Proms 2013 - the Verdict.

[ardcarp]

The fly in the ointment for the TV managers is that the Proms don't bring in as big an audience as 'something else'.

Easily solved by getting Lord Sugar involved, surely?

[hmvman]

Presentation continues to go downhill. Ken Bruce and the Asian network presenter showed up their R3 counterparts. It seems to have become policy this year not to bother introducing the music properly, when you can have a vacuous sound-bite from a performer instead. The crassest example of this being those back-stage interval chats. They made me turn off.

Agreed. However, as I've noted previously, Christopher Cook was a notable, and rather agreeable, exception in my opinion.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Easily solved by getting Lord Sugar involved, surely?

Blimey! And to think that we complain about Katie Derham's pronunciation of "Valery Gergiev".

[Mahler's3rd]

Really thought The Ring Cycle was overwhelming, just in awe at the end of Gotterdammerung, Parsifal too was fantastic, though I was'nt so moved during Tristan & Isolde. I really enjoyed the Bavarian Radio Orchestra Proms and the Polish theme was teriffic, roll on next year

[pastoralguy]

I'd agree.

David Mellor in today's Mail on Sunday described the Oslo Phil as 'provincial'. Silly tit.

Excellent description, G I.

[Flosshilde]

Excellent description, G I.

Of Mellor, or the Oslo Phil?

[David-G]

C+ - not a vintage year IMO .

Maybe - but the Ring was A+++ !

[Petrushka]

Maybe - but the Ring was A+++ !

Yes, this season was dominated by the superb Barenboim Ring and, for me, nothing came close to matching that level of achievement.

Having said that the surprise package of the season was the Warsaw Philharmonic Prom on August 23 which was much better than I'd anticipated and was a delight from start to finish. That Prom didn't have as much recognition as I think it deserved.

[slava]

...I may be a grump but the proms meant a lot to me once.

As a young lad in the 60s I saw Sargent, Campoli and Boult (who started the Unfinished, stopped, waited for everyone to shut-up, then started again) plus many, many others by that brass rail.

This year I chanced upon a great Shostakovich symphony but, well, for the first time ever I was not bothered whether I listened to a concert or not... The magic has gone. And the desire to be a part of a Prom audience, albeit at home, has gone too. It's not my bag, man...

[teamsaint]

Slava.
The one thing that I would say about the proms today, and I respect the many years experience that you clearly have, is that its quite unusual in my opinion to find, in the concert hall, the sense of occasion, the excitement and the great audience mix that you still get in the arena .
The proms may (does) have many faults, but it still seems like a beacon of hope , in a world of too much cultural desert.
And if you are lucky enough to be able to get there, you can see some of the world's finest for £5.
It's greatest days may be behind it, but the festival really is still important.

My imperfect thoughts are posted out of enthusiasm.

[antongould]

..........
My imperfect thoughts are posted out of enthusiasm.

Not that imperfect IMHO.........

[teamsaint]

actually ,the world isn't a cultural desert.

But the mass media pretty much are.

[slava]

I am heartened by your enthusiasm, but the fact remains that the Proms used to be a celebration of orchestral music with vocal and chamber thrown in for (very good) measure. The fact that other 'themes' feature these days raises in me not one scintilla of interest. On the contrary it has saddened me. There are good things, I have no doubt, but believing that the world's greatest music festival has been hijacked by so much from other areas of pop culture depresses me.

TWO nights based on a science fiction TV programme? Good grief!

[BBMmk2]

Slava, yes rather an interesting post there. Indeed, I was quite horrified at that prospect of a prom, nay, two proms devoted to a silly sci-fi tv series! The urban one too! Arghh! but, the Wagner operas, the Britten and my favourite chamber prom the Dowland. There haver been many really good orchestral concerts. some I have liked more than the boarders, as far as the playing and interpretation goes. But yes, this once great festival is dumbing down.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... a silly sci-fi tv series!

I presume that this is a Bbmism for "classic and marvellous Sci-Fi TV series"?!!! (If not, I'm taking back the two "ale" smilies from the Verdi Requiem Thread!)

Quite right, however, that the opportunities that such an event might have afforded were completely wasted in these poorly-timed, weakly programmed pair of concerts.