Hallé Orchestra – live from Madrid – Cristian Mandeal, conductor – April 23, 2011 – RNE Radio Clasica –
Over to Madrid this week for a live performance with the visiting Hallé Orchestra, led by permanent guest Conductor Cristian Mandeal in music of Ravel, Delius, Rimsky-Korsakov and Vaughan Williams.
The first half of the program begins with Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, followed by A Walk To The Paradise Garden by Delius and concludes with the Russian Easter Overture by Rimsky-Korsakov. The second part is a single work; Job, A Masque For Dancing by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
During his over 40 years of uninterrupted conducting, CRISTIAN MANDEAL has practiced his profession in Romania and abroad. As the principal conductor and general director of the “George Enescu” Philharmonic (1991-2009), he raised its level to particularly high levels, leaving behind an institution – a standard for Romania. He was artistic director of the Northern Israeli Orchestra – Haifa (1999 – 2002) and of the Basque National Orchestra – San Sebastian (2001 – 2008), permanent conductor of the “Haydn Orchestra” of Bolzano and Trento (2000 – 2003); principal guest conductor of the Halle Manchester Orchestra (2003-2008) – the first holder of this title in the entire 150-year existence of this orchestra, the Belgrade Philharmonic (2006-2007 season) and the Copenhagen Philharmonic.
Cristian Mandeal conducted over 60 first absolute auditions, especially of Romanian and foreign composers, some of which were dedicated to him. He is a tireless promoter of George Enescu, programming his music on all meridians. Among others, he conducted the opera “Oedipus” in the first audition in Britain (at the Edinburgh Festival – 2002) and Italian (Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, 2005). Since 2008 he has been the President of the “George Enescu” Society in London.
A point of great interest in Cristian Mandeal’s last period of activity is the collaboration with the Romanian Youth Orchestra, which he has been constantly cultivating, educating and conducting since 2008.
A pretty straight-forward concert with he exception of Job, which I haven’t heard in a live context in a very-very long time. If you’re not familiar it’s worth a listen. It begins rather strange though, which I suspect is one of the hazards of doing a live concert. The announcer is caught delivering the lead-up just as the orchestra starts – no applause, no intro – just starts. So there’s that.
But do enjoy the show.
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what the heck are they doing with all the crashing and banging in the background
A very good question. The nearest I can guess is there were dancers taking part in the Job story (since it’s a “Masque for Dancing” – but still, you’re right – a lot of banging around. Also the start of the piece seemed to have taken the announcer by surprise. Kind of a mess, but a seldom performed work – so there’s that.