Prom 75 - 9.09.17: Last Night of the Proms

[Nick Armstrong]

Dipped in a couple of times, and out again rapidly. Stemme unlistenable-to. Park intrusions cringe-worthy.

Oh there was a good Finlandia earlier on, good to hear the choral version.

And it's all bringing out toe-curling torrents of gush from the BBC's online minions e.g. book of Face Radio 3 page: "And, while we're on the subject, isn't the BBC Proms really just the most truly amazing thing in the whole world?"

[pastoralguy]

Hmmm...... Cut off Scotland and Wales before Britannia, yet still on with NI for Land of Hope & DUP. Is this what 1.5bn gets you? BBC should be ashamed.

Well, we Scots get the last word with 'Auld Lang Syne'...

[pastoralguy]

Dipped in a couple of times, and out again rapidly. Stemme unlistenable-to. Park intrusions cringe-worthy.

Oh there was a good Finlandia earlier on, good to hear the choral version.

And it's all bringing out toe-curling torrents of gush from the BBC's online minions e.g. book of Face Radio 3 page: "And, while we're on the subject, isn't the BBC Proms really just the most truly amazing thing in the whole world?"

My thoughts exactly.

[Alison]

2001 season began on July 20 and ran to Sept 15.

as a random comparison, 1970 ran from July 17 to Sept 12.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/r66dgw/series

Just google Proms season archive 1970.

So next years start of 13 July is exceptionally early. It's always been an eight week season in my experience.

I prefer a later start.

[ardcarp]

AS seen on TV, the genuine Last Night prommers seem to be getting older. The cameras tried to pan onto a few young faces. My oldest g-daughter, OTOH, who aged 19 watched the whole thing rapt, said, "I want to be there next year!" So there is hope.

Thought Sakari Oramo was great...just the right touch with the masses. I too wish they'd give up all that Park nonsense.

[makropulos]

Damn. I now find you could have got a Very Good condition copy through amazon.com for somewhat less, though the p&p component makes up the majority of that lower cost. Always pays to check out several Amazon national sites.

I absolutely love the Kodály Te Deum. The first recording I had of it was on a Westminster LP, conducted by Henry Swoboda (with Sena Jurinac - no less - as the soprano soloist). Ferencsik on Hungaroton is very good, and in decent sound.

The Kodály conducted performance (which I like very much) is also here, reissued by Hungaroton and on a 2-disc set that seems to be available for 12 quid or so. I have had it for a few years and would definitely recommend it to Kodály enthusiasts.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kodaly-Conducts-GYURKOVICS-MARIA-soprano/dp/B004RRVHDG/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1504998720&sr=1-1&keywords=kodaly+conducts+kodaly+hungaroton

You can hear it here too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx5qRvHhP7I&index=2&list=PL2pZjQMsZMbZyFdI26EyRg_WASqFUsDkP

[Bert Coules]

I was struck by the evident combined age of the front row of the arena, and there were some pretty grim expressions on display there too. Why go if you're not prepared to accept it for what it is, and enjoy it?

[Stanfordian]

AS seen on TV, the genuine Last Night prommers seem to be getting older. The cameras tried to pan onto a few young faces. My oldest g-daughter, OTOH, who aged 19 watched the whole thing rapt, said, "I want to be there next year!" So there is hope.

Thought Sakari Oramo was great...just the right touch with the masses. I too wish they'd give up all that Park nonsense.

Hiya ardcarp,
You are right about the Parks the BBC seem intent on displaying its reach but I'm not sure what it really has to do with the Proms. Yet from what I could see there seem to be plenty of people in the Parks audience.

[David-G]

Thank you David, I naturally didn't mean to knock the dedicated team on the rail!

We all owe you a debt for all the hard work organising the collection through the season.

Do let us know the total when it's complete, and enjoy tonight!

Geoff

I am not actually one of the "inner circle". They queued much longer than my hour! But the total raised was announced as £111,000.

[David-G]

And it's all bringing out toe-curling torrents of gush from the BBC's online minions

Of course, one of the great advantages of actually being there is that you avoid both the gush and the parks!

[Barbirollians]

The parks concerts are now entirely dreadful crossover events with a tiny bit of classical music if you are lucky .

I do not like these overly bitty first halves of the LNOTP - until recently it was usual to have a substantial concerto in the first half - apart from the Kodaly much sounded under rehearsed and routine to me - I did not like that stop start Finlsndua at all .

Nina Stemme did not sound at her most fluent in the Libestod I agree but she still much better than most Isoldes but again the orchestra sounded very earthbound and dragged her down time perhaps for a Pappano last night !

[David-G]

OMG the sound quality in "concert sound" for the encore of "Land of Hope and Glory" with the entire hall singing and the organ at full tilt was stunning. Occasional gripes here and there this season, though I think fewer than previous years, but overall I have to say my experience of these concerts through the big woofers and also on earphones fully confirms the triumphant return of the BBC's world class expertise in broadcasting classical music to the masses. This year I have felt more than before an experience of really "being there" with the prommers and enjoying the unique atmosphere of that crazy miracle of a building.

Well said!! I have not had the opportunity to hear many of the Proms on R3 in Concert Sound, but those I have heard have been extremely impressive.

[Barbirollians]

I enjoyed Nina Stemme's Weill and Gershwin items more than most on here it seems - would I rather she had sung the Four Last Songs yes but that is the LNOTP as now demanded by the BBC.

I thought her performances were excellent and idiomatic for an opera singer . I would also prefer Weill sung by Ute Lemper and Gershwin by Audra McDonald but the crossover requirement now imposed on the last night forces great singers like Kaufmann,Florez and Stemme to sing this type of repertoire .

I have enjoyed watching on Sky + I have been able to filter out the proms in the Park ,La Derham and all the nonsense filler stuff .

[Bryn]

I absolutely love the Kodály Te Deum. The first recording I had of it was on a Westminster LP, conducted by Henry Swoboda (with Sena Jurinac - no less - as the soprano soloist). Ferencsik on Hungaroton is very good, and in decent sound.

The Kodály conducted performance (which I like very much) is also here, reissued by Hungaroton and on a 2-disc set that seems to be available for 12 quid or so. I have had it for a few years and would definitely recommend it to Kodály enthusiasts.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kodaly-Conducts-GYURKOVICS-MARIA-soprano/dp/B004RRVHDG/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1504998720&sr=1-1&keywords=kodaly+conducts+kodaly+hungaroton

You can hear it here too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx5q...yRg_WASqFUsDkP

Re. the "12 quid or so", please note that Revival Books, the Marketplace vendor concerned, charges 61% higher delivery rates than other vendors, making a total of £14.69.

[Arnold Bax]

thirded: especially the bit about the 'frustrate their knavish tricks': long may she reign!