Proms 2012
Fri, Apr 20 2012, 11:52AM
Is it to early to comment on this years festival?
Some outstanding concerts in prospect with three great visiting orchestras: not just the BPO, not just the Leipzig Gewandhaus but the VPO as well!
Three Vaughan Williams symphonies in one evening must be a first!
Gurrelieder and Les Troyens were the others that stood out on an initial surfing of the BBC site.
Fri, Apr 20 2012, 2:18PM
#2
RE: Proms 2012
Well, JKH, in the case of ticketing problems, perhaps you should consider not going to the most overrated music festival in the world and get a life instead.
Fri, Apr 20 2012, 5:10PM
#3
RE: Proms 2012
Well, JKH, in the case of ticketing problems, perhaps you should consider not going to the most overrated music festival in the world and get a life instead.
Yes, imagine what a limited, blinkered, mediocre and unenlightened existence I must share with those other many thousands of sad folk who are similarly deluded as to think going to the Proms is a worthwhile musical experience and the sole means of escape from not having 'a life'.
Fri, Apr 20 2012, 5:53PM
#4
RE: Proms 2012
Three Vaughan Williams symphonies in one evening must be a first!
By normal Proms standards that's about 3 years worth of Vaughan Williams in one evening!
Some interesting concers in the offing but taken as a whole it's a bit Beethoven heavy. (I await the hate mail).
Getting to the concerts is difficult for me but I shall be glued to Radio 3. I hope that the BBC make a slightly more varied choice of concerts to televise this year.
Sat, Apr 21 2012, 12:36AM
#5
RE: Proms 2012
Three Vaughan Williams symphonies in one evening must be a first!
By normal Proms standards that's about 3 years worth of Vaughan Williams in one evening!
Some interesting concers in the offing but taken as a whole it's a bit Beethoven heavy. (I await the hate mail).
Getting to the concerts is difficult for me but I shall be glued to Radio 3. I hope that the BBC make a slightly more varied choice of concerts to televise this year.
Even heavier Beethoven since all the symphonies will be conducted by Barenboim, oh dear.
They need to televise more concerts but I suspect the cuts imposed upon the Corp and gleefully applied by the outgoing and uncharismatic DG will prevent that. Shame!
Sat, Apr 21 2012, 12:37AM
#6
RE: Proms 2012
Well, JKH, in the case of ticketing problems, perhaps you should consider not going to the most overrated music festival in the world and get a life instead.
The most pointless post so far.
Overrated by whom, you, alone?
Sat, Apr 21 2012, 7:51AM
#7
RE: Proms 2012
Something for everyone, and so inevitably something for everyone to complain about. For me that dreary and depressing tenth- rate song "You'll never walk alone" making an appearance on the Last Night for the third year running means that it is now established as a Proms tradition to be endured for the rest of my days. But let us strike up a more joyful sound! A packed Albert Hall resounding to the greatest music ever conceived by Man. All the Beethoven 9 played by the fantastic W-E Divan young musicians? This is not something to worry about; it would be worth a season ticket alone; an ode to joy!
Sat, Apr 21 2012, 3:31PM
#8
RE: Proms 2012
Something for everyone, and so inevitably something for everyone to complain about. For me that dreary and depressing tenth- rate song "You'll never walk alone" making an appearance on the Last Night for the third year running means that it is now established as a Proms tradition to be endured for the rest of my days. But let us strike up a more joyful sound! A packed Albert Hall resounding to the greatest music ever conceived by Man. All the Beethoven 9 played by the fantastic W-E Divan young musicians? This is not something to worry about; it would be worth a season ticket alone; an ode to joy!
Sooner two minutes of "You'll never walk alone" than five hours of Barenboim conducting Beethoven with his middle-eastern pick-up band.
Mon, Apr 23 2012, 3:22PM
#9
RE: Proms 2012
The proms is a wonderful music festival Spadger, and we're lucky to have it.
In the last five years, I have been fortunate enough to hear amongst others, the following: Sibelius 2, Honegger 3 and Beethoven 9 all under Bavarian Radio Orchestra with Jansons, Rachmaninov 1 with BBC Phil and Noseda, The Planets with BBC Phil/Mackerras, Mussorgsky's Pictures with RPO/Dutoit, Sibelius 1 with Concertgebouw/Jansons, Part 4 with Philharmonia/Salonen, Rimsky's Sceherazade and Tchaikovsky 2 with BBC Scottish/Brabbins, as well as Brian's mighty Gothic last year with Brabbins and BBC Wales and Concert orchestras...
