Proms 2018

[PJPJ]

Done (E&OE)

The 'Jump to Prom' probably won't work properly yet, and there might be some 'features' as I've not checked it yet.

The page is here. (The link in this post, not the one in the earlier post, will land on the correct day during the Proms.)

Many thanks indeed for this far more friendly listing of the 2018 season!

[french frank]

The flight of the BBC from "Classical Music" continues at a pace as it rushes to deliver a variety of other agendas.

Significant composers (Martinu, Honegger and Hindemith) of the last century have been largely ignored for multiple seasons and still feature in 0 events yet Bernstein, a minor composer of popular music, gets 9 events? Anniversary or not this has to be a joke! Schubert, Schumann and Haydn total 5 events!

New music compositions are always welcome but the ever increasing number of genres is not, they have multiple outlets on the BBC stations already. Disco punk FFS!

It is disappointing that the selection for televised concerts, live or for later transmission, seem to focus increasingly on the novelty genres.

I agree with Pulcie over this. Bernstein not really to my taste (even a bit too flamboyant as a conductor for me ) but anniversaries - well, selected ones - have become a recognised feature (40th anniversary of the Young Musician a nice idea). Otherwise I can't (quick glance) see anything more "outrageous" than Jacob Collier and Friends and Folk Music from around the World.

Agree about TV coverage - but the BBC not Radio 3.

[gurnemanz]

Ouch!
I sincerely hope that you will be open minded enough to give some of this so-called popular music (Serenade, Age of Anxiety) an unbiased hearing if you are not familiar with it.

Agree totally about the TV transmission choices, however.

I agree. I don't always enjoy Bernstein's output but of the not huge number of his works in my collection: the two-hour-long Mass (not my cup of tea), the Clarinet Sonata, the ballet Facsimile, Candide, Symphonies 1-3, only really West Side Story could be described as "popular" and that is the one I like best. Lilliputian arrows such as "Bernstein, a minor composer of popular music" will surely readily bounce off him.

[greenilex]

I think Leningrad Symphony + talk will be my annual visit...

[teamsaint]

There is plenty of room in such a long festival for a decent anniversary coverage of Bernstein, ( quite a lot of whose music is quite bold in some ways, if not avante garde), as well for proper representation of the disastrously ignored likes Honegger, Martinu, Hindemith, Arnold, whoever.

Box ticking seems to rule the day.

I expect I'll pitch up at a few though, more towards the end of the season, I should think.

( I'm trying to get my head round the idea of Bernsteins " Kaddish" as popular music.!!)

[MrGongGong]

. Otherwise I can't (quick glance) see anything more "outrageous" than Jacob Collier and Friends .

What is it with him that folks seem to get all excited about?
Always seems a bit hyperactively "end-of-the-pier" to me

And NO he didn't invent the harmoniser GRRRRRRRRRRR

[Tevot]

Many thanks indeed for this far more friendly listing of the 2018 season!

Hello there,

Indeed may I also add my thanks to Andrew Slater for the time taken to share his user- friendly listings? It has become such a tradition we should shout "Heave / Ho" and then garland him with laurels !!

One thing struck me when looking at this year's listings - namely the concerts scheduled for Monday 6th August - Prom 31 : Minnesota Orchestra - followed much later in the evening by Prom 32 with the Aurora Orchestra performing Shostakovich....

What are the planners thinking here... Are those attending at 7:30 expected to stay on close to midnight to experience both Proms?

I attended the Aurora's Prom concert last year (Metamorphosen and Eroica) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Witty, informative, inclusive and engaging. But in all honesty I would be hard pressed to attend Prom 32 this year given its start time of 10:15 p.m.

What do Forumites think about this? Is it bonkers scheduling - or am I missing something?

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Suffolkcoastal]

With Bernstein it would have been good to have included works such as the Kaddish Symphony, Dybbuk, Halil & Songfest (my favourite Bernstein score). With other anniversary composers - no Rossini, Berwald & as I mentioned before Gounod. While Rossini does appear Berwald & Gounod are now extreme rarities on Proms programmes & the opportunity to programme at least one or two of their works has as usual been ignored by the Proms 'planners'.

[Demetrius]

With Bernstein it would have been good to have included works such as the Kaddish Symphony, Dybbuk, Halil & Songfest (my favourite Bernstein score). With other anniversary composers - no Rossini, Berwald & as I mentioned before Gounod. While Rossini does appear Berwald & Gounod are now extreme rarities on Proms programmes & the opportunity to programme at least one or two of their works has as usual been ignored by the Proms 'planners'.

