Prom 58: Sunday 28th August 2011 (Mendelssohn - Elijah)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Turned out to be a cracking Prom in the Hall - the work is a little odd and you need to forget you ever heard Gilbert and Sullivan.

Sorry if I appear a bit dim here, but what's the relationship with G & S?

[Mary Chambers]

Sorry if I appear a bit dim here, but what's the relationship with G & S?

I know what amac4195 means by that, I think. I smiled when I read it.

[amac4165]

I know what amac4195 means by that, I think. I smiled when I read it.

Glad to see I do not plough the furrow alone on this one - !

I have always been partial to a not too French, French Bean !

[Al R Gando]

all with chance to see the world's only performing contrabass Ophicleide !

A chance denied to those who listened on R3, sadly. Could not at least a photograph have been provided for those listening at home? I should have liked to have seen that ophicleide, and its player - and indeed, the prodigious number of players and singers involved in the performance. Especially since the radio sound gave but little hint of the orchestra's contribution at all.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A chance denied to those who listened on R3, sadly. Could not at least a photograph have been provided for those listening at home? I should have liked to have seen that ophicleide, and its player - and indeed, the prodigious number of players and singers involved in the performance. Especially since the radio sound gave but little hint of the orchestra's contribution at all.

Sadly, any illustration connected with the Proms is normally a picture of a presenter. What use is that?

[BudgieJane]

Sadly, any illustration connected with the Proms is normally a picture of a presenter. What use is that?

Maybe you should look at the BBC Proms facebook page. The pictures on there are to do with the performances, although the pictures for Sunday's prom have not been posted yet. There should be some, because I saw Chris taking them.

[cavatina]

As heard on the radio, the choir overwhelmed what sounded like a chamber orchestra ( a weedy or poorly-balanced one).I was amazed to discover - courtesy of a friend who was playing - that the orchestra was huge, nearly 100!
Another 'triumph' (not) for the BBC sound engineers.

From my front-left vantage point, I thought the strings had a marvelous sound, no doubt in part due to use of "period authentic" gut strings. I did notice the section as a whole seemed more mellow, softened, and rounded than usual, and wonder if this might be part of what people are complaining about. Oh well, there's no pleasing everybody.

And for what it's worth, I thought the boy soprano was out of this world; his purity of tone was incredible, and his high notes gave me chills down my spine. I was rather dismayed to see he didn't get any credit on the website...what the hell? His brief solo was one of the high points of the entire evening, if you ask me.

If he keeps singing this brilliantly after his voice changes, I definitely hope we'll be hearing more from him.

[Estelle]

Cavatina,
Listening here in California, I too was struck by that fabulous boy soprano. So clear, so pure!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I did notice the section as a whole seemed more mellow, softened, and rounded than usual, and wonder if this might be part of what people are complaining about.

This wasn't really the issue for Radio 3 listeners. We could barely hear the orchestra at all for much of the time. Whatever the sound balance in the hall, we did not have the huge benefit of the visual compensating for any aural inbalances.

[Bryn]

Speak for yourself, E A, not "Radio 3 listeners" in general. Some of us thought the orchestra/choral forces balance pretty well handled by the engineers, though there did seem to be a fair few connection or other audio transmission glitches which, though ameliorated, are still to be heard in the 192kbps iPlayer on demand offering.

[Panjandrum]

Glad to see I do not plough the furrow alone on this one - !

Nor me neither. "You spotted snakes" is drawn from much the same well.

Mendelssohn: a composer of light operetta manqué.

[BetweenTheStaves]

This was my first time hearing this (today Afternoon on 3). Well, not quite. I came in part way through during the live broadcast on Sunday and it really didn't gel for me. Then today when I looked to see what was on saw the repeat and inwardly groaned. How wrong can one get! I was enthralled from start to finish..can't really comment on the balance as it sounded fine to me...thought that soloists and singers were superb. Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful.

This for me is THE Prom that I wish I had been at.

[french frank]

[Please note the very interesting discussion on how easy it is to get to the Proms for those outside London has been moved to its own thread 'Can you get to the Proms' on the PROMS 2011 board]

[french frank]

An interesting contribution on r3ok - if I may be permitted! - from one of the violinists who was playing (which also casts some light on the broadcast audio quality).