Reflections of an ageing gig goer! 3

Prom 27 Royal Albert Hall August 9 2024

Attending a concert at the Proms is something I have wanted to do for many years, but I only ticked this off of my personal wish list after missing out on the reasonable price tickets for the last few years. I certainly didn’t want to stand in front of the orchestra with the seasoned ‘Prommers’ and I always have my pre-set spending limit for every ticket I purchase, so this year I joined the queue for Prom 27 more in hope than expectation. Luckily, my efforts and patience were finally rewarded for a performance featuring a favourite piece of music, Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony.

Act 1

The first piece, Mirage by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho (1952 – 2023), was challenging to say the least! I equate it to Modern Art, in that it would definitely speak to someone who was on the correct wavelength, but utterly bemuse anyone who wasn’t. Suffice to say I wasn’t, and the tone poem translated from Maria Sabina’s chant Shamanic trance went completely over my head. A duet for soprano and cello, it could be appreciated for the vocal and instrumental virtuosity, but that is sadly where it ended for me. I saw people around me completely enraptured and I recognised their connection with the music so on that score at least, I knew it was a piece of music with something to say.

The second piece, by contrast, was an absolute delight and very firmly in my comfort zone. Piano Concerto No 9 in E Flat Major, K271 ‘Jeunehomme’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) was written in 1777 while Mozart was travelling to various courts around Europe looking for a permanent position as a composer. It is perhaps an encapsulation of everything I love about Mozart. It is playful in places, as indeed you might expect from someone of 21 years of age, but it shows a musical virtuosity that epitomises his gift for the piano concerto as a setting for his genius. The soloist Seong-Jin Cho, the Seoul born pianist who is currently Artist in Residence with the Berlin Philharmonic, had magic in his playing that was a perfect match for the magic of the music. Even as someone who is definitely not an expert I could appreciate that I was in the presence of a rare talent. The five ovations and the encore certainly were richly deserved for such an incredible performance.

Act 2

An Alpine Symphony by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) is a painstakingly developed tone poem that he started in 1911, but did not finish until 1915. It shares many of the features of my favourite piece of music, Vltava by Smetana, and that is why I have always been drawn to it. It is drawn directly from nature, in this case from the Bavarian Alps, and in Smetana’s case from the river that runs through his Bohemian homeland. Each section is a specific natural feature or an event that is given musical form, and these sections knit together through underlying themes to create a coherent and satisfying whole. An Alpine Symphony follows the journey of two climbers to the summit of the mountain and their return at the end of a fulfilling day. The most impressive and memorable section is the Thunderstorm, descent which sees Strauss throwing everything he’s got at the music. Percussionists are usually the undercurrent in an orchestra, but in the storm they take centre stage. I had never seen a wind machine or a thunder machine before, but their effect was incredible. When these two instruments were combined with drums and the massive Royal Albert Hall organ, the impact is unlike any other classical piece I have heard live. On CD, the symphony is great, but live it is simply outstanding.

Final Reflection

Classical music has been a part of my musical life from the days of Tom and Jerry onwards and it is strange that I have not attended more classical concerts, but, like live rock or pop, you never really hear a piece of music until you have heard it in concert. I shall seek out Jeunehomme and I will definitely play An Alpine Symphony again, but I know that however good the recording it will never match last night’s experience.