Prom 52: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra with Pekka Kuusisto (26.08.22)

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  • Eine Alpensinfonie
    Host
    • Nov 2010
    • 20570

    Prom 52: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra with Pekka Kuusisto (26.08.22)

    19:30 Friday 26 August 2022
    Royal Albert Hall

    Claude Debussy: La mer
    Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
    Thomas Adès: Märchentänze (UK première)
    Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E flat major


    Pekka Kuusisto violin
    Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
    Nicholas Collon conductor

    ‘Saw sixteen swans,’ wrote Jean Sibelius. ‘One of the greatest experiences in life. Oh god, what beauty!’ That dazzling vision became the mighty theme that crowns his Fifth Symphony and tonight it’s the climax of a whole evening of music inspired by nature, performed by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra – whether Debussy’s luminous musical seascape, or Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending. ‘I grew up with the idea that playing the violin was about being spontaneous,’ says soloist Pekka Kuusisto, and together with conductor Nicholas Collon, he’ll give the UK premiere of an enchanting new piece by Thomas Adès, as well as bringing fresh air to Vaughan Williams’s much-loved Lark.
    Last edited by Eine Alpensinfonie; 20-08-22, 14:10.
  • Eine Alpensinfonie
    Host
    • Nov 2010
    • 20570

    #2
    I'm wondering which "theme" the BBC website blurbist considers to be the one inspired by 16 swans.

    Not the Hammer of Thor one, surely?

    Comment

    • Ein Heldenleben
      Full Member
      • Apr 2014
      • 6760

      #3
      Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
      I'm wondering which "theme" the BBC website blurbist considers to be the one inspired by 16 swans.

      Not the Hammer of Thor one, surely?
      I thought it was the final movement one - the big Eflat theme - over used by filmmakers throughout the decades…

      Comment

      • BBMmk2
        Late Member
        • Nov 2010
        • 20908

        #4
        Looking forward to this one.
        Don’t cry for me
        I go where music was born

        J S Bach 1685-1750

        Comment

        • bluestateprommer
          Full Member
          • Nov 2010
          • 3008

          #5
          Good, solid, generally no-fuss, no-muss La mer to start tonight's proceedings, with the trumpet fanfares included in the finale, which seems to be a relative rarity in recent radio broadcasts and the odd recent live performance that I've heard. (Would be nice if someone did what Haitink did in his Concertgebouw recording, to give the finale fanfares to horns. No idea if that's justified in the score, but sonically, at least for me, it works.) Sounds like an enthusiastic crowd, where Katie D. did mention a very full hall. Full marks to the audience for waiting to applaud, although presumably Pekka K. used his body language to communicate when it was time to applaud.

          PS: Thought that I heard elements of Hardanger fiddle or the kantele in Pekka K.'s interpretation of The Lark Ascending. I intuited trimmed vibrato in his playing, which Katie D. alluded to. Perhaps he wanted to de-sentimentalize the work to some degree. I'm not sure that this is an interpretation for every day, but most audience members aren't going to parse every phrase of the work, and it was interesting to hear it this way. Pekka K. is the one violinist that I can imagine who could get away with such a "re-imagining".

          PPS: Okay, maybe Pat Kop also.
          Last edited by bluestateprommer; 26-08-22, 20:10.

          Comment

          • Pulcinella
            Host
            • Feb 2014
            • 10897

            #6
            What larks, eh?

            Comment

            • Eine Alpensinfonie
              Host
              • Nov 2010
              • 20570

              #7
              Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post
              What larks, eh?
              I do love this work, but I haven't heard it overplayed on BBS morning programmes.

              Comment

              • richardfinegold
                Full Member
                • Sep 2012
                • 7657

                #8
                Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
                I'm wondering which "theme" the BBC website blurbist considers to be the one inspired by 16 swans.

                Not the Hammer of Thor one, surely?
                The Long Silent Pauses

                Comment

                • bluestateprommer
                  Full Member
                  • Nov 2010
                  • 3008

                  #9
                  Slightly heavy-handed attempt at light-hearted music by TA, although the section with primarily bassoon as 'back-up' to PK worked pretty well. I should give it another listen to be fair to the work. Very touching choice of encore with the Sibelius Humoresque No. 4.

                  Comment

                  • kernelbogey
                    Full Member
                    • Nov 2010
                    • 5737

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
                    19:30 Friday 26 August 2022
                    Royal Albert Hall

                    Claude Debussy: La mer
                    Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
                    Thomas Adès: Märchentänze (UK première)
                    Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E flat major


                    Pekka Kuusisto violin
                    Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
                    Nicholas Collon conductor

                    ‘Saw sixteen swans,’ wrote Jean Sibelius. ‘One of the greatest experiences in life. Oh god, what beauty!’ That dazzling vision became the mighty theme that crowns his Fifth Symphony and tonight it’s the climax of a whole evening of music inspired by nature, performed by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra – whether Debussy’s luminous musical seascape, or Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending. ‘I grew up with the idea that playing the violin was about being spontaneous,’ says soloist Pekka Kuusisto, and together with conductor Nicholas Collon, he’ll give the UK premiere of an enchanting new piece by Thomas Adès, as well as bringing fresh air to Vaughan Williams’s much-loved Lark.
                    i love the way these BBC blubs sort of merge into the background.

                    Comment

                    • bluestateprommer
                      Full Member
                      • Nov 2010
                      • 3008

                      #11
                      Like at the start, a good, solid reading of an audience favorite to close tonight's proceedings. Maybe my one caveat is that NC over=stretched a bit the final "swan theme" section. (BTW, does anyone else besides me detect in the counter-melody to the "swan theme" a resemblance to the "Ode to Joy" theme?)

                      Well, for the encore: what else could it have been? :) Not a complaint, not at all, and in all honesty, IMHO, the most appropriate choice. (Both encores archived in the Forum Calendar, natch.)

                      Comment

                      • Barbirollians
                        Full Member
                        • Nov 2010
                        • 11671

                        #12
                        I enjoyed this Prom on BBC Sounds - Ades work sounded like a tribute to the Scottish Fantasia but was fun enough - it was an excellent Lark but there was something of Edna Welthorpe about pretending it would be shocking it wasn’t - and I thought both the Debussy and Sibelius were excellent.

                        I particularly enjoyed the rather mysterious approach to the finale which can sound lumpen and overly heroic.
                        Last edited by Barbirollians; 27-08-22, 20:33.

                        Comment

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