Anniversaries don't work if the composer isn't on the map anyway. Berwald has seen exactly one performance in the history of the Proms (early 60s). I doubt it would have been particularly difficult to get this concert as a Prom: https://www.gewandhausorchester.de/e...-concert-3281/ Timing, conductor and orchestra are perfect for it. Last year, they ignored Gade (200th Birthday), who I would put as equally neglected as Berwald.

Gounod is something else: his works were one of the absolute mainstays of the early proms, up to about 1925. He then had a modest comeback in the 90s/2000s, with the last performed work in 2012. This composer was on the map, and not that long ago, too. Not doing anything for Gounod on his anniversary may well be a conscious decision. It is quite possible that no one even brought up Berwald as an option in the first place.

[Serial_Apologist]

Anniversaries don't work if the composer isn't on the map anyway. Berwald has seen exactly one performance in the history of the Proms (early 60s). I doubt it would have been particularly difficult to get this concert as a Prom: https://www.gewandhausorchester.de/e...-concert-3281/ Timing, conductor and orchestra are perfect for it. Last year, they ignored Gade (200th Birthday), who I would put as equally neglected as Berwald.

Gounod is something else: his works were one of the absolute mainstays of the early proms, up to about 1925. He then had a modest comeback in the 90s/2000s, with the last performed work in 2012. This composer was on the map, and not that long ago, too. Not doing anything for Gounod on his anniversary may well be a conscious decision. It is quite possible that no one even brought up Berwald as an option in the first place.

If I had my way - and loadsa money, which often amounts to the same thing - I would attempt to organise a Proms (or equivalent) season based on neglected composers. Each concert would include one popular or well-known honey trap piece, to bring in punters; and I would place that work either second or third on the menu, so that people attending, who by the way would be expected to arrive promptly in time for the start of proceedings, would have to sit or stand through at least one usually unfamiliar composer's work, such as Berwald, before being allowed their sweetie. Having then discovered and liked, indeed, possibly even loved, said unfamiliar work and its composer, they might well be receptive to hearing more. I'm not talking here only about ultra-modern works which some will say is what deters would be comers; there are huge numbers of pieces which would be thoroughly accessible to many an ineluctable ignorant: one that comes immediately to mind would be Kabalevsky's Violin Concerto, whose slow movement offers an earworm to die for.

[Tevot]

If I had my way - and loadsa money, which often amounts to the same thing - I would attempt to organise a Proms (or equivalent) season based on neglected composers.... : one that comes immediately to mind would be Kabalevsky's Violin Concerto, whose slow movement offers an earworm to die for.

Thanks for the recommendation Serial A : Here in Thailand it is now about 10;15 pm - so that is perfect time for me to immerse myself in an unknown piece

Re Berwald : Symphonies 3 and 4 would go down a storm I think. These were introduced to me by SuffolkCoastal - For which many thanks.

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Andrew Slater]

The first half of the last night seems to be missing .... unless it's going to be very short.

[Norrette]

Done (E&OE)

The 'Jump to Prom' probably won't work properly yet, and there might be some 'features' as I've not checked it yet.

The page is here. (The link in this post, not the one in the earlier post, will land on the correct day during the Proms.)

My undying gratitude - as ever. Thanks Andrew

[Petrushka]

Box ticking seems to rule the day.

Indeed it does. Distinctly underwhelmed by most of the season and bizarre programme planning for the First Night rules it out of court for me as a visit for the first time in many a year. Many evenings look very short. Is Currentzis serious in offering just Beethoven Symphonies 2 & 5, for example, in his Prom on July 28? There's barely an hours music and it's hardly worth bringing the musicians over. I won't be bothering to turn up either.

There are a good many 'radio only' evenings for me and just a few to entice me to the hall. How things change! The days when I had a serious job of whittling down the concerts I wished to attend to a manageable number have long gone. It's now more a case of trying to find enough to justify going at all. Nevertheless, the two Boston SO/Nelsons Proms are the best on offer and I'll be there. Can't get too excited about the BPO/Petrenko and having been bored rigid by Schmidt's 2nd with the VPO a season or two ago the prospect of his 4th doesn't attract.

[PJPJ]

......

Can't get too excited about the BPO/Petrenko and having been bored rigid by Schmidt's 2nd with the VPO a season or two ago the prospect of his 4th doesn't attract.

Here's a performance of the 4th with Petrenko - I think Mehta's Decca recording is justly feted - well worth a hearing in full. Esp the harmonies around 4 and a half mins in.

Schmidt - Symphony No 4 [Petrenko]