Televised Proms

[zola]

I assume his entire talk was pre-recorded?

Yes, his talk was entirely pre-recorded. He was not even at the performance. But since the concert was also recorded, albeit with only an hour or so delay, said chats could be shoe horned in. The whole effect gave the appearance of demoting Andris Nelsons to the role of a fledgling repetiteur carrying out Sir Mark's instructions.

[maestro267]

The worst thing will be that television becomes not worth bothering with as far as the Proms are concerned

It reached that stage about 2 years ago for me.

[MrGongGong]

Why oh why oh why oh why
Do people always moan about how TV is like erm TV?

What on earth do people expect it to be like?

If you don't like talking, images there's the radio
some people do like the TV
some don't

It's supposed to be a FESTIVAL of music FFS

[maestro267]

Because of how they used to cover the Proms, even as recently as 4-5 years ago. It was treated more like a live event (even if it wasn't actually live), with pundit-like figures presenting analysis of the work about to be performed from a box in the Hall, allowing us to take in the pre-performance atmosphere even if we can't attend the Hall ourselves. Before, TV had to fit in with the Event, but now they mould the Event around the TV schedules, and it devalues this great Festival, which stood as the last-remaining bastion of televised classical music concerts.

[Nick Armstrong]

Why oh why oh why oh why
Do people always moan about how TV is like erm TV?

Not always. TV can enhance the experience - and as you say some people like that (c.f. classical music DVDs/blurays). But when it mars the experience, it's legitimate to 'moan'. Anyway, I've edited out all the extraneous/intrusive crap and am now enjoying a TV relay in very good sound & HD images which consists of just the notes - and it's great!

[MrGongGong]

. But when it mars the experience, it's legitimate to 'moan'.

Indeed
For many people the inter-movemnet comments probably enhanced the experience

[french frank]

Indeed
For many people the inter-movemnet comments probably enhanced the experience

What seems clear - to me, if not to BBC Oxbridge graduates with first class degrees - is that there are programmes which could be on BBC Two which would look like BBC Two raising its game. Put the same thing on BBC Four and it's dumbing down (making 'more simple or less intellectually demanding, especially in order to appeal to a broader public'). As with Radio 3: if people flee from BBC Four and Radio 3 because both have lost their intelligent appeal - where do they go?

Btw, Gongers, out of interest, what was the last pre-1900 symphony you listened to all the way through?

[MrGongGong]

Btw, Gongers, out of interest, what was the last pre-1900 symphony you listened to all the way through?

Bruckner 7

Do people make a huge differentiation between BBC2 and BBC4 ?

They just seem like TV to me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favour of "intelligent" broadcasting BUT I don't think TV is the place to find it (most of the time, sorry Tony )

[french frank]

Do people make a huge differentiation between BBC2 and BBC4 ?

Depends which 'people' you mean: the BBC spends almost ten times as much on BBC Two, so they must differentiate. Plus, of course, there is the relative size of the audiences. 47.3% of the population watch Two compared with 13.6% who watch Four. This is because they have different types of programme (though less different now than they used to be).

[VodkaDilc]

Because of how they used to cover the Proms, even as recently as 4-5 years ago. It was treated more like a live event (even if it wasn't actually live), with pundit-like figures presenting analysis of the work about to be performed from a box in the Hall, allowing us to take in the pre-performance atmosphere even if we can't attend the Hall ourselves. Before, TV had to fit in with the Event, but now they mould the Event around the TV schedules, and it devalues this great Festival, which stood as the last-remaining bastion of televised classical music concerts.

To be fair, I remember endless complaints about the BBC4 Proms at around this time (from myself too) about the triviality of Charles Hazelwood's interviews with all and sundry in the gaps between works - but at least this approach seemed to be kept on that channel. A BBC2 relay normally meant something more traditional.

I remember the days of simultaneous BBC2/R3 relays with great pleasure, not only for the ritual of setting up the two sets of apparatus, but also for the fact that television had to keep to the timings of the live broadcasts. The BBC people seem to have forgotten the power of live events.

[Norrette]

Having thought about this, it's probably a double tick for the BBC to include more 'educational' programming and hopefully (?) to increase the audience of BBC 4. As someone said somewhere else, this year is all about the charter.

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks. That's a relief. Would Sir Mark really take part in such antics? (I presume this was on BBC4.) After all, in my recent experience, he is the supreme master of the withering look to any member of the audience behaving antisocially. (Long may he continue.)

This on "Today", today.

[french frank]

This on "Today", today.

That might work. The important thing is that a potential audience knows what to expect - and stays away if it doesn't appeal.

[Prommer]

Bruckner 7

Any good?!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This on "Today", today.

And can the audience chat, use mobile phones, eat crisps, read the newspaper, etc?

This isn't a new idea. It's been happening in Scarborough's Spa Grand Hall for decades.

This merely condones it.