The actual Proms programme 12 July - 7 September

[Mahler's3rd]

There does seem to have been a fair bit of negativity surrounding this years Proms announcement, which is a shame. I think overall as usual the Programme is varied and interesting and a credit to Roger Wright, if indeed the previous comment's are right and he is the longest serving in both roles (Head Of R3 & Head Of The Proms) then all credit to him. Some of the programming must be "Penciled" in 2-3 years in advance for example due to Soloist's/Singer's schedule's. I was reading through the future engagement section of a singer yesterday and she has roles booked into 2015. It's been common knowledge for over a year that a "Complete Ring Cycle" would be performed at this years Festival (Another Proms First).

I think we should be very proud of the Proms festival overall, when you see/hear Soloist's/Conductors interviewed they "Wax Lyrical" about the Proms, Bernard Haitink, for example "They Are Unique"

On the basis that you "can't please all the people all the time" I think The Proms generally does well, and to think we can still get in for a Fiver, theres no where else that I'm aware of that comes close

[Charlie]

Good morning to you all! Writing for 'San Francisco Classical Voice' (SFCV), Janos Gereben reports that from the first concert, on July 12, to the Last Night at the Proms, on Sept. 7, conducted by Marin Alsop ("first woman conductor in charge of the big evening," headlined the BBC World News), and featuring Joyce DiDonato, it's something to read, ponder, put on your calendar.

SFCV - BBC Proms 2013

I post the link online, not because it is particularly relevant to a British audience, but because it demonstrates that the BBC Proms are of global interest. As for the actual Proms programme, on topic, events include a Proms Ring, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, on July 22, 23, 26, and 29 — with Tristan und Isolde taking a turn on July 27, conducted by Semyon Bychkov.

Verdi, Britten, and Lutoslawski — composers whose anniversaries are being marked this year — will also be explored during the 92-concert season. An unlikely institution to find itself becoming a regular Proms fixture is Doctor Who, whose 50 year anniversary is being marked. New initiatives this year include the first Prom dedicated to Gospel music,and an Urban Classic Prom. New commissions this year include works from Thomas Adès, Julian Anderson, Diana Burrell, Anna Clyne, Edward Cowie, Tansy Davies, David Matthews, John McCabe, and John Woolwich. If you see something especially appealing in the Proms program, please write and we'll have a People's Choice column item. SFCV's own Jeff Dunn has already done that:

"I found at least 12 must-listen concerts, not counting the many great programs of more standard fare. The late-night contemporary concerts are especially appealing to me, like Stockhausen (Program 11, 7/19), Rzewski, Feldman (Program 50, 8/20), Zappa & Nancarrow (Program 25, 7/31).
Three Bantock works, and he's not even having an anniversary (Program 16, 7/24, Sapphic Poem, a masterpiece; Program 52, 8/21, Celtic Symphony; Program 64, 8/30, Witch of Atlas). Tippett's Midsummer Marriage (Program 45, 8/16) and Symphony No. 2 with Henze's Barcarolle (Program 26, 8/1). Also of interest are David Matthews' A Vision of the Sea (Program 6, 7/16), and Program 9, 7/18, with Stenhammar, Szymanowski, and Strauss' Alpine Symphony.

But most interesting of all to me is Ades' Totentanz, 45 minutes long! (Program 8, 7/17). Who could outdo Liszt? I am moving to London ... "

You, too?

[Sir Velo]

I think we should be very proud of the Proms festival overall, when you see/hear Soloist's/Conductors interviewed they "Wax Lyrical" about the Proms, Bernard Haitink, for example "They Are Unique"

Unique, of course, is not a synonym for "the best".

I am always wary of superlatives from conductors and performers. After all, they know which side their bread is buttered.

[Zucchini]

Some of the programming must be "Penciled" in 2-3 years in advance for example due to Soloist's/Singer's schedule's...

Dead right. Most orchestras on tour will offer no more than 2 or 3 programmes and will very likely bring their own soloist(s). On the whole tour programmes will be constructed/planned to showcase the orchestra and fill venues - not to balance the Proms as a whole. That role falls to the more flexible BBC orchestras. It's a tour de force to offer a concert every day over such a long period, so yes well done Roger Wright.

[RobertLeDiable]

Robert, I know this isn't your point, but I can't resist saying that as far as I am concerned, seven Wagner operas in one season plus the complete Ring cycle times two (three? four?) on the radio is deadly bland. I'd consider seven operas by anyone in one season deadly bland.

