The Best of the Best Proms

[rauschwerk]

Another memorable one I attended:

22 August 1968. USSR State SO/Svetlanov with David Oistrakh.

Rachmaninov: The Isle of the Dead
Shostakovich: Violin Concerto 2 (Proms premiere)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony 4

The first time I heard a Russian orchestra live, and as the strings took up the 'rowing' theme I realised I had never heard string tone like this before.

[MrGongGong]

There is if you're going to a concert hoping to hear reasonable sound.

Gruppen
Roratorio
and
Cosmic Pulses sounded fantastic

I expect some things not to work

One can't build a room that will work for all musics

[Daniel]

Gruppen
Roratorio
and
Cosmic Pulses sounded fantastic

Good.

I expect some things not to work

So do I.

One can't build a room that will work for all musics

I wouldn't suggest you could.
(...although the part of my brain that wants to say 'Who says?', wonders if maybe you walked past a five year old today, who on Jul 15th, 2032, will invent some hybrid organic material that will mean you can.)

If you want to say more about this, I'll start a new thread.

[EdgeleyRob]

Oh! So had I! If there is a sub-Thread "Proms you'd wished you'd been to" I'd add Lennie and the VPO in Mahler #5 and the two all-night Indian Music events to my list. And the Boulez Varese, Stravinsky gig to the sub-sub-Thread "Proms you'd've loved to have gone to if you hadn't been a kid/not yet born at the time"!

Tuesday 5 Aug 1958.

Wagner Lohengrin Prelude Act 1

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5

Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 9 (Proms premiere)

Fricker Dance Scene, Op 22 (Proms premiere)

Dvořák Symphonic Variations

Malcolm Sargent Conductor
Hephzibah Menuhin piano
BBC Symphony Orchestra

[BBMmk2]

I went to a Prom, many years ago. I am sure it was Erich Leinsdorf conducting and they had LvB's 9th. Anyone any ideas as to orchestra. I think Hans Sotin was one!

[rauschwerk]

4 August 1961. The Proms premiere of Stravinsky's Les Noces, conducted by Colin Davis, which I taped off-air and kept for years. The rest of the programme was Haydn (Proms premiere of Symphony 93!!) And Beethoven conducted by Sargent.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I went to a Prom, many years ago. I am sure it was Erich Leinsdorf conducting and they had LvB's 9th. Anyone any ideas as to orchestra. I think Hans Sotin was one!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ex6q9r

(Did you enjoy the Mozart, Bbm? )

[Colonel Danby]

OK, the best Proms concerts I've actually attended:

Wagner: Parsifal / Rotterdam PO Rattle: this was way, way beyond staggering, and the best concert I have ever been to. Ever.

BBC SO/Eötvös: world premier of Jonathan Harvey 'Madonna of Winter and Spring', Messaian' Poemes pour Mi, and the first London performance of 'Earth Dances' by Harry Birtwistle (1986)

Stockhausen: Cosmic Pulses

Bruckner 8 / Gunter Wand (either)

I'll remember the rest later but that will do for starters...

[antongould]

B

OK, the best Proms concerts I've actually attended:

Wagner: Parsifal / Rotterdam PO Rattle: this was way, way beyond staggering, and the best concert I have ever been to. Ever.

BBC SO/Eötvös: world premier of Jonathan Harvey 'Madonna of Winter and Spring', Messaian' Poemes pour Mi, and the first London performance of 'Earth Dances' by Harry Birtwistle (1986)

Stockhausen: Cosmic Pulses

Bruckner 8 / Gunter Wand (either)

I'll remember the rest later but that will do for starters...

Sorry CD what year was the Rattle?

[Colonel Danby]

I think that the Rattle/Parsifal at the Proms was mid 90s, but I can't remember the precise date to hand: Uncle Simes went on to conduct it at CovG with Tom Hampson (I was there too natch), but it was not in the same league as the Albert Hall . Extraordinary. We actually turned up at 5am to queue for arena cheapo tickets, and some hardy souls had been there all night, bless them.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Sorry CD what year was the Rattle?

2000 (though not included in the Archive!) a semi-staged performance - the Covent Garden production was the next year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4726891/A-shining-knight-at-the-opera.html

PS - beg pardon, it is in the Archive (under "Rattle" - once you know where it is, it's easy to find!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e2qxj5

[antongould]

2000 (though not included in the Archive!) a semi-staged performance - the Covent Garden production was the next year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4726891/A-shining-knight-at-the-opera.html

PS - beg pardon, it is in the Archive (under "Rattle" - once you know where it is, it's easy to find!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e2qxj5

Thanks ferney and CD ....

[Prommer]

Mahler 3: Lucerne Festival Orchestra, c.Abbado. 2007.

Amazing span, transcendent playing, wonderful, rapt atmosphere created.

[PhilipT]

The best in what sense? I hesitate to say "This was a good/great/outstanding performance" when I'm surrounded by people who know far more about music than I ever will (and there are Proms in this list already that I was at that didn't work for me). My list:

The Glyndebourne "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" with Sarah Connolly
"Simon Boccanegra" with Placido Domingo
Some Mahler 2s, but I don't trust my memory as to which ones
Steven Isserliss playing "The Protecting Veil"
My first "Quartet for the End of Time" (not the more recent one, but I can't remember the dates)

and for non-musical reasons:

"Iolanthe" in, I think, 2000, when we dressed up in robes and coronets, for the sheer fun

Somehow I get the idea I'm going to be in a minority of one about all of these.

[Beef Oven!]

I think that the Rattle/Parsifal at the Proms was mid 90s, but I can't remember the precise date to hand: Uncle Simes went on to conduct it at CovG with Tom Hampson (I was there too natch), but it was not in the same league as the Albert Hall . Extraordinary. We actually turned up at 5am to queue for arena cheapo tickets, and some hardy souls had been there all night, bless them.

A friend and I decided to buy seats for that Prom, rather than stand. Semi-staged with Wolfgang Schöne (Amfortas), Petra Lang (Kundry) and Poul Elming (Parsifal).

It was indeed a wonderful concert.

September 2000, I believe. 15 years ago now, tempus fugit!