modern music decked out and disguised for those who can’t stand it in the buff. More suite than symphony and so sweet for folk like me who prefer something more tart and astringent.

The performance under Semyon Bychkov’s clear direction sounded assured and well balanced.
Earlier perfirmances had consisted of only the first two movements. The Proms audience seemed to have heard enough and decided to clap after the central movement.

A huge orchestra doesn't necessarily have to be used economically. As for influences/plagiarism, I'd be interested to hear what these were, if you would be so kind to name some to me; to my less knowledgeable ears, the piece sounded typically Andersonian, to coin a word. As for sounding so sweet, this is a typical trait of Anderson that should be expected, I guess.

[edashtav]

Ouch! I have not listened yet.

I fear, given your voracious appetite for real music, that you may decide to give the half an hour that Anderson’s piece lasts to something less colourful but more coherent, Bryn

[edashtav]

A huge orchestra doesn't necessarily have to be used economically. As for influences/plagiarism, I'd be interested to hear what these were, if you would be so kind to name some to me; to my less knowledgeable ears, the piece sounded typically Andersonian, to coin a word. As for sounding so sweet, this is a typical trait of Anderson that should be expected, I guess.

My ears are not knowledgeable but they’ve heard a deal of music, Jo K.
As for influences: Grisey, Messaien, Ligeti, Jimmy MacM, John Adams, Martinu, Stravinsky, Honegger, Milhaud, Tippett and Rachmaninov for starters.

[edashtav]

Golly I forgot Tristan ( no, not Wagner ) Murail and, to make a Baker’s dozen : Balinese Temple Music through the prisms of Colin and Ben.

[Joseph K]

My ears are not knowledgeable but they’ve heard a deal of music, Jo K.
As for influences: Grisey, Messaien, Ligeti, Jimmy MacM, John Adams, Martinu, Stravinsky, Honegger, Milhaud, Tippett and Rachmaninov for starters.

Golly I forgot Tristan ( no, not Wagner ) Murail and, to make a Baker’s dozen : Balinese Temple Music through the prisms of Colin and Ben.

Well, I'm familiar with the music of about half of these composers. We all have our influences - and the more the merrier in a way, since the more influences one can draw upon the less likely, I would aver, that you'd end up sounding like any particular one. I still think Anderson's music sounds distinctively his, whatever its faults...

[edashtav]

Well, I'm familiar with the music of about half of these composers. We all have our influences - and the more the merrier in a way, since the more influences one can draw upon the less likely, I would aver, that you'd end up sounding like any particular one. I still think Anderson's music sounds distinctively his, whatever its faults...

Essentially, your last sentence crystallises the difference between us: I think that there’s precious little of the ‘echt’ Julian Anderson left once you remove the blatant cribs and references to ‘les autres’. He’s a melange, but not a blancmange, for he wears Joseph’s Coat of Many Colours. ‘ The Colourful Spectralist?’