Prom 40: Vasily Petrenko conducts the RPO (16.08.22)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Tuesday 16 August 2022
Royal Albert Hall

Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring – suite
George Walker: Trombone Concerto
Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 in B flat major

Peter Moore trombone
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko conductor

Moscow, 1945: when Sergey Prokofiev stepped up to conduct the premiere of his Fifth Symphony, he was interrupted by the sound of an artillery barrage. Forged in a time of war and tyranny, Prokofiev said that the symphony embodied ‘the greatness of the human spirit’, and for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s Music Director, Vasily Petrenko, it’s one of the supreme 20th-century masterpieces. Tonight, he sets it in a strikingly original context – alongside the primary colours and all-American optimism of Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and the bold, swinging postwar rhythms of George Walker’s Trombone Concerto. Peter Moore (‘magical’ – The Times) is the soloist in this striking contribution to our season-long focus on instruments that don’t always get their due.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sorry for the late arrival of this post...

[edashtav]

[edashtav]

Appalachian Spring (Suite from the Ballet)
RPO Vasily Petrenko
Petrenko adopted a relaxed speed at the start which sounded lovely in the wide expanse of the RAH.The RPO sounded in fine fettle with some tender playing from its woodwind department. As the tempo picked up, the dance rhythms were well etched and the bucolic atmosphere of young American pioneers was well evoked: simple but not schmalzy. The five variations on ‘Simple Gifts’ were nicely differentiated. Altogether, a lovely and affectionate performance.

[bluestateprommer]

Fine start to this RPO Prom, with the full-orchestra version of the Appalachian Spring ballet suite, although I admit that I much prefer the original 13-instrument version (and the full-length ballet rather than the suite).

[edashtav]

Fine start to this RPO Prom, with the full-orchestra version of the Appalachian Spring ballet suite, although I admit that I much prefer the original 13-instrument version (and the full-length ballet rather than the suite).

I agree with your preferances, bsp.

George Walker Trombone Concerto (1957)
Soloist : Peter Moore.

“Great fun to play,” said the soloist, was it a joy to hear?
The first movement is very chattery in a Hindemithian fashion with the trombone getting the best, sustained melodies and the orchestra providing rhythmic drive and energy. In fact it was a bit of a ‘countfest’ for the strings, in particular: more work than fun. The trombone part was gorgeous and so well-constructed. “Did you sound good in it, Peter?” Yes, you did!

The slow movement was mellow, reflective and dreamy. Urgent rhythms were put on a shelf, whilst trombone and everyone else could enjoy shaping and projecting some fine, melodic material, grateful to play and easy on the ear. By golly, this movement did not outstay its welcome.

On to a dancing movement in 6/8. It probed no depths but was well scored with transparent textures.
The trombonist was given opportunities to explore his instrument’s full range.

A neat work given a decent performance.
Encore: David Uber Clef Study #18 ‘Blues Étude’

[bluestateprommer]

Very fine performance indeed from Peter Moore, the RPO and Vasily Petrenko of George Walker's Trombone Concerto. It's a good, meaty piece, as Ed notes above, and deserves more live performances, IMHO, granted that trombone concerti seem to be few and far between (unless I just haven't looked, which I haven't). Heard some elements of Stravinsky-like neo-classicism in the rhythms. It's a shame that George Walker's music is getting so much more attention and many more performances only after his 2018 passing (his Lyric for Strings aside, by far his biggest hit), even though he lived to a great age, as it would have been nice for him to see the uptick in performances for himself. Fun encore from PM also.

[edashtav]

Very fine performance indeed from Peter Moore, the RPO and Vasily Petrenko of George Walker's Trombone Concerto. It's a good, meaty piece, as Ed notes above, and deserves more live performances, IMHO, granted that trombone concerti seem to be few and far between (unless I just haven't looked, which I haven't). Heard some elements of Stravinsky-like neo-classicism in the rhythms. It's a shame that George Walker's music is getting so much more attention and many more performances only after his 2018 passing (his Lyric for Strings aside, by far his biggest hit), even though he lived to a great age, as it would have been nice for him to see the uptick in performances for himself. Fun encore from PM also.

