Prom 76 - 13.09.14: The Last Night; BBC SO, Oramo

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Saturday, 13 September
7.30 p.m. – c. 10.30 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

The Last Night of the Proms live from the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Sakari Oramo, star violinist Janine Jansen and baritone Roderick Williams.

Sakari Oramo directs his first Last Night, joined by star Dutch violinist Janine Jansen.

We pay tribute to the late John Tavener with his touching Song for Athene, and mark the 50th anniversary of the film Mary Poppins with a singalong medley.
Arnold's Peterloo overture receives its first performance in a new choral version with lyrics by Sir Tim Rice, while our Richard Strauss anniversary celebrations conclude with the Proms premiere of the composer's massive cantata Taillefer.
The nautical flavour of Ansell's Plymouth Hoe (and its brief quotation of Rule, Britannia!) forms an upbeat to the traditional Last Night favourites, led by baritone Roderick Williams.

Gavin Higgins: Velocity (BBC commission: world premiere)
Arnold: Overture 'Peterloo' (new choral version with lyrics by Sir Tim Rice: world premiere)
Walton: Facade - Popular Song
Chausson: Poème
Tavener: Song for Athene
R Strauss: Taillefer, Op. 52

Khachaturian: Gayane - Sabre Dance
Ravel: Tzigane
Kern arr. Roderick Williams: Show Boat - 'Ol' Man River'
Trad. arr. Roderick Williams: Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho
Richard M Sherman & Robert B Sherman: Mary Poppins - medley
Ansell: Plymouth Hoe
Arne arr. Sargent: Rule, Britannia!
Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D major ('Land of Hope and Glory')
Parry orch. Elgar: Jerusalem
arr. Britten: The National Anthem

Janine Jansen (violin)
Roderick Williams (baritone)
Elizabeth Watts (soprano)
John Daszak (tenor)
BBC Singers
BBC Symphony Chorus
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sakari Oramo (conductor).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Re the Peterloo Overture - presumably the choral arranger is alive and kicking, but is uncredited. I don't suppose Tim Rice arranged the choral parts (and neither did I ).

[Bryn]

Re the Peterloo Overture - presumably the choral arranger is alive and kicking, but is uncredited. I don't suppose Tim Rice arranged the choral parts (and neither did I ).

One dreads to think it might have been his former 'musical' collaborator.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

One dreads to think it might have been his former 'musical' collaborator.

Ooh, I dunno - didn't Benny and Björn have a previous success with "Peterloo" or something?

[Barbirollians]

I hate the Classic Fmification of the last night - we used always to have a proper concerto in the first half .I doubt Janine Jansen comes cheap I suggest they should have made her work a bit harder for her big cheque.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I hate the Classic Fmification of the last night - we used always to have a proper concerto in the first half .I doubt Janine Jansen comes cheap I suggest they should have made her work a bit harder for her big cheque.

Errm - before Ms Jansen's libel lawyers see this, it might be worth pointing out that, at about 26 minutes, the combined playing times of the Chausson Poeme and the Ravel Tzigane is about the same duration as those "proper concertos" by Mendelssohn and Bruch.

[pastoralguy]

Errm - before Ms Jansen's libel lawyers see this, it might be worth pointing out that, at about 26 minutes, the combined playing times of the Chausson Poeme and the Ravel Tzigane is about the same duration as those "proper concertos" by Mendelssohn and Bruch.

And neither piece is exactly 'easy'. The Chausson is an extremely difficult piece to bring off successfully.

[Barbirollians]

And neither piece is exactly 'easy'. The Chausson is an extremely difficult piece to bring off successfully.

True enough but the point is still the same- short pieces for the last night rather than a full concerto .

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

True enough but the point is still the same- short pieces for the last night rather than a full concerto .

Yes - but the other "point" (that Ms Jansen might not be working hard enough for a huge fee) is demonstrably-in-a-court-of-law incorrect.

[Flosshilde]

Yes - but the other "point" (that Ms Jansen might not be working hard enough for a huge fee) is demonstrably-in-a-court-of-law incorrect.

Have the BBC, or Ms Jansen, published her fee? She could be doing it voluntarily, for the honour of playing at the Last Night, or perhaps donating her fee to charity.

& isn't it a bit snobbish to dismiss shorter pieces as not being worth a soloist playing? The short pieces could be much more interesting & difficult to play than a run-of-the-mill, dashed off by the composer to pay a bill, concerto.

[pastoralguy]

True enough but the point is still the same- short pieces for the last night rather than a full concerto .

In 37 years of concert going I've never heard the Chausson live ONCE (*) so I'm really looking forward to hearing it played by one of my favourite soloists.

(* well, apart from when I played it in a student recital. They still talk about that concert in Ullapool! )

[mercia]

shorter pieces have the considerable added benefit of being repeatable on Breakfast

[pureimagination]

There are many reasons why I never attend the Last Night (all that bouncing up and down and flag waving) and I have no problems with any of the pieces being performed or the performers (even Tim Rice's contribution - yes I know he's not singing!) but I do find it an odd mix and running order - Ol' Man River after Tzigane?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Have the BBC, or Ms Jansen, published her fee? She could be doing it voluntarily, for the honour of playing at the Last Night, or perhaps donating her fee to charity.

Don't ask me - it was Barbi who made the suggestion.

& isn't it a bit snobbish to dismiss shorter pieces as not being worth a soloist playing? The short pieces could be much more interesting & difficult to play than a run-of-the-mill, dashed off by the composer to pay a bill, concerto.

Again, you'd have to address this to Barbi. I couldn't possibly comment.

[Flosshilde]

There'll be so many horns (in the audience) being tooted, poppers popped, & so on, that I doubt anyone will be able to hear much of it anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

I've always thought that was the problem with the LN - the first half & second half seem to be two different concerts colliding.