...of Tuesday. Here's Hilary Finch's write-up in The Times.
And David Fanning in The Telegraph.
Last (for the moment) but not least, Andrew Clements being ever so patronising in The Guardian.
ADDENDUM: FRIDAY 12th, 9.30am: Barry Millington in The Evening Standard says: "...the concerto is ‘worth hearing for its historical interest and also for its slow movement, which is in a different class. Despite its Puccini-like opening, the Andante Semplice takes wing in an unpredictable way and Philippe Graffin, well established as one of the work’s leading interpreters, soared above the fray in rhapsodical flights of extraordinary beauty."
5 comments:
I think all of the reviewers lacked incisive commentary about the Coleridge-Taylor Concerto. Inevitable, in light of their need to seem informed. However their lack of acquaintance with C-T's music generally (and Hiawatha cannot be considered as typical) renders their comments about the concerto and C-T's style worthless. I know the Concerto well (and much other C-T) and listened to the performance. Addressing formal issues, there, one cannot really find fault as C-T uses sonata-allegro form clearly in the 1st movement, while offering both rhythmic and motivic development, perfect ternary in the 2nd and rondo in the finale, all hung together masterfully. I'm sure this would register if the writers had heard the piece more or had access to a score. Again had they really known the work, they would have also recognized a huge train wreck between orchestra and soloist in the finale, as well as Graffin's tendency to rush ahead, which makes for uncomfortable moments. He's a fine fiddler though, and hearing him play it so well makes it easy to imagine other ways the piece could go - the ultimate compliment for a perfomance. I truly hope this work will get the recognition it deserves and generate well considered opinion from those who write about music today.
A huge train wreck between the orchestra and the soloist in the finale, JMW, yes, that's exactly it! I've not studied the score or heard it all the way through before and that's what I heard as well. Train wreck it is.
And who, one may ask, is responsible for avoiding train wrecks? Oh, yes, believe it is the Conductor! And whose job is it to follow a soloist who decides in the moment to take a brisker tempo? The, you guessed it, Conductor's. Ouch.
I've listened to it 3 times now and cannot fathom why no one took the time to listen to the available recording, to study the score or the performer's style in advance?
Shoot, even in the moment, even if they were sightreading, its a tonal work in standard metres, could someone look up from the score and listen to the performer once in a while? Ah, the lost art of accompanying...
Kudos again and again to Graffin, and Sam C-T. Such beautiful playing, such a worthy piece!
JMW, thanks for writing in, as I know you are the person who knows this piece better than the rest of us put together!
The concerto's success the other evening was bound to be limited by several factors endemic to music in Britain: 1) lack of rehearsal time, which is a result of 2) lack of money to support extra time needed to prepare unfamiliar music, which is a result of 3) financial squeezing of classical music in general because of perceived "elitism" (an expression about which my vitriol is too extreme to permit expression even on my own blog, since I don't want to be up all night!). And 4) the attitude of many native Brits to British music of that era. Music that sounds like it could be accompanying a Celia Johnson film, music with a genuine, gentle, naive, romantic spirit, is still bound to attract extremely patronising commentary from a generation reared to think that Boulez is the be-all and end-all.
It's interesting that the one thing everyone picks up on is the story about the orchestra parts going down with the Titanic...
I suspect hat I love this work for the same reason that I love Korngold: a genuine, maybe ingenuous yet totally sincere adoration of beauty, inspiration and feeling. Sentiment is deplored by most of the 20th century's most respected commentators. What we need to ask is: WHY?
All the same, I'm glad to have helped win even a few enthusiasts over to this piece. And Philippe has won over very many more. Bravo bravissimo...
Re: conductor's being responsible for following soloist - To be fair, it works both ways, and the term "follow" or "following" used in this context is something of a misnomer. The conductor doesn't truly follow the soloist as much as meet him/her halfway. It is incumbent upon the soloist to be well acquainted with the orchestral part so as to be able to fit in as well as lead. The soloist must in other words, know when to follow the orchestra. When this knowledge is not present the conductor is faced with the chore of chasing the soloist, and that never turns out well.
This is not necessarily apropos the C-T performance, (which was fine, especially considering the circumstances), just to explain to the previous poster about the true dynamic in a collaboration.
Heard Graffin perform this work earlier in the year at West Norwood with the Lambeth Orchestra. Timing was perfect, and the sound so sweet.
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