Proms 2024

[smittims]

You're in good company here, Philidor.

[Petrushka]

I've only watched/listened to one Prom so far (SME and the Halle)

That's been my only one too. It's not that unusual this early in the season for me, though, to have heard so little but looking through the Guide, it's a bit worrying to find that my huge CD collection is likely to be the bigger draw.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I’ve purchased fewer tickets than ever this year - only going to 2 proms - in protest at the relentless dumbing down. Why on earth do we need a “disco” prom and one dedicated to an obscure English folk/rock songwriter? I despair about the widening chasm between what could be and this dismal trend.

And the shame is that the classical proms have by and large been very good - so far I’ve only missed last nights and tonight’s.

[LMcD]

That's been my only one too. It's not that unusual this early in the season for me, though, to have heard so little but looking through the Guide, it's a bit worrying to find that my huge CD collection is likely to be the bigger draw.

I listened to last night's Elgar 2nd with the BBCSSO. Next up will probably be Prom 21.

[Norrette]

If anyone wants a stall ticket for the Beethoven 7 let me know. Just getting someone to fill the empty seat, as it's too hot for me.

[Darkbloom]

Something I've noticed, having returned to promming after a few years hiatus, is the lack of pre-prom talks. It started as an occasional thing, then became semi-regular, but then ended up being a thing before every concert. Now they have stopped completely. I've also noticed the Monday concert in Sloane Square has gone too.

Is this all post-Covid? I never went to Cadogan Hall but the talks often had some interesting guests. One of the last I saw had Peter Sellers talking about the Matthew Passion, and it was more interesting hearing him talk about the piece then seeing what he did with it on stage.

[french frank]

Something I've noticed, having returned to promming after a few years hiatus, is the lack of pre-prom talks. It started as an occasional thing, then became semi-regular, but then ended up being a thing before every concert. Now they have stopped completely. I've also noticed the Monday concert in Sloane Square has gone too.

Probably due to cuts. A little while ago the official BBC position was that the Proms were 'to be protected' from ongoing cuts, I think even with slight additional funding. Presumably 'that was then'.

[Petrushka]

Something I've noticed, having returned to promming after a few years hiatus, is the lack of pre-prom talks. It started as an occasional thing, then became semi-regular, but then ended up being a thing before every concert. Now they have stopped completely. I've also noticed the Monday concert in Sloane Square has gone too.

Is this all post-Covid? I never went to Cadogan Hall but the talks often had some interesting guests. One of the last I saw had Peter Sellers talking about the Matthew Passion, and it was more interesting hearing him talk about the piece then seeing what he did with it on stage.

I went to some cracking Pre-Prom talks back in the day: Tippett on his 4th Symphony, Peter Maxwell Davies on his 2nd Symphony, Henze on his 8th Symphony, Boulez on his own music, and Anthony Payne on his 'elaboration' of the Elgar 3rd. All marvellous stuff!

[smittims]

I wonder if the BBC feel pre-Prom talks are too intellectual and elistist; someone might even mention sonata form or tonality.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I wonder if the BBC feel pre-Prom talks are too intellectual and elistist; someone might even mention sonata form or tonality.

I wouldn’t have thought so. Didn’t many of these talks talk place at the Royal College Of Music? It’s much more likely that cuts are the reason. They would take as much organising as a radio programme with a tiny audience.When key public service elements are being cut by the BBC it’s difficult to justify non revenue- generating non broadcast activity.

[Darkbloom]

I wonder if the BBC feel pre-Prom talks are too intellectual and elistist; someone might even mention sonata form or tonality.

It's certainly a loss. It could be a mixed-bag, of course, but if a new contemporary work was on the programme and the composer showed up to discuss it beforehand it was a great way to approach a new piece. They were always well attended in the Amaryllis Fleming Hall - who I didn't realise until recently was Ian's half-sister.

[Petrushka]

I wouldn’t have thought so. Didn’t many of these talks talk place at the Royal College Of Music? It’s much more likely that cuts are the reason. They would take as much organising as a radio programme with a tiny audience.When key public service elements are being cut by the BBC it’s difficult to justify non revenue- generating non broadcast activity.

Some of them were broadcast during the interval of the concert that was the subject of the talk. Most of those I attended were in the Royal College of Music but other local venues were sometimes used.

[Darkbloom]

Some of them were broadcast during the interval of the concert that was the subject of the talk. Most of those I attended were in the Royal College of Music but other local venues were sometimes used.

I think (at least in the final few years) they were almost all played in the interval. I can see that doing one every day might be cost-prohibitive but junking them entirely seems a bit excessive. But, everyone's fighting for their budgets at the BBC these days so it was probably an easy decision to scrap them.

As you say, they were mostly at the RAM, but I attended a few in the RAH.

[gurnemanz]

We only went to one pre-Prom talk. We might have gone to more but it clashed with joining the Arena queue under the old system. It must have been one we had booked seats for - most likely Wagner. It was in Imperial College, quite convenient for their bar, and I remember Mr Skelly was in charge of the discussion.

[Petrushka]

I think (at least in the final few years) they were almost all played in the interval. I can see that doing one every day might be cost-prohibitive but junking them entirely seems a bit excessive. But, everyone's fighting for their budgets at the BBC these days so it was probably an easy decision to scrap them.

As you say, they were mostly at the RAM, but I attended a few in the RAH.

It was the Royal College of Music, across the road from the RAH. If memory serves, the Peter Maxwell Davies talk in 1982, introduced by Robert Ponsonby, was held in a room at the RAH and the Ask the Director events were held in the auditorium itself.

The oddest venue used was the Royal Geographical Society building on the corner of Exhibition Road when Julian Anderson gave a talk. It's actually a very nice place and ideal for a pre-Prom event and should have been utilised more often.