The 2016 Proms Season: what are your thoughts?

[Beef Oven!]

It works out at around £178,500 per day.

[Richard Barrett]

I don't often quote approvingly from the Spectator, in fact I doubt that I ever have before, but when this particular rag echoes pretty much everything I've been thinking about this year's Proms something surely must be amiss.

http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/04/the-heckler-those-behind-the-proms-this-year-have-the-imagination-of-a-dead-fish/

[ahinton]

I don't often quote approvingly from the Spectator, in fact I doubt that I ever have before, but when this particular rag echoes pretty much everything I've been thinking about this year's Proms something surely must be amiss.

http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/04/t...f-a-dead-fish/

The writer certainly has quite a few points. the gratuitous and entirely unnecessary reference to "Colin Matthews' 2,765th Proms piece" is perhaps in part made up for by "Eric Whitacre, the Noel Edmonds of contemporary music" - or might be were that not rather insulting to Mr Edmonds...

[teamsaint]

Free of commercial pressures?
Well compared to some areas of economic activity maybe, but it hasn't stopped ticket prices rocketing, or led to a reduction in stratospheric fees for illustrious maestros.

[PhilipT]

I don't often quote approvingly from the Spectator, in fact I doubt that I ever have before, but when this particular rag echoes pretty much everything I've been thinking about this year's Proms something surely must be amiss.

http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/04/t...f-a-dead-fish/

Hmmm. I have my doubts as to whether the writer of the Spectator piece knows whereof he speaks. Apparently Glyndebourne caters to "a narrow audience". I go there each year, and I would not describe myself as narrow - rather the opposite. And some of my friends who also go are also not of the narrow persuasion.

[Richard Barrett]

Apparently Glyndebourne caters to "a narrow audience". I go there each year, and I would not describe myself as narrow - rather the opposite. And some of my friends who also go are also not of the narrow persuasion.

It's the audience he describes as narrow, not the members of the audience. It consists, correct me if I'm wrong, of people who can afford the ticket prices (with priority given to those who can afford to be society members) and the dressing up, not forgetting the time, if they don't happen to live locally. This would seem not to be an especially wide constituency.

[David-G]

It's the audience he describes as narrow, not the members of the audience. It consists, correct me if I'm wrong, of people who can afford the ticket prices (with priority given to those who can afford to be society members) and the dressing up, not forgetting the time, if they don't happen to live locally. This would seem not to be an especially wide constituency.

It consists of people who are sufficiently passionate about opera to spend money, and time, on it.

[Flosshilde]

It's the audience he describes as narrow, not the members of the audience. It consists, correct me if I'm wrong, of people who can afford the ticket prices (with priority given to those who can afford to be society members) and the dressing up, not forgetting the time, if they don't happen to live locally. This would seem not to be an especially wide constituency.

The time aspect could equally well apply to people who promenade at the Proms, & spend an afternoon sitting outside the RAH. & if you live outside London you need to spend a fair bit of money on travelk & possibly staying overnight. If you're interested in music (or art generally) you might spend a fair bit of time & money travelling about to experience specific performances or exhibitions - the suggested narrowness of the audience doesn't just apply to Glyndbourne

[teamsaint]

It consists of people who are sufficiently passionate about opera to spend money, and time, on it.

I'd suggest that in general, audiences at very expensive events, (including top price tickets at PL football) consist both of the people you mention, and also those on corporate freebies.

[Richard Barrett]

It consists of people who are sufficiently passionate about opera to spend money, and time, on it.

... and who have sufficient money to spend on it. When I lived in London I could never have afforded to go to Glyndebourne and never had the clothes to wear there (and still don't). Being passionate about something unfortunately doesn't affect the bank balance.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... and who have sufficient money to spend on it. When I lived in London I could never have afforded to go to Glyndebourne and never had the clothes to wear there (and still don't). Being passionate about something unfortunately doesn't affect the bank balance.

The Touring Opera was much cheaper when I lived in East Sussex - I saw half-a-dozen production s in Glyndebourne thanks to this. (A very good Education section there, to, enabling secondary-age schoolkids - and their lucky teachers - to create work based on GTO productions, and have them performed in the "old" theatre, before seeing the shows themselves. Janacek, Tippett (New Year), and Birtwistle (Mrs Kong) all featured: the kids paid a bout a fiver for the whole education and performance "package".



(The only time I went to one of the Festival Opera productions was just after the new house had opened - the scent of new wood was still prevalent - and Andrew Davies conducted The Rake's Progress (far better than Haitink does on the video) with Hockney's sets. A friend knew a friend who had a neighbour who was one of the carpenters and got a pair of complementary tickets. We had tea on the lawn just across from Ian Hislop and his chums.)

[teamsaint]

The time aspect could equally well apply to people who promenade at the Proms, & spend an afternoon sitting outside the RAH. & if you live outside London you need to spend a fair bit of money on travelk & possibly staying overnight. If you're interested in music (or art generally) you might spend a fair bit of time & money travelling about to experience specific performances or exhibitions - the suggested narrowness of the audience doesn't just apply to Glyndbourne

In general your points are fair ones.
Pastimes generally perceived as expensive ( Opera, Football,) can often be done on a reasonable budget, if carefully worked out,if one is sufficiently motivated.
There are sensible price tickets to be had at big opera houses and concerts, and even at top football grounds , if one is prepared to compromise a little on seat, match, performance. And yes, if you factor in your time even at minimum wage, promming doesn't necessarily work out as a bargain.

I'm really not sure if the above apply to Glyndbourne though, unless one is on a corporate freebie. But perhaps I am wrong on that.

[Flosshilde]

never had the clothes to wear there (and still don't).

You don't possess a decent pair of trousers, jacket, & shirt?

From their website - "There is no dress code but people do like to dress up for the Festival – a tradition that started as a mark of respect to the performers." So really it depends on what you consider 'dressing up' to mean

[Richard Barrett]

You don't possess a decent pair of trousers, jacket, & shirt?

Well, I think so, but every single photo I've ever seen of the Glyndebourne crowd, including all of those on its own website, show "gentlemen" in a style of clothing I wouldn't be seen dead in. As for "respect for the performers" I don't see what that's about at all. It's not a funeral.

[PhilipT]

... and who have sufficient money to spend on it. When I lived in London I could never have afforded to go to Glyndebourne and never had the clothes to wear there (and still don't). Being passionate about something unfortunately doesn't affect the bank balance.

Really? Do you genuinely know whereof you speak? Back in 1998 I organised some trips to Glyndebourne for friends of mine from the Proms. They included such high-income individuals as a primary school teacher and an undergraduate. No, I wasn't a Festival Society Member then, though I am now; I wasn't even on the waiting list when I bought the tickets. Price of the tickets? £10 each. Yes, really. No, I'm not talking about GTO, I'm talking about the Festival. They were all for standing places, not seats, but some weren't even Restricted View.

As for the dress code, I can do no better than quote from Bernard Levin:

John Christie said that all those involved in the production, from the conductor to the scene-shifters, were taking every possible care to ensure that the performance was as near to perfection as human beings can attain; in return, he asked those in the audience to respond similarly, in the only way open to them, namely by taking trouble over what they wore.

(Conducted Tour, ch.8).

The dress code wasn't and isn't enforced, in any way, and there are usually a few lounge suits, but I for one will continue to follow John Christie's rule and take the trouble.