Prom 75 - 7.09.13: Last Night of the Proms

[Sir Velo]

I don't know who the fool was who asked "am I the only one who likes Nigel Kennedy?" By the opinions expressed on this thread, I would say views are split down the middle. I fall firmly on the NK side. I couldn't care less if he came on with a parrot on his head and wore a dress, when he so clearly plays like one of the angels.

[Flay]

if he came on with a parrot on his head and wore a dress....

Don't give him ideas!

[EdgeleyRob]

Why do people like Ms Di Donato's voice?

Oh God, and apologies to his fans, but that George Lloyd march was so dull... (or was it the performance? 'lack' and 'lustre' are two words that sprang to mind).

This concert is horrible. (And I haven't even seen "Nige" - nor will I)

I'll give you that Cali.
Difficult to be at your most inspired though with this kind of stuff going on.

http://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk/history/Trinidad1.htm

http://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk/history/Trinidad2.htm

Watching on I player I see the last survivor of HMS Trinidad was in the audience,quite a poignant moment for him I would have thought.

[Bert Coules]

I don't know who the fool was who asked "am I the only one who likes Nigel Kennedy?"

You don't? Is it really that difficult actually to read the post and find out? But let me save you even that miniscule effort: it was I. And at the time I wrote the question it was perfectly reasonable to do so, given the sudden flurry of Kennedy-hate and the paucity of comments to the contrary, so I rather take exception to your label.

And while Kennedy is certainly a superb violinist, that's not the principal reason why I admire him: there are lots of superb violinists but very few who combine that level of skill and musicianship with his sort of style, presence, rapport and determination to break the staid and still too pervasive nineteenth-century concert-giving mould.

[amateur51]

I wonder if Nige subscribes to the words of André Gide (or Kurt Cobain, if you believe Google ) who said “It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.”

[amac4165]

I don't know who the fool was who asked "am I the only one who likes Nigel Kennedy?" By the opinions expressed on this thread, I would say views are split down the middle. I fall firmly on the NK side. I couldn't care less if he came on with a parrot on his head and wore a dress, when he so clearly plays like one of the angels.

Someone summed it up excellently after his "very late night" concert ! Basically he is more an entertainer these days than a musician - and his engagements are more entertainments than concerts. Absolutely nothing wrong in that - just that you probably need to view things from that perspective.

[Mary Chambers]

But aren't you getting a little too old to be dressing as a rebellious teenager now, Nigel? My kids would say that you were "sad." It shouldn't be too difficult to look different from the herd, if that is what you want, but you don't need to look like a vagrant.

Quite.

I think he's a superb violinist, and have never said otherwise. But I wonder how many people were listening with any degree of concentration to his playing of the RVW, and not thinking how absurd he looked (or how cool, if you share his taste). He may have been absorbed in the music. I wasn't.

[Flosshilde]

“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.”

Does NK fulfill both?

[Black Swan]

I think the last night of the Proms is a show not a full fledged Concert there were many good concerts. As there are to many armchair critics on this site who seem to dislike everything. Marin Alsop is a competent conductor, maybe to much was made of her gender but that is the society we live in today. DiDonato put on a show as did NK. I think they did what they were payed/asked to do.

[french frank]

The philosophical question might be: if he didn't dress and behave as he does, would he play as well as he does?

That aside, I don't buy the argument that he brings a new audience to classical music and breaks down its image as being stuffy and po-faced: there are people who would feel they got their money's worth at a Wimbledon final if the enfant terrible volleyed expletives and mooned at the TV cameras: Borg v Edberg would have been boring. Épater le bourgeois is just another of Nigel's pleasurable addictions. Take him or leave him.

[Anna]

I'm not ashamed to admit that I am a Nigel Kennedy fan, I think he's brilliant. I've just rewatched The Lark, which I thought was perfection and the Csardas, which was really funny. (On iplayer there are a lot of clips from LNotP which saves trawling through the whole programme) http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/showcase/...enre/classical
I'm afraid I thought it rather turned into the DiDonato Show and the last half really was a mish-mash. It did strike me that Vivienne Westwood must have done rather well out of the Proms season.

[Black Swan]

FF,

Very interesting point. I think he dresses the way he does to draw attention to himself. Just my opinion. Our society put was to much effort into how people dress. The big buzz all week was 'who had designed the dresses for Joyce DD'. As anyone listen last night found out it was Viviene Westwood. Did the dresses make her sing better? Probably not. But the arts are a mixture of talent and theater.

[Black Swan]

I'm not ashamed to admit that I am a Nigel Kennedy fan, I think he's brilliant. I've just rewatched The Lark, which I thought was perfection and the Csardas, which was really funny. (On iplayer there are a lot of clips from LNotP which saves trawling through the whole programme) http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/showcase/...enre/classical
I'm afraid I thought it rather turned into the DiDonato Show and the last half really was a mish-mash. It did strike me that Vivienne Westwood must have done rather well out of the Proms season.

Anna,
Fully agree with you. I have no problem with NK and like to hear him play. Vivienne Westwood as you stated did ok, I also know she designs many if not all of Cecilia Bartolli's gowns.

[Flay]

I confess that I liked Katie Derham's outfit. Am I doomed?

[Anna]

I confess that I liked Katie Derham's outfit. Am I doomed?

Probably! I thought the top looked a bit like a 'honeymoon nightie' !!
(If you know what I mean ...)