A lot of extremely negative comments in here, but this is all for fun. It's an experimental arrangement without saxophones. Just appreciate that Sir Simon Rattle is paying any respect at all to the wind band world
His performance is okay. People expect a lot more since he’s a world class conductor and they performed sub par to that of most major universities. This music was performed because Percy Grainger is a giant composer and musician. Sir Simon likes odd composers that are eccentric. Percy was definitely one of the greatest musical geniuses of the 19th Century. He was not only probably the best composer of his time but also one of the best piano virtuosos of his time. Any great conductor would be dumb not to conduct this piece. It’s like saying no to Holst or Bach or Beethoven or Mozart or Schubert or Debussy, etc. Grainger is a staple composer that every serious musician should study.
I understand the sentiment, but it's precisely because it's an orchestra the quality of the BRSO and a conductor with the prestige of Rattle that makes it squirmy. Lincolnshire is amongst the finest wind works ever written; for many orchestra fans, this might be their first and only exposure to Grainger, and that's disappointing because this performance is underbaked. Sure it's got its moments and it's well-played, but it's not a great representation of the work (for reasons stated throughout these comments), and with such a high profile set of musicians that's unfortunate.
If Grainger didn't want saxophones in the music, he wouldn't have written for them. They play an extremely important role in the work and without them, the piece is missing a huge part of its character. This goes for any other instrument in the arrangement, as well. It's all written very intentionally.
@@Jonathanhsax oh please I’m a composer, don’t sit here and try to lecture me about authorial intent. Pieces are adapted for new instrumentations every single day, for better or for worse. The Canadian Brass playing Little Fugue in G Minor arranged for brass quintet doesn’t in any ways disrespect Bach, and thus Simon Rattle programming a different instrumentation of Lincolnshire Posy in no way disrespects Grainger. If anything, it is a demonstration of Rattle’s respect for him that the projects was undertaken at all.
@@cameroncomposes You can't compare arranging Bach vs. Grainger. The saxophone was Grainger's favorite band instrument, the one he said was most like the human voice. Lincolnshire Posy without saxophone is like a fish without water.
Love seeing all the people who are all of a sudden world class musicians and conductors to comment on a performance that had minimal rehearsal time and was for an education broadcast for the wind ensemble idiom and to highlight the BRSO on their educational outreach. Anyway, despite no saxophones, this was a fun performance.
I get the feeling he wanted to take the last movement just a "shade* faster, but the sound is so lush it would be a shame if he did. Lord Melbourne was rich and full, and reminded me of listening to Fennell talk in workshop rehearsal many years ago about asking a man in a pub to sing "Lord Melbourne". The man in his sotted state got thru the first verse, and promptly passed out in his ale.
@@LyleFrancisDelp I hate when they do that. Sitting on stage for such a ridiculously long amount of time when you're not even involved in the piece in question is so tedious.
This is an amazing interpretation. It connects the piece to the trends of its time. I hear elements of Bartok, Kodaly, Hindemith, especially. Such focus on line and space. It’s amazing what can happen when you have a brilliant musician on the podium instead of some college band director trying to show off how fast his band can play.
This interpretation is okay. I still think Eugene Corporon is the best conductor for wind band. He has an incredible recording and a live performance of this work with the University of North Texas Wind Symphony. Simon does a couple things well, but for me this was a rough performance. A little sub par for a musician at his caliber, but then again this is one of the hardest pieces in all of music to perform well with any ensemble. I do give credit for some of his music liberties.
What recordings / performances are you thinking of when you say a college band director trying to show off how fast a band can play? This isn’t an overly challenging piece and I don’t really see bands play it fast to show off their technique (also not sure what the previous commentator is talking about there are much harder pieces, including ones which are standard repertoire). There are a number of musical and interpretative challenges though - and I honestly don’t think Rattle handled it well. Listen to this piece done by H Robert Reynolds of Frederick Fennell and I think you will hear a huge difference
@@bobmatt5175 well, I’ve been in groups that have been conducted by both Fennell and Reynolds and worked with a lot of the “luminaries” of the band world and I still prefer Rattle’s thoughtful devotion to the line and sense of color and rhythmic clarity . But thanks for trying to “educate” me about band music.
@@mellcsicsila You never answered my question. You can prefer Rattle’s but to critique band directors for rushing through this piece to show off technique is bizarre as it simply… doesn’t happen. This particular recording also simply objectively has rhythmic alignment issues, to say nothing about articulation matching.
The rhythms don't always have a great feel, but mvts. 4 & 6 certainly come off the best. I don't know how much Rattle or German bands have Grainger in their repertoire, but it's nice to hear them do it. I think having all of the basses playing is a mistake. FYI I see clips in the recommendations where all of the groups are playing marches together, so I think Rattle is just highlighting the Bavarian Radio winds for this.
