Prom 70: The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin (8.09.22)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Prom 70: The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin
19:30 Thursday 8 September 2022
Royal Albert Hall

Samuel Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Valerie Coleman: This is Not a Small Voice
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, ‘Eroica’

Angel Blue soprano
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet‐Séguin conductor

Making its first Proms appearance for over a decade, the mighty Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin return with one of the greatest symphonies in the repertoire. With its ‘strange modulations and violent transitions’, Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ offers a passionate, protesting vision of heroism that surges with rebellious energy. Award-winning soprano Angel Blue is the soloist in an all-American first half that pairs Samuel Barber’s ‘lyric rhapsody’ Knoxville: Summer of 1915 – conjuring the sights, sounds and smells of the city as seen through the eyes of a small boy – with This Is Not a Small Voice, a setting by American composer Valerie Coleman of a poem by Philadelphia’s former Poet Laureate Sonia Sanchez celebrating the power of Black voices, both individually and collectively.

[bluestateprommer]

From the BBC Proms' Twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/bbcproms/status/1567944563897032705

"It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the death of Her Majesty The Queen, and as a mark of respect, this evening’s Prom with the Philadelphia Orchestra will not be going ahead."

[Prommer]

From the BBC Proms' Twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/bbcproms/status/1567944563897032705

Apparently, in the hall, they had one minute's silence, the orchestra played "God Save the King", then Nimrod, and that was it.

The curtains of the Royal Box had been closed.

[Nick Armstrong]

Apparently, in the hall, they had one minute's silence, the orchestra played "God Save the King", then Nimrod, and that was it.

The curtains of the Royal Box had been closed.

I read that too, from Ian Skelly.

Call me an obstreperous republican (which I’m not) but surely Beethoven 3 would at least have remained appropriate…?

[seabright]

That strikes me as decidedly unnecessary. They could easily have played the National Anthem and "Nimrod" and then, as already stated, have at least played the "Eroica" with it's highly appropriate "Marcia Funebre." What actually happened, as I didn't tune in ... ie; was the hall packed out but then everyone was sent home?

[Nick Armstrong]

That strikes me as decidedly unnecessary. They could easily have played the National Anthem and "Nimrod" and then, as already stated, have at least played the "Eroica" with it's highly appropriate "Marcia Funebre." What actually happened, as I didn't tune in ... ie; was the hall packed out but then everyone was sent home?

It wasn’t broadcast. But Ian Skelly tweeted a picture (since removed for some reason) of a reasonably full RAH, royal box curtains closed, and saying there’d been the national anthem, Nimrod, and Good Night…

[bluestateprommer]

The Philadelphia Orchestra posted this on their Twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/philorch/status/1567990044589162501

"Upon our arrival in London for planned concerts at the BBC Proms, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet‐Séguin had the honor to perform the British National Anthem, and 'Nimrod' from Edward Elgar's 'Enigma' Variations.

"We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the British people on the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

"It is our sincere hope that this music, with its profound meaning, will serve in some way as the world and the United Kingdom mourns the passing of this remarkable leader."

PS: The Philadelphia Inquirer had a quick article from Peter Dobrin about the situation, with an embedded video from the RAH:

https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-orchestra-queen-elizabeth-20220908.html

[PhilipT]

Apparently, in the hall, they had one minute's silence, the orchestra played "God Save the King", then Nimrod, and that was it.

The curtains of the Royal Box had been closed.

Yes, that's exactly what we did have. The news reached the queue as we were lining up to enter the Arena. At 7:30, Alan Davey (Controller, BBC Radio 3) came on and said a few words, then one minute's silence, one verse of God Save the King (we sang, the orchestra stood), and then Nimrod. I thought the Philadelphia Orchestra played Nimrod very well, and they can't get to play it very often. Quite a few regulars went off to join the crowds at Buckingham Palace.

[smittims]

The Philadelphia Orchestra did, of course, make a fine recording of 'Nimrod' as part of an underrated 'Variations' under Eugene Ormandy .

But I wish we could lose this funereal association of 'Nimrod' . It was a portrait of a friend when he was very much alive. 'The Serious Doll', which was actially written for the then Princess Elizabeth, would have been better.

[Ein Heldenleben]

The Philadelphia Orchestra did, of course, make a fine recording of 'Nimrod' as part of an underrated 'Variations' under Eugene Ormandy .

But I wish we could lose this funereal association of 'Nimrod' . It was a portrait of a friend when he was very much alive. 'The Serious Doll', which was actially written for the then Princess Elizabeth, would have been better.

That is such a good point . In Ashton’s Enigma variations Ballet Nimrod is a very moving kind of pas de Deux with Jaeger and Elgar . If I remember aright they have some sort of minor disagreement then patch things up. It works so much better than as a dirge.

[PhilipT]

.. But I wish we could lose this funereal association of 'Nimrod' . It was a portrait of a friend when he was very much alive. ..

But was that how it was originally written? Much about the Enigma Variations remains an enigma. And I can't get this out of my head.

[Ein Heldenleben]

But was that how it was originally written? Much about the Enigma Variations remains an enigma. And I can't get this out of my head.

Pretty much so. It is a veiled portrait of Jaeger (German for hunter . Nimrod was the “mighty hunter before the Lord “ in Genesis ). Jaeger and Elgar had a shared love of the slow movements of Beethoven piano sonatas (who doesn’t ? ) and the opening of Nimrod is pretty much a quote from the first few notes of the slow movement of the Pathetique.

[smittims]

Oh dear, Philip. I'm afraid I didn't like that at all . Beautifully sung, but oh, how impertinent.

[Serial_Apologist]

The Philadelphia Orchestra did, of course, make a fine recording of 'Nimrod' as part of an underrated 'Variations' under Eugene Ormandy .

But I wish we could lose this funereal association of 'Nimrod' . It was a portrait of a friend when he was very much alive. 'The Serious Doll', which was actially written for the then Princess Elizabeth, would have been better.

Yes - it's annual use at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day had unfortunately had the wrong association fixed in my head when I told a friend that "our" "Nimrod" was a far more moving piece of music for funeral purposes than Barber's "Adagio" - which I believe has likewise been misappropriated.

[seabright]

It's extraordinary just how many "Nimrods" there are on YouTube that are conducted and/or played by non-Brits. Here is just a selection, in no particular order ...

Gustavo Dudamel / Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b91Gq1HQVl4

Leonard Bernstein / BBC Symphony ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8NOVGHJmRs

Andrés Orozco-Estrada / Houston Symphony Orchestra ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkccPjnj3HQ

Leonard Slatkin / Detroit Symphony Orchestra ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kos4iB9j9UQ

Daniel Barenboim / Chicago Symphony ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCk363SqutE

Valery Platonov / Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Russia ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKmHCFR2968

Helmuth Froschauer / WDR Funkhausorchester ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLndkfYZh5k

Gennady Rozhdestvensky / Royal Philharmonic ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnYMKWUKwEk

Yuri Termikanov / St. Petersburg Philharmonic ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW6B15gURu0

Maxime Tortelier / Bournemouth Symphony ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA_OFYssSOQ

Michalis Economou / Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEll_SiTwnI

Leopold Stokowski / Czech Philharmonic ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh9EzzA0jZ4&t=1s

There are loads more but that's probably enough to be going on with. I've ended with the most refulgent, Stokowski and his "free-bowing" string sections.