Prom 10: Friday, 22nd July at 7.30 p.m. (French & Spanish music)

[Ferretfancy]

I'm not surprised if people were underwhelmed when listening in the car -come on!

[BBMmk2]

I'll have to wait and see!! :)

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

... i have often been overwhelmed listening in the car by the music on the radio that is - four speakers good range excellent bass ....

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

But wonderful to see Alejandro Viñao as the evening's guest - a hugely talented (Argentinian) composer.

I thought he spoke eloquently about the music (aided by some sensible questions from Suzy Klein). Much better to have one guest instead of two, where the presenter is more concerned with giving both a chance to speak than eliciting any meaningful response to/ about the music. I liked the interval feature with the guitarist too.

[Fingers]

The splitting of the Debussy Images was very odd, as mentioned above.

I am wondering whether this is because of this tendency to assume that everyone has the attention span of a gnat!????

The sequence was 1st, 3rd and then 2nd sections/movements. Did the BBC programmme designer think that Debussy had the order wrong and this was better? Or was it the choice of the newly appointed conductor? Shame on whoever it was!

Is this the influence of Classic FM programming? Bits played at odd intervals and rarely complete works?

[Petrushka]

Boulez often used to programme Iberia on it's own and, as I think someone said upthread, it was ages before I realised there were other movements. Did Debussy mean them to be performed as a cycle or did he sanction separate performance?

[barber olly]

Boulez often used to programme Iberia on it's own and, as I think someone said upthread, it was ages before I realised there were other movements. Did Debussy mean them to be performed as a cycle or did he sanction separate performance?

I think Iberia has frequently enjoyed 'stand-alone' status eg recordings by Reiner, Abbado, Celibidache, Maazel, Munch, Paray, Stokowski.

[davehsug]

I think maybe they are giving Mena a Spanish welcome! The first concert of this years Stoke festival with the Phil & Mena is a Spanish Fiesta (actual title). It comprises, Carmen Suite, Rodrigo's Concierto en modo galante, De Falla 3 Cornered Hat suites 1 & 2 and of course Bolero.
It's probably being played in Manchester either the night before or after as usual.

[Fingers]

Boulez often used to programme Iberia on it's own and, as I think someone said upthread, it was ages before I realised there were other movements. Did Debussy mean them to be performed as a cycle or did he sanction separate performance?

Obviously, we will never know?

I posted my comment because the three parts were played in one concert. If Iberia was played alone, I think even I could have accepted it. but spreading the three parts across the concert and not in Debussy's order is just quirky!

[barber olly]

Obviously, we will never know?

I posted my comment because the three parts were played in one concert. If Iberia was played alone, I think even I could have accepted it. but spreading the three parts across the concert and not in Debussy's order is just quirky!

Or just plain daft, particularly when interspersed with Ravel and Falla. Is it just me or are we getting short measures in some of this year's Proms. This concert had total music of 81 minutes, first night was 79!

[Ferretfancy]

According to the programme, Iberia was started in 1905, but not completed until December 1908, Rondes was completed in May 1909, and Gigues in January 1913. They were all premiered separately and not performed together until January 1913, eight years after their inception, which seems to imply that they were thought of as individual pieces until the opportunity came to perform them together. I didn't find last Friday's performing order to be eccentric, but maybe the evening was just a bit too much of a good thing.

[Ariosto]

I'm a little late to the party but I was impressed with this conductor and I thought the orchestra played well. Of course we need to hear him in other repertoir, but so far I like him a lot and he is a big improvement on recent incumbents - and the orchestra may well become first class.

But only time will tell.