Big Blue

[tamaranth]

Last night ladymoonray and I went to a Prom. Or half of one, anyway. We were there, in the main, for Saint-Saens' Symphony #3 (Organ Symphony), though Berlioz' Le Corsaire overture (pirates!!) was a pleasant addition.

The lady organist was wearing a green-and-gold dress which, though it enabled her to be very agile when swinging her legs over the stool, clashed with the flowers they brought her at the end. Suspect it would have clashed with everything. The encore she chose -- something Modern, and rather bacchanalian, that went on for far too long; organ music is generally not to my taste when it is (a) unaccompanied or (b) Merry -- certainly clashed with my ideals of Music.

But the Saint-Saens was wonderful. I think of it as a sea-themed symphony, though cannot now recall whether this is an original thought (heaven forfend) or something I picked up from some programme notes once. Anyway, it's all (in my head, anyway) wonderfully marine, with waves and storms and, in the final movement, the steady swell of a calm, sunlit ocean. More to the point: the orchestration is wonderful, including all sorts of percussion -- a cymbalist optimistically clashing away as the organ drowns him, and everyone else, in sheer sound -- a piano duet, and a hefty brass section. But none of it has a hope once the organ gets going in the final movement, smashing out power chords (curiously truncated / unsustained, to my ear, but maybe that's because I'm used to a recording* where the chords die away more gradually) and taking over the action.

Yesterday was a rare chance to properly listen to the first three movements (deceptively chained in pairs by the composer) and appreciate, without distractions, the delicacy of the slow bits, etc. But there is still something about the Royal Albert Hall organ -- the 'Big Blue' of my title, 9999 pipes (you'd think they could manage just one more, or is this numeric overflow?!), refurbished since I last heard this piece there a few years ago, but apparently still experiencing problems this season -- the sheer volume, complexity and bass-register growl of it. (Some of the lowest notes are felt, not heard).

After that, though, I was feeling a bit drained, so we skipped Yvonne Kenny and her sprightly Strauss operetta, and had a mini-picnic on the grass next to the Albert Memorial (I hope no one ever loves me as much as Victoria loved Albert, if this is the result).

*Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal: Dutoit: 1982

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Thanks to everyone who's wished me well re medication, BP etc. I suspect that it's low because of the pills -- indicating that it might have settled down of its own accord by now. Anyway, am off everything and hoping to stay that way -- though I have felt rather strange* all weekend, probably because my blood is now very confused.

*falling-over-in-Tesco's strange, how embarrassing. Sober, too.

Comments

[ladymoonray.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, I didn't realise you were still falling over. Be careful, and try not to get damaged. When are you next at the doctors?

[ajshepherd.livejournal.com]

Hope you're OK. The falling over could be due to lower than expected BP, so hopefully once off the pills the BP will get to a 'normal' level.

The prom sounded good. Really must get back into Classical...!

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

"I have felt rather strange all weekend".

I reserve comment.