09:48 Right....During one of the most iconic baritone/euphonium solos in the wind literature, the videographer does a close up of just about everyone EXCEPT for the soloist. Tyipcal.
As a saxophonist, this reminds me of the hundreds of times I sat through an orchestra performance only to play a few notes. But never through a performance like this where there are saxophone parts but the conductor chose to do an arrangement different from the original.
Although life is FAR better without the hideous saxophones, can’t this guy put his clog down? It’s like driving behind an old lady on the freeway passing lane. 🐢
This is totally devoid of the magic and wonder Grainger imbued it with. It has none of the sing-song quality it was meant to have. Thoroughly two dimensional - and without saxophones! This performance is one for the ages, and not for good reason.
Sorry, but this is the absolute most pointless performance of this magnificent work for winds I've ever heard. The inflections and are all wrong as is the lack of pointed articulations. I was left totally bored by the whole thing.
One of the great classics of band literature... I love this piece everytime I hear it.
A lot of extremely negative comments in here, but this is all for fun. It's an experimental arrangement without saxophones. Just appreciate that Sir Simon Rattle is paying any respect at all to the wind band world
His performance is okay. People expect a lot more since he’s a world class conductor and they performed sub par to that of most major universities. This music was performed because Percy Grainger is a giant composer and musician. Sir Simon likes odd composers that are eccentric. Percy was definitely one of the greatest musical geniuses of the 19th Century. He was not only probably the best composer of his time but also one of the best piano virtuosos of his time. Any great conductor would be dumb not to conduct this piece. It’s like saying no to Holst or Bach or Beethoven or Mozart or Schubert or Debussy, etc. Grainger is a staple composer that every serious musician should study.
I understand the sentiment, but it's precisely because it's an orchestra the quality of the BRSO and a conductor with the prestige of Rattle that makes it squirmy. Lincolnshire is amongst the finest wind works ever written; for many orchestra fans, this might be their first and only exposure to Grainger, and that's disappointing because this performance is underbaked. Sure it's got its moments and it's well-played, but it's not a great representation of the work (for reasons stated throughout these comments), and with such a high profile set of musicians that's unfortunate.
If Grainger didn't want saxophones in the music, he wouldn't have written for them. They play an extremely important role in the work and without them, the piece is missing a huge part of its character. This goes for any other instrument in the arrangement, as well. It's all written very intentionally.
@@Jonathanhsax oh please I’m a composer, don’t sit here and try to lecture me about authorial intent. Pieces are adapted for new instrumentations every single day, for better or for worse. The Canadian Brass playing Little Fugue in G Minor arranged for brass quintet doesn’t in any ways disrespect Bach, and thus Simon Rattle programming a different instrumentation of Lincolnshire Posy in no way disrespects Grainger. If anything, it is a demonstration of Rattle’s respect for him that the projects was undertaken at all.
@@cameroncomposes You can't compare arranging Bach vs. Grainger. The saxophone was Grainger's favorite band instrument, the one he said was most like the human voice. Lincolnshire Posy without saxophone is like a fish without water.
I've loved this ever since I first heard it in concert far to many years ago than I would like to admit.
Excellent woodwinds! Brisk Young Sailor is so fun with those runs
This is so lovely and epic.
Very well played, and I have to confess that hearing LP without Grainger's beloved saxophones is strange. I'm still enjoying it though.
Nothing wrong with this interpretation. Good to hear it played by these high caliber players!
Love seeing all the people who are all of a sudden world class musicians and conductors to comment on a performance that had minimal rehearsal time and was for an education broadcast for the wind ensemble idiom and to highlight the BRSO on their educational outreach.
Anyway, despite no saxophones, this was a fun performance.
Sir:
And now we have "purists" everywhere sharing their vast personal knowledge of the piece, the movements, the composer, etc.
I get the feeling he wanted to take the last movement just a "shade* faster, but the sound is so lush it would be a shame if he did. Lord Melbourne was rich and full, and reminded me of listening to Fennell talk in workshop rehearsal many years ago about asking a man in a pub to sing "Lord Melbourne". The man in his sotted state got thru the first verse, and promptly passed out in his ale.
Ich mag Percy Gainger ❤❤❤
He has this enormous band sitting there. And seems to be using just the BRSO folks doing one on a part.
That's my main question. What are they sitting there for?
@@LyleFrancisDelp I hate when they do that. Sitting on stage for such a ridiculously long amount of time when you're not even involved in the piece in question is so tedious.
@@LyleFrancisDelpprobably to avoid how annoying long the setup changes would be lol
This was great. Thank you for sharing this.
i wont pretend to understand this conglomerate group but there are saxophone players sitting right there...
Yeah we see them. They aren't playing the original parts written for them.
