So.... best Proms of the 2017 season?

[Alison]

Pavel Kolesnikov piano
PROM Lunchtime Chopin recital
Cadogan Hall, London

[Richard Tarleton]

Pavel Kolesnikov piano
PROM Lunchtime Chopin recital
Cadogan Hall, London

Was he the guy the other day who had piano technicians change the action on stage at half time while he was talking to Petroc? Apologies if it was someone else, but apart from being a commercial for Yamaha this struck me as beyond self-indulgent and a serious waste of time in a one-hour recital.....I certainly couldn't tell the difference at home by the time they'd finished talking. Obvious to him maybe.

[Alison]

Was he the guy the other day who had piano technicians change the action on stage at half time while he was talking to Petroc? Apologies if it was someone else, but apart from being a commercial for Yamaha this struck me as beyond self-indulgent and a serious waste of time in a one-hour recital.....I certainly couldn't tell the difference at home by the time they'd finished talking. Obvious to him maybe.

Interesting point. Maybe I would have agreed with you but for the playing itself being, IMHO, the very opposite of self indulgent.

[PhilipT]

Another vote for Andras Schiff.

[Richard Tarleton]

Interesting point. Maybe I would have agreed with you but for the playing itself being, IMHO, the very opposite of self indulgent.

The playing was excellent....but he could have fitted in an extra piece. My feeling about all these lunchtime proms is that talking has taken up far too much time - no need for it, it's only an hour

[zola]

Khovanschina for me, where I originally only intended to sample the concert and ended up staying the course of a long evening. Obviously a labour of love for Bychkov rather than a vanity project and he pulled it off.

[cloughie]

Mahler 2, Bach St J Passion and Stax

[makropulos]

Highlights for me were:
Haitink's Mozart/Schumann
Gurrelieder (despite reservations about a couple of the soloists)
Aurora Beethoven 3
St John Passion
Hrusa's Czech Prom
Jurowski's Russian Prom
Honeck Pittsburgh Dvorak/Mahler

[alywin]

Well, I haven't actually heard many of them, but I thought the Vienna/Harding Mahler 6 sounded very good on my cheapo digital radio.

[David-G]

I attended six Proms plus the last night. I heard several more on R3, but there are many that I did not hear, including several of those mentioned above. So thanks for the recommendations, I will try to catch up with them on the iplayer.

Of those that I did hear, my favourites were the following.

* Berlioz – “The Damnation of Faust” with Gardiner and the ORR.
* The Glyndebourne “La Clemenza di Tito”.
* The Mendelssohn concert with Isabelle Faust and Freiburg Baroque.
* The Andras Schiff WTC.

If I had to name an overall favourite it would be the Berlioz. This was quite magnificent. The conducting, the soloists, the choir, the orchestra (especially the period-instrument sound!) - all were excellent. Laurent Naouri was especially Mephistophelean in his manner, a bonus which R3 listeners will have missed. The R3 transmission of this concert was excellent.

“Tito” was more dramatic than one often sees it. In large part this was due to the fine personenregie of the producer Guth, and the stunning performance of Anna Stephany. Most of the production had been left behind at Glyndebourne, and this was all to the good. Unfortunately one part of this survived in the form of the second acting area behind the orchestra. It is my impression that this caused some balance difficulties for the BBC microphones. I think that both these concerts had to be seen in the hall to be appreciated to the full.

I unfortunately missed “Khovanshchina” because of a funeral. When I have caught up with it I will probably want to add it to the list.

Like others, I must commend the very high quality of the Concert Sound transmissions.

[Arnold Bax]

I was fortunate to attend the first three weeks of the Proms in person, so for me the first weekend was very special: Barenboim in both Elgar Symphonies, the Harrison Birtwistle UK premiere of 'Deep Time' (I was there for the first London performance of 'Earth Dances' all of 31 years ago, which dates me) plus Haitink in Mozart and Schumann in the afternoon. Managed to get returns for the Monterverdi concert too at the Cadogan Hall on the first Monday, which was lovely.

Missed most of the latter part of the season, but there was some compensation in five glorious days in Bayreuth, sightseeing around the Wagner museum on the Sunday, followed by 'Parsifal' and 'Meistersingers' on successive nights in the Festspielhaus. Trebles all round!

[Hornspieler]

I was fortunate to attend the first three weeks of the Proms in person, so for me the first weekend was very special: Barenboim in both Elgar Symphonies, the Harrison Birtwistle UK premiere of 'Deep Time' (I was there for the first London performance of 'Earth Dances' all of 31 years ago, which dates me) plus Haitink in Mozart and Schumann in the afternoon. Managed to get returns for the Monterverdi concert too at the Cadogan Hall on the first Monday, which was lovely.

I would agree with all of the above except Monteverdi.

Surprised?

For me, the Proms belong in the Royal Albert Hall - nowhere else.

Also,, for me staged performances, whether they be Opera or Musicals, belong as their titles suggest - on a theatre stage and NOT on a concert platform.

I could not miss out the "Dizzy and Ella" night from my list. Two great artists paying tribute to two great artists born one hundred years ago.

The last night?

Did not provide for either the serious listeners or for those who think it clever to be disruptive.

HS

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

For me, the Proms belong in the Royal Albert Hall - nowhere else.

??

Well, it's only there because of a wartime emergency.

[Rolmill]

A good season for me, as I saw several pieces performed live for the first time (Berlioz Damnation of Faust, Gurrelieder, Mahler 10).

However, for sheer enjoyment on the evening my pick would have to be Les Siecles/Roth.