Comments on: The Proms–Copland, Barber, Bax, Britten and some more

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:53:26 +0000

I’m still struggling to find any real comment on the Spring Symphony performance. Perhaps you could enlighten me.

By: Rodney Lister

Rodney Lister — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 09:50:42 +0000

First of all:

Koussevitzy conducted the first performances of the Bax and Prokofiev, but not the other pieces, so they aren’t actually connected by that thread anyway. I still contend that it’s not the most convincing programing.

Of course I stayed for the Spring Symphony. It’s a piece I have a lot of affection for and I was eager to hear it. I did comment on the performance anyway. I’m not sure that reviewing the performance without any commentary on the piece would be particularly interesting. I wouldn’t find it so, anyway.

By: CC_sharp

CC_sharp — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:05:37 +0000

Why not review the performance, rather than giving a history of the piece?
or did you not stay for Spring Symphony?

By: zeno

zeno — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:06:00 +0000

“My guess is that Koussevitzky didn’t do them all on one single program.”

He didn’t need to have programmed all of these works on a single concert. That is not the point.

The point of the programming was to show the huge importance of Koussevitzky in the commissioning and first performance of a large number of important works of twentieth century repertoire.

I recall, in spring 1973, hearing the Harvard Orchestra perform Charles Ives’s Central Park in the Dark, Bartok’s Second Piano Concerto, Beethoven’s Symphony #7, and Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe (a suite) in a single evening. It may not have been the subtlest of concert programming, but the choices and point of view certainly reflected well on the seriousness of the orchestra and its leader — in my opinion.

By: Rodney Lister

Rodney Lister — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:20:29 +0000

Well, I didn’t see that in the program. I still think that makes a rather frail reed for the program. My guess is that Koussevitzky didn’t do them all on one single program.

By: andrew keener

andrew keener — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 08:55:12 +0000

No connection between the pieces by Copland, Barber, Bax, Bartok and Prokofiev? If our critic had shelled out on a programme (though I thought critics had one thrust into their hands, gratis), or if he knew a bit about twentieth century premieres, he would have twigged that Koussevitzky, the great American conductor and music publisher, gave all of these pieces their first performances.

So there.

A x