Proms 2015: Today's the day

[Ferretfancy]

It's hard to know what's best. There are certainly advantages of sneaking the Berg into The Planets gig, as was your experience. But there's a few Proms this year that I'm not sure if I'll go because I don't want to sit through a Mozart piano concerto. And there's one that I might leave at half time.

Edit: I love Mozart and enjoy his piano concertos, it's just that that's not where I'm at. Musically speaking, this summer. Probably will go through a Mozart piano concerto obsession next year!

Also, I think it's a bit over the top to think of a concert of Finlandia, and symphonies 1 & 2 as ''saturation programming" !!!!

Leaving at half time, Ah! that takes me back! In the good old days of the Third Programme, presided over by William Glock, they always seemed to perform new works in the second half.This led to what our old Goon Show effects disc called 'Panic and rush for the exits'

They are more crafty nowadays and mix the old and the new more carefully. I remember a Prom which included a lengthy piece of electronic music with a careful introduction by an onstage announcer. There followed a long series of gurgles and burps from loudspeakers suspended above the deserted platform, which was followed by what the same effects disc described as 'desultory applause'

After a gap, a solitary oboe player wandered on and was greeted by a standing ovation !

[Richard Barrett]

I see that Richard B refers to this being slim pickings . I assume this means of the type of music he composes ?

Your assumption is completely incorrect, based as it is on further unwarranted assumptions: that I'm only interested in attending concerts of "the type of music he composes" and that my musical preferences are limited to that "type" of music. What I meant by "slim pickings" is that nothing in the programme really excites me particularly.

[Beef Oven!]

No Wagner - what a relief . Perhaps a little short on little known English music and music of the three farts and a raspberry school but much more interesting than the last few years .

Wagner scared the poo out of of the fans of conservative Brahms followers. An awful lot of 'little known' English music is far superior to the likes of Elgar et al. Three farts and a raspberry school? David Mathews way of taking a forward path is by looking backwards? Sort yourself out, boy!

[ahinton]

Wagner scared the poo out of of the fans of conservative Brahms followers. An awful lot of 'little known' English music is far superior to the likes of Elgar et al. Three farts and a raspberry school? David Mathews way of taking a forward path is by looking backwards? Sort yourself out, boy!

First sentence agreed, of course, although "conservative followers of Brahms" might be a better way of expressing it than "conservative Brahms followers". Second sentence not in dispute (subject to whom "al" might represent). I didn't know that there were schools where one could develop one's farting skills or raspberry cultivation prowess, let alone a single one at which one could do both. As for the rest, what's David Matthews (two "t"s, please - no sugar) to do with this, especially as he's not being performed this season? Whilst I'll wisely refrain from suggesting that "you're obsessed with the David Matthews", the unworthy thought did nevertheless momentarily cross what passes for my mind...

[Honoured Guest]

UK General Election
New UK Government
Renewal of BBC Charter

Sat 12 Sept 2015 could see the Last Last Night of the BBC Proms.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Any thoughts on the online booking system? I quite like it, though why they have to add two "taxes" of their own is a constant irritation.

[Beef Oven!]

First sentence agreed, of course, although "conservative followers of Brahms" might be a better way of expressing it than "conservative Brahms followers". Second sentence not in dispute (subject to whom "al" might represent). I didn't know that there were schools where one could develop one's farting skills or raspberry cultivation prowess, let alone a single one at which one could do both. As for the rest, what's David Matthews (two "t"s, please - no sugar) to do with this, especially as he's not being performed this season? Whilst I'll wisely refrain from suggesting that "you're obsessed with the David Matthews", the unworthy thought did nevertheless momentarily cross what passes for my mind...

Now look here hinty, leave me to my grammatical and punctuational ineptitude. Stop behaving like John Humphrys!

And btw, since the invention of texting, spelling is optional (although a certain amount of spelling is required).

I am relieved however, that you basically agree with me.

[ahinton]

Now look here hinty

Yes, Beefy?

leave me to my grammatical and punctuational ineptitude

Of course; I didn't notice any of that anyway. I mentioned your comment about followers of Brahms only for the purpose of clarifying whether you were referring to Brahms himself as "conservative" (which Schönberg would roundly have disputed - Brahms the Progressive and all that) or his followers as such - that's all!

Stop behaving like John Humphrys!

Quoi?! I couldn't even start! (and I didn't interrupt you once, which is rather difficult to do on a forum anyway - and I don't play the cello)...

And btw, since the invention of texting, spelling is optional (although a certain amount of spelling is required).

I don't text, personally, but I do think that, whatever one or two people around these parts might think of David Matthews' 8th symphony, he deserves that extra cup of t after all the work that he put into it!

I am relieved however, that you basically agree with me.

No problem. I'm off to break wind now before tending to my raspberry canes...

[Beef Oven!]

Yes, Beefy?


Of course; I didn't notice any of that anyway. I mentioned your comment about followers of Brahms only for the purpose of clarifying whether you were referring to Brahms himself as "conservative" (which Schönberg would roundly have disputed - Brahms the Progressive and all that) or his followers as such - that's all!



Quoi?! I couldn't even start! (and I didn't interrupt you once, which is rather difficult to do on a forum anyway - and I don't play the cello)...



I don't text, personally, but I do think that, whatever one or two people around these parts might think of David Matthews' 8th symphony, he deserves that extra cup of t after all the work that he put into it!


No problem. I'm off to break wind now before tending to my raspberry canes...

[DracoM]

http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/apr/27/bbc-proms-2015-programme-lack-of-imagination

Any thoughts? See last para particularly.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

http://www.theguardian.com/music/mus...of-imagination

Any thoughts? See last para particularly.

Unfortunately, some very good points are submerged in a great deal of journalistic waffle.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

http://www.theguardian.com/music/mus...of-imagination

Any thoughts? See last para particularly.

Give me Pete Tong over the inexplicably feted Eric Whitacre any day; and music by electronic explorers A Winged Victory for the Sullen, who feature in the Radio 6 Prom, excites my ears more than the prospect of more domesticated “new” music by Colin Matthews or Mark-Anthony Turnage.


The spectre of hearing all five of Prokofiev’s piano concertos and all Bach’s cello suites performed in single evenings fills me with dread. Does this programming do the music any favours? I’d argue not. But, boy, it looks good on paper. These are “events”! Something to capture the headlines, something for “Prom Queen” Katie Derham to preen about in her One Show-styled Proms chatshow.

[DracoM]

[Serial_Apologist]

The spectre of hearing all five of Prokofiev’s piano concertos and all Bach’s cello suites performed in single evenings fills me with dread. Does this programming do the music any favours? I’d argue not. But, boy, it looks good on paper. These are “events”! Something to capture the headlines, something for “Prom Queen” Katie Derham to preen about in her One Show-styled Proms chatshow.

I agree re the Prokofievs. What on earth's the point? Lack of intervening works does little to understand the composer's development.

[teamsaint]

I am dubious about the Prokofiev Prom. But lots of folk were about the RVW 4/5/6 prom , which was , by general consensus , a success.

Maybe some deeper level of thought went into planning the RVW Prom.

I couldn't care less what KD gets up to around it, because I have an off button, ( actually a bewildering array on the various remotes I need to use if its on the telly) and I won't be watching her, or Dave Lee Service, or any of the others, prolly.