Prom 59 - 26.08.13: Hollywood Rhapsody Prom

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

7.30pm – c. 9.45pm
Royal Albert Hall

Newman: Street Scene
Kaper: Confetti
Raskin: Laura - New Suite
Herrmann: Psycho Suite
Herrmann: Salammbo Aria (Citizen Kane)
Korngold: Robin Hood - Suite
Moross: The Big Country

8:20pm Interval

8:40pm
Steiner: Casablanca - Suite
Various: Main Title - Song Medley
Waxman: A Place in the Sun
Rózsa: Ben Hur - Suite

Venera Gimadieva (soprano)
Matthew Ford (vocalist)
Jane Monheit (vocalist)
John Wilson Orchestra
John Wilson (conductor)

John Wilson and his orchestra return to the Proms in a celebration of the Hollywood film scores that Wilson describes as 'literally unsung' and a medley of theme songs (featuring distinguished vocalists) from otherwise non-musical movies.
Connecticut-born child prodigy Alfred Newman's 'Street Scene', from How to Marry a Millionaire, contrasts with the music of Jewish émigrés Erich Korngold, Max Steiner and Franz Waxman, with suites from Korngold's swashbuckling score for Robin Hood, Steiner's nostalgic music for Casablanca and Waxman's brooding score for A Place in the Sun - all of them Academy Award-winners - making for a red-carpet event at the Royal Albert Hall.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Some of my favourite film music, including Beh Hur, though the love theme is so like the slow movement of VW's London Symphony.

[gradus]

Wonderful programme with Raksin's masterpiece 'Laura' - what a melody and I hope the suite gets the full Hollywood treatment.

[Stanley Stewart]

I, too, anticipate the Bank Holiday treat of film music and am so pleased that John Wilson and his band have managed to establish a well- earned niche in the Promming schedules.

I'm sure that many movie buffs already have the NPO/Charles Gerhardt recordings from the 70s on their shelves; initially on LP and the gradual transfer of the series to CD from the late 80s. This may be a good time to promulgate some favourites in the hope that they may be included in future programmes:

Dimitri Tiomkin's expansive score for "Giant" (1956) and I enjoy a novelty on NPO/Gerhardt CD, "Spectacular
World of Classic Film Scores (RCA Victor) which begins with the logo fanfares for Motion Picture Studios;
Universal Pictures (the revolving chandelier), MGM(Leo, the roaring lion), Selznick International Pictures,
Warner Bros (a bronze badge with lots of percussion in the background) and 20th Century Fox,fanfare incl the later
Cinemascope extension. The disc continues with distinguished scores from films produced by these studios:
Star Wars (main title), Captain Blood, overture, Now Voyager (love scene and finale), Gone With The Wind (polka),
Elizabeth & Essex (main theme), The Caine Mutiny (march), Citizen Kane (Salammbo's aria - incl this year!)
Knight's of the Round Table, Objective Burma (parachute drop), The Guns of Navarone (Prelude), Julius
Caesar (overture), The Thing from Another World (suite) and Salome (dance). Memories galore.

[DracoM]

R2 Friday Night is Music Night anyone?

[Pabmusic]

I, too, anticipate the Bank Holiday treat of film music and am so pleased that John Wilson and his band have managed to establish a well- earned niche in the Promming schedules.

I'm sure that many movie buffs already have the NPO/Charles Gerhardt recordings from the 70s on their shelves; initially on LP and the gradual transfer of the series to CD from the late 80s. This may be a good time to promulgate some favourites in the hope that they may be included in future programmes:...

And Richard Rodgers' Slaughter on 10th Avenue. Not exactly a film score, I suppose.

[french frank]

R2 Friday Night is Music Night

I think we should remember that in the last 20 or 30 years the number of concerts has been expanded (1983 - 57 concerts, 2013 - (75?) ). The range has expanded with it. Though I don't think even John Wilson would prefer to be playing to a smaller audience on BBC Four, in competition with Mastermind and Gardeners' World on BBC Two, rather than on BBC Two itself - as would have been the case in previous years.

[Stanley Stewart]

And Richard Rodgers' Slaughter on 10th Avenue. Not exactly a film score, I suppose.

I have a feeling that JW has featured this work in the past year or two. Must check my DVD recording. It's some years since "On Your Toes" (1939) was given a TV outing - Vera Zorina was the principal dancer. And "Slaughter..." was later used again as the climax to "Words & Music" (1949), a biopic of Rodgers & Hart, with Vera Ellen & Fred Astaire in fine fettle. I've noticed that several 'oldies' have been shown on BBC 2 in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday, eg "Love Affair" (1931) with Charles Boyer & Irene Dunne, later remade by the same director, Leo McCarey, as "An Affair to Remember" (1957) with Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr - technicolour and cinemascope, of course. Comparisons are certainly not 'odorous' as the earlier version has many qualities. Would have been a nice touch if BBC 2 could have shown a themed programme with a title to match the JW Prom but I'm confident that the Radio Times letters page will, as usual, attract letters of congratulations in a few weeks time, even from R2 listeners!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

R2 Friday Night is Music Night anyone?

This isn't altogether fair. I've been to FNIMN live events and the artificiality of it hits you from the outset, with blatant amplification of anything that makes a sound.

[BBMmk2]

Looking forward to this Prom! There's some cracking music here
!

[Flosshilde]

Why do 'they' assume that one's brain turns to mush on a holiday? One 'light' Prom in the day would be enough, preferably during the afternoon, with the evening Prom retaining some substance for those who hadn't parked their brain in a siding for the day. (& of course it isn't officially a holiday in Scotland)

[edashtav]

Why do 'they' assume that one's brain turns to mush on a holiday? One 'light' Prom in the day would be enough, preferably during the afternoon, with the evening Prom retaining some substance for those who hadn't parked their brain in a siding for the day. (& of course it isn't officially a holiday in Scotland)

Spot on, Flosshide. "They",of course, won't be "there". Delegate this stuff to one's "Workex" kid and one can pop to Brighton for a day on the beach carrying a crime novel by Greene.

[gradus]

This Prom was magnificent in all respects. I hadn't heard the Waxman suite from A Place in the Sun before but now I have, I do hope that it gets programmed in more mainstream concerts, it is music of such high quality, invention and appeal that to neglect it makes no sense.
Congratulations to John Wilson and his players.

[french frank]

This Prom was magnificent in all respects. I hadn't heard the Waxman suite from A Place in the Sun before but now I have, I do hope that it gets programmed in more mainstream concerts, it is music of such high quality, invention and appeal that to neglect it makes no sense.
Congratulations to John Wilson and his players.

The discussion of this Prom itself did get rather buried by another topic, so any further comments may be added here and discussion as to the meaning of 'vocalist' has been moved to a separate thread with that title.

[johnn10]

Vocal items much better on tv

The discussion of this Prom itself did get rather buried by another topic, so any further comments may be added here and discussion as to the meaning of 'vocalist' has been moved to a separate thread with that title.

My only complaint when I was in the hall on Monday was that the two vocalists in the medley sang into their microphones and made very little attempt to sing into the hall. Watching it on tv is a relevation -the words are much clearer. But it really is like listening to a CD with very little sense of them singing in a large auditorium. I know it is the BBC Proms but shouldn't the first consideration be the audience at the live event rather than the tv or radio ones?