This is an amazing interpretation. It connects the piece to the trends of its time. I hear elements of Bartok, Kodaly, Hindemith, especially. Such focus on line and space. It’s amazing what can happen when you have a brilliant musician on the podium instead of some college band director trying to show off how fast his band can play.
This interpretation is okay. I still think Eugene Corporon is the best conductor for wind band. He has an incredible recording and a live performance of this work with the University of North Texas Wind Symphony. Simon does a couple things well, but for me this was a rough performance. A little sub par for a musician at his caliber, but then again this is one of the hardest pieces in all of music to perform well with any ensemble. I do give credit for some of his music liberties.
What recordings / performances are you thinking of when you say a college band director trying to show off how fast a band can play? This isn’t an overly challenging piece and I don’t really see bands play it fast to show off their technique (also not sure what the previous commentator is talking about there are much harder pieces, including ones which are standard repertoire). There are a number of musical and interpretative challenges though - and I honestly don’t think Rattle handled it well. Listen to this piece done by H Robert Reynolds of Frederick Fennell and I think you will hear a huge difference
@@bobmatt5175 well, I’ve been in groups that have been conducted by both Fennell and Reynolds and worked with a lot of the “luminaries” of the band world and I still prefer Rattle’s thoughtful devotion to the line and sense of color and rhythmic clarity . But thanks for trying to “educate” me about band music.
@@mellcsicsila You never answered my question. You can prefer Rattle’s but to critique band directors for rushing through this piece to show off technique is bizarre as it simply… doesn’t happen. This particular recording also simply objectively has rhythmic alignment issues, to say nothing about articulation matching.
@@bobmatt5175 I’ve been present to witness such concerts, especially at conventions.
i hoped the TV station showed the kids so obviously playing the mallet percussions too
What of the entire wind section sitting there in Bavarian garb?....Dirndls and such? Why are they even there?
The rhythms don't always have a great feel, but mvts. 4 & 6 certainly come off the best. I don't know how much Rattle or German bands have Grainger in their repertoire, but it's nice to hear them do it. I think having all of the basses playing is a mistake. FYI I see clips in the recommendations where all of the groups are playing marches together, so I think Rattle is just highlighting the Bavarian Radio winds for this.
Lincolnshire without saxophones is heresy.
I have never before seen a side-valve flugelhorn.
It's not a flugelhorn, I think it's a cornet, but I wouldn't put it past Germans to make a side-valved anything.
@@LyleFrancisDelp it is definitely a rotary flugelhorn lol
09:48 Right....During one of the most iconic baritone/euphonium solos in the wind literature, the videographer does a close up of just about everyone EXCEPT for the soloist. Tyipcal.
BUT FLUTE AM PLAY FAST. NEED TO SEE FLUTE.
Right? Right.
To be fair, nobody knows those 2 instruments, so he was trying to figure out where that sound was coming from. 😊
It’s okay he missed the alto clarinet at the beginjng of the 3rd movement
As a saxophonist, this reminds me of the hundreds of times I sat through an orchestra performance only to play a few notes. But never through a performance like this where there are saxophone parts but the conductor chose to do an arrangement different from the original.
I was so sad when I clicked on this performance of this great piece with a top conductor only to find there are no saxes ☹
Hundreds of times? Where do you live that there are that many opportunities for an orchestral saxophonist?
Hey, at least he kept the alto-clarinet in there.
@@StinkinGoodAle3241hahaha I noticed that too!!! I thought (as a bassoonist) that the last movement especially suffered from no saxophones.
I see Celli and String Basses playing! Are they doubling? They certainly weren't scored in the original.
I once did the 6th movement with my Band....
And yes without Saxes it sounds bare ...and wrong....
Oh my .... i can't even ..... This was just nasty.
Such a strange interpretation of this masterwork.
Although life is FAR better without the hideous saxophones, can’t this guy put his clog down? It’s like driving behind an old lady on the freeway passing lane. 🐢
This arrangement clearly has some wrong notes in it... Like how is 13:10 a minor chord
Ssshhhh. It’s correct.
I do wish the soloists could be still. We know it’s them playing they don’t have to wave around for attention. It’s distracting from the music.
10:43
This is totally devoid of the magic and wonder Grainger imbued it with. It has none of the sing-song quality it was meant to have. Thoroughly two dimensional - and without saxophones! This performance is one for the ages, and not for good reason.
Oh god, no. So much to unpack here. The one that bothered me most: Horkstow needs to breathe! The phrases didn’t linger at all. Yikes!
Eh. I'd rather hear Frank Battisti conduct it. Or Frederick Fennell. (And, of course, with its regular instrumentation.)
12:30 And again....no close up of the baritone/euphonium soloist. ARGH!!!!
Sorry, but this is the absolute most pointless performance of this magnificent work for winds I've ever heard. The inflections and are all wrong as is the lack of pointed articulations. I was left totally bored by the whole thing.