Look around the world - there's probably no other festival in the world (apart from Bayreuth obviously) that could programme the complete Ring plus three other Wagner operas in the space of eight or nine weeks. As well as that there is literally no other festival in the world that could mount such a massive undertaking with world class conductors, orchestras and casts at the ticket prices you pay at the Proms. Most of us, if we wanted to see/hear a complete live Ring in Britain, would have to pay a fortune to do so at Covent Garden, and even then we would be lucky to get tickets once the subscribers had got their priority booking. To hear Barenboim, Bychkov and Runnicles conduct Wagner live, we'd need to be rich enough to travel round Europe. This is the point - the Wagner anniversary is a great opportunity to let a much bigger audience experience these epoch-making works live at a fraction of the usual price. It's only seven nights out of nine weeks, for goodness sake!

That's exactly what the Proms should be doing, and I think all this world-weary cynicism just shows that you have no idea how important these performances are in the wider context of music in this country.

[Thropplenoggin]

Look around the world - there's probably no other festival in the world (apart from Bayreuth obviously) that could programme the complete Ring plus three other Wagner operas in the space of eight or nine weeks. As well as that there is literally no other festival in the world that could mount such a massive undertaking with world class conductors, orchestras and casts at the ticket prices you pay at the Proms. Most of us, if we wanted to see/hear a complete live Ring in Britain, would have to pay a fortune to do so at Covent Garden, and even then we would be lucky to get tickets once the subscribers had got their priority booking. To hear Barenboim, Bychkov and Runnicles conduct Wagner live, we'd need to be rich enough to travel round Europe. This is the point - the Wagner anniversary is a great opportunity to let a much bigger audience experience these epoch-making works live at a fraction of the usual price. It's only seven nights out of nine weeks, for goodness sake!

That's exactly what the Proms should be doing, and I think all this world-weary cynicism just shows that you have no idea how important these performances are in the wider context of music in this country.

Wagner whingers, ta gueule!

[RobertLeDiable]

I am always wary of superlatives from conductors and performers. After all, they know which side their bread is buttered.

Oh yes - I'm sure you're right. I expect Haitink is so short of work he's desperate to curry favour in case he never gets another gig at the Proms.

[Prommer]

No mention of who is going to sing Wotan in the Barenboim Ring...?

[amateur51]

Look around the world - there's probably no other festival in the world (apart from Bayreuth obviously) that could programme the complete Ring plus three other Wagner operas in the space of eight or nine weeks. As well as that there is literally no other festival in the world that could mount such a massive undertaking with world class conductors, orchestras and casts at the ticket prices you pay at the Proms. Most of us, if we wanted to see/hear a complete live Ring in Britain, would have to pay a fortune to do so at Covent Garden, and even then we would be lucky to get tickets once the subscribers had got their priority booking. To hear Barenboim, Bychkov and Runnicles conduct Wagner live, we'd need to be rich enough to travel round Europe. This is the point - the Wagner anniversary is a great opportunity to let a much bigger audience experience these epoch-making works live at a fraction of the usual price. It's only seven nights out of nine weeks, for goodness sake!

That's exactly what the Proms should be doing, and I think all this world-weary cynicism just shows that you have no idea how important these performances are in the wider context of music in this country.

That's the spirit, RLD

[aeolium]

Most of us, if we wanted to see/hear a complete live Ring in Britain, would have to pay a fortune to do so at Covent Garden, and even then we would be lucky to get tickets once the subscribers had got their priority booking. To hear Barenboim, Bychkov and Runnicles conduct Wagner live, we'd need to be rich enough to travel round Europe. This is the point - the Wagner anniversary is a great opportunity to let a much bigger audience experience these epoch-making works live at a fraction of the usual price.

But those going to the Proms are not going to see "a complete live Ring", in the sense in which the composer intended it - they are going to see concert performances of the operas and as has been repeatedly mentioned on this thread, the RAH is not an opera house. I think it is ridiculous to have a mini-festival of opera within the Proms, in which operas have always been an exceptional event, and particularly operas of such length. Most of the audience will be on radio, yet we have already had one complete Ring on R3 this year and IIRC at least one (repeated) last year. As for audiences being able to see and hear the Ring cheaply, those who saw the Met live-to-cinema broadcasts will have had that chance, and seeing true opera productions not barely-staged concert performances.

It is nothing to do with world-weary cynicism - it is simply a difference of opinion. Or is no criticism of Proms programming permissible these days?

