Nordic Prom

A truly Nordic Prom concert at the Albert Hall tonight, and we even had a Dane with us.

Met-up with Dave, Richard and Erik in the Serpentine Gallery's Summer Pavillion (see Friday 15 July 2011 - Secret Garden), which I think that they were suitably impressed by (Neil joined us later).

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Prom 33: Sibelius, Grieg & Nielsen
Sibelius: Symphony No. 6 in D minor (28 mins)
Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor (30 mins)
Liszt: Etudes d'exécution transcendante d'après Paganini, S 140 - No. 3 in A flat minor, 'La campanella' (5 mins) (encore)
 - interval -
Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, 'Inextinguishable' (35 mins)
Alfvén: Bergakungen, Op 37 - Herdsmaid's Dance (4 mins) (encore)

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Sakari Oramo conductor
Alice Sara Ott piano

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The orchestra performed very well, creating a really good clear but rich sound - which is not easy - and gave the Sibelius Symphony No. 6 a luminous quality which I think made it rather more rewarding and less impenetrable that it might otherwise have been. It is not an easy piece at the best of times. Richard described it as almost "neoclassical", which squares with my view that it is a (not wholly successful) attempt at Nordic baroque. I have heard this piece performed at least half a dozen times, and each time is like hearing for the first time. There is no melody or theme to latch onto. It is not, in my view, Sibelius at his best (symphonies nos. 2, 5 & 7 are my favourites), but I don't think that I have heard a better performance yet.

I even quite liked the Grieg - and I don't usually like piano concertos, particularly not that one! It is so hackneyed. The woodwind (and flute in particular) rather saved the day for me here.

The Nielsen was superb. I was slightly concerned during the first movement that we weren't getting the 'oomph' that I thought I wanted, but they were obviously saving that for the last two movements. Symphony No. 4 is one of my favourites. I am very familiar with it, and I know what I want from a performance. I was not disappointed. I got the tingling down the back of the neck at all the places I was expecting. And some more! Again, the woodwind were excellent, and the brass too - in the first movement there was a kind of halting back-accent (like a grâve) in the trombones which I have never heard before but which really enhanced the mood of the passage. The timpani duo was brilliant, of course, and perfectly matched to the wonderful "leaping" finale. I love this piece, and I still have the tunes running around in my head.

In two weeks time we will be visiting Fyn (Funen) for the first time. We have now booked our accommodation, and will be staying for the first night in a little village Broby on the Odense å (river) in the middle of the island, not that far from Nielsen's barndomshjem at Lyndelse.

Afterwards Dave and I went for a drink with Richard at the Queen's Arms in Queen's Gate Mews.