Prom 27: NYOGB plays Elfman, Gershwin and Ravel (6.08.22)

[Master Jacques]

This does seem to be an issue. Under Karajan, the Vienna Philharmonic even gave Tchaikovsky waltzes a Viennese lilt!

Ah, but you should have heard Barbirolli with the Hallé in one of his late-60s Viennese nights - more echt alt Wien than the ding an sich, and with enough lilt to die for!

[smittims]

It's so easy to overdo the advanced second beat. To a true Vienner this would be as instantly detectable as Private Schulz walking into an English pub at 10 am and asking for a cup of tea.

[bluestateprommer]

Yet another late listening catch-up from this summer's Proms. I can understand the mixed reviews, but on balance, my feelings tip more positive than negative. The Danny Elfman opener was, to overuse a phrase that I've used probably too often this year, good clean fun, with obvious whiffs of his TV and movie work present. But if you're a kid who loves The Simpsons or Edward Scissorhands, you're not going to say anything bad about Danny Elfman :) .

Simone D. wasn't particularly outstanding with Rhapsody in Blue, with at least one blatant clam and one or two comparatively minor fluffs, but the work (for all its limitations as a great, but technically 'meh', but in turn extremely emotionally heart-warming piece of music - and I say that as an American who enjoys the work) can stand it. Trish Clowes' deconstruction of "The Man I Love" as the encore was indeed odd, so the blame would have to be placed mainly at her feet (fine musician though she is, from seeing her Wigmore Hall virtual recital(s) from a while back).

The "double-dipping" version of Daphnis et Chloe, with orchestra members doubling as the chorus (apparently Andrew Gourlay's idea, from the pre-performance banter, so again, credit or blame where credit or blame is due), did sound odd with a less-than-full choral contribution by default, and with the odd ensemble slip. One wonders why it wasn't possible to draft the National Youth Choir of GB, unless there were budget restrictions (quite plausible to imagine). But on the whole, the NYOGB players did very well, with particularly outstanding work from the principal flute, so necessary in this work, to state the incredibly obvious. Good to hear the highly enthusiastic audience response afterwards.

[smittims]

Am I the only listener who dislikes solo encores by concerto soloists? I feel they disrupt the momentum of the concert, especially when the dazzlingly fast finale of a violin concerto is followed by an apparently endless slow piece for unaccompanied violin, with bags of double-stopping.