Proms 2015: Today's the day

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Tape. Loop.

[Kuhlau]

On a practical note, as far as I can see there are no scheduled finish times given for the concerts. This is a first, at least in decades.

This is also comprehensively a pain in the.

Are they given in the printed guide perhaps?

Yes, it is possible to estimate yourself, and yes occasionally they have been seriously adrift (Parsifal?!). However, in general they have always been remarkably accurate. Presumably someone has to work out the timings well in advance for radio broadcasting purposes anyway as they're all live.

Not exactly helpful for those of us with limited (or none if the timings are wrong) options for catching long distance trains etc afterwards.

An 'approximate end time' is listed on each individual prom page of the Royal Albert Hall website.

Concerts that stoke initial interest are the complete Prokofiev Concertos (something really unusual and appealing to me!), the visit of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and the Jón Leifs's Organ Concerto, having been so fascinated with his music performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra last year.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

An 'approximate end time' is listed on each individual prom page of the Royal Albert Hall website.

And in the printed guide.

[Bryn]

An 'approximate end time' is listed on each individual prom page of the Royal Albert Hall website.

Concerts that stoke initial interest are the complete Prokofiev Concertos (something really unusual and appealing to me!), the visit of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and the Jón Leifs's Organ Concerto, having been so fascinated with his music performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra last year.

The organ concerto will not fail to impress, hopefully positively. I love it.

[Simon B]

The organ concerto will not fail to impress, hopefully positively. I love it.

When my eye spotted the word "Leifs" I was hoping it would be followed by "Hekla" but that was probably asking too much of the Proms budget these days.

The organ concerto is chamber music by comparison, but should still make an impact!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

As I understand you

I don't think it either fair or reasonable to expect anyone to be held accountable to your "understanding" of them.

[Vile Consort]

The concert with the Liefs organ concerto is really the only one on my MUST DO list.

I was hoping that the Neilsen symphonies would be performed over two or three consecutive nights so that it would be feasible to hear them all. It is gobsmacking that only one of them is programmed.

[DublinJimbo]

I would have programmed the Harmoniemesse with the Stravinsky & Poulenc.

Now that's my kind of programme!

[Anastasius]

The concert with the Liefs organ concerto is really the only one on my MUST DO list.

...

Oooh....missed that. Thank you. I might just go to that. Pity Hekla isn't on.

[Barbirollians]

Hmm

"Planning stretches three years ahead. The 2014 season is complete, 2015 scarcely less so." This was written in July 2013.

I thought that Edward Blakeman has planned this season - surely even if an outline was planned that enabled a repertoire shift . If us striking that Haydn and Mozart for example have made a significant comeback this year

[Prommer]

Where is Thielemann with his new band the BPO?

Some Henze, Pfitzner and Strauss....

Has he ever been invited? Suppose he can't get away from the Green Hill.

[Barbirollians]

I see that Richard B refers to this being slim pickings . I assume this means of the type of music he composes ? I cannot see how as a programme it does not represent many of the finest works in the repertoire played by orchestras of the highest rank with top class soloists and conductors

[french frank]

I thought that Edward Blakeman has planned this season - surely even if an outline was planned that enabled a repertoire shift . If us striking that Haydn and Mozart for example have made a significant comeback this year

Haydn and Mozart can be called upon at quite short notice. It's the orchestras and solo performers who have their diaries booked up years in advance. Edward Blakeman has been second in command (to the Proms Director) for years; he's only been in control since the departure of Roger Wright last summer - too late to book up the big names for the following season.

[Barbirollians]

I understand that - it was the repertoire that I was commenting on rather than the performers.

[french frank]

I understand that - it was the repertoire that I was commenting on rather than the performers.

But your assumption seemed to be that the repertoire was already reflecting the post-Wright era: since most of this programme was in place before he left, that seems to be unlikely: performers and repertoire, to a large extent, go together. Outside orchestras, for example, may be on tour and slotted in with already chosen programmes and little for the Proms planners to choose from. For BBC orchestras that might be less the case.