Proms 2013 - the Verdict.

[Petrushka]

Worst season ever or full of unexpected delights?

I'll be back with my verdict later.

[Tony Halstead]

Not so black and white... a bit of a curate's egg actually.

One thing for sure - there wasn't a single prom this year that was on the exalted, transcendental level that we heard in 2012 in that unforgettable VW 4,5,6 concert by the BBCSSO under Manze.

[salymap]

Not so black and white... a bit of a curate's egg actually.

One thing for sure - there wasn't a single prom this year that was on the exalted, transcendental level that we heard in 2012 in that unforgettable VW 4,5,6 concert by the BBCSSO under Manze.

I quite agree Tony. as soon as I get my hearing fixed [hopefully], I shallplay my DVD of that wonderful concert.

[Pabmusic]

I can't say whether 2013 was the worst season ever, as I haven't been alive that long. It wasn't good in general (though there were moments) and I was very conscious of the desire to 'dumb down' the whole thing, starting with the Dr Who proms right at the beginning. Then there was the odd concert planning (Elgar's Falstaff or Gorcski's 3rd to open a concert?). It was the Classic FM season of Proms (BBC style). Wait for next year, which will start with 'The Lark" and end with something commissioned from Karl Jenkins. Maybe he's cutting & patsing already.

[Demetrius]

On the other hand, we got some 9 operas, including some 24 or 26 hours of Wagner, which I wouldn't really call CFM like. That was good stuff for those who like it. The Dowland concert, the Stockhausen Prom, the focus on Szymanowski and Polish composers. What's off is the balance between

these 13 concerts:
Prom 2 Doctor Who
Prom 3 Doctor Who
Prom 7 Gospel
Prom 22 Naturally 7
Prom 24 British Light Music
Prom 37 Urban Classic
Prom 40 6 Music
Prom 54 World Routes
Prom 58 Light Organ Prom
Prom 59 Hollywood
Prom 62 Charlie Parker
Prom 65 Film Music
Prom 66 Family Matinee

and these 9:
Prom 14 Rheingold
Prom 15 Walküre
Prom 18 Siegfried
Prom 19 Tristan
Prom 20 Götterdämmerung
Prom 29 Tannhäuser
Prom 45 Tippett Midsummer Marriage
Prom 57 Parsifal
Prom 60 Billy Budd

and the others. Yes, children's Proms are not a useless concept. They might not turn up a year later for the odd Wagner marathon, but they will remember in later years and might not be as uncomfortable approaching the hallowed halls of "serious" music. Yes, world Routes Proms are a nice concept, jazz ought to be included as well as light music. Put 2 Children events, 1 World Routes, 3 between light music and jazz and you have 6 Proms.

Operas belong to classical music, I like operas, Billy Budd and the Tippett are right were they are supposed to be, and as its his birthday, throw in some wagner - even a whole ring, if necessary. That's still only 6 Proms.
Give another to Verdi, because he is sitting in the corner crying without any opera of him getting aired, we end up with some 13 Proms, inflated due to 3 Opera Birthday boys, but managable.

There are still 9 that could have been used for something else. Maybe, if we are to celebrate Bantock, it would have been better to use one on the Hebridean Symph instead of cobbling together 60 Minutes of music between 6 or 7 pieces. Or they could have gone for Vaughan Williams 7,8,9. Or, if not British, Sibelius, Mozart, Haydn, the Franck Symphony etc. Would still be core repertoire, not even something adventurous.

[Ferretfancy]

Apart from the first weekend I was unable to go for the first couple of weeks due to a chest infection, so I missed the Ring but did get there for Tannhauser. Operas aside,I thought the season was rather routine. One problem was that there were fewer visiting orchestras this year, but Les Siecles were very good and so was the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. Billy Budd was thrilling, and I enjoyed Tannhauser, although it's hardly a triumph of dramatic structure!

How odd some of the programming was ! Thursday's offering of Verdi arias in the first half and Tchaikovsky's Manfred in the second half was an example. I would also vote the performance of Manfred as turkey of the year.

[Hornspieler]

Demetrius Message #5:

Well spoken Sir. A useful summary.

HS

[Hornspieler]

How odd some of the programming was ! Thursday's offering of Verdi arias in the first half and Tchaikovsky's Manfred in the second half was an example. I would also vote the performance of Manfred as turkey of the year.

