Prom 73: The Last Night, BBC SO / BBC SC / BBC Singers, Blue / Hough / Oramo

[Prommer]

I agree not very fluent or congruent, but singable with proper rehearsal…

[LMcD]

Encores or repeats?

Well, I didn't hang around to find out, but I think we were to be offered encores some of which had been broadcast and some which hadn't.

[LMcD]

Yep absolutely spot on …if this was a meal I’d have indigestion,

Did it all add up to a dim sum?

[LMcD]

[QUOTE=Ein Heldenleben;n1318047]

Yes that’s exactly what she said .

Some people might agree with her.

[Keraulophone]

[QUOTE=Ein Heldenleben;n1318047
Loved the organ in Land Of Hope - speakers on 11 for that …[/QUOTE]



A majestic legato on the Father Willis.

[Darkbloom]

Did Katie really just say "the atmosphere on the Last Night never fails to disappoint"? Ooops. Although...

Talk about saying the quiet part out loud! Katie's Freudian slip was showing there. Either that or she's been a mole in the pay of an undisclosed forumista all this time and has been hired to drop these remarks occasionally to undermine the organisation from within.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Talk about saying the quiet part out loud! Katie's Freudian slip was showing there. Either that or she's been a mole in the pay of an undisclosed forumista all this time and has been hired to drop these remarks occasionally to undermine the organisation from within.

It summed up what I was feeling . After 3.5 hours of this tediothon I watched out of habit I’m now with the forumites I took issue with at the beginning of this thread . They were right- I was wrong . The Last Night badly needs a fundamental rethink. There was too much bitty medium quality music last with the two new commissions rather weak - despite some excellent performances . Too much American music - when the two best British pieces are the Elgar Parry orchestration and the Britten National Anthem you know you have a quality problem . I’m also not a big fan of Stephen Hough’s arrangements - he has a habit of using very wide piano voicing -low bass , high treble that never sounds right to me and I don’t like his reharmonisations . Either stick with the original four chord stuff or really go for it. Phenomenal pianist obviously though and I did like that encore.

[LMcD]

It summed up what I was feeling . After 3.5 hours of this tediothon I watched out of habit I’m now with the forumites I took issue with at the beginning of this thread . They were right- I was wrong . The Last Night badly needs a fundamental rethink. There was too much bitty medium quality music last with the two new commissions rather weak - despite some excellent performances . Too much American music - when the two best British pieces are the Elgar Parry orchestration and the Britten National Anthem you know you have a quality problem . I’m also not a big fan of Stephen Hough’s arrangements - he has a habit of using very wide piano voicing -low bass , high treble that never sounds right to me and I don’t like his reharmonisations . Either stick with the original four chord stuff or really go for it. Phenomenal pianist obviously though and I did like that encore.

I decided to spend the evening watching the director's cut of 'Amadeus' and am pleased to report that everybody performed just as well as they did when I last watched it.

[french frank]

when the two best British pieces are the Elgar Parry orchestration and the Britten National Anthem you know you have a quality problem .

That merits an immediate repeat ...

[DracoM]

Agree with FF nd H'leben.
R3 /Proms have been eviscerated and possibly damaged beyond repair.

[Ein Heldenleben]

That merits an immediate repeat ...

In terms of musical satisfaction I got the most enjoyment from Pomp and Circumstance and Jerusalem -partly because of the magnificent organ sound. That Sports themes piece with its arm waving and Mexican waves summed up everything I hate about our contemporary culture and , believe me , I am no Telegraph reading Bufton-Tufton. Why should classical music cosy up to sport. The latter doesn’t need the former’s endorsement.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I decided to spend the evening watching the director's cut of 'Amadeus' and am pleased to report that everybody performed just as well as they did when I last watched it.

Yes well I take issue with everything Schaffer says about Mozart in that play. Mozart was wise , witty , charming , popular - arguably one of the greatest musicians (and dramatists ) of all time capable of an insight into human beings that ranks with Shakespeare and Verdi.

Key text Swafford The Reign Of Love - must get round to actually reading it rather tHan skimming.

[jonfan]

She fluffed the words at one point too, despite having them on her stand.

She’s not the only opera singer who had difficulty learning the verses of Rule Britannia, despite committing to memory far more challenging texts in the opera house. I recall Gwynneth Jones dressed as Britannia with the verses glued to the back of a shield. Yet she coped with hours of The Ring.

[gradus]

Despite having made up my mind to dislike the whole thing I enjoyed it.
I too admire Stephen Hough but those Spiritual arrangements were too clever by half and imv missed the point of the music and Angel Blue seemed a little discomforted by them.

[Barbirollians]

I liked Angel Blue’s singing a lot. Hough defended the one movement thing on Twitter back in the spring - saying that the choice of that Andsnte was his - when asked would he not rather have played the whole concerto especially with the finale that probably would have gone down a storm he did not reply .