Prom 1: First Night of the Proms (17.07.15)

[Darkbloom]

Christopher Maltman in this outing was infinitely better than Jonathan Lemalu in the 2012 BBC NOW performance from the Proms (and I say this hoping that JL is doing better with rebuilding his voice, as I once met him after a concert here in the US and liked him)

I always thought Lemalu was one of those singers who was overpraised when he arrived on the scene, with the predictable result of receiving too many offers of work at a time when he should have been quietly developing his natural ability. There never seemed to be a real centre to his voice on the occasions I heard him, and a worrying wobble was starting to creep into his sound. Unless you are a vocal freak of nature like Terfel it must be very hard not to be badly affected by all the publicity coming your way at a young age, and I don't think even Terfel's voice is the beautiful instrument it was in his twenties. Even his Falstaff recording sounds pretty ragged to my ears, and that was a long time ago now.

[MrGongGong]

No gimmicks.

Pyrotechnics
TWO brass bands, organ & anvil?



(Nice to hear Rammstein mentioned )

[Beef Oven!]

Pyrotechnics
TWO brass bands, organ & anvil?

Exactly!!

(Nice to hear Rammstein mentioned )

Indeed

[Bax-of-Delights]

No gimmicks.

KD in metallic trouser outfit and glistening decolletage

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

KD in metallic trouser outfit and glistening decolletage

Try Radio 3. The picturrs are better.

[Bax-of-Delights]

Try Radio 3. The picturrs are better.

[Nick Armstrong]

Try Radio 3. The picturrs are better.

Although not as good a view of the ring of giant sparklers round the gallery (I mean of the hall - that's not a fashion euphemism!! ) which were let off at the end of the new piece...!

[VodkaDilc]

Try Radio 3. The picturrs are better.

..and even Petroc T seems acceptable when compared to the 'hosts' on BBC2.

[Mary Chambers]

For me Belshazzar palls after two or three times singing or hearing it. It has a lot of nice noises, but no depth. I did quite enjoy last night's performance, though. I hadn't heard it for a while. Maltman was very good. The choirs succeeded mostly, too, though there was some very shaky unaccompanied singing at times. I know from experience how unpleasant the Albert Hall can be for performers in warm weather, so I assumed the singers were just trying not to faint.

I'm not quite sure about the Mozart performance, but...it's Mozart, and therefore worth hearing.

[VodkaDilc]

I know from experience how unpleasant the Albert Hall can be for performers in warm weather, so I assumed the singers were just trying not to faint.

I wasn't there, but it was not unduly warm here. Surely it wasn't one of those unbearably hot evenings in the RAH.

(Wonderful Walton - I could never tire of hearing it. But, sorry Mary, I went for a walk during the Mozart.)

[Flosshilde]

(But, sorry Mary, I went for a walk during the Mozart.)

So I would have done. To paraphrase Mary - it's Mozart, and therefore worth doing something else instead

[VodkaDilc]

So I would have done. To paraphrase Mary - it's Mozart, and therefore worth doing something else instead

My thoughts exactly. But I always think I'm in a minority of one.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

But I always think I'm in a minority of one.

Why, voddy? Bbm never fails to to mention his dislike of Mozart and Flossie also regularly makes clear his disbelief in it, too.



It's a minority of three.




And that doesn't make you bad people.












Necessarily.





(I'm with Mary on both Mozart and Belshazzar's Feast.)

[Stanley Stewart]

I always enjoy a sense of the occasion at each First Night which, nowadays, I watch on TV with sound via my hi-fi speakers and must congratulate the engineers for the awesome sound effects of the Walton - could almost hear the waters of Babylon and, yes, perhaps even a premature baby in the rushes!

I'm not a musician and didn't connect with the first half of the programme although I was contentedly distracted by vivid memories of several decades as a Prommer, eventually, by trial and error, finding the best seat for preference in the Stalls. Seeing and sensing the cavernous space is the best alternative for me, today, and I'm still chuffed when I come across off-air videos from days of yore which go straight to DVD. My favourite Belshazzar's Feast is not the Proms performance of a few years ago but a video/DVD transfer of a performance at Leeds Town Hall, 1999ish, in a fine TV series, Six Pieces of Britain. However, the power and sheer theatricality of the piece, last night, now makes it a clear winner for me. Did an overnight DVD transfer and decided to add, Diva, 1981, -very stylish high-camp - as a suitable partner.

The First Night also prompts memories of 'salymap' so, dear Pamela, my thoughts also steered in your direction.

[cloughie]

I wasn't there, but it was not unduly warm here. Surely it wasn't one of those unbearably hot evenings in the RAH.

(Wonderful Walton - I could never tire of hearing it. But, sorry Mary, I went for a walk during the Mozart.)

I enjoyed the Mozart on R3, heard a bit of the Sibelius which seemed well played but didn't bother with the Walton. I always think it peaks immediately with that stunning intro, then goes downhill to boredom very quickly.