Prom 1 (13.7.12): First Night of the Proms

[Roehre]

Why? Tonight we heard a fine performance under the direction of one of the very finest of Elgarians. I'm sure Mark Elder would have offered us a different, and probably similarly valid performance of the work, but for once, Wright, or whoever chose the great Sir Roger Norrington, made an apposite decision. I loved it .....

[Alison]

A lovely start to the proms. The four conductor gimmickry theory was effectively torpedoed. A really good mix as it turned out. Just a bit disappointing that we have to now cut to a John Wilson type evening so soon. Have it a bit later if you must.

[Quarky]

The music tonight was very well performed and enjoyable, but listening to it on the radio, Petroc Trelawney's toadyism to the Royal Family I found unappetising and I switched off.

Thankfully I will not be exposed to him on Sunday night, planning to attend Peeleas and Melissande.

[Serial_Apologist]

What was the Turnage piece like?

[pastoralguy]

This has to be the worst opening programme the Proms has had for a long time. What other major international festival would open with garbage like the Coronation Ode? All the special pleading doesn't make it anything other than dated and provincial. Sea Drift is worth hearing once in a blue moon, I'll give you that, but the tedious Cockaigne has to be the weakest of Elgar's major orchestral pieces, and it wasn't helped by that posing old charlatan Norrington exaggerating virtually all of the rallentandos beyond any musical reason. Listen to Beecham if you want to know how to make it sound passably good.

Apart from that you enjoyed it...?

[pastoralguy]

I'm watching on BBC2 and have enjoyed it but I found the camera work very poor.

[Flosshilde]

in the Coronation Ode, several plusses - good sound balance by the engineers, compared with some of last year's efforts; a civilised audience that doesn't clap between movements. Argh! I spoke too soon.

Pity it's for such a worthless piece of music, tand as for the text! Trite, vomit-inducing stuff.

[Resurrection Man]

.... a civilised audience that doesn't clap between movements. Argh! I spoke too soon.

Those would be the contingent flown in especially from the New York Met audience then.

[JohnSkelton]

in the Coronation Ode, several plusses - good sound balance by the engineers, compared with some of last year's efforts; a civilised audience that doesn't clap between movements. Argh! I spoke too soon.

Pity it's for such a worthless piece of music, tand as for the text! Trite, vomit-inducing stuff.

I thought it sounded more or less like everything else by Elgar I've heard .

Agree with RobertLeDiable that it was a shame to waste such an interesting conductor as Roger Norrington on Elgar's Cockaigne.

[Stan Drews]

When Sir Charles Mackerras did Cockaigne a couple of years ago, he observed the trombone "big tune" reinforcements as requested. Where was Sir Roger's authenticity tonight?

[Barbirollians]

For me this Prom summed up the worst and best of the BBC.

The idea of a four conductor Prom to reflect an Olympic relay team was irredeemably naff. The fool who thought it up should get his/ her P45 .

The Sea Drift performance was very fine . cockaigne a bit prosaic , The Tippett a dull royalist work and as much as I loveElgar the Coronation Ode is dire . The words are cringeworthy.

The combination of royal fawning and the naff Olympics homage was an embarrassing fiasco . The performances very fine - I looked at that set of soloists and wished they were about to sing the Mozart Requiem

[Simon B]

Excellent. I don't mean the concert ("Ok really" being my quick summary). No, the psychological reassurance from this thread is what's excellent. As Eddie the computer would have said "We have normality". Southend is not washing up and down while the water stays still, and there are no men with an elderberry bush full of kippers. If you don't get the reference or this makes no sense or seems a waste of electrons, no matter.

I have still got a spare ticket for both VPO/Haitink Bruckner 9 and Eine Alpensinfonie though. I might even give them away - if there's anyone left who isn't already overwhelmed with ennui at how rubbish they'll be too of course...

[Nick Armstrong]

Tonight we heard a fine performance under the direction of one of the very finest of Elgarians. I'm sure Mark Elder would have offered us a different, and probably similarly valid performance of the work, but for once, Wright, or whoever chose the great Sir Roger Norrington, made an apposite decision. I loved it, but then I find Norrington's way with Elgar to be just the ticket, whether in the 1st Symphony, the Enigma Variations, Cockaigne (In London Town) or any other work by Elgar I have had the privilege of hearing him conduct.

I can't agree with any of that, I'm afraid.

I even wonder if you are being ironic?

[Ferretfancy]

I can understand people's dismay at the BBC's Red Button promise to broadcast tweets on the performances while they happen, but ahem!, isn't this exactly what message boarders do every year?
The idea of sitting at computer or lap top sending comments to these boards while listening or watching a Prom seems just as daft as tweeting, but then, we are the clever and knowledgeable ones aren't we ?

[Nick Armstrong]

The Sea Drift performance was very fine . cockaigne a bit prosaic , The Tippett a dull royalist work and as much as I loveElgar the Coronation Ode is dire . The words are cringeworthy.

The combination of royal fawning and the naff Olympics homage was an embarrassing fiasco . The performances very fine - I looked at that set of soloists and wished they were about to sing the Mozart Requiem

The tenor in the Elgar was awful, no? Gerald F great, on the other hand.

I rather like the "Daughter of Ancient Kings" movement...