The 2016 Proms Season: what are your thoughts?

[Beef Oven!]

Uncle Bernie in Mahler 3 will be interesting... but I fear a dampus squibus. However, I shall be delighted if proved wrong!

Now Thielemann in Mahler 3: THAT I would like to hear! Give it about 20 years...

[Petrushka]

Just going through the 'there's only one concert I really want to go to' phase at the moment....

I've got the opposite problem! Lots of good stuff here. You Londoners don't know how lucky you are being able to just turn up on a whim and pay a fiver. I'd estimate a tcket cost of some £400 for me plus travel and hotels. With the cost spread out from May to September (hence 5 months salary coming in) it's a reasonable outlay but it's one I do year after year and I'm not seriously complaining because that's what I want to spend my hard earned cash on.

[mrbouffant]

You Londoners don't know how lucky you are being able to just turn up on a whim and pay a fiver.

Steady on, it's now 6 quid a pop - that's nearly as much as a small glass of wine at one of the RAH bars!

You lot oop north don't know you're born. When I were a lad &c

[maestro267]

It's actually a really good, solid season. Some pretty substantial new works during the season, like that 54-minute piece Knussen is conducting. The Shakespeare thread looks good. A couple of relative rarities, such as Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony. Also noteworthy is the total lack of Shostakovich symphonies this year (save for one brief movement of No. 10 during the kids' concert). And I wouldn't get too excited about Argerich's appearance just yet. Believe it when she walks on stage. She has been known to cancel, certainly in recent years.

[Demetrius]

Music written in the 21 century, but not written for the 21 century

I haven't heard most of the pieces and indeed most of the composers of that category yet, so I can't really judge quality or anything else. Do you mean that they are too tonal and thus backward looking or that they are too atonal and thus backward looking? Or something else entirely? I'd love to get a better insight in what to expect of some pieces.

I went through the list again and picked out the pieces that have likely been written in the last 15-20 years. Out of the list, I've only had marginal experiences with Julian Anderson and Sally Beamish, whose pieces (one each) I didn't like, and Colin Matthews and Arvo Pärt, which I liked. Oh and I have some Michael Berkeley on CD as he is paired of with Lennox. Haven't listened to him yet, though.

If anyone has insights as to what to expect from all these, please feel free to prepare us/me As an afterthought, most of these are at least substantial in length (20-50 Minutes), not the usual 3-minute-nod to the fact that there are indeed composers who are still breathing.

Magnus Lindberg New Work
Anthony Payne Of Land Sea and Sky
Michael BerkeleyViolin Concerto
Wolfgang Rihm Gejagte Form (2002 version)
Lera Auerbach The Infant Minstrel and His Peculiar Menagerie
Jörg Widmann Armonica
Reinbert de Leeuw Der nächtliche Wanderer
Helen Grime Two Eardley Pictures
Iris ter Schiphorst Gravitational Waves
Tobias Broström Sputnik
Kurt Schwertsik Adieu Satie
Mark Simpson Israfel
HK Gruber Basking
Malcolm Hayes Violin Concerto
Huw Watkins Cello Concerto
Charlotte Bray Falling in the Fire
Huw Watkins The Phoenix and the Turtle
Nico Muhly Gentle sleep
Francisco Coll Four Iberian Miniatures
Thomas Adès Lieux retrouvés
Colin Matthews Berceuse for Dresden
Arvo Pärt Nunc dimittis
Arvo Pärt Triodion
Jörg Widmann Con brio
Sir Harrison Birtwistle The message
Georg Friedrich Haas Open Spaces II
David Sawer April \ March
Gérard Grisey Dérives
Piers Hellawell Wild Flow
Matthias Pintscher Reflections on Narcissus
Marlos Nobre Kabbalah
Emily Howard Torus
Hans Abrahamsen Let me tell you
Thomas Larcher Symphony No 2
Sally Beamish Merula perpetua
Bayan Northcott Concerto for Orchestra
Julian Anderson Incantesimi
Paul Desenne Hipnosis mariposa

[Prommer]

Have just gone through the book: a belter of a season.

Best since... 2007? Tempted to get myself a season ticket for the first time in a while...

[Beef Oven!]

I haven't heard most of the pieces and indeed most of the composers of that category yet, so I can't really judge quality or anything else. Do you mean that they are too tonal and thus backward looking or that they are too atonal and thus backward looking? Or something else entirely? I'd love to get a better insight in what to expect of some pieces.

I went through the list again and picked out the pieces that have likely been written in the last 15-20 years. Out of the list, I've only had marginal experiences with Julian Anderson and Sally Beamish, whose pieces (one each) I didn't like, and Colin Matthews and Arvo Pärt, which I liked. Oh and I have some Michael Berkeley on CD as he is paired of with Lennox. Haven't listened to him yet, though.

