Proms

[Cockney Sparrow]

"The Pet Shop Boys appear with the world premiere of a work about the life of Second World War code-breaker and father of computer science Alan Turing"

Something of a coincidence - no need to wait for a work about Turing - 1st performance of "Codebreaker" tomorrow at the Barbican:

http://www.hertfordshirechorus.org.uk/

[Barbirollians]

Likewise Ferret, likewise.

If any other nation broadcast such a music festival free-to-air we'd all be throwing our hats in the air.

The problem with that line of argument though ams is that the same could be said about Radio 3 generally - the good stuff means we should not complain about the bad .

[amateur51]

The problem with that line of argument though ams is that the same could be said about Radio 3 generally - the good stuff means we should not complain about the bad .

But in this Proms season, the good clearly outweighs the bad. Also, if the Proms didn't exist musical life in a London summer would be pretty sparse.

[gingerjon]

The Sports Prom in particular seems a very confused idea. I like the CBeebies proms and am now hankering for a CBBC one now the moppets are getting older.

[kea]

Every year when the season is announced there are the usual cries of Why this? Why that? Not enough Havergal Brian etc. etc. It tries my patience somewhat.

There's also the whole thing where people complain about how the programming is too populist on R3 and features too much chatter and excerpts of longer works etc, then when the Proms season is announced with no (compulsory, anyway) chatter and lots of solid performances of the core repertoire by distinguished artists it instead becomes how unimaginative the programming is. There's Beethoven and Brahms and Mahler as the 'glue' to hold the season together, some British music for the 'neglected composers' crowd, a few premieres to keep the contemporary music nuts happy, a few pop/light classics concerts for the Classic FM demographic, bit of early music for the HIPsters and the obligatory education/outreach events... I mean I don't see anything to complain about. Not every Prom is going to be to everyone's taste, and probably a good thing too, since you'd go broke from buying tickets to every single concert....

I mean I probably wouldn't go to more than 3 or 4 of these 76 if I lived in London, but if I could afford to live in London I could probably afford to spend my holidays somewhere nicer than London so that's a moot point anyway And they are presumably free to watch so I can see/hear things I wouldn't have normally bought tickets to.

[teamsaint]

Isn't musical life in the summer sparse precisely because of the Proms?

Habitual moans and groans aside, shouldn't there be a place for honest criticism of a programme that we do actually pay for?
I don't honestly see why there is a place for stuff like Paloma Faith, wh has plenty of other opportunities to reach the public, when so much Classical repertoire is unable to find a place in the schedules.

[Flosshilde]

But in this Proms season, the good clearly outweighs the bad.

But it's creeping up!

Also, if the Proms didn't exist musical life in a London summer would be pretty sparse. ;sadface:

Isn't the cultural life of London still geared towards 'The Season', when everybody who was anybody left the city for the country estate? Just as in Paris nothing happens in August because that's when everybody is on holiday.

[PJPJ]

Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra?!

Still, the Lapland Chamber Orchestra might offer the novelty factor of a few elves in its wind section.

Have you heard the Laplanders? I think they're a very good band.

[PJPJ]

ouch !!
all part of the masterplan apparently http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/med...tists/visiting

I must get my eyes tested; I could have sworn your link referred to the mediocre centre.

[Pabmusic]

It seems to me that, for each of us, any Proms season will constitute a bell curve in which programmes will be divided three ways (approximately, at least). There will be programmes we approve of heartily. Then, at the other extreme, ones we disapprove of vehemently. Between them will be programmes that are (to varying degrees) "all right" but little more.

Now what proportions would you allot to each of those categories? I'd go for 5%, 90% and 5%, but it might be as much as (say) 8%, 85% and 7% in a really good year. Am I too cautious? I don't think so. Could it ever approach 30%, 40%, 30%?

And if it did, who's to say that my tastes are representative of the majority?

[Thropplenoggin]

It seems to me that, for each of us, any Proms season will constitute a bell curve in which programmes will be divided three ways (approximately, at least). There will be programmes we approve of heartily. Then, at the other extreme, ones we disapprove of vehemently. Between them will be programmes that are (to varying degrees) "all right" but little more.

Now what proportions would you allot to each of those categories? I'd go for 5%, 90% and 5%, but it might be as much as (say) 8%, 85% and 7% in a really good year. Am I too cautious? I don't think so. Could it ever approach 30%, 40%, 30%?

And if it did, who's to say that my tastes are representative of the majority?

You haven't replied to my question from earlier in the thread.

Also, take comfort from the fact that, as far as this board is concerned, you nestle snugly in the 'programmes we approve of heartily' category.

[Pabmusic]

You haven't replied to my question from earlier in the thread...

Sorry, Thropps, I've missed it. Could you direct me?

As for the music, it's GSKB's really.

[aeolium]

I think some here might like to see imaginative and ambitious programming, something unusual rather than the same old stuff just passed round different orchestras - imaginative like the French dance music Prom last year, or ambitious like the Ring cycle performed within a few days.

But I am in any case one of those who think that the Proms season is simply too long and that it ought to be reduced, so that the BBC could pay more attention to some of the other very good festivals that take place throughout the country in the summer and early autumn (not least Edinburgh). London dominates the R3 broadcast schedule throughout the winter and when the summer comes round the Proms takes over, even though that is the one season in which the regions can provide some real competition.

[Thropplenoggin]

Sorry, Thropps, I've missed it. Could you direct me?

As for the music, it's GSKB's really.

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?11021-Proms&p=395272#post395272

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Back on my hobbyhorse - rather than reduce the Proms, spread it around the country a bit. It may look like tokenism, having a weekly BBC Proms concert around the country: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham, Newton-le-Willows (just to save argument ), Leeds, Gateshead and Bournemouth, but it would be a step in the right direction, just as long as they don't have pop-up studios in all these venues.