Prom 71: The Philadelphia Orchestra with Lisa Batiashvili (9.09.22)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Friday 9 September 2022
Royal Albert Hall

Sergey Rachmaninov: The Isle of the Dead
Ernest Chausson: Poème
Camille Saint‐Saëns: Introduction and Rondo capriccioso
Florence Price: Symphony No. 1 in E minor

Lisa Batiashvili violin
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet‐Séguin conductor

Rachmaninov worked closely with The Philadelphia Orchestra, captivated by its famously beautiful sound. So his eerie tone poem The Isle of the Dead is part of the Philadelphia tradition, as well as a marvellously atmospheric upbeat to a pair of Romantic violin showpieces from 19th-century France. No-one plays them with more panache than former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Lisa Batiashvili. And then comes the first Proms performance of the impassioned First Symphony by the African American composer Florence Price. ‘Nézet-Séguin and his Philadelphia Orchestra are body and soul into the joy and resolve of this music,’ wrote Gramophone magazine of their recent, Grammy-nominated recording.

[bluestateprommer]

The BBC Proms page and the BBC Proms Twitter feed carry the same message on the cancellation of the second Philadelphia Orchestra concert and The Last Night:

https://twitter.com/bbcproms/status/1567992479764598785

"Following the very sad news of the death of Her Majesty The Queen, as a mark of respect we will not be going ahead with Prom 71 on Friday 9 September, or the Last Night of the Proms on Saturday 10 September."

The Fabulous Philadelphians had been to Edinburgh for the EIF, as noted elsewhere, and had crossed to Germany and to Switzerland for performances on the Continent. Clearly the two Proms were intended as the culmination of this tour. The way things turned out was clearly what no one wanted.

[Keraulophone]

Came up from Cornwall yesterday for the Oval Test match and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Will go instead to Westminster Abbey and the Palace. Finding it appropriate and meaningful that, by chance, I find myself mourning HMQ here where I grew up during the first decades of Her reign.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/225405120824086/permalink/5983804891650718/

[EnemyoftheStoat]

The poor old Philly must be thinking they are a bit cursed at the Proms, having had not one, not two, but three cancelled at short notice. Admittedly, the first was for a rather more mundane reason.

[Bryn]

The poor old Philly must be thinking they are a bit cursed at the Proms, having had not one, not two, but three cancelled at short notice. Admittedly, the first was for a rather more mundane reason.

Perhaps King Charles III will stump up to get them back before too long, a sort of Proms Xtra

[Darkbloom]

I think this idea that we should reflexively cancel things, in a misguided attempt to show respect, is very silly. Especially when it's the monarch, as the whole point of a a monarchy is that there is continuity. I suppose it was done for 'safety first' reasons. They'd rather annoy all the people who had spent money on their tickets, transport and everything else, than upset the gammons on the Daily Mail, who will be eagerly watching for any sign that can be misinterpreted as disrespectful. Woe betide anyone who might be wearing the wrong tie at the moment.

[smittims]

I think the Last Night cancellation was right, but I thought the BBC's cancelling all their programmes on all their channels when Princess Diana died was a possible cause of the ridiculous mass-mourning hysteria which followed .

[Old Grumpy]

I think this idea that we should reflexively cancel things, in a misguided attempt to show respect, is very silly. Especially when it's the monarch, as the whole point of a a monarchy is that there is continuity. I suppose it was done for 'safety first' reasons. They'd rather annoy all the people who had spent money on their tickets, transport and everything else, than upset the gammons on the Daily Mail, who will be eagerly watching for any sign that can be misinterpreted as disrespectful. Woe betide anyone who might be wearing the wrong tie at the moment.

Or even wearing no tie - outrageous!

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I think this idea that we should reflexively cancel things, in a misguided attempt to show respect, is very silly. Especially when it's the monarch, as the whole point of a a monarchy is that there is continuity. I suppose it was done for 'safety first' reasons. They'd rather annoy all the people who had spent money on their tickets, transport and everything else, than upset the gammons on the Daily Mail, who will be eagerly watching for any sign that can be misinterpreted as disrespectful. Woe betide anyone who might be wearing the wrong tie at the moment.

GPs' (figurative) waiting rooms will be full in a couple of weeks with people needing treatment for pulled forelocks.

[LHC]

I think this idea that we should reflexively cancel things, in a misguided attempt to show respect, is very silly. Especially when it's the monarch, as the whole point of a a monarchy is that there is continuity. I suppose it was done for 'safety first' reasons. They'd rather annoy all the people who had spent money on their tickets, transport and everything else, than