Prom 75: 10.09.16 - Last Night of the Proms

[Petrushka]

One recent development I deplore is the removal of a proper concerto from the first half - who can forget Ida H knocking out the Saint Saens 3 in 1989 .

Remember that one well as I was present. Was also at the 1992 Last Night when Tatyana Nikolayeva played the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 2. This sort of thing made the first half a satisfying concert in itself.

[ahinton]

Remember that one well as I was present. Was also at the 1992 Last Night when Tatyana Nikolayeva played the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 2. This sort of thing made the first half a satisfying concert I itself.

And I well recall one of the few LNOTPs that ever I watched/listened to part of that included the most hilarious imaginable (although also very good) performance of Gershwin's Piano Concerto conducted rather uneasily by the otherwise excellent Tod Handley with the solo part played with almost side-splitting conscientiousness by the late and deeply lamented Shura Cherkassky; ah, those were the days!

[makropulos]

Enjoyed most of the first half, especially JDF's Donizetti and Offenbach, but also Jonathan Dove's piece - can't understand all the hostilty to it here. Second half: lovely to have the RVW though I didn't think it was as consistently beautiful as some seem have found it - the soprano with the final line of the whole piece sounded too loud and a little strained on the top note (trying too hard rather than floating the note), and the bass with the "dark as Erebus" line had a pretty ropey tone - Norman Allin he ain't. Otherwise, nicely done (especially the violin solo), and beautifully conducted. Frankly the Sea Songs in any version strike me as one of the most unnecessary and tedious items, but Oramo did a grand job with Rule Brit, P&C and Jerusalem.

[Prommer]

Looks more like an audience for 'the Good Old days' than a supposedly cutting edge music festival.

Unt wot is dis 'good old days' you funny old English talk about?

[Nick Armstrong]

Was Juan Diego La Rue any good?

Blimey I wasn't that far out.





Just watched the Latino songs - good for JDF, he entered into the spirit, and I liked the Paddington/Peruvian touch!

[mercia]

things are getting a bit surreal when a man dressed as an Aztec sings about Britannia ruling the waves. But I guess opera singers get used to surreal situations.

perhaps I mean Inca not Aztec

[marvin]

Well, last year I somehow knew that I probably would not be listening to or watching any more of the LNOTP due to sheer boredom of its format and content.
This year, therefore, I didn't entertain it at all but watched The Chase and Beck on BBC4.
I used to like it when they had the likes of Semprini or Winifred Atwell on, playing perhaps Grieg's PC or some other popular piano piece such as Dangerous Moonlight. Hmmm, that may have been the FNOTP though.

[Hornspieler]

God I cannot stand this ruddy Borodin din.

Unsubtle performance not quite Beecham the choir seem to think it is 1950s musical

**

On Friday evening I listened to (and watched) the finest massed choral singing that I have heard in more than sixty years.
It was the BBC Proms Youth Choir. (nobody younger than 14 or older than 21 and drawn from all the choirs in the BBC Regions)

My favourite oratorio sung, played and conducted to perfection. Of all the choral performances that I have heard, only Tenebrae have reached that standard of perfection and understanding.

I don't usually listen to the Last Night of the Proms - certainly never the cacophany and jumping about between the BBC regions of the second part and those sycophantic speeches by the conductor of the "Last Night" - hoping it will not be his/hers if the right sentiments are expressed

So last night I decided to chance BBC TWO.

A youth orchestra(?) to begin with. Nothing to write about, either with the work or with the performance.

Then the Borodin. The BBC Choral Society? I didn't notice. What I did notice was that this other BBC chorus was out tune, out of time and (for me) out of place.

So I gave up. Did I miss anything? Certainly not Oramo's conducting. Bring back Sir Andrew Davis! All is forgiven!

HS

** Funny that Barbirolians should say that, because in 1953 in my first job with the LPO, I remember Sir Adrian Boult saying, in rehearsal "...Right, gentlemen. Let's now turn to the selection from Kismet."

[Nick Armstrong]

perhaps I mean Inca not Aztec

I think you do

It's the Peruvian connection you know

Talking of connections, am I the only person in the world who'd never connected the song Guantanamera with Guantanamo Bay? (I agree with the person up-thread who said that it rings strangely today - especially watching t'telly with the subtitles rubbing it in with their translation Girl from Guantanamo each time the title word came up in the song.. )

[doversoul1]

Then the Borodin. The BBC Choral Society? I didn't notice. What I did notice was that this other BBC chorus was out tune, out of time and (for me) out of place.

For the first time in my life I turned iPlayer on to see how many EU flags got through to the arena. I took caution and skipped the first bit and landed on the Borodin….. The sound and the sight of the chorus were enough to make me give up the hope of seeing the flags and I turned it off. That was my first and most likely to be the last venture into this much publicised event. I must say though the choir made me really appreciate the BBC Singers.

[DracoM]

Yup, Bradley Walsh [ hugely under-rated actor] and 'Beck' infinitely preferable!!
Saw about ten minutes of LNOTP - simply awful, awful, awful.

[Beef Oven!]

Blimey I wasn't that far out.





Just watched the Latino songs - good for JDF, he entered into the spirit, and I liked the Paddington/Peruvian touch!

Agreed

[Richard Tarleton]

I think you do

It's the Peruvian connection you know

They did make not dissimilar fashion choices, so easily confused, if you were a visiting Conquistador

[JimD]

I thought it was the Billy Cotton Band Show. Wakey wakey! (Sorry that was meant for marvin several posts back!)

[Prommer]

Blimey I wasn't that far out.





Just watched the Latino songs - good for JDF, he entered into the spirit, and I liked the Paddington/Peruvian touch!

Has he been at the Carry On costume back catalogue again?