[RobertLeDiable]

But those going to the Proms are not going to see "a complete live Ring", in the sense in which the composer intended it - they are going to see concert performances of the operas and as has been repeatedly mentioned on this thread, the RAH is not an opera house. I think it is ridiculous to have a mini-festival of opera within the Proms, in which operas have always been an exceptional event, and particularly operas of such length. Most of the audience will be on radio, yet we have already had one complete Ring on R3 this year and IIRC at least one (repeated) last year. As for audiences being able to see and hear the Ring cheaply, those who saw the Met live-to-cinema broadcasts will have had that chance, and seeing true opera productions not barely-staged concert performances.

It is nothing to do with world-weary cynicism - it is simply a difference of opinion. Or is no criticism of Proms programming permissible these days?

Well, from my memory of attending the Pappano/Covent Garden Walkure, with Domingo singing Siegmund, at the Proms a few years ago there was absolutely no shortage of dramatic excitement even if it was only a semi-staged concert performance. There's no comparison between a cinema opera performance and the live performance you get at the Proms even without sets and costumes. The Proms, contrary to what you say, has been a great arena for opera for years and while the RAH is very far from an opera house, there is something very special about nearly 6000 people gripped for five hours by an opera. And as I said, the low ticket prices mean that many more people - especially young people - can experience the thrill of something like the 1st Act of Siegfried than normal. I don't think one should say that the Ring can only be broadcast once a year by Radio 3 when it's the bicentenary year. Again - nobody listens to a radio station every day round the clock. Certainly, keen though I am on Wagner, I have missed two of the recent Met Ring broadcasts.

I don't think the Proms are above criticism at all, but I do find it sad that some people only want to moan about a few concerts that they themselves don't fancy, as if the whole season must conform to their personal tastes. I don't like Bantock, but I'm not going to start whingeing that Wright has no business programming 2nd rate music just because it's English.

[Charlie]

" ... Or is no criticism of Proms programming permissible these days?"

As RobertLeDiable demonstrates above, aeolium, a criticism may still be challenged?

[aeolium]

I don't think the Proms are above criticism at all, but I do find it sad that some people only want to moan about a few concerts that they themselves don't fancy, as if the whole season must conform to their personal tastes.

But again you are assuming that all those who are opposed to this kind of programming dislike the music of Wagner, but without any basis for that assumption. It isn't true in my case, and I was able to see the Met Ring that was broadcast to cinema, and went to WNO's recent Tristan und Isolde. I just don't think it's right in the Proms arena - and I disagree that it has been a "great arena for opera for years" - with three successive nights of over 5 hours in the sometime furnace of the RAH. And I have greater respect for those posting here than you appear to in that I don't believe they expect that "the whole season must conform to their personal tastes". In fact, I'd be surprised if anyone posting on these boards thought that.

[RobertLeDiable]

But again you are assuming that all those who are opposed to this kind of programming dislike the music of Wagner, but without any basis for that assumption. It isn't true in my case, and I was able to see the Met Ring that was broadcast to cinema, and went to WNO's recent Tristan und Isolde. I just don't think it's right in the Proms arena - and I disagree that it has been a "great arena for opera for years" - with three successive nights of over 5 hours in the sometime furnace of the RAH. And I have greater respect for those posting here than you appear to in that I don't believe they expect that "the whole season must conform to their personal tastes". In fact, I'd be surprised if anyone posting on these boards thought that.

Oh, I would say that posters quite often seem to think that the whole programme should conform with their tastes. I'm happy to accept that we disagree over presenting a series of Wagner operas at the Proms. I'm just pointing out that the Proms offers a unique, or at least, very unusual opportunity to introduce several of the most important musical dramatic works ever written to a large and more diverse audience than is usual for these pieces. I strongly disagree that the RAH is not suitable. I will never forget the intensity and excitement of Papano's Walkure there and the way the audience was gripped from first to last. Now if you were to say that the RAH is not at all well suited to Mozart opera, I would tend to agree, but Wagner? For Wagner it's great - and given the importance of this particular anniversary, I think a bit of excess in staging 7 operas with the best possible forces should be forgiven rather than carped at.

I can assure you that there will be music lovers round the world looking on with envy at the Proms and wondering how on earth it's possible to stage such a magnificently diverse feast of music every summer.

[Charlie]

I am led to believe, aeolium, that the whole Proms season does not necessarily have to conform to one's personal tastes. Where there is something which does so conform, however, so much the better! After a week's deliberations, we have come to the conclusion that Prom 4 conforms to our personal tastes, yet I would not be surprised if there were not one or two dissenters. For the record, aeolium, you are not counted amongst them.

BBC - Prom 4: Les Siècles – The Rite of Spring