My BBCSO students were rather more freaked out than I intended them to be when I played and showed them sequences from Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel, preparing for tonight's performance of its sister work the Third Symphony conducted by Vedernikov. I'm still as baffled as anyone as to where this fascination with the dark world, and Prokofiev's ability to handle it 'subcutaneously' (as my much-missed colleague Christopher Palmer put it), might have come from.
There's little clue in diaries or letters, only a rather funny entry for 30 November 1921 when SSP goes to one of batty Nina Koshetz's seances. He meets her spirit guide Uchshikay from the fifth century AD, whom Koshetz tells him was reincarnated as Schumann ('At this I asked...why so evidently enlightened an individual as Uchshikay should have been later incarnated in the body of so manifestly unenlightened a person as Schumann?'). There's a bit of a twist to all the sarcasm: cocky Sergey tells Uchshikay:
'I do not wish to hear you, because the world I see before my eyes is clear and bright enough for me not to risk throwing myself into the abyss of doubt that is spiritualism'. This elicited an astounding response: 'Sergey, you do not yet feel me, but I say to you, in the words of your poet [Pushkin]: "Remember me!" '. With that the seance ended, and I went home deeply stirred, mainly on account of this last utterance. Everything that preceded it could be discounted, but the beauty of this phrase stays with me, an incontestable treasure!
So maybe there was something of Sergey and Nina in the embattled relationship between The Fiery Angel's possessed Renata and hapless suitor Ruprecht. Anyway, it was the spirit-knocking scene which really stunned the students into silence, and I make no apology for equating the symphony directly with the opera; Prokofiev's later remark about disassociating the orchestral themes from their operatic context was a bluff to the Soviets.
We ended with the convent orgy, pictured above in the Jones production for La Monnaie, which I never got to see as I was chucking up from food poisoning on the morning I was due to take the train to Brussels. The top still is from that amazing Polish film about hysteria in a nunnery, Mother Joan of the Angels. This you should see if you feel strong enough.
I asked Robert Carsen if he got the idea for the final scene of Poulenc's Carmelites from the above image, but he hadn't seen the film and a group of prostrate nuns is, apparently, a regular enough phenomenon.
David Freeman's Kirov Fiery Angel, which travelled to London after astonishing the post-Soviet crowds with its nudity, wears well enough, especially in the use of white-powdered acrobats as demons. The DVD has all you could wish from Gorchakova and Leiferkus, but here's a whistlestop tour with a different cast. The music is the black sabbath which accompanies Ruprecht's visit to the disinigenuous necromancer Agrippa von Nettesheim and which later recurs as the climax of the ultimate mayhem. It serves here as the finale to the Third Symphony, which so astonished Richter in that context that he wrote: 'Grandiose masses gape and topple over - the end of the universe'.
Catch tonight's concert at the Barbican if you can, preferably, or on Radio 3 live at 7pm. I can't, as I'm back at the Royal Opera to chat with Andrew McGregor about that Gambler of genius for R3, due for broadcast some time in May. I'll have to catch up on the Listen Again facility. There's still time, by the way, to hear the last BBCSO concert of Janacek, Korngold and Martinu on the R3 iPlayer.
You're scaring me.
ReplyDeleteI'm scaring myself. And, as I remarked only a moment ago to my good friend Stephen Johnson, the number '666' has come up on the list of the Arts Desk's 'facebook friends' and won't budge.
ReplyDeleteWe had the Kirov Angel at the MET with Gorchakova in '92 -- OMG, she was a powerhouse and seemed capable of anything in her prime. I was so lucky to be able to see it live. She then came back with Fevronia in The Invisible City of Kitesz in '95, still in great shape. I hoped she'd turn out to be the Verdi soprano we were all hoping for but it never quite happened.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Gergiev we've had a great deal of superb Russian opera in NYC -- his presence at the MET is less now and, apart from Boris, Pikovaya Dama and Onegin, it's slipping away again.
My god that is frightening - but riveting! So sorry to have missed the Gambler but did enjoy the Matinu and play to listen to it on the replay - I believe its on for 7 days??
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't think I have to tell you how much I enjoyed your talk before hand. And once again you did it - if its not a new author or book you are tempting me with, you've now got me interest in a new - to me at least - composer.
Many thanks to you and J.
It was such a pleasure to meet you both - and so easy; I thought we got on just grand! You are in the good company of Nico Muhly in relishing St John (any excuse to go back there) My first such venture via the web - I guess a blog gives a pretty good idea of the person. And of course I'm still looking to see what you might have to say chez toi.
ReplyDeleteYes, that concert will run on the iPlayer until Monday, since it was only broadcast a couple of days ago. The Vedernikov concert went out live tonight, so it has a week to run.
The late Mr. Palmer was certainly among the greatest musical intellects of whom I was aware!
ReplyDeleteI have heard neither Prokofiev's _Second_, _Third_ nor _Fourth_ _Symphonies_, so should probably give this concert a go. It seems that I must have missed a recent performance of _The_ _Gambler_.
This is well off topic, but have you heard Sir Charles's Philharmonia recording of Mahler _Four_? I have not yet listened to it in its entirety, but thus far, whatever it may or may not have, there is one thing I think it has in _SPADES_, and that is _CHARACTER_! No smoothed-over edges here, again in what I have heard thus far! Miss Fox seems to be having a _JOLLY_-good time in Heaven!
J. V.
Sorry, JV, but I have no knowledge of the Mackerras Mahler 4 you mention. Presumably it's a download rather than a CD release?
ReplyDeleteOne I'd like: the Elgar 2 he did with the Phil a couple of years ago. As perfect a performance of a symphony as I've ever heard.
I re-explored on the Philharmonia's Shop Page, and it indeed does appear that this Mahler is only available as a download, which is how I got it, though I burned it to a CD yesterday.
ReplyDeleteAs doubtless you know, I would also like to hear that Elgar _Two_, but am content for now with my Argo recording. I expect you have already done all the lobbying for this which is within your power to do, and hope that _SOMEHOW_ this will bear good fruit since you are so impressed with this performance! And, since you mentioned Miss D. Jones the other day, I approached her _Sea_ _Pictures_ with some trepidation due to I think we both know who. Yet I _LIKE_ her performance, and have gone on to admire other things she has done, most of them with Sir Charles! She is in the not-commercially-available late-80's BBC broadcast of _Princess_ _Ida_. And, having mentioned my Handel cycle, she is, in my opinion at least, a _GRIPPING_ Sesto in the ENO recording of _Giulio_ _Cesare_!
J. V.
Pretty wonderful, too, as the Marcellina on the Ostman Figaro - one of the first 'authentics', and the first time I'd heard the Act 4 aria. I think she does that better than anyone.
ReplyDeleteShe was a splendid Welshy Buttercup in a Savoy Pinafore I went to see a couple of years ago. Presumably now more or less retired.
I gather that that is _THE_ period-instrument _Figaro_, so regarded by the late Dr. Sadie in _Gramophone_, but I have not heard it.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine Miss Jones in Buttercups famous first song, and maybe even a bit in the "baby-farming" number. One wonders what she did with the passage of dialogue where she tells the Captain that she has gypsy blood in her veins, that there is a change in store for him, and to be prepared!
Returning to the basic area of this thread, I was interested to hear Mr. McGregor's comments on this six-Prokofiev-opera reissue from Maestro Gergiev. Knowing how much you admire his work, presumably you endorse his views, though there is his usual "bugaboo" when it comes to some of these reissues, the lack of comprehensive notes, texts and translations, which I would _DEFINITELY_ need since I would be coming at much of this work for the first time.
J. V.
By way of amendment, Presto has informed me of yet another delay. Yet further, it was clarified, to which I must not have paid attention, that this _Gambler_ is to be broadcast on, or at least around, 22 May, though I did read that you are to be a part of that, and recorded same the other evening.
ReplyDeleteJ. V.
Yes, it's ludicrous that those of all operas should come without libretti. Still, that Gambler has been unavailable for too long - copies of the original were circulating for a small fortune.
ReplyDeleteOf course I endorse Andrew. We had an excellent time in the box at the Royal Opera Gambler on Thursday. A McG had written a brilliant script which will clarify everything anyone needs to know about this tricky work (and it's sung in English, which will help).
Sadly the broadcast won't be until May, because all the Met live shows need to go out first, apparently.
I found at least one used copy of this _Gambler_ on US Amazon for around $40, just a bit steep for two CD's though perhaps not prohibitively so. Their _Love_ _For_ _Three_ _Oranges_ must still be available, and indeed is as an MP3 download, since there is at least one copy selling for around $15 or close to $16. I did not check the others.
ReplyDeleteJ. V.
I listened to the Prokofiev _Third_ _Symphony_ this morning, and it seemed _QUITE_-evident from the start as to who the composer was! The outer movements are certainly powerful, presumably prompted by from whence they came. I found the Second Movement rather attractive at least, notably the early theme for winds. There also seemed to be, on at least two occasions in the work, a motive anticipating "Libera Me" in Britten's _War_ _Requiem_. It is a symphony I might wish to hear again, and so, if I do, to whom should I go? Maestro Gergiev? I was interested to hear of the problems _The_ _Fiery_ _Angel_ encountered, not reaching the stage until two years after Prokofiev's death, in 1955. So that leaves the _Second_ and _Fourth_ _Symphonies_ yet to be heard, though _MAYBE_ I have heard some of the latter.
ReplyDeleteJ. V.
And I forgot to include in my last message that, while searching for the Rozhdestvensky _Romeo_ _And_ _Juliet_ on Amazon, I came upon a gem I do not think I have heard in years, his _March_ _Op._ _99_! I do not have that in my collection, but maybe should since I indeed like it!
ReplyDeleteJ. V.
No. for me Gergiev sweeps through the Third too rapidly - I like a bit of bludgeoning. So it's Jarvi again. Probably the old Rozhdestvensky is rather splendid, but I don't think it's on CD (though with Melodiya, who knows?)
ReplyDeleteThe March is one of those quirky miniatures, the only one of its kind around on CD (Abbado and the COE included it with the Classical Symphony and Peter and the Wolf). I'm very fond of the March for the Spartakiad, too.
So, since your comment on recordings of the Prokofiev _Third_ seems to be expressed in largely-subjective terms, how particular was Prokofiev himself about the performance of his music. Was he, like, say, Vaughan Williams, largely content to let his performaners do what they pleased (within good taste one hopes), or, like Britten, did he insist on his wishes being carried out?
ReplyDeleteI have known that March heretofore in a scoring for band. Was it so written, or would I, were I to buy that CD, hear it for orchestra? I have not owned a recording of _Peter_ _And_ _The_ _Wolf_ since the 50's, when I had one narrated by Mrs. Elleanor Roosevelt. She certainly had a unique manner of speaking!
J. V.