Prom 44: Ethel Smyth’s Mass in D major (20.08.22)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Saturday 20 August 2022
Royal Albert Hall

Claude Debussy: Nocturnes
Ethel Smyth: Mass in D major

Nardus Williams (soprano)
Bethan Langford (mezzo-soprano)
Robert Murray (tenor)
Božidar Smiljanić (bass-baritone)
BBC Symphony Chorus
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sakari Oramo (conductor)

Ethel Smyth wasn’t especially religious: the text and images of the Catholic Mass simply thrilled her. ‘What words! What words!’ she exclaimed, and her monumental Mass in D major is one of the crowning glories of the British choral tradition. Following their widely admired 2019 recording (‘fiercely committed, highly persuasive’ – BBC Music Magazine) Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra give the first Proms performance since the composer’s own lifetime, with rising operatic star Nardus Williams heading an impressive quartet of soloists. Debussy’s Nocturnes begin the evening in a very different, but no less beautiful world – blurring the edges of sound itself to create music that seems to glow in the dark.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's good that this Mass is receiving another airing. I much prefer it to The Wreckers, which I feel is sometimes heavy-handed musically.

[Ein Heldenleben]

It's good that this Mass is receiving another airing. I much prefer it to The Wreckers, which I feel is sometimes heavy-handed musically.

On the evidence so far you are absolutely right. The opening Kyrie was a very skilful piece of writing - with liberal nods to Brahms and Beethoven - even a touch of Bach in the flute obligato - and why not ?

[edashtav]

It's good that this Mass is receiving another airing. I much prefer it to The Wreckers, which I feel is sometimes heavy-handed musically.

What a contrast between the half tones and half-lights of Debussy’s orchestration in Nocturnes and Ethel Smyth’s full-on, vigorous to a fault treatment of the Mass.

I enjoyed Oramo’s sensitive performance of the Nocturnes with his BBC SO, although I felt the Ladies of the Symphony were all too human and earth-bound to be imaginary, illusory, wicked, winged mermaids.

Ethel Smyth’s Mass was given a vivid, forthright performance. There was a solidity about it that reminded me of her teacher, Heinrich von Herzogenberg - I have his Requiem on CD, somewhere! Cussedness and a love of f and ff called Havergal Brian to mind. Sakari Oramo marshalled his forces superbly, and they all deserve our sincere thanks for being such committed and sincere revivalists.

[Ein Heldenleben]

What a contrast between the half tones and half-lights of Debussy’s orchestration in Nocturnes and Ethel Smyth’s full-on, vigorous to a fault treatment of the Mass.

I enjoyed Oramo’s sensitive performance of the Nocturnes with his BBC SO, although I felt the Ladies of the Symphony were all too human and earth-bound to be imaginary, illusory, wicked, winged mermaids.

Ethel Smyth’s Mass was given a vivid, forthright performance. There was a solidity about it that reminded me of her teacher, Heinrich von Herzogenberg - I have his Requiem on CD, somewhere! Cussedness and a love of f and ff called Havergal Brian to mind. Sakari Oramo marshalled his forces superbly, and they all deserve our sincere thanks for being such committed and sincere revivalists.

Yes Oramo did a superb job. He made a good point about the tricky nature of the solo writing - one or two of the soloists sounded considerably strained at times. In general though this work is unjustifiably overlooked.

[antongould]

Yes Oramo did a superb job. He made a good point about the tricky nature of the solo writing - one or two of the soloists sounded considerably strained at times. In general though this work is unjustifiably overlooked.

Enjoyed the whole Prom very much ….. and the interval chat …

[edashtav]

Enjoyed the whole Prom very much ….. and the interval chat …

The Guardian’s Review was positive, too:

Prom 44: BBCSO/Oramo review – Ethel Smyth’s Mass in D played with gravitas and grandeur

[bluestateprommer]

More catch-up late-listening on this summer's Proms, with just barely a week to go. Agree with everyone on the strong quality of this Prom from the BBC SO, Sakari Oramo and friends. I haven't heard Oramo's Chandos recording of Dame Ethel's Mass in D, but I'm willing to bet that it is of high-quality. So this was my first-ever hearing of her Mass in D.

Likewise, the interval discussion between Leah Broad and Petroc was very good. Interestingly, however, I noticed that a lot of Dr. Broad's remarks were on the defensive side, kind of gliding over Dame Ethel's not-so-nice side. This BBC Culture article alludes to that side a bit more (and quotes Dr. Broad):

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220720-ethel-smyththe-rebel-composer-erased-from-history

The Mass in D hit me with two paradoxical and seemingly contradictory qualities: it didn't seem derivative (in keeping with the defensive comments alluded to above), but also to me, it didn't have a particularly distinctive personality either. It is admittedly quite unusual to put one movement "out of sequence", i.e. to place the 'Gloria' movement at the end of the work rather than its standard place in the Mass sequence, 2nd. But it was most definitely worth it to give the Mass in D the full Proms treatment in this concert.