Caught out

[DracoM]

Drat! 6 p.m. start to Liverpol Phil totally caught me out.
Pretty wretched time to start a Prom, I'd say.
And they are such a fine band.

[pastoralguy]

Andras Schiff is playing Bach at 21.30 which, I suspect, is the reason for the early start.

[Petrushka]

Drat! 6 p.m. start to Liverpol Phil totally caught me out.
Pretty wretched time to start a Prom, I'd say.
And they are such a fine band.

I'd agree. Not much chance of those still working catching this one live! By the time I'm ready the concert will be over! My own view is for the BBC to cut down on the amount of 'late night' Proms and try to keep to a 7.30 start in the week.

What do others think of the start times in general and, as a related issue, are late night Proms sufficiently well attended to be viable?

[pastoralguy]

The Royal Bank of Scotland USED to sponsor late night concerts at the Usher Hall during the Edinburgh Festival and we were treated to Andras Schiff playing Bach starting at 22.00. Some of the most intense concert listening of my 40 odd years of concert going!

[Wychwood]

Caught out here too. I feel sorry for the RLPO and Vasily Petrenko being shunted into a sort of "no man's land" time slot. But I guess Schiff/Bach is self-recommending at any hour!

[Beef Oven!]

I'd agree. Not much chance of those still working catching this one live! By the time I'm ready the concert will be over! My own view is for the BBC to cut down on the amount of 'late night' Proms and try to keep to a 7.30 start in the week.

What do others think of the start times in general and, as a related issue, are late night Proms sufficiently well attended to be viable?

I'd prefer a 4.30pm start so I could be home by 7.00pm.

[edashtav]

Caught out here too. I feel sorry for the RLPO and Vasily Petrenko being shunted into a sort of "no man's land" time slot. But I guess Schiff/Bach is self-recommending at any hour!

I might have returned in time but a late-running bus that got stuck in MK’s rush hour ensured that not even a taxi ride from town to home could get me to Italy and Alassio, in time.

Please, can the Proms return to a fixed time for its main evening concerts?

[DracoM]

Yes, it did make the RLPO look a bit like fillers before Schiff.
Martin Handley was lavish in praise for the playing and astute on the notable lack of applause between movements in the Bartok.
I got the feeling that MH may have been just a teeny tad disappointed in the start time too and felt they didn't deserve it. Would be nice to know how big the RAH audience was?
Still, suppose the RLPO might have got home a bit earlier?

What I heard of the Bartok, deffo one to use iPlayer for.

[Petrushka]

I'd prefer a 4.30pm start so I could be home by 7.00pm.

When I've retired (end of next year) so would I!

[LeMartinPecheur]

When I've retired (end of next year) so would I!

Keep going pet! I managed to retire last Friday but getting to any proms is a little troublesome (sc. expensive) from Cornwall whatever their time

Still, new life as 'domestic goddess' while my wife continues to earn does present exciting(?) challenges, even though I am allowed some time off for good behaviour to play CDs etc

[VodkaDilc]

For many in the audience it was a wonderful time for a Prom. I heard many favourable comments as I left. We do not all live in London and being able to get a train home at 9pm, rather than 10.30 came as a big advantage.

The audience was admittedly sparse in the Circle, but I would say it was much as usual elsewhere. I put it down to Bartok (the major work for most of us) being still a bit scary for the casual Prom-goer (daft as that sounds for a composer who died over 70 years ago.)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Keep going pet! I managed to retire last Friday but getting to any proms is a little troublesome (sc. expensive) from Cornwall whatever their time
Still, new life as 'domestic goddess' while my wife continues to earn does present exciting(?) challenges, even though I am allowed some time off for good behaviour to play CDs etc

Welcome to The Club, LMP!

[DracoM]

If you want an intro to what a modern orchestra 20th / 21st century IS and can sound like, surely the Bartok is a pretty decent place to start?
If, of course, your notion of an orchestra is Haydn at Esterhazy, then........yes, Bartok would come as a bit of a shock. Erm...'scary'?
Sometimes it's good to be shocked out of expectations.

[Serial_Apologist]

If you want an intro to what a modern orchestra 20th / 21st century IS and can sound like, surely the Bartok is a pretty decent place to start?
If, of course, your notion of an orchestra is Haydn at Esterhazy, then........yes, Bartok would come as a bit of a shock. Erm...'scary'?
Sometimes it's good to be shocked out of expectations.

I guess Bartok provided my gateway into more "advanced" areas of 20th century music, having been disappointed by Stravinsky's turn to Neo-classicism after the radicalism of the works up to Les Noces in its final version, and not yet become acquainted with the late, serial works. Much as I loved, and still do love, the Concerto for orchestra, it really was the Music for Strings, Harp and Percussion that did it for me - particularly the extraordinarily surreal atmosphere of the third movement - and following that baptism of fire, I would enjoy putting this piece on the turntable and playing it to newcomers, and watching the expressions on their faces. "Have you got anything else like that?" sometimes even proved the opening line to lasting friendships.

[David-G]

What do others think of the start times in general and, as a related issue, are late night Proms sufficiently well attended to be viable?

This one was very well attended.