Prom 1: The First Night, BBC SO/BBC SC/BBC Singers, S. Bevan/I. Kanneh-Mason/Chan

[Petrushka]

Possibly the worst first night I’ve ever heard.“

See my earlier post. It looked that way on paper so I didn't feel the need to punish myself by actually listening to it.

I hope people don't misunderstand me if I say that this First Night was, as I alluded to in my earlier post, nothing more than a box ticking exercise.

[gradus]

Quite enjoyed the concert, I deeply admire Clara Schumann but the pf conc is not the best that she might have been capable of, it lands up somewhere between Chopin, Mendelssohn and Robert with technique displays interjected. Gershwin/Grainger right up K-M's street.
The orchestra seemed to like the conductor's Beethoven and so did I.

[Barbirollians]

I have not heard the Prom but I don’t see how employing a very good conductor ( judging by her superb accompaniment to Benjamin Grosvenor’s Chopin concerto record or such a good pianist is ticking boxes ?

[Nick Armstrong]

Yes, the R.3 presentation was execrable!

Yes I turned on towards the end of the Beethoven (surprised that the concert was almost over) so heard the babbling afterwards - infantile stuff - until I switched off with a profanity … (Apparently they’d been at it all day? I wouldn’t know, I never listen to R3 during weekdays)

The scherzo was happening when I joined it and I agree with the comment somewhere above that the balance was weird - bassoon concerto with wind accompaniment and almost inaudible off-stage strings, it seemed

[Pulcinella]

Richard Morrison in today's Times liked it considerably more than I did.

https://www.thetimes.com/article/fd624f03-e802-4faa-b04c-053f3daf341f?shareToken=25a530720679eed978db5ddd23d60e9b

[Ein Heldenleben]

Richard Morrison in today's Times liked it considerably more than I did.

https://www.thetimes.com/article/fd6...db5ddd23d60e9b

Telegraph weren’t quite so keen

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/classical-music/first-night-of-the-proms-2024-royal-albert-hall-review/

[kindofblue]

Nottingham I think?

Definitely Nottingham.

[kernelbogey]

Guardian is full of praise.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/jul/19/first-night-of-the-proms-review-a-thrilling-adventure-ride

[seabright]

There's no dout about it. The old phrase "One man's meat is another man's poison" certainly applies to music, as it does to very much else, judging by the comments and reviews of the Prom. I haven't forgotten that Pierre Boulez is on record as saying that Tchaikovsky's music is absolute trash and not only would he never conduct it, anyone who did must have taken complete leave of their senses. I suppose that in return, Tchaikovsky lovers could say that anyone who listens to Boulez's music must have taken leave of theirs. At any rate, I'm with those who found the TV presentation just awful and neither was I impressed with the new commission nor the hard-driven Beethoven 5th. Still, it takes all sorts!

[LMcD]

I’m treating the Mark Elder Mahler 5 as the first night . A magnificent conductor in music (like Beethoven’s 5th) worthy of his talents and my attention.
Hopefully there will also be less hysteria in the presentation.

Last night Linton Stephens informed us that Mahler's 5th is 'life-changing' - just when I thought I'd got things sorted out!

[LMcD]

Agree re Bruckner - yes it was a top C .
Schumann well played but not worth Isata’s time and trouble and talent . She played the Grainger Gershwin magnificently.
Already said my piece on Hallelujah
Agree re the Beethoven 5 obvs

strange there are so few other comments . I wonder if the early start time is a big scheduling error ?

In my case, the relentless promotion proved counterproductive, and I decided to watch (and greatly enjoyed) an episode of Inspector Morse instead.

[Pulcinella]

I'd certainly take issue with the Guardian:

Chan’s dynamic control was superlative, her gestures ranging from minute finger-waggles to full air-traffic control.

I didn't rate her conducting style, and I don't think the gestures were doing anything to maintain dynamic control.
The fluttering fingers (à la Gergiev) were surely a distraction to the players more than any interpretative request!
I was tempted to think that they didn't need her at all.

[oddoneout]

There's no dout about it. The old phrase "One man's meat is another man's poison" certainly applies to music, as it does to very much else, judging by the comments and reviews of the Prom. I haven't forgotten that Pierre Boulez is on record as saying that Tchaikovsky's music is absolute trash and not only would he never conduct it, anyone who did must have taken complete leave of their senses. I suppose that in return, Tchaikovsky lovers could say that anyone who listens to Boulez's music must have taken leave of theirs. At any rate, I'm with those who found the TV presentation just awful and neither was I impressed with the new commission nor the hard-driven Beethoven 5th. Still, it takes all sorts!

No two people will ever "hear" the same piece of music, for all sorts of reasons, even when they are listening to it at the same time. I have a feeling that this was an opening night that was perhaps more than usually subject to the "you had to be there" effect.The audience seemed to be having a good time, but the excitement wasn't of the kind that can travel down the airwaves to those of us listening in our homes, as it can in the best concerts. I wasn't much taken with it: the Handel I found disappointing, Bruckner I dislike at the best of times and the Psalm 150 encapsulated why, and the Schumann I thought a waste of Isata K-M's abilities. Didn't get to the mute button quick enough to avoid a taste of what the interval threatened, but seemed to be all of a piece with lowest common denominator approach, and then managed(not deliberately - I prefer to hear a reasonable amount of such things if only to say "I didn't like what I heard" rather than just dismissing out of hand) to miss most of the new piece. The Beethoven was not the best - but it's such good music I was able to cope with that and feel better for having heard it anyway. Having two bass players i the family I was amused to hear the BBC bass section demonstrating that they can shift when needed - but in that context it went beyond adding a bit of excitement to falling into the realms of pointless gimmick. The constant fussing with tempi I found tiresome, it felt as if the conductor wasn't tuned in to the underlying(and strong) heartbeat of the piece, and so the changes were just stuck on rather than being an organic response to the music itself.
And of course, ever present was the horrendous interference from the rubbish that presenters are now seemingly required to foist on us captive and hapless listeners. There is only so much a mute button can achieve...
Hoping that things improve now the First Night hurdle has been cleared.

[oddoneout]

Yes, I take your point:dumbing down dates before 2024 but its impact has been more overt and all pervasive this calendar year

Because the gaps(aka genuine, or near approximation, R3 content) between the dumbed down content have largely disappeared since the April "refresh".

[Ein Heldenleben]

Last night Linton Stephens informed us that Mahler's 5th is 'life-changing' - just when I thought I'd got things sorted out!

Yes I heard that in rather superfluous Proms First Night after party show - what was all that about?