And those are just the classics in the repertoire!
Besides which I have heard renowned pianists like Martha Argerich and also seen emerging pianists like Ashley Wass at Cadogan Hall, and heard more contemporary music from Knussen and the Birmingham group and an impressive concert of Cage, Cardew, Skempton and Feldman with BBC Scottish.
What I love about the proms: I get that mixture of classics and newies, hear some of the world's greatest orchestras/conductors, and hear both established and emerging talent. All live.
Which is not to say anything about the marvellous atmosphere at the Proms - as someone who used to go to two concerts a week in London at one time as my social life, the ambience at the proms is like no other: studied concentration and deep appreciation are noticeable. It really is a unique feeling at a Proms concert.
Regards
Mark
Fri, Apr 27 2012, 12:49AM
#10
RE: Proms 2012
Must say that I am disappointed in the response. Perhaps, the Proms, as a thread, will be revived nearer the time or are posters happier talking about music on CD?
Fri, Apr 27 2012, 3:52PM
#11
RE: Proms 2012
Just a thought the Proms are on during the Olympic Games it is going to be murder to go to anything during that period, so I'll listen to them on the radio this year instead.
Fri, Apr 27 2012, 5:51PM
#12
RE: Proms 2012
Must say that I am disappointed in the response. Perhaps, the Proms, as a thread, will be revived nearer the time or are posters happier talking about music on CD?
Troyen, Mission Control & I had the first of our regular Proms planning meetings last night (i.e. she bought the guide, hurled it in my direction and said "You owe me a fiver"). The next stage is that we look at it separately, each marks their own choices under 'umissable' 'would really like to see' and 'might be nice if there's nothing on telly'. Notes are then compared, an agreement is reached - possibly following the intervention of one or other of the emergency services and mutual questioning of each other's sanity - and a list for booking is arrived at.
That's when (see previous post) the fun begins.
On a very quick glance, it looks as though there are no 'unmissables' in the main Olympics period, which is just as well since current plans are to exit stage left anyway, since I really can't face the prospect of trudging into Central London every day and then trecking out to Kensington amidst hordes of beach volleyball fans.
Once negotiations have commenced in earnest, I'll post what we are booking for. What we'll get is another question entirely.
Fri, Apr 27 2012, 7:57PM
#13
RE: Proms 2012
Must say that I am disappointed in the response. Perhaps, the Proms, as a thread, will be revived nearer the time or are posters happier talking about music on CD?
I guess it all depends on where you live. My assumption is the Gramophone boards are international, so on occasion the topics might only be meaningful for some members. Foe me, if I am lucky, I'll be able to listen to some on iplayer - it takes a lot to make a 4000 mile round trip for a concert!
Sat, Apr 28 2012, 12:26AM
#14
RE: Proms 2012
Must say that I am disappointed in the response. Perhaps, the Proms, as a thread, will be revived nearer the time or are posters happier talking about music on CD?
I guess it all depends on where you live. My assumption is the Gramophone boards are international, so on occasion the topics might only be meaningful for some members. Foe me, if I am lucky, I'll be able to listen to some on iplayer - it takes a lot to make a 4000 mile round trip for a concert!
What! And miss 3, yes three, Vaughan Williams symphonies in one concert in one evening!?
4000 miles is a short distance in comparison to a lifetimes chance which is, unlikely, to be repeated.
And it's Manze at the helm!
The Olympics are on one side of town, the Proms on the other and will go on long after the Lympics are a faded memory (unless, of course, there is a major 'incident').
Fortunately, I'm on the right side of town but thought I might leave the planet to avoid the Jubbly and Limpiks. It is the only way.
Sat, Apr 28 2012, 12:33AM
#15
RE: Proms 2012
Fortunately, I'm on the right side of town but thought I might leave the planet to avoid the Jubbly and Limpiks. It is the only way.
Agreed - see you at the NASA departure lounge. I'll be the one trying to get on with the Oyster card.
I took a quick browse late last night. Some superb looking evenings there. Sadly it seems that the spatchcock ticketing system remains, so am geariing myself up for a 'You are 4500th in the queue' message when I submit my booking request the second the Greenwich pips signal the start of booking.
JKH