Hi there, and welcome to the Ripieno Conductor’s blog – issue 1! Mostly these musings will have a direct bearing on what we’re up to – perhaps a less formal view than would be appropriate in programme notes, for example. But to get us going and through the 2014 holiday season here are some Proms you might like to seek out, chosen on the basis that ‘if you like what we do, you’ll probably like this’.
Mon 12 July 1.00 pm – Rameau’s magnificent chamber music. OK, so it’s not singing but it’s marvellous
Sat 26 July 8.00 pm – JSB’s St John Passion, conducted by one of my heroes (Sir Roger Norrington) and with the superb James Gilchrist as Evangelist
Mon 28 July 1.00 pm – CPE Bach’s chamber music. Another of this year’s anniversary composers gets an airing. Top performers in top repertoire.
Tue 29 July 10.00 pm – a foretaste of our November programme, Rameau’s Grands Motets.
Thu 31 July 7.30 pm – Definitely straying from Ripieno territory, but you have to admire any choir even willing to open the copies of Richard Strauss’s Deutsche Motette. Then stay tuned for his Four Last Songs.
Tue 26 Aug 10.15 pm – Beethoven Missa Solemnis conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner. I reviewed this team’s CD of this piece recently and have rarely, if ever, enjoyed it more.
Sat 6 Sept 7.00 pm – JSB’s St Matthew Passion (staged). A controversial one, this. Peter Sellars’ staging is conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. He is likely to have tamed the Berlin Philharmonic’s instinctive lushness for this but I remain unconvinced by the staging. Fortunately, on the radio this won’t be an issue.
Sat 13 Sept 7.30 pm – the recently deceased Sir John Tavener’s Song for Athene sneaks into the Last Night, though do stay tuned for the prospect of the supremely versatile BBC Symphony Orchestra playing a Mary Poppins medley!
All Proms are, of course, live on BBC Radio 3, available in HD sound online and a number are also on television. Less publicised is the fact that many get a repeat in the afternoon on Radio 3 shortly after the original broadcast.
Enjoy your summer listening.
DH
