If Music Etc

[liadnan]

Decided to skip last night's prom, despite Tasmin Little doing the Glazunov violin concerto alongside Shostakovich 8, from a mixture of feeling tired, having urgent drafting work to do (shows how much the end of Law Term means these days), and wanting to catch HBird (aka Kasia, HospitalSoup, and Augstone) at the Spread Eagle. And fab they were too: I strongly recommend catching their next gig. Managed to lose a small, yet as it turns out vital, bolt from my bike on the way home, hopefully the one I picked up from the ironmongers at lunchtime will fit...

Handel (arr. Mozart) Alexander's Feast tonight for the early prom, but I don't think I can face 90 minutes of Hans Werner Henze without an interval for the late one. And I'm generally enthusiastic about contemporary compositions.

Comments

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

I don't think I can face 90 minutes of Hans Werner Henze without an interval for the late one.

Yikes! I'm still recovering from the premiere of We Come to the River and that was 25 years ago.

[liadnan]

It can be pretty hard going.
Late night proms are meant for renaissance polyphony, (verging into baroque) and things like jazz and world music proms (there's a good one lined up on islamic music actually). Not this kind of thing.

[coughingbear]

Late night proms are meant for renaissance polyphony

Yes - I went to a Tallis Scholars late-night prom a few years ago, and they did Spem in alium and it was perfect.

The only Henze I know is his score for Ashton's Ondine, which I like, though I don't know if it would work without the ballet.

[liadnan]

The shonky Albert Hall acoustic is actually rather good for polyphony etc. Many times I lie on my back towards the rear of the usually-half-deserted auditorium and just stare at the dome as everything bounces off the Amazing Acoustic Mushrooms. Much more meditative/immersive experience than a "normal" concert. Gorgeous, though the Westminster Cathedral apse is unbeatable in those terms. We had JEG doing Monteverdi and co the other week and I think there is at least one more in the season.

[coughingbear]

I was amazed how well Spem worked there, because I'd thought one wouldn't be able to hear the music move around the choirs properly, but it was really clear.

Was looking for choral music at the proms earlier and spotted this one, which sounds exceptionally depressing.

[liadnan]

"no interval" is just the cap on it really. Talk about music to slit your wrists by.
I shall be apred the decision as I shall be in Greece then. Which also means I shall miss Bruckner 9 and Mahler 2 blast.