Tag: Sergey Prokofiev

Viktoria Mullova (Violin) & Misha Mullov-Abbado (Jazz Bass), Late Night Concert At The Wigmore Hall, 5 July 2024

With grateful thanks to Misha, Viktoria and Bridget O’Donnell for allowing me to use their pictures from the evening.

We went to quite a few “Wigmore Hall Lates”, back in the day, but this is the first time we have ventured back at that later hour since the pandemic.

We were keen to see this much-lauded mother and son combination perform.

I had seen Misha’s dad perform more than 40 years ago – my first ever night at The Proms:

My First Night At the Proms: Me, Jilly & Claudio, 1 September 1983

All the more reason to find out what Viktoria and Misha are up to, musically. Further, we liked the sound of the Brazilian theme for the concert, which we sensed, correctly, would please us.

We enjoyed a light supper of charcuterie and stuff at The Wig before the concert. They do that sort of thing very well these days. While we were eating, the performers were setting up and photographing one another.

Here is a link to the Wigmore Hall stub for this concert.

The conceit of this concert, if indeed conceit describes this simple rationale, is that Viktoria and Misha perform a selection of the stuff that they like to play together. Their joy in playing this music really came across in performance.

We heard:

  • Blue Deer by Misha Mullov-Abbado
  • Brazil by Misha Mullov-Abbado
  • Shir Lelo Shem by Shalom Hanoch
  • Adagio & Allegro From Violin Sonata No. 1 in B minor BWV1014 by Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Moderato from Sonata in D for solo violin Op. 115 by Sergey Prokofiev
  • Sabiá by Antônio Carlos Jobim
  • Little Astronaut by Misha Mullov-Abbado
  • Shanti Bell by Misha Mullov-Abbado
  • O Silêncio das Estrelas by Lenine & Dudu Falcão
  • O Cabo Pitanga by Laércio de Freitas
  • Träumerei from Kinderszenen by Robert Schumann
  • Tico Tico by Zequinha de Abreu

Here is a lovely example, recorded a few years ago, of them performing one of the above pieces:

Their closing number, Tico Tico, is more than a bit of an earworm for me. Not least, because the Harris family gramophone records included a version of that song by Mickey Katz and His Kosher Jammers. Viktoria and Misha’s version sounded more like the above example and did not sound at all like the following recording:

I sense that Misha and family thought the event went well. Misha and Viktoria certainly look pleased in this green room photo.

Thanks again for allowing me to use your photographs, folks.

Scottish Orchestra Does Russian (& Georgian) Composers At The Proms, Royal Albert Hall, 3 August 1997

This was our one visit to the Proms that season away from the clutches of The Duchess. I had fallen into the habit of treating her to one ort wo Proms each season, by that time. Janie and I occasionally also went to something of our own choosing.

On this occasion, I think the programme looked unusual and yet approachable. Alexander Lazarev conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. I wanted to hear Francesca da Rimini performed live and Janie had acquired a taste for countertenor singing. Plus some unusual pieces.

Here is a link to the BBC stub for this Prom.

We heard:

  • Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka – Capriccio brillante (on the Jota Aragonesa)
  • Sergey Prokofiev – Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor
  • Giya Kancheli – Symphony No. 3
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Francesca da Rimini
  • Alexander Glazunov – Raymonda, Op 57 No. 26 Grand pas espagnol Act 2- encore
  • Trad. – Eightsome (reel) – encore

What could possibly go wrong?

Nothing. Nothing went wrong. Although in truth, I don’t recall much about the lesser-known pieces and I cannot for the life of me work out where the countertenor fits in with this collection of pieces. Janie cemented her view that she didn’t like Prokofiev and that big symphony orchestra concerts were not really her favourite thing. Still, we both very much enjoyed our evening.

Here’s what the Glinka sounds like:

Here’s a good recording of the Prokofiev.

The Kancheli is strange yet certainly haunting:

I really enjoyed the Francesca da Rimini. Here is a more recent version of it from The Royal Festival Hall, but you’ll get the idea:

Dig this little bit of the Glazunov:

Fine composer, was Trad. Should have paired up with Anon – they could have been the Lennon and McCartney of the 11th to 19th centuries. Yet Janie insisted that the final encore was Trad’s “Tiresome Reel” rather than Eightsome Reel. I kinda see her point:

Geoffrey Norris in The Telegraph wrote very fondly of this Prom:

Lazarev Prom Norris TelegraphLazarev Prom Norris Telegraph 04 Aug 1997, Mon The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Robert Cowan in the Independent also waxed lyrical about this Prom:

Lazarev Prom Cowan IndyLazarev Prom Cowan Indy 05 Aug 1997, Tue The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Rick Jones was less impressed in The Standard. I’m not quite sure what he means by an errrant electronic high-pitched note. Janie would argue that Prokofiev is meant to sound like that.

Lazarev Prom Jones StandardLazarev Prom Jones Standard 04 Aug 1997, Mon Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Just This One Visit To The Concert Hall That Year: Proms, Royal Albert Hall, 7 September 1996

I’m not sure why we went so very little in 1996 – I’m guessing we might have been preoccupied with other things when the Proms programme came out.

I don’t think this concert would have been our first choice, but Pauline liked Debussy and was convinced that Janie simply needed to work at it to find a place in her heart for Prokofiev. We tried a few times over the years and it didn’t ever work.

Valery Gergiev, conducting the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, would certainly have been a draw.

Here is a link to the BBC stub for this Prom.

We heard:

  • Sergey Prokofiev – Symphony No 6 in E flat minor
  • Modest Mussorgsky – The Nursery (arr. Edison Denisov)
  • Claude Debussy – La Mer

Here’s what Nicholas Williams thought about it in the Indy:

Gergiev Proms Williams Indy 1 of 2Gergiev Proms Williams Indy 1 of 2 11 Sep 1996, Wed The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com Gergiev Prom Williams Indy 2 of 2Gergiev Prom Williams Indy 2 of 2 11 Sep 1996, Wed The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com