Proms: Much Manfred from Liverpool

The RLPOs prom was book-ended by pieces inspired by Byron's play Manfred. The first was Robert Schumann's Manfred Overture and the second Tchaikovski's Manfred Symphony, a vast work about which I knew nothing and about which I am still undecided — although the performance seemed perfectly good.

Tucked between the two hefty slices of brooding Byronic melodrama was a piece of shameless romanticism, in the form of Rachmaninov's 2nd piano concerto with Simon Trpčeski as soloist. I really liked the freshness Trpčeski and Petrenko brought to the old warhorse, bringing out Rachmaninov's wonderful melodies but resisting the temptation to wallow in them à la Brief Encounter. Delightful.

Put the book down and step away

Much to my surprise I have discovered that pater has been reading JG Ballard's The Drowned World. I can't really imagine anything less his style than early Ballard. So I wasn't terribly shocked to learn that he hated it and that the only thing he liked about it was its terseness.