Originally posted by NickWraight
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Prom 61: Wednesday 31st August at 7.30 p.m. (Fitkin, Beethoven)
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amac4165
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Ventilhorn
Originally posted by NickWraight View PostBut reasonable in the circumstances. Quite why the solo quartet was tucked away toward the top of the racked orchestral risers to the left of the Arena was presumably up to the conductor - bizarre - although the Arena and the seated audience towards the right would have heard them reasonably those folk on their side wouldn't. Also they were behind the percussion on the main stage floor.
Now, I wonder who are undergoing the full body searches (Nurse the screens) tonight for a very short 66minutes of weirdly programmed music...??!!
The relevance of what Beethoven and Schiller sought to accomplish, Cavatina, escapes me completely. I understand this thread to be about the merits or otherwise of a musical performance.
I really don't think that we need lectures in philosophy or the social state of the world in which we live.
VH
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Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Postthe traditional annual Proms performance of Beethoven's Ninth, perhaps the richest, most provocative statement in the symphonic canon.
Just may be it's time for the Proms management to review its policy of works that are always performed, by tradition. There is so much wonderful music out there, and the Proms can only perform a small fraction of it. It won't harm Beethoven, Bach or Strauss if their works don't get a hearing for a few seasons.
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Originally posted by Ventilhorn View PostGood morning WH,
I do agree with your post wholeheartedly
Pity the Beethoven soloists don't sound to have been anywhere near that...
Fortunately, I wasn't anywhere near a radio."...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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Well said "Ventilhorn". Its about the music, whether heard live at the venue or broadcasted. The philosophising and past criticism over a piece are largely irrelevant.
I must take issue with "Oddball" in that it is not the programming but the artists that perform - and if the BBCSO don't buck up their ivorytower attitudes in the current economic situation they are in line to be cut. Of all the BBC orchestras they are easily the least committed on the evidence of the past Prom seasons - they can put out all the stops, the recent Mahler 6 being a good example, but all to often lacklustre, lazy, run of the mill performances are common. Their on/off relationships with conductors is well known...!
How many pieces are consciously programmed in each season by Tradition? Apart from Beethoven 9 and a few ditties on the Last Night that is it. Others are performed most years (the Rite for example) and others seem to come round often (Beethoven/Tchaikovsky/Mahler/Bruckner etc; symphonies/concertos etc insert your betes noirs) but good music will out and seats must be sold at a venue over twice the size of the RFH.
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amac4165
Originally posted by NickWraight View PostHow many pieces are consciously programmed in each season by Tradition? Apart from Beethoven 9 and a few ditties on the Last Night that is it. Others are performed most years (the Rite for example) and others seem to come round often (Beethoven/Tchaikovsky/Mahler/Bruckner etc; symphonies/concertos etc insert your betes noirs) but good music will out and seats must be sold at a venue over twice the size of the RFH.
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BudgieJane
Originally posted by Oddball View PostJust may be it's time for the Proms management to review its policy of works that are always performed, by tradition. There is so much wonderful music out there, and the Proms can only perform a small fraction of it. It won't harm Beethoven, Bach or Strauss if their works don't get a hearing for a few seasons.
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Originally posted by Jane Sullivan View PostI agree, and I think that, for once, they should start at the top. It won't harm the queen if the national anthem is no longer played at any time during the season. They seem to have abolished it for the first night; I think they should abolish it on the last night also.
Personally, I think Beethoven's 9th is an incredible work. Whenever I feel low, or stressed, I know that listening to this work, with my trusty old Penguin score, will help me to achieve equillibrium by the end of the 74 minutes.
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Discussion of what works should always, or indeed never, be performed is fruitless. A Promming friend, now sadly no longer with us, once collected a wishlist from other Prommers which she read out at the annual "look back at the season" session. The list began: "Please can we have more Wagner, please can we have less Wagner, please can we have more Gilbert and Sullivan, please can we have less Gilbert and Sullivan, ...".
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Yes get rid of the lot and leave us with our memories of when the proms were the Henry Wood/BBC proms.
We've lost the Sea Songs, many of the works by Sibelius, Dvorak, Elgar. Most British composers seem to have been neglected for a preponderance of the anniversary boys. I hope Britten will be remembered in a year or two but who knows now.? There must be other British centenaries coming up.
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BudgieJane
Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View PostOh, what a misery! I suppose, while they're at it, they should remove the bust of Sir Henry Wood too.Originally posted by salymap View PostYes get rid of the lot and leave us with our memories of when the proms were the Henry Wood/BBC proms.
We've lost the Sea Songs, many of the works by Sibelius, Dvorak, Elgar. Most British composers seem to have been neglected for a preponderance of the anniversary boys. I hope Britten will be remembered in a year or two but who knows now.? There must be other British centenaries coming up.
By the way, can somebody please add a smiley for :sarcasm: to this forum, so that you can tell when I'm being deliberately : provocative:? And, yes, that post about abolishing the National Anthem was one such provocative post.
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Originally posted by PhilipT View PostDiscussion of what works should always, or indeed never, be performed is fruitless. A Promming friend, now sadly no longer with us, once collected a wishlist from other Prommers which she read out at the annual "look back at the season" session. The list began: "Please can we have more Wagner, please can we have less Wagner, please can we have more Gilbert and Sullivan, please can we have less Gilbert and Sullivan, ...".
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Just heard the Fitkin in its entirety for the first time on the repeat b/cast. Influences all at the relatively easy-listening pole of 20th century music - Bartok and Honegger to the forefront, even a flavour of "Egdon Heath" at the start and finish - but with genuine radicalism now taking a back seat in new music, "reculer pour mieux sauter" seems the only option left to the imaginative young composer, and although this piece might not bear much repeat listening I do think it could signal the start of a new direction with possibilities we've not seen now since the 1970s.
This much-slated Beethoven 9 seems OK to these philistine ears; the first movement is being taken at a faster pace than I'm used to, and I think I prefer that. My main problem as always with the classics is knowing all the time what is coming next, so I think I'll be off out into the sunshine, as there ain't much more guaranteed to come.
S-A
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