BBC Proms 2014: Prom 73 - Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (Gewandhausorchester / Gilbert)

11th September 2014
Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom

MAHLER Symphony No. 3

Gerhild Romberger (mezzo-soprano)
Leipzig Opera and Gewandhaus Choir (women's voices)
Leipzig Gewandhaus Children's Choir
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Alan Gilbert (conductor)



My "Prom date" abandoned me at the last minute (duh) and as such I had to go through the epic journey that was Mahler 3 alone. I kept asking myself during the concert, am I too much of a modernist to enjoy 19th century grace, too immature to appreciate the implication of the music or that this odd mixture of musical writing has lost its intended edge in the eyes of 2014? I don't know. In any case, the performance by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Choruses under Alan Gilbert (substituting in for Riccardo Chailly) was thoroughly stunning. The 2-hour work went through everything from the joyous and dynamic to the static and introspective. Whether it was the shimmering strings, the whimsical winds or the brilliant brass, or the soloist and the choruses, the playing was breathtaking and pristine throughout. The suspension in the last movement was heart-stopping. This was orchestral playing at the very highest level. I am coming back for another round tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to get in.

BBC Proms 2014: Prom 70 - Sir Peter Maxwell Davies Birthday Concert

8th September 2014
Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom

MAXWELL DAVIES Concert Overture 'Ebb of Winter'
MAXWELL DAVIES Strathclyde Concerto No. 4
MAXWELL DAVIES An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise

Dimitri Ashkenazy (clarinet)
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Ben Gernon (conductor)



Sir Peter Maxwell Davies celebrates his 80th birthday today and there is a late night Prom for his music. I made a fuss about his music before and here is why, without being analytical about it. He writes too much about inanimate objects (e.g. shorelines, lighthouses, paintings) so whilst the music is evocative for 2 min, it gets tiring for the remaining 28. Three PMD works back-to-back after Brahms night were quite heavy. Max described the "Strathclyde Concerto No. 4" as "a long, torturous journey to F#" for the clarinet soloist, and was perhaps true for the audience as well. The last piece, "An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise," complete with bagpipes and all that, was so ridiculous that I could not stop laughing through it. It put Mozart's "A Musical Joke" and Ligeti's "Aventures" to shame. Whilst I did not appreciate his music for aesthetic reasons, it was very cool to see the composer enjoying his own music on stage (with presenter Tom Service), tapping his feet, waving his arms and banging his head to the beat. The birthday song encore was actually rather well orchestrated.

BBC Proms 2014: Prom 69 - Brahms: Symphony No. 2 (Cleveland / Welser-Möst)

8th September 2014
Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom

BRAHMS Tragic Overture
JORG WIDMANN Teufel Amor
BRAHMS Symphony No. 2

Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst (conductor)



Second round of Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra doing Brahms. I last saw Brahms 2 live in Helsinki, and this magnificent work provided the necessary warmth for the chill, both physically and mentally. Hearing this work in this beautiful Mid-Autumn evening is very uplifting. As with last night, the playing was thoroughly graceful, the strings were impeccable and precise and the orchestra was overall excellently balanced and played with great momentum. The audience welcomed it with thunderous applause. Tonight's Widmann was less offensive than last night's, but I can do without 30 minutes of aimless wandering. The Brahms was well-worth it though.

BBC Proms 2014: Prom 68 - Brahms: Symphony No. 1 (Cleveland / Welser-Möst)

7th September 2014
Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom


BRAHMS Academic Festival Overture
JORG WIDMANN Flûte en suite
BRAHMS Symphony No. 1

Joshua Smith (flute)
Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst (conductor)



I am desperate for an antidote to Respighi and BPO playing Stravinsky, and two doses of Brahms is just perfect. I don't know my Viennese tradition, but The Cleveland Orchestra under Franz Welser-Möst playing Beethoven 10 was rather fine (at least he did not quit this job). III was particularly elegant and IV was exceptionally precise, if the sound was slightly too tender on the whole for RAH. The uncharacteristic flute concerto by Widmann, however, is completely negligible. The Bach "Badinerie" quotation sounded rather offensive. As contemporary composition goes, it is frankly worse than most.

BBC Proms 2014: Prom 64 - Stravinsky: The Firebird (BPO / Rattle)

5th September 2014
Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom

RACHMANINOV Symphonic Dances
STRAVINSKY The Firebird

Berliner Philharmoniker
Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)



Berliner Philharmoniker. Sir Simon Rattle. Rachmaninov and Stravinsky. Enough said.

BBC Proms 2014: Prom 60 - Respighi: The Roman Trilogy (RPO / Dutoit)

1st September 2014
Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom

BERLIOZ Overture 'Le carnaval romain'
WALTON Sinfonia concertante
RESPIGHI Roman Festivals
RESPIGHI Fountains of Rome
RESPIGHI Pines of Rome

Danny Driver (piano)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Charles Dutoit (conductor)



"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoolalalalalalalalalala" was the message I sent to my friend immediately after the concert. Some of my friends know that I have been a bit of a Respighi advocate for a while, and to be able to hear the Roman Trilogy in its entirety live is a rare opportunity (especially the "Roman Festivals"). Charles Dutoit gave us a sensational "La mer" and "D&C Suite No. 2" with the same orchestra last year and as such I have been looking forward to this Prom since it was announced. What are the chances of hearing eight trumpets, six French horns, a piano, the RAH organ and eleven percussionists going at each other at the same time in such fabulous unity and pace? There was even a mandolin solo. It was a shame we did not get to see eight buccines but one cannot have everything. The first half (Berlioz and Walton) was irrelevant. This is a Prom to remember, and my latest victim agrees.