‘neo-classicism’, a good spot, bsp. I eschewed its use as I’ve heard that GW disliked his early music being placed in that pigeon-hole!

[edashtav]

Prokofiev Symphony # 5

A wonderful relaxed tempo choice by Petrenko at the start as if the orchestra was settling into armchairs, putting down their pipes and saying ‘Now, let’s start at the beginning…’ and then the oboe quickens the tempo and the tale unfolds…

I think I’ve heard the work twice live in the Albert Hall in past Proms and neither performance satisfied me. Tonight, my expectations are high and I can hear the orchestra ‘gripping’ their notes: this is no shallow run through, Thank God!

This is a wide-screen, epic performance, the whole battlefield is in view.

Great velocity, energy and verve in the Toccata-like Scherzo, with the central melody providing a colourful contrast. Ooh- what lovely playing from the first horn, succeeded by some ‘ tight’ martial rhythms from trumpets. I swear that I’ve nit heard better from the RPO.

The Adagio is marked crochet = 60 and that’s what we got: breadth plus time to breathe. I sensed the wide spaces of the Donetsk Steppes of Prokofiev’s youth in Ukraine. The movement is, mainly, reflective and dreamy, with a central section where armies intrude. The playing was superb.

The finale was superb. Some of the staccato rapid playing from the woodwind was simply delicious.
The characterisation of the frequent changes of gear and mood excellent. There was scarcely a phrase which I didn’t enjoy. A great interpretation matched by an orchestra in best form.TREMENDOUS!

[bluestateprommer]

What Ed said; terrific Prokofiev 5 from Vasily P. and the RPO. Thought perhaps that he put the kettle lid on the snarling brass at the very end, as the front-desk strings were doing their last scurry. Will have to listen again. That aside, a Prom that got better and better from piece to piece, well worth listening to if you missed it the 1st time.

Enjoyable interval feature about Nanook of the North as well, nothing to do with this concert as such, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing here. Charming accent from the Norwegian scholar Roswitha Skare as icing on the cake ;) .

[edashtav]

What Ed said; terrific Prokofiev 5 from Vasily P. and the RPO. Thought perhaps that he put the kettle lid on the snarling brass at the very end, as the front-desk strings were doing their last scurry. Will have to listen again. That aside, a Prom that got better and better from piece to piece, well worth listening to if you missed it the 1st time[…]

Do listen again, bsp. Petrenko’s reading of the end of symphony was deliberate, IMHO. He ensured that “IRONY RULED, OK?”
Here is the Wiki entry on the Symphony’s coda:
‘the music unexpectedly degenerates into a manic frenzy (rehearsal mark 111), which is then interrupted by a string quartet playing staccato "wrong notes" (rehearsal mark 113) with rude interjections from low trumpets, making the ultimate orchestral unison on B-flat sound all the more ironic.’

The wonky string 4-tet needs to ‘resonate’ through the orchestra’ s unison Bb to sour its positivity.

Vasily Petrenko did a terrific job in undermining the Bb.

[richardfinegold]

Ed and BSP are quie a good reviewing duo. Perhaps they should be assigned BAL twofers

[edashtav]

Ed and BSP are quie a good reviewing duo. Perhaps they should be assigned BAL twofers

Will we use Zoom or meet mid-Atlantic in Studio ‘Full Fathom Five’?

[Pulcinella]

Will we use Zoom or meet mid-Atlantic in Studio ‘Full Fathom Five’?

If it's Zoom, just make sure not to give AMcG the link, or he'll want to interrupt.

[edashtav]

If it's Zoom, just make sure not to give AMcG the link, or he'll want to interrupt.

Yes, Andrew loves ‘making waves’.