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Posted by Bob Briggs on July 3, 2008, 2:56 am, in reply to "http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2008/Jan-Jun08/davis2906.htm"
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Thank you for your comments. First of all you will be pleased to know that the concert was recorded and will be available on LSO Live! in the future.
When I wrote that The Oceanides played for about 15 minutes I was guessing - I didn't check any timings after the event and as I haven't carried a watch or any timepiece in over 25 years I wrote what I felt. Perhaps the performance was so big (and it was) it felt like a quarter hour!
To me, Davis's performance of the Symphony seemed to be devoid of humanity insofar as it was such a literal reading of the notes it was truly chilling. I was amazed at the boldness of his interpretation from this point of view for - to some - it could be alienating. I am not saying that it wasn't an emotional experience - believe me the performance was overpowering in its emotion - but the feeling was of a natural world minus humans. I wrote what I wrote because I had never experienced a performance of the work which so powerfully made me think of it as being devoid of humanity.
Please try again with Nightride which is a magnificent work, but needs a strong hand in charge. Andrew Davis did in in the Barbican in 1990 and - to me - proved it to be more than just the romp it can sometimes become. Also, the Dorati recording (recently re-issued I think) is very persuasive.
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