Prom 51: Lalo, Brahms and Franck (25.08.22)

[Stanfordian]

I was delighted to be in the hall for this concert. Back in 1990 I was desperate to hear the Franck live at Prom 2, after getting obsessed with the famous Monteux recording. Alas I was pressganged instead to attend a family event by my then-girlfriend. 32 years later I finally got the chance to hear it live. Divine stuff! The opening movement was Monteux-like but after that the performance went its own way. As an organist I marvelled at some of the inner details, especially in the woodwind, which seemed to be anticipating the Trois Chorals.

Was interesting to see a couple of hall staff appear after the first movement to clean what I assumed was a pile of vomit from the set of steps stage left. Added a frisson to the whole experience lol.

Someone was sick after hearing the first movement of the Franck symphony!

Seriously I did hear the concert on Radio 3. In truth I was underwhelmed mainly by the uninspiring performance of the Brahms concerto. I did enjoy hearing the Lalo overture however I’ve never really warmed to the Franck symphony.

[gurnemanz]

I will happily listen to Franck's Symphony if it comes up (eg at the Prom) but do not often find myself choosing it off the shelf. The same applies to the Symphonic Variations but not to the Violin Sonata which I don't tire of, especially Oistrakh and Richter live in Moscow.

I have recently branched out in my Franckophilia, getting to know his oratorio Rédemption in a very attractive recent recording from Hervé Niquet and the Philharmonique Royal de Liège, which contains a purely instrumental Poème Symphonique.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8678462--cesar-franck-redemption

His songs and duets are probably not masterpieces but I have enjoyed investigating them in a new recording from Bru Zane

Not sure if I'm ready for his 3 Act, never staged opera Hulda: https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...--franck-hulda

[cloughie]

I have to say I like Franck's music in general - just not his symphony, which unusually for him contains a considerable amount of banality. Poulenc semi-satirised its broad first movement theme most amusingly in Les Biches, and Warlock in one of his "Cod Pieces". Rather as with Liszt his influence, mainly in the harmonic field but also in his cyclic forms, would be exerted on composers less innovative, perhaps, but more consistent than himself.

…and it was rather satirised/jazzed up by the Casa Loma Orchestra, courtesy of a Billy May arrangement!

[Nick Armstrong]

I’m sorry about that! We’re normally of one mind!

My thought exactly (as usual)!

[Nick Armstrong]

A really marvellous symphony in my view.

Tim Ashley seems to agree with you (and also with jonfan about its greater rarity today than in former decades):

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/26/prom-51-bbcso-gabel-review-royal-albert-hall-london

[Serial_Apologist]

I’m sorry about that! We’re normally of one mind!

It is not unusual for posters to have frank differences of opinion here!

[Nick Armstrong]

It is not unusual for posters to have frank differences of opinion here!

It is for Alison & me!

[Keraulophone]

rarely heard

It's Ernest Chausson's Symphony in B-flat major of two years later that's rarely heard! It's 35 years since the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France brought it to the Proms. I can't get enough of this Wagnerian symphonic masterpiece. Sadly Chausson only wrote this one symphony, closely related to Franck's in D minor, before fatally cycling into a brick wall nine years later.

[Nick Armstrong]

Chausson… fatally cycling into a brick wall nine years later.

Weirdly, I happen to know the approximate spot where he died, in Limay near Mantes-la-Jolie, west of Paris, as a number of friends live around there.

He’d set off down this hill from his rather nice Château (des Moussets), on the right here:





I love his Op 21 Concert for violin, piano and string quartet.

Apologies for the digression. I was going to move this to the ‘No Association Whatever’ thread but I don’t seem to have mod rights in this section of the Forum …

[cloughie]

Franck Vioilin Sonata is probably my favourite of all his works.

[edashtav]

Franck Vioilin Sonata is probably my favourite of all his works.

Seconded

[Keraulophone]

He’d set off down this hill from his rather nice Château (des Moussets) ... I love his Op 21 Concert for violin, piano and string quartet. Apologies for the digression.

I'll have to go on a pilgrimage there, though perhaps not by bicycle. The Concert was Chausson's next opus number after the symphony; it's gorgeous. Some of his Mélodies are as good as Duparc.

Certainly no apology needed; thank you for the info and photo.
.

[Andrew]

Franck Vioilin Sonata is probably my favourite of all his works.

This was the best Prom so far, although my reasons for enjoying it are, perhaps different from the rest of you! This was my late Mother's favourite piece of classical music and she played a record of it a great deal. When I hear it I'm transported back to our drawing room and it being played on our huge Bush radiogram! Musical association is a strong emotion.....

[Master Jacques]

Not sure if I'm ready for his 3 Act, never staged opera Hulda: https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...--franck-hulda

You might want to wait for an upcoming Bru Zane issue, following a live performance in May. The Naxos set is better than nothing, and makes a good case for the choruses and orchestral interludes (there's a gorgeous, almost Sibelian lake portrait) but there's not much else to be said for it.

I find myself more enamoured of Franck, the older and gloomier I get. Both the hugely extended choral/orchestral symphonic poem Psyché and the ravishing, susurrating Les Éolides (both present in a simply wonderful Jean Fournet/Czech Philharmonic/Prague RSO Supraphon box) are amongst my current most-played discs.

[rauschwerk]

Not sure if I'm ready for his 3 Act, never staged opera Hulda

Not professionally staged perhaps, but University College London Opera did it in 1994. My daughter was in the chorus and I attended one performance. It didn't make much impression on either of us.