Proms 2019 your lowlight concerts

[pastoralguy]

that appalling Shanghai Orchestra. Blimey. Whoever had that idea at the BBC..........????

$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

[jayne lee wilson]

Rachmaninov piano concerto no. 3 with Yuja Wang, Staatskapelle Dresden/Myung-Whun Chung >> oh yes,
AND
that appalling Shanghai Orchestra. Blimey. Whoever had that idea at the BBC..........????

The Dresden band are on thir day among the best there is, but good grief - what was going on?

Yes but the Brahms 2 after the interval was marvellous - a highlight of the season....

[Once Was 4]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

Yes, quite and it's very disturbing. We have now had two Chinese orchestras at the Proms; one poor and the other downright bad. Yet all around Britain there are 'Provincial' orchestras who can do a darn sight better, bringing live music of high quality to people despite being overworked, badly paid and treated with scorn by certain sections of the musical press - especially when elite ensembles are to the fore (and I do not just mean international youth orchestras with this or that maestro's name tagged to them).

OK, OK I am an embittered old git In fact I remember a horn player in one of the best-known regional orchestras remarking that people would come in to work full of groans and moans about the job, their colleagues and the management; go on stage, do their absolute very best for the audience and the music, go off again and continue complaining. That player subsequently went abroad to work where musicians are really respected.

[DracoM]

<< it's very disturbing. We have now had two Chinese orchestras at the Proms; one poor and the other downright bad. Yet all around Britain there are 'Provincial' orchestras who can do a darn sight better, bringing live music of high quality to people despite being overworked, badly paid and treated with scorn by certain sections of the musical press - especially when elite ensembles are to the fore (and I do not just mean international youth orchestras with this or that maestro's name tagged to them). >>

Totally agree.
But BBC advisors do generally not have cloth ears, so how the heck do these bands get into the PROMS??
Or is it just the lure of Chinese $$$$$$$$$$$$ and the BBC in Asia altogether???

[richardfinegold]

The Shanghai SO is not getting a rave endorsement on this site, and there is a suggestion that the BBC Selection Process has been “Shanghaied” by Chinese lucre. Andrew Mellor describes them in the August 2019 Gramophone as a “fine orchestra...with taut, sophisticated sound and excellent individual players...”
Haven’t heard them myself

[Master Jacques]

The Shanghai SO is not getting a rave endorsement on this site, and there is a suggestion that the BBC Selection Process has been “Shanghaied” by Chinese lucre. Andrew Mellor describes them in the August 2019 Gramophone as a “fine orchestra...with taut, sophisticated sound and excellent individual players...”
Haven’t heard them myself

I heard (part of) their 2 September Prom, and thought the Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances as breathtaking a performance as I've heard for years - muscular, sleek, vibrant and generously romantic too. I see that Colin Clarke agrees:

https://seenandheard-international.com/2019/09/the-shanghai-symphony-makes-an-auspicious-proms-debut/

I should add, that I didn't find out which orchestra was playing was until after the performance, so was "innocent eared" in my impression. It made me sit up, drop what I was doing, and listen.

[David-G]

This year, I paid no attention to the Proms. I have not attended a live Prom since 2015. This year, I didn’t listen or watch, either, though - by chance - I caught a bit of the Ellington Prom.

Did I imagine it, or was the VPO advertised as performing Dvorak 9? If so, this must rank as the worst bit of programming in recent Prom history. Why bring the VPO to London to play an over-familiar piece that could be competently performed by any pick-up orchestra in any part of Britain, as it is?

Pretty outrageous and stupid, I’d say.

Many famous symphonies are played a lot. But I would never say that any of the classical repertoire could be over-familiar.

And while I am sure that Dvorak 9 could be played by a pick-up orchestra - I would rather hear it played by the VPO!

[pastoralguy]

The Shanghai SO is not getting a rave endorsement on this site, and there is a suggestion that the BBC Selection Process has been “Shanghaied” by Chinese lucre. Andrew Mellor describes them in the August 2019 Gramophone as a “fine orchestra...with taut, sophisticated sound and excellent individual players...”
Haven’t heard them myself

To be fair, my reservations are mainly directed at the CONductor who appears to have little sympathy for the classical period music I've heard him do. The Orchestra certainly have potential but, my goodness, they need a much better conductor.

[jonfan]

Some very peculiar views on this thread that I wonder if I’ve been listening to the same concerts. I’ve enjoyed the Proms this year immensely with many stand out concerts too numerous to name. The idea that a scratch orchestra from the area around the RAH can play everything ‘adequately’ is aping Henry Wood too closely when he started this venture on a shoestring. Well perhaps with B***** this is no joke.

[alywin]

Did I imagine it, or was the VPO advertised as performing Dvorak 9? If so, this must rank as the worst bit of programming in recent Prom history. Why bring the VPO to London to play an over-familiar piece that could be competently performed by any pick-up orchestra in any part of Britain, as it is?

But it frequently happens that a major visiting orchestra will bring cornerstones of the repertoire - plus a very big-name soloist. I remember the year the New York Phil and Anne-Sophie Mutter and presumably one of their big-name conductors, I can't remember which one, appeared at the Proms playing a very popular repertoire. The queues were horrendous - it's one of the few Proms I never managed to get in.

This year, while doing my customary flick through the programme and looking initially at what was being played, I spotted Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 and Bruckner 7, and thought "mustn't miss that one". It was only later that I actually looked at the performers and realised that it was the VPO and Haitink, and then of course later it was announced that it would be H's farewell to London, at which point I wondered how on earth I was going to get a ticket! (Showing up in the queue pre-9 am actually worked :) )