Prom 10 - 25.07.14: BBC Phil, Little / Mena

[jayne lee wilson]

Ferretfancy - there isn't some general lack of distinctive contemporary music - it's just that not much of it has made it to the Proms recently. The shortish orchestral premiere is usually placed in part one of a concert, which tends to make it feel like a mere prelude to the main event. (Attention may consequently suffer...)
How often do RadioPrommers listen on iPlayer two or three times, just to see what happens? Perhaps especially if you didn't like it...
The emphasis on Proms premieres (not to mention time-pressure of Pop and other musics), means that much very significant, very distinctive music gets left out. Why aren't the Max Davies 10th or David Matthews 7th at the Proms this year? If the answer IS largely financial, that's sadder still... but then - remember the impact Matthews 6th had when it WAS played! It really can work, but - it only gets in as a Premiere...

With Proms commissions seeming often so short and safe, perhaps there's been a loss of nerve coupled with the oftstated pride over attendance figures and the desperate need for revenue. Remember the PANIC over Panic in 1995? Maybe FF, you were one of those who left the hall during the premiere of Worldes Blis at the 1969 Proms? Not exactly dull, was it? The Lachenmann Tanzsuite in 2013 got a pretty hot debate going on here too.
With latenight Proms we could really do with something like the Roundhouse concerts Boulez used to lead - you really had the feeling that anything might happen...

[Ferretfancy]

Ferretfancy - there isn't some general lack of distinctive contemporary music - it's just that not much of it has made it to the Proms recently. The shortish orchestral premiere is usually placed in part one of a concert, which tends to make it feel like a mere prelude to the main event. (Attention may consequently suffer...)
How often do RadioPrommers listen on iPlayer two or three times, just to see what happens? Perhaps especially if you didn't like it...
The emphasis on Proms premieres (not to mention time-pressure of Pop and other musics), means that much very significant, very distinctive music gets left out. Why aren't the Max Davies 10th or David Matthews 7th at the Proms this year? If the answer IS largely financial, that's sadder still... but then - remember the impact Matthews 6th had when it WAS played! It really can work, but - it only gets in as a Premiere...

With Proms commissions seeming often so short and safe, perhaps there's been a loss of nerve coupled with the oftstated pride over attendance figures and the desperate need for revenue. Remember the PANIC over Panic in 1995? Maybe FF, you were one of those who left the hall during the premiere of Worldes Blis at the 1969 Proms? Not exactly dull, was it? The Lachenmann Tanzsuite in 2013 got a pretty hot debate going on here too.
With latenight Proms we could really do with something like the Roundhouse concerts Boulez used to lead - you really had the feeling that anything might happen...

Jayne,

We could certainly do with somebody like a Boulez to make us sit up where contemporary music is concerned. I remember one 60's Prom which featured Webern's Six Pieces for orchestra in which he conducted the BBC SO, and then told the audience that they were going to repeat it straight away, which they then proceeded to do. In the 1950s, any attempt at modernism was always banished to the second half, with the result that hordes of people left at the interval.

They then began putting something really popular after the new piece in the hope that people would stay. At one early 60s event there was quite a long piece of electronic music with the orchestra absent, and I remember an announcer coming on to warn us that there were several long gaps, so please would we hold our applause until the end was signalled. When a solitary oboe player came onto the platform he was greeted by a standing ovation!

The question is, will I one day want to put a nice piece of David Horne on the CD player, sit back and enjoy?

[Bax-of-Delights]

I was at this concert and have only just got back from a busy and hot weekend in London.
As is to be expected, I went primarily for the Moeran - and this is the very first time I have heard it live. Also, I have never seen Tamsin Little perform before so I am ill placed to comment on her technique but I will say that the rapport she had with the orchestra was delightful to watch. At the point where the woodwind introduce the Irish jig in the first movement she turned and beamed at the section, ditto with the brass in the final movement. For me, this indicates a soloist who appreciates the support of her "backing group" (apologies!) and certainly adds to the listener/viewer's enjoyment. Also bumped into fellow For3 contributor (moeranbioman) who, like myself, was delighted by the performance.