If anyone has insights as to what to expect from all these, please feel free to prepare us/me As an afterthought, most of these are at least substantial in length (20-50 Minutes), not the usual 3-minute-nod to the fact that there are indeed composers who are still breathing.

Magnus Lindberg New Work
Anthony Payne Of Land Sea and Sky
Michael BerkeleyViolin Concerto
Wolfgang Rihm Gejagte Form (2002 version)
Lera Auerbach The Infant Minstrel and His Peculiar Menagerie
Jörg Widmann Armonica
Reinbert de Leeuw Der nächtliche Wanderer
Helen Grime Two Eardley Pictures
Iris ter Schiphorst Gravitational Waves
Tobias Broström Sputnik
Kurt Schwertsik Adieu Satie
Mark Simpson Israfel
HK Gruber Basking
Malcolm Hayes Violin Concerto
Huw Watkins Cello Concerto
Charlotte Bray Falling in the Fire
Huw Watkins The Phoenix and the Turtle
Nico Muhly Gentle sleep
Francisco Coll Four Iberian Miniatures
Thomas Adès Lieux retrouvés
Colin Matthews Berceuse for Dresden
Arvo Pärt Nunc dimittis
Arvo Pärt Triodion
Jörg Widmann Con brio
Sir Harrison Birtwistle The message
Georg Friedrich Haas Open Spaces II
David Sawer April \ March
Gérard Grisey Dérives
Piers Hellawell Wild Flow
Matthias Pintscher Reflections on Narcissus
Marlos Nobre Kabbalah
Emily Howard Torus
Hans Abrahamsen Let me tell you
Thomas Larcher Symphony No 2
Sally Beamish Merula perpetua
Bayan Northcott Concerto for Orchestra
Julian Anderson Incantesimi
Paul Desenne Hipnosis mariposa

My you've been busy this evening!

I'll say at once, I've only heard a fraction of them, so take me in spirit rather than forensically!

There's some goodies in there for sure, Berceuse For Dresden for example; but with all the music available from Rihm, Birtwistle and even Part, we get pieces that range from just 2 minutes to 14 minutes!! Come on!!!

And yes, I suppose I mean they are, to use your term, 'backward looking' or too bloody short! Half-hearted and insincere programming IMV.

[Beef Oven!]

Best since... 2007?

But the point is - that's not saying much.

[Rcartes]

Agree there are some really good concerts (Haitink, Barenboim, Rattle, Fischer etc) but oh the amount of slop: presudo jazz and pop. David Bowie (Prom 19), Quincey Jones (Prom 49) and Jamie Cullum FFS (Prom 36) all look awful and totally out of place. But worst is the Strictly Prom (8): why?

And "George and Ira Gershwin Rediscovered": they were never undiscovered!

Really, despite the good parts there's so much stuff that shouldn't be there.

PS: Next year: the East Enders Prom? The Antiques Roadshow Prom? The I'm a Celebrity Dimwit Get Me Out of Here Prom? Wouldn't put it past them....

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

So far, I've only skimmed through the concert list, so have much more to investigate.

But all those Proms Extra "Sing" programmes seemed such a great idea, until I noticed they were all with the BBC Screechers. (Note to new Hosts - this is what is called 'setting a bad example'.)

[oddoneout]

Really, despite the good parts there's so much stuff that shouldn't be there..

There are some questionable choices, but that's a view I've been hearing for several decades now - my grandfather mumped one year about the wrong kind of music, I think it may have been Gershwin. Just so long as the balance doesn't shift towards the BBC4 idea of music programming....
I've just done quick(would have been quicker if the next page function had been set up properly)online trawl of the season and it looks as if I'll be spending a good few evenings in with my radio - unlike last year which for me was a pretty unsatisfactory one.

[Nick Armstrong]

I noticed they were all with the BBC Screechers. (Note to new Hosts - this is what is called 'setting a bad example'.)

(You know I'll back you up 100% on this one! )

[oddoneout]

But all those Proms Extra "Sing" programmes seemed such a great idea, until I noticed they were all with the BBC Screechers. (Note to new Hosts - this is what is called 'setting a bad example'.)

Their community outreach work seems to be well thought of and well received so perhaps the participants will have a good experience 'in the flesh'.

[teamsaint]

: presudo jazz and pop. David Bowie (Prom 19), Quincey Jones (Prom 49) and Jamie Cullum FFS (Prom 36) all look awful and totally out of place. But worst is the Strictly Prom (8): why?
.

1. Money
2. Careers.

[Beef Oven!]

1. Money
2. Careers.

1. Art
2. Popularity