Proms Abbado M3 question. Help me here, I'm not a musician.

[Toblacher]

Listening to this year's live M3 Proms concert with Abbado I was struck with the
clarinet (or is it an oboe/English horn?) solo in the 4th movement. It sounded much,
how should I describe it, harsher or gypsy-like?  Is there an alternate way of playing
this?  I have to say I liked it.

Clay

[barry guerrero]

My guess is that you're talking about the oboe solos inbetween stanzas sung by the mezzo. For those solos, Mahler marks "hinauf ziehen - wie ein naturlaut". Roughly translated, he's asking that the oboist pull their tone upwards - like a glissando - to produce a sort of sound that Mahler feels  one would hear in nature. It's sort of inline with all of the bird noises (woodwinds) in the first movement, and during the climactic middle section of the scherzo. In purely musical terms, it adds much needed color between those stanzas in the fourth movement.

Barry Guerrero

[Ivor]

  Abbado had the oboist played those phrases in a very glissando-like way (ah, I see that's the word Barry used), and very emphatic. The first time, I smiled, it was rather unexpected and very distinctive.

  Thanks for reminding me.

   When the last chord of the work began to die away, someone in the audience gave an out-loud cross between a sigh and a crying out. Very touching.


     Ivor

[Jot N. Tittle]

    When the last chord of the work began to die away, someone in the audience gave an out-loud cross between a sigh and a crying out. Very touching.
 Ivor

Vass you der, Ivor? Or on the wireless?

Abbado and his kids will be doing the Third in Carnegie Hall on October 6. I keep waffling on whether to go.

It's the travel and stay in NYC that gums up the plans. I heard the Julliard Orchestra do the Third in Carnegie a couple of years ago, and it was magical: the post horn solo done from upper-most rear spot, and the soprano had butter in her throat. Afterwards, upon turning the corner of 7th Avenue and Central Park South, I looked up (as hicks will do in the City) to see a blazingly bright meteor flash between the Moon and Mars. Now, if something like that could be arranged for October 6, I'd firm up my plans!

     . & '

[Ivor]

 Ja,Yot, I voss dere in ze Promming area on ze - errrr- naight. It voss vunderful, butt zen I em a bick Abbaaaaaaado fen.         



    Ivor

[Jot N. Tittle]

I envy you.

By the way, how many of our subscribers remember from old radio days the line "Vass you der, Chollie?"
If you do, acknowledge with proof of age.

     . & '