Prom 42: Sibelius, Beethoven and Nielsen (18.08.22)

[Alison]

A bit sorry to see conductor and orchestra go their separate ways. It’s been a good era.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Indeed. There’s so much acoustic around the sound I can only surmise they forgot to turn on the focus/solo mics, or whatever they’re called. Cannot recall this happening before!

It does happen . Also cables fail and you can also get dodgy Jack plugs and audio channels failing. It’s alarmingly common - or was in analogue days so there’s quite a bit of back up built into the system. The more mikes the more likely something will go wrong.

[Barbirollians]

Jan has form:

“In March 2013, Lisiecki substituted at short notice for Martha Argerich, performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 58 in Bologna with the Orchestra Mozart under Claudio Abbado.” [Wikipedia]

Is this correct concerto wise ? I understood Argerich always steered clear of the Fourth as she told SBK it scared her ?

[King_Ouf_I]

I was in the hall for this one, sitting fairly close to the set of timps in the Arena. The Nielsen started with these timps unmanned - I said to my companion that as they don’t play until the finale, the player woukd probably come on before the ‘slow movement’ section, but at that point, there was still no player. Suddenly, just before the entry, one of the promenaders could be seen moving through the audience, dressed in beige shorts and a lime green polo shirt, carrying a rucksack. He came through the rope barrier and climbed onto the timpani staging, then whipped out a pair of sticks from his rucksack just in time for his first entry! Quite a coup de thêatre. To me, the impression, given position and costume, was that the 2nd timpanist represented ‘the common man’ versus the band as ‘the establishment’ - gave the whole piece a totally new angle.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I was in the hall for this one, sitting fairly close to the set of timps in the Arena. The Nielsen started with these timps unmanned - I said to my companion that as they don’t play until the finale, the player woukd probably come on before the ‘slow movement’ section, but at that point, there was still no player. Suddenly, just before the entry, one of the promenaders could be seen moving through the audience, dressed in beige shorts and a lime green polo shirt, carrying a rucksack. He came through the rope barrier and climbed onto the timpani staging, then whipped out a pair of sticks from his rucksack just in time for his first entry! Quite a coup de thêatre. To me, the impression, given position and costume, was that the 2nd timpanist represented ‘the common man’ versus the band as ‘the establishment’ - gave the whole piece a totally new angle.

Is he Dionysus entering battle with the Apollonian forces of the orchestra in their formal rationalist black and white attire ? Is that why the prommers applauding at the beginning were subdued at by the band at the beginning …only for one of their number to return to do battle ?
Whatever ….nice idea .. wish I’d been there.

[kernelbogey]

[…] back to Georgia
Just can't wait to hear old Tom, again,
Now I'm goin back to Georgia
Been laid up here got Georgia on my mind

[bluestateprommer]

I was in the hall for this one, sitting fairly close to the set of timps in the Arena. The Nielsen started with these timps unmanned - I said to my companion that as they don’t play until the finale, the player woukd probably come on before the ‘slow movement’ section, but at that point, there was still no player. Suddenly, just before the entry, one of the promenaders could be seen moving through the audience, dressed in beige shorts and a lime green polo shirt, carrying a rucksack. He came through the rope barrier and climbed onto the timpani staging, then whipped out a pair of sticks from his rucksack just in time for his first entry! Quite a coup de thêatre. To me, the impression, given position and costume, was that the 2nd timpanist represented ‘the common man’ versus the band as ‘the establishment’ - gave the whole piece a totally new angle.

Was about to ask you in this thread where the 2nd timpanist was, but then I checked Twitter:

https://twitter.com/bbcproms/status/1560386067408343041/photo/3

One of the few instances where social media are of positive value ;) . For the record, I archived the name of the Arena timpanist, Alastair Kelly, in the Forum Calendar entry for this Proms, along with Gordon Rigby (Martin Handley accidentally credited GR as "Graham" Rigby [unless Graham is Gordon Rigby's middle name, but I digress]).

Interesting also to see that Thomas D. stayed masked on stage, it looks like, in both concerts. Good for him, personal health- and public health-wise.

[edashtav]

Is this correct concerto wise ? I understood Argerich always steered clear of the Fourth as she told SBK it scared her ?

Well… she dud steer clear, in a manner of speaking.