Alsop and the LSO

Thanks to Delia Casadei for a wonderful review of the above concert. I would only comment that Alsop's conducting was "not as explosive" for the Dvorak because the Bartok calls for that kind of movement, while the Dvorak does not. The Wooden Prince is one of those works (Mahler's 4th comes to mind also) in which the conductor's work is more visible than in other works. The colourings and tempo changes, for example, keep the conductor on ror toes. And Ms. Alsop is on her toes like no other conductor around. She was literally on them at one point in theBartok; that's the kind of energy it calls for, and that's the kind she gives. And I certainly do not wish she had used something subtle at the end; she lifted us out of the hall with that dance!

It's a good point you make about Bartok vs Dvorak, but I guess it's a matter of opinion about the encore! I know it sometimes annoys me when encores don't fit with the main works in a concert programme.

On the other hand, I remember a BBCNOW Prom about 13 years ago when the Lutoslawski went down so badly that the orchestra had to play three quite long popular encores just to cheer everyone up!