Tír Na HiFi

Seán wrote:Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 5
The World Orchestra for Peace
Valery Gergiev - conducting
On BBC 2 on Saturday, 7th August @ 19:00

I have just finished watching and listening to a rousing performance of Mahler's Fifth Symphony. I was not a fan of Gergiev's Mahler work until now but this was splendid stuff.

I recorded it on Sky+ Seán so I'm looking forward to watching it at a later date. Right now though I'm in a rock mood. I tend to have these withdrawals every so often. :-)

Seán wrote:Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 5
The World Orchestra for Peace
Valery Gergiev - conducting
On BBC 2 on Saturday, 7th August @ 19:00

I have just finished watching and listening to a rousing performance of Mahler's Fifth Symphony. I was not a fan of Gergiev's Mahler work until now but this was splendid stuff.

I have just finished watching it too Seán and I agree....it was a wonderful performance.

Faure - Requiem (Johanette Zomer/Stephan Genz/Philippe Herreweghe, La Chapelle Royale/Collegium Vocale Gent/Orchestre des Champs Elysees, Harmonia Mundi)

Seán wrote:Earlier tonight I watched and listened to last night's Prom on BBC4
Mahler
Symphony No.3
Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano)
Edinburgh Festival Chorus (women's voices)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Donald Runnicles - conducting.
Royal Albert Hall, London on Wednesday, August 04, 2010

I enjoyed it immensely. I wonder what Ciaran made of it?

I enjoyed it too! It was my first time in the Albert Hall and I was very pleased that, at least from my seat, the acoustic did not live down to its infamous reputation. All the wind were very clear, and while the strings (with first and second fiddles divided as is now becoming less unusual) were not as strong, they were still well in evidence. I would agree with the review you quote, Seán, in particular that the posthorn solos were a bit wanting in feeling. The first movement was very special indeed, with the trombone solos wonderfully expressive and the whole long span of the movement held together very much as a whole, rather than breaking up into little episodes as it can. The fourth movement with the alto solo was as mysterious and tragic as it ought to be and the last movement was a fittingly ecstatic conclusion. Terrific!

I was rather struck by the casualness of dress at the Albert Hall, and also that there seemed to be a higher (though still not terribly high!) proportion of younger people than you see at classical concerts in Dublin.

DaveF wrote:

Seán wrote:Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 5
The World Orchestra for Peace
Valery Gergiev - conducting
On BBC 2 on Saturday, 7th August @ 19:00

I have just finished watching and listening to a rousing performance of Mahler's Fifth Symphony. I was not a fan of Gergiev's Mahler work until now but this was splendid stuff.

I recorded it on Sky+ Seán so I'm looking forward to watching it at a later date. Right now though I'm in a rock mood. I tend to have these withdrawals every so often. :-)

Oh dear the fallibility of youth! [smile]

Ciaran wrote:

Seán wrote:Earlier tonight I watched and listened to last night's Prom on BBC4
Mahler
Symphony No.3
Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano)
Edinburgh Festival Chorus (women's voices)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Donald Runnicles - conducting.
Royal Albert Hall, London on Wednesday, August 04, 2010

I enjoyed it immensely. I wonder what Ciaran made of it?

I enjoyed it too! It was my first time in the Albert Hall and I was very pleased that, at least from my seat, the acoustic did not live down to its infamous reputation. All the wind were very clear, and while the strings (with first and second fiddles divided as is now becoming less unusual) were not as strong, they were still well in evidence. I would agree with the review you quote, Seán, in particular that the posthorn solos were a bit wanting in feeling. The first movement was very special indeed, with the trombone solos wonderfully expressive and the whole long span of the movement held together very much as a whole, rather than breaking up into little episodes as it can. The fourth movement with the alto solo was as mysterious and tragic as it ought to be and the last movement was a fittingly ecstatic conclusion. Terrific!

I was rather struck by the casualness of dress at the Albert Hall, and also that there seemed to be a higher (though still not terribly high!) proportion of younger people than you see at classical concerts in Dublin.

I was thinking of you Ciaran. I don't think that the sound clarity on the M3 was all that it could have been on the TV broadcast in contrast to tonight's Gergiev performance it was found wanting. It was great though....what a treat!
I loved the RAH and the acoustics. When I was there I was struck by the youthful, energetic exuberance of the audience, it's really heart warming. Now that is public service broadcasting. I would love to spend the entire six weeks of the Proms in London and to haunt the RAH....some day perhaps!

bombasticDarren wrote:Faure - Requiem (Johanette Zomer/Stephan Genz/Philippe Herreweghe, La Chapelle Royale/Collegium Vocale Gent/Orchestre des Champs Elysees, Harmonia Mundi)

One of my favourite works Darren....I wonder what you made of it as I have not heard it?

JSB – Cantata BWV46 for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity....



There are some wonderful parts for the recorders in this lovely cantata.

J.S. Bach - Cantata BWV 9 'Es ist das Heil uns kommen her' (Joanne Lunn/Michael Chance/James Gilchrist/Stephen Varcoe/John Eliot Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir/The English Baroque Soloists, Soli Deo Gloria)

Beethoven - String Quartet No.4 (Alban Berg Quartet, EMI)

Bruckner - Symphony No.8 (Gunter Wand, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, RCA) below

fergus wrote:

bombasticDarren wrote:Faure - Requiem (Johanette Zomer/Stephan Genz/Philippe Herreweghe, La Chapelle Royale/Collegium Vocale Gent/Orchestre des Champs Elysees, Harmonia Mundi)

One of my favourite works Darren....I wonder what you made of it as I have not heard it?

Faure's Requiem is a work thats appeal has often eluded me Fergus...

...however, this recording may just have made it 'click' for me. I recommend it.

Just to put you in the picture the other recordings I own are:-

Cluytens (EMI)
Giulini (DG)
Gardiner (Philips)