Prom 62: Berliner Philharmoniker and Kirill Petrenko – Mahler’s Seventh (3.09.22)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:00 Saturday 3 September 2022
Royal Albert Hall

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 7 in E minor

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Kirill Petrenko conductor

Some would call the Berliner Philharmoniker the finest orchestra in the world, but one thing’s for certain: whenever it visits the Proms under its Chief Conductor Kirill Petrenko, it’s always a night to remember. In the first of two concerts in the 2022 BBC Proms, the orchestra performs just one work: the symphony that Mahler called his ‘song of the night’. Every Mahler symphony is an emotional journey; but this one sweeps from an overcast Alpine lake through love songs, nightmares and nocturnal marches to an ear-splitting finish along with jangling cowbells and laced with pitch-black humour. Expect grandeur, beauty and piercing insight from one of the 21st century’s most acclaimed musical partnerships.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Some would call the Berliner Philharmoniker the finest orchestra in the world, but one thing’s for certain: whenever it visits the Proms under its Chief Conductor Kirill Petrenko, it’s always a night to remember.

And just how many times has the BPO visited the Proms with this conductor?
2018, I think, was the only occasion.

But sadly, he's not doing the second concert with the Berliners this year.

[Prommer]

Will KP be able to 'make sense' of this symphony?

[Keraulophone]

Guff: "it’s always a night to remember"

I don't know about always, but I can honestly still sense the thrill and excitement generated by their Beethoven 7 on their previous visit to the Proms.

[Keraulophone]

Will KP be able to 'make sense' of this symphony?

Presumably he thought he could make better sense of it than Daniel Harding.
.

[Prommer]

Yes, Daniel not entrusted with this, just the Bruckie.

[Petrushka]

Apparently, following his foot accident, Petrenko has been ordered by his doctors to rest, hence he's only conducting this concert.

Conducting Mahler 7 in Berlin, London, Salzburg and Lucerne - some rest!

[smittims]

I liked Petrenko's Elgar Symphonies, so I'm looking forward to his Mahler7.

This is still, I think, the least popular of Mahler's symphonies, despite its appearance in a 'Castrol' advert; though interestingly it had its British premiere as early as 1913, under Henry Wood, no less.

Many of us will have heard the BPO play it in Claudio Abbado's 2001 recording which was chosen in a poll for Deutsche Grammophon's 'People's edition'.

With age, one comes to prefer a dry wine to a sweet, an understated decor to a colourful. In the same way, I've come gradually to prefer Mahler's seventh to his more-obviously-attractive Fifth or Eighth. How about you?

[ucanseetheend]

"the least popular" ? Who says. The 2nd and 8th take that accolade. Mahler was in his prime with 5 ,6& 7

[Petrushka]

The 2nd and 8th take that accolade.

Who says?

[Alison]

I saw a recent Twitter poll inviting the selection of three most favourite Mahler symphonies. Choices were remarkably even between all of them.

Number 7 fared well.

[ucanseetheend]

Who says?

Have a guess ?

[Ein Heldenleben]

I saw a recent Twitter poll inviting the selection of three most favourite Mahler symphonies. Choices were remarkably even between all of them.

Number 7 fared well.

Interesting - maybe that’s the cognoscenti! I don’t think , if you do a performance count it’s as frequently performed as 1 , 4,5,6 and 9 . Maybe more that 2 and 8 but they are special cases . I wonder if “night music” works make the same impact in the concert hall. There’s also the rather odd final movement which I rather like. Isn’t it also full of musical in-jokes ? I can’t remember ever seeing a live performance whereas I’ve heard all the others.

[Bryn]

Have a guess ?

Surely not the renowned conductor William Havagest, whose surname is often misspelt?

[cloughie]

Interesting - maybe that’s the cognoscenti! I don’t think , if you do a performance count it’s as frequently performed as 1 , 4,5,6 and 9 . Maybe more that 2 and 8 but they are special cases . I wonder if “night music” works make the same impact in the concert hall. There’s also the rather odd final movement which I rather like. Isn’t it also full of musical in-jokes ? I can’t remember ever seeing a live performance whereas I’ve heard all the others.

When I was first getting to know Mahler’s works Syms 1 and 4 were the most popular - I think very much because they were short enough to fit on one LP and there were excellent affordable recordings available.