Proms 2018

[EdgeleyRob]

I like the Parry,RVW,Holst Prom,Leningrad Symphony,RVW and Haydn London Symphonies.
I've never been to the Proms,might try this time to cross it off the bucket list,the London Syms looking like the favourite timing wise.

[Conchis]

The immaculately presented and sartorially eloquent (just look at his picture) Guardian critic Andrew Clements is similarly underwhelmed by the season (there's a first!): https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...-the-recherche

[Prommer]

What seems to be missing to me
is something that makes the most of the unique opportunity that the RAH offers
whether it's epic symphonies with brass bands, organ and huge orchestras, pieces for three orchestras, pieces that make use of the acoustics or things that use the circular nature of the hall to acheive their effect.

Good Lord, he speaks the truth!

[Conchis]

When was Gruppen last performed at the Proms? Has it ever been performed at the Proms (I can't be bothered to look up the details at the moment)?

[Richard Barrett]

When was Gruppen last performed at the Proms?

2008. (Also in 1967 and 1974.)

[french frank]

The immaculately presented and sartorially eloquent (just look at his picture) Guardian critic Andrew Clements is similarly underwhelmed by the season (there's a first!): https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...-the-recherche

I'll go along with his final sentence which was much as I intended by the winky in #168. 'Underwhelmed' is probably a good summation, considering the season as a whole but he does pick out a few brighter spots.

[Conchis]

2008. (Also in 1967 and 1974.)

Ah, so just within the last ten years. Probably too early to programme it again - probably need to wait another five for a performance to have the necessary impact on the schedule.

[Richard Barrett]

Ah, so just within the last ten years. Probably too early to programme it again - probably need to wait another five for a performance to have the necessary impact on the schedule.

In fact the RAH is not a particularly good place to perform it* because of the echo.

(* or, I would say, anything else)

[ahinton]

In fact the RAH is not a particularly good place to perform it* because of the echo.

(* or, I would say, anything else)

Beecham famously called the place Kensington Gas Works but it seems far more like a grossly inflated bathroom to me, even with its saucers before the installation of which the place was even worse, as recognised by Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt when rehearsing an orchestra there and he uttered to its members the immortal words "it's not many years since I was flying over London as a member of the Luftwaffe; I had this building within my sights and I didn't fire - now I wish I had"...

[teamsaint]

Wemnbley isn't a great place to actually watch a football match, but at least 90000 people can get to see their favourite team play.

I thing GG's post was to the point though. Some Harry Partch would be great, and I for one would love to hear it there, rather than not at all.



( Pity the Luftwaffe missed the statues outside though....)

[french frank]

First controversy:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43891939

[Ein Heldenleben]

As a few on the Times comments page have pointed out the composer's own recording had a Spanish Tony and a Maori Maria.
And as for an Italian girl being played by an English boy opposite an Englishman playing an Italian aristocrat .....

[Suffolkcoastal]

The immaculately presented and sartorially eloquent (just look at his picture) Guardian critic Andrew Clements is similarly underwhelmed by the season (there's a first!): https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...-the-recherche

He obviously doesn't know that much, as he makes a gaffe in the 2nd paragraph "It juxtaposes two works completed in 1918 – Vaughan Williams’ Toward the Unknown Region and Holst’s The Planets". - The Planets was completed in 1916 and Towards the Unknown Region dates from 1906-7 & 1st performed at the Leeds Festival in 1907! I wonder sometimes how people get these sort of jobs, it's clearly not because of their musical knowledge or their ability to proof read & check their 'facts'!

[Demetrius]

As a few on the Times comments page have pointed out the composer's own recording had a Spanish Tony and a Maori Maria.
And as for an Italian girl being played by an English boy opposite an Englishman playing an Italian aristocrat .....

The problem stems from Hollywood finding infinite ways not to cast "minorities" if they can avoid it. I'm not sure how much this applies to broadway etc. If we are living in a world were casting is colorblind and say african singers have no problem getting roles like Siegfried, then this doesn't matter. At least in Hollywood, that doesn't usually happen, which makes it a problem when the few roles with an ethnic backround also go to caucasian singers/actors.

[Andrew Slater]

The pdfs are now up and running and I've managed to generate some links which are bookmarkable and will always point to the latest version (I should be able to update them periodically as it's all automated now).

2 columns here

3 columns here

The main html page is also bookmarkable, will always point to the latest version and should land on the appropriate day during the Proms season.

All three of these links are now in the main Forum sidebar.

I'm looking into an index of works and possibly one of artists, but it won't be immediate.