HS

[salymap]

Apart from the first weekend I was unable to go for the first couple of weeks due to a chest infection, so I missed the Ring but did get there for Tannhauser. Operas aside,I thought the season was rather routine. One problem was that there were fewer visiting orchestras this year, but Les Siecles were very good and so was the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. Billy Budd was thrilling, and I enjoyed Tannhauser, although it's hardly a triumph of dramatic structure!

How odd some of the programming was ! Thursday's offering of Verdi arias in the first half and Tchaikovsky's Manfred in the second half was an example. I would also vote the performance of Manfred as turkey of the year.

That's a shame ferret, I was hoping to listen to Manfred on Iplayer this afternoon

[aeolium]

Having been unhappy about the seeming excess of Wagner operas when the programme came out, I confess that I thought the performances of the Ring operas were stunning, and the playing of the Berlin Staatskapelle under Barenboim outstanding. I still think that 7 Wagner operas were too many, and the programming of Tristan und Isolde in the middle of the Ring cycle crass. There should have been at least one Verdi opera, ideally with Pappano and the Santa Cecilia orchestra, rather than the vapid Verdi commemoration there was - does that reflect the Proms Director's opinion of the relative merits of those two bicentenary composers?

Other concerts that stood out for me were Les Siècles on French dance music (though wretchedly butchered on the TV broadcast which had the programme back to front); Marin Alsop's programme of Schumann and Brahms with the OAE; Tippett's Midsummer Marriage; Oslo PO/Petrenko in Bruckner; and Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia in Mozart, Eötvös and Bruckner. Oh, and the Wit/Warsaw Philharmonic prom, and the Hollywood Rhapsody prom.

I agree with Demetrius and Pabmusic that there were too many 'light' and non-classical proms (why 2 Doctor Who proms? and why a second film music prom?) and perhaps an excess of anniversary commemoration. Perhaps that will be corrected in 2014.

[EdgeleyRob]

I've never been to the Proms but it's still on my bucket list.
I wish I'd made the effort during the glory years though,they now seem to be heading in the same direction as Radio 3.

Stand outs for me were the Sea Symphony and the Britten/Lloyd Prom.

Verdict,underwhelming.

[Simon B]

why 2 Doctor Who proms?

Correct anticipation of sheer demand? It was the only concert to be repeated verbatim, and yet the first (pair) to sell out. It seems likely that this is one of a minority of events across the season which raises net revenue and net "political" capital along the anti-exclusivity/anti-elitism axis for the Proms.

Even if the gradual inclusion of more such events isn't driven largely by purely pragmatic considerations along these lines, the same outcome would have to occur anyway if whatever the actual drivers are were removed. Given the external realities (i.e. not the non-existent utopia in which many here, myself included, wish surrounded things like the Proms):

1) If these events (and the huge cash generator that is the Last Night) were done away with, by how much would ticket prices have to increase to enable blisteringly expensive undertakings such as this year's Ring to continue?

2) It's a near miracle (and largely the consequence of historical accident) that the BBC is able to get away with mounting something like the Proms at all in 2013. In order to keep getting away with it, a skillful political game has to be played by whoever is in charge, almost certainly in a way that purists will detest.

[Nick Armstrong]

It's a near miracle (and largely the consequence of historical accident) that the BBC is able to get away with mounting something like the Proms at all in 2013. In order to keep getting away with it, a skillful political game has to be played by whoever is in charge, almost certainly in a way that purists will detest.

That thought had been floating in my brain, and you've saved me the trouble of expressing it I'm sure you're (we're) right!

Overall, there were fewer tempting concerts than I can remember, and more I'd have gladly paid not to attend

But as ever, some gems. I shall cherish memories (and recordings) of the two I went to, the Siècles 'Rite of Spring' and the Thibaudet Ravel piano concerto - unforgettable. And I wish I'd been at the Pappano/Lisiecki concert.

[vinteuil]

... as always, I'm delighted that they are over; now we can get on with the rentrée and something a bit more serious in what Radio 3 has to offer.

I wish.

[BBMmk2]

Yes, the next season on Radio 3 does look rather erm//

On the whole, there was some rather good proms and not so good. A mixed bag this season.