Televised Proms

[maestro267]

According to some on Twitter, it seems that tonight's broadcast of Beethoven 9 was broken up with interviews with Sir Mark Elder between each movement. As if it couldn't get any worse.

[Norrette]

Also on twitter is this image from the 10 pieces prom:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CKTesx_WwAAwSlH.jpg

Sort of...war horse meets three minutes of Stravinsky

[MrGongGong]

The ultimate depravity of R3 powers-that-be

You must have led a very sheltered life

But it did get me wondering what the "ultimate depravity" Prom would be?

Franko B conducts Diamanda Galas in Litanies of Satan?
or
Gorgoroth's Black Mass Krakow live at the RAH?

or?

[Prommer]

This discussion of the BBC's attitude to the Proms, and how that shapes how it presents them, is not irrelevant to the upcoming discussions around the licence fee and the appropriate role of the BBC in future.

[VodkaDilc]

According to some on Twitter, it seems that tonight's broadcast of Beethoven 9 was broken up with interviews with Sir Mark Elder between each movement. As if it couldn't get any worse.

Is this true? Do you mean the R3 (surely not) or a later television version?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I can assure you that Radio 3 was fine.

[VodkaDilc]

I can assure you that Radio 3 was fine.

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.)

[gurnemanz]

At least Jonas Kaufmann has been given the Last Night as compensation …

As his latest operetta CD shows, he is not averse to the lighter vein.

[french frank]

As his latest operetta CD shows, he is not averse to the lighter vein.

As are many other 'classical' stars. That wasn't the point I was making here, though. It was that two (am I right? part time?) singers were designated, regarding their Prom concerts, 'some of the great voices of our own time'.

[But, there, Patten's daughters were quoted as saying: 'Celebrities are people Dad hasn't heard of.')

[zola]

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.)

Not only did he take part but he is doing the same thing for two of his own performances later in the season according to his remarks at the start of the broadcast.

[VodkaDilc]

Not only did he take part but he is doing the same thing for two of his own performances later in the season according to his remarks at the start of the broadcast.

Between movements??? Another reason to avoid BBC4? (Perhaps it should go online only, like BBC3.)

[Stanley Stewart]

Between movements??? Another reason to avoid BBC4? (Perhaps it should go online only, like BBC3.)

WHY? Before the TV Prom, we had the fourth part of Antonio Pappano's engaging series on Classical Voices, a veritable treat with its treasury of gold nuggets - and I did an overnight DVD transfer of the whole series for future reference and much enjoyment.


Indeed, I was irritated by the chat factor between movements during Beethoven 9 but I muted the sound for a couple of minutes and thought of England! Somehow, I don't think this absurd intrusion will survive for long and the performance gave me much pleasure.

[MrGongGong]

Between movements???

Nice to see the BBC reinstating the traditional interlude between movements that was very much part of concert going in the past (1/2 Joking)

If you go in the back of the boxes in the RAH you will find a little room where they used to lay out a buffet for folks to snack on in the "boring bits"

[french frank]

Thanks. That's a relief. Would Sir Mark really take part in such antics?

I assume his entire talk was pre-recorded?

It may indeed be an experiment like the camera on the conductor's head (did I dream that?). The worst thing will be that television becomes not worth bothering with as far as the Proms are concerned, but I really don't see why this couldn't be on BBC Two.

[mercia]

we did have 'conductor-cam' a year or two back, with a camera facing the conductor throughout a performance and a commentator interpreting all the gestures, quite interesting in its own way although not a way to enjoy the music as such (obviously)