Prom 13

The US National Youth Orchestra 

The reviews are glowing: all  three of them. And there's no doubt that this is a fresh band, full of enthusiasm. Their ages are from 16 to 19, and it's a representation of all the States. You can already hear the 'but', can't you? What was astonishing was that they've only been together for a mere 3 weeks, and have toured the States, and visited St Petersburg, playing in the 'White Nights' festival! So perhaps they just need time...

Briefly: Magiya (Sean Shepperd, BBC/Carnegie Hall co-commission, UK premiere) was interesting; I'd like to hear it again. A nod to Russian rhythms & magic..and at only 10 mins, left this listener content. And there aren't many BBC commission pieces of which one can say that..

The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto - Joshua Bell (who's been accompanying the USNYO on tour) was excellent, & his 1713 'Huberman' Strad has a glorious tone, beautifully sweet. The story of this violin is the stuff of novels!




El Systema made their debut at the Hall with Shostakovitch's 10th (damm! I missed it...). The temperature in the Hall is supposed to fall by at least 10C with the playing of this symphony; but it didn't. DSCH is not a 'warm' symphonist: who better to convey this than a Russian (OK, Georgian) conductor? I missed much of a sense of fear & fright & I wondered, apart from playing in time, what Gergiev had been teaching them. Then I pondered on how on earth 16-19 year-old American kids, who aren't legally allowed in bars in most of the States, would know about political repression, and the fear of a dictator. Further thought brought the realisation that Gergiev was highly unlikely to have spoken about anything like that to them...

What saved the evening was their encore, a medley from Gershwin's Porgy & Bess This was truly exciting, with swing, pizzazz, and real feel for the music they were playing. Next concert should be American composers, then: Copeland - and why do we never hear Hovhaness live??