As opposed to FF I thought the hall looked fairly well populated apart from a big chunk of empty stalls bang opposite the conductor (why?). Did most, like myself, come for the Moeran or the Elgar? The Walton was probably unknown to 95% of the audience - but certainly worth its weight. The David Horne was so typical of much of the what is shovelled into these kind of concerts - crashing percussion and whoops on the brass. It was supposed to represent "flight" but given a different title it could have indicated anything - or nothing - at all. Unimpressed, I'm sorry to say.

(PS: And to the plonker who clapped after Nimrod - try to stop listening to ClassicFM where they only play Nimrod on its own and start listening to R3. Oh, wait a minute.. )

[EdgeleyRob]

I was at this concert and have only just got back from a busy and hot weekend in London.
As is to be expected, I went primarily for the Moeran - and this is the very first time I have heard it live. Also, I have never seen Tamsin Little perform before so I am ill placed to comment on her technique but I will say that the rapport she had with the orchestra was delightful to watch. At the point where the woodwind introduce the Irish jig in the first movement she turned and beamed at the section, ditto with the brass in the final movement. For me, this indicates a soloist who appreciates the support of her "backing group" (apologies!) and certainly adds to the listener/viewer's enjoyment. Also bumped into fellow For3 contributor (moeranbioman) who, like myself, was delighted by the performance.As opposed to FF I thought the hall looked fairly well populated apart from a big chunk of empty stalls bang opposite the conductor (why?). Did most, like myself, come for the Moeran or the Elgar? The Walton was probably unknown to 95% of the audience - but certainly worth its weight. The David Horne was so typical of much of the what is shovelled into these kind of concerts - crashing percussion and whoops on the brass. It was supposed to represent "flight" but given a different title it could have indicated anything - or nothing - at all. Unimpressed, I'm sorry to say.

(PS: And to the plonker who clapped after Nimrod - try to stop listening to ClassicFM where they only play Nimrod on its own and start listening to R3. Oh, wait a minute.. )

Thanks BoD,I wish I'd been there for the Moeran,it's such a lovely piece.

[Sir Velo]

The Moeran violin concerto is certainly one of its composer's loveliest creations; alternatively lyrical; melancholic and frolicsome in the Irish jig variations. However, it plays second fiddle () to the cello concerto which is one of Moeran's darkest. most fully realised compositions; the equal in intensity and expression of the more famous Elgar and Finzi cello concerti. Nonetheless, it's great to see Moeran finally stepping out of the shadows and getting his due, albeit by several generations too late.

[PhilipT]

.. I have never seen Tamsin(sic) Little perform before .. At the point where the woodwind introduce the Irish jig in the first movement she turned and beamed at the section ..

Standard behaviour for Tasmin Little. 'Flirting with the orchestra' I call it. Personally I find it grates, but it is so completely ingrained into her performance style that it would be wrong to expect her to change it now.

.. a big chunk of empty stalls bang opposite the conductor (why?).

Bear in mind that many of the best Stalls seats are owned on leases and the leaseholders are under no obligation to return their unwanted tickets for re-sale. Even if they do return them, they may not do so in time for the Box Office to be able to sell them on (or, depending on your point of view, for enough people to realise that seats that weren't available before are available now).

[Opsimath]

Standard behaviour for Tasmin Little. 'Flirting with the orchestra' I call it. Personally I find it grates, but it is so completely ingrained into her performance style that it would be wrong to expect her to change it now.

She is a naturally very smiley person. I quite like to see her enjoying her work and showing appreciation of those who are making music with her.

[Nick Armstrong]

Standard behaviour for Tasmin Little. 'Flirting with the orchestra' I call it. Personally I find it grates

I admit to being on your side of the fence, PhilipT !

[Serial_Apologist]

I admit to being on your side of the fence, PhilipT !

You'd make a lovely couple