Proms 2024

[Darkbloom]

Well he did record a piano tango album. Is Disco musically inferior to tango?
I don’t think so - if anything it’s more harmonically inventive though it’s a very broad church.
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Perhaps a few numbers from Grease too? Barenboim in the Travolta role and Martha Argerich as Olivia Newton-John. That should tick a few diversity boxes for the BBC.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Perhaps a few numbers from Grease too? Barenboim in the Travolta role and Martha Argerich as Olivia Newton-John. That should tick a few diversity boxes for the BBC.

Grease isn’t Disco. It’s a Broadway take on fifties pop and I don’t like it much. Talking of Travolta The BeeGees music for Saturday Night Fever I find more musically interesting than most tango. It even has a rather good disco arrangement of Beethoven’s 5th proving that the symphony really is indestructible.

[oddoneout]

Well he did record a piano tango album. Is Disco musically inferior to tango?
I don’t think so - if anything it’s more harmonically inventive though it’s a very broad church.

As Simon B points out some intriguing blockbusters and excellent touring orchestras.
I’m not looking forward to the rock proms with orchestral arrangements . Those arrangements hardly ever work. Only a genius like George Martin really knew how to use strings in pop and rock - sparingly and for a particular effect. It dumbs down both classical and rock.
Now Petroc is playing a Nick Drake track as (yet another ) proms plug, I give up. Real bedsit and Nescafé stuff…
Why is the BBC wasting licence fee payers money on readily available
undemanding mass marketed pop on a channel that’s for classical music?

Why is the multi millionaire Sam Smith being given one penny of the tiny in relative terms Radio 3 budget ? I’d honestly rather they gave it to a group of school kids learning the piano.

Chasing audiences I assume? However much they try to dress it up as accessible/ opportunities/ diversity etc etc that's the only tickbox that matters, especially in today's arts cancelling environment.

[Prommer]

I really hope Barenboim is fit to conduct in August, especially as the BBC is using his name heavily in the marketing, and going big on the West-East Divan because of its mixed Israeli/Palestinian composition. Brahms VC with Mutter, and Schubert 9.

[Darkbloom]

I really hope Barenboim is fit to conduct in August, especially as the BBC is using his name heavily in the marketing, and going big on the West-East Divan because of its mixed Israeli/Palestinian composition. Brahms VC with Mutter, and Schubert 9.

I find the security at these events really off-putting. I know they have to do it, but having a bunch of intimidating bodyguards glaring at you through the whole performance isn't my idea of a great night out. I'm surprised they can even get insured, it must be astronomically expensive.

[Prommer]

Looking forward to the 'big' stuff, I have to say... Bruckner 5 with the BPO...

[duncan]

Some splendidly "disgusted of Tunbridge Wells" comments so far. Only disappointed that no-one has described it as Woke as yet, otherwise keep up the good work. Note that green ink is available!

The disco prom makes a lot more sense than some previous populist efforts. Like Bollywood, orchestral forces - especially strings - are as an integral part of much 1970s Disco music. I hope they play this:

https://youtu.be/T0rDBncLS6k

[Retune]

No complaints from me. Looks like a solid season with (as always) more concerts I'd like to go to than I'll manage to attend. Good to see the Berlin and Petrenko back (and with Víkingur Ólafsson, too, in a concert that will sell out on day 1). The BPO had usually alternated with the VPO, but neither was there last year, which had seemed a bit ominous. Great to see Barenboim and the W-E Divan too, in a good programme with Mutter. Hope to see Rattle with his new band. I wonder if Yuja Wang's breakup with Klaus Mäkelä has denied us an appearance by the former? Would really like to catch the Bach Collegium Japan in the St John. Good opportunies to to see Yunchan Lim, and the Ax/Kavakos/Yo‐Yo Ma trio. Schiff repeating his Wigmore Hall concert for a bigger audience in one of those magical late night Bach slots. The Glyndebourne Carmen. So I think I can forgive Sam Jackson for programming Sam Smith.

[Andrew Slater]

I've uploaded an initial single-page listing here. Indexes and pdfs to follow.

Proms 34 & 63 are missing their contents. (My fault.)

Proms 34 & 63 have been corrected (the BBC pages had some wrong tags, which they now seem to have corrected).

[AuntDaisy]

Proms 34 & 63 have been corrected (the BBC pages had some wrong tags, which they now seem to have corrected).

Thanks Andrew.
You're lists are so much easier to read than the BBC's ones (far too much "eye candy" & poor layout).

[Andrew Slater]

Thanks Andrew.
You're lists are so much easier to read than the BBC's ones (far too much "eye candy" & poor layout).

Many thanks for your support!

I've now added the works and performers indexes; the "Jump to Prom" table will follow.

[Hitch]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/25/proms-season-2024-director-david-pickard-festival

[Barbirollians]

The last night has Sir Stephen Hough playing Saint Saens PC 5 - but describes it as 11 minutes - surely in Mr Jackson’s ultimate Classic Fmification he isn’t only playing one movement ?

[smittims]

Fair enough, duncan, but is it really 'the world's greatest classical music festival' when every year less and less of it is classical?

[Suffolkcoastal]

Another miss year I think. The whole thing looks like a classic case of, tick all the 'necessary' boxes to show how inclusive the BBC is. Then get the critics to cosy up to you.