Prom 1 (13.7.12): First Night of the Proms

[verismissimo]

First Nighty

More like First Pyjamas, I thought.

[Karafan]

What a thundering bore - last night's opening prom concert. Whoever concocted the idea of passing the baton between 4 conductors was clearly an idiot.

This is dumming down and demeaning to the tradition of the proms - then the choice of conductors - Norrington abysmal (he nearly lost the orchestra twice); Brabbins a nonentity; Gardiner OK and Elder by far the best of the lot leading a fine performance of Sea Drift, although Bryn Terfel was in poor vocal condition (too many Wotans, perhaps?)

As for the all British programme - Elgar Twice - Delius and Tippett - No RVW - Tippett rather than Britten - strange? and considering that they wanted to honour the Jubilee - no Walton!!

The programme would have been much better if it had started with Orb & Sceptre. I suspect that this programme must have been put together by a BBC/Olympic QANGO.

K.

[PJPJ]

What a thundering bore - last night's opening prom concert. Whoever concocted the idea of passing the baton between 4 conductors was clearly an idiot.

Rehearsals must have been made very difficult what with four of them. Sargent and Cameron used to share Proms; I always imagine the one following tapping his watch, "I'm on in five minutes......"

Orb and Sceptre would have been an excellent choice, I agree.

[amateur51]

What a thundering bore - last night's opening prom concert. Whoever concocted the idea of passing the baton between 4 conductors was clearly an idiot.

This is dumming down and demeaning to the tradition of the proms - then the choice of conductors - Norrington abysmal (he nearly lost the orchestra twice); Brabbins a nonentity; .

This was a potentially interesting post until your dismissal of Martyn Brabbins as a non-entity, Karafan.

You must have missed the Havergal Brian Gothic at the Proms last year, I take it?

And numerous wonderful recordings?

He's one of the most versatile musicians currently conducting, imho

[JohnSkelton]

Gruppen would be a good choice for 1st Night of the Proms - and it needs three conductors. Sorted!

[amateur51]

Gruppen would be a good choice for 1st Night of the Proms - and it needs three conductors. Sorted!

It would give the usual suspects a chance to entertain us all with their hilarious Beecham story too

[JohnSkelton]

It would give the usual suspects a chance to entertain us all with their hilarious Beecham story too

That's the one about two skeletons treading on a copulating tin roof?

(Thanks to you I listened to Beecham conducting Brahms 3 . Doesn't hang around, which is good [very strange sound, though]).

[Curalach]

This was a potentially interesting post until your dismissal of Martyn Brabbins as a non-entity, Karafan.

He's one of the most versatile musicians currently conducting, imho

I agree

[amateur51]

That's the one about two skeletons treading on a copulating tin roof?

(Thanks to you I listened to Beecham conducting Brahms 3 . Doesn't hang around, which is good [very strange sound, though]).

I was thinking more of the " .. haven't conducted any but I stood in some once" story, JS

Yes Beecham was no sluggard in this, no drifting around - I found it tremendously flexible and exciting. I assume it's an off-air recording made in the late 1950s - I've searched about for an official release & have not found anything

[Northender]

Ahh, would that I could, PJX2, would that I could!
I don't dislike Coronation Owed because it's jingoistic (so is the end of Meistersinger!) but because I think it isn't a very good piece. Bronze Medal at best! Hornspieler in another thread refers to a "bread and butter" piece of Elgar: well, that sums up my attitude to this piece - only the bread has gone stale and the butter rancid.

HOWEVER, others seem to have enjoyed it, so the blazes with my opinion.



<handsupemoticon>

Your'e not related to the late Robert Robinson, by any chance?

[Nick Armstrong]

Your'e not related to the late Robert Robinson, by any chance?

you spoke my thought!!

[Karafan]

Sorry Am51, guess we can't agree on everything!

[PJPJ]

Ahh, would that I could, PJX2, would that I could!
I don't dislike Coronation Owed because it's jingoistic (so is the end of Meistersinger!) but because I think it isn't a very good piece. Bronze Medal at best! Hornspieler in another thread refers to a "bread and butter" piece of Elgar: well, that sums up my attitude to this piece - only the bread has gone stale and the butter rancid.

HOWEVER, others seem to have enjoyed it, so the blazes with my opinion.

<handsupemoticon>

Bronze medal seems very fair; I suppose I am captivated largely by the chorus and Gerald Finley. I can't have listened to the CO since playing the EMI LP a few times in 1978 or so.

Having listened again through better equipment, I think the BBC has balanced the sound rather better than in some of last year's concerts, though the microphones are still, in my opinion, just that bit too close. The chorus in the Elgar sounds excellently caught, the orchestra seemed to be quite closely miked, as were the soloists apart from Finley. I guess it's all to keep audience noises to a minimum, but I'd like to hear a bit more of the Albert Hall. And PT was too loud! (But that's another matter.)

However, Tippett's Birthday Suit comes over very well indeed, the recording technique suiting the orchestra in this piece better than the Elgar. And it may be Brabbins is a better conductor on the radio than TV.

I must listen to the Foulds again, frightening soprano or not. That's another piece I won't hear performed again at the Proms or anywhere in my lifetime.

[salymap]

How gruesome, I've just listened on iPlayer to Turnage's Canon Fever, and I see it's on the September BBCMM free CD with Dvorak's New World Symphony. The Dvorak had better be good, that's all I will say.

[vinteuil]

(I envy you very much, I lived on the Île Saint-Louis for a year, rue le Regrattier, in a house previously occupied by Robespierre's number two)

... ah yes, Caliban - an inlander, I remember now... (he says, speaking as a sometime resident on the quai d' Orléans, in a house previously occupied by the great Jean de la Ville de Mirmont*....)


But Benjamin Alard - titulaire of Saint-Louis-en-l'Île - yes - I'm a serious fan... and he's a pretty tasty harpsichordist, too...


* http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_de...lle_de_Mirmont

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/tw.asp?w=W4609