BBC Proms 2011 - Prom 15 - 26/07/2011
Kodály - Dances of Galánta
Bartók - Piano Concerto No. 1
Bartók said "If I were to name the composer whose works are the most perfect embodiment of the Hungarian spirit, I would answer, Kodály," and it's in that Hungarian spirit with which Vladimir Jurowski opened last nights prom. Dances of Galánta bounced by in a blink, wrapping us up in it intoxicating rhythms.
Bartók's own Piano Concerto No. 1 continued the evening, it's dissonance a stark contrast to the Kodály, but not unpleasant. The London Philharmonic Orchestra masterfully navigate the challenging rhythms in this piece, particularly percussion throughout, who bring a sense of something waiting to happen to in the second movement, and then quickly take up the rhythms of the third movement. Jean-Efflam Bavouzet tackles the volatile piano part with flair, expertly carrying the piece through, all incredibly from memory.
To finish the evening we Liszt's Faust Symphony, written to describe and encapsulate the emotions and personalities of three characters from Goethe's tale.
The first movement represents Faust, does well to describe his emotions, taking us through suffering to unrest, love to triumph. Liszt's harmonies throughout this piece are ahead of their time, as demonstrated in the second movement, Gretche. The theme of love stands out, through all it's different iterations. The final movement, Mephistophele, is very clever in its writing, taking the themes of Faust and distorting them to represent the devil who cannot create, only destory.
The ending of the symphony saw tenor Marco Jentzsch performing a beautiful version of the mystic chorus backed by the men's voices of the London Philharmonic Choir and then London Symphony Chorus, drawing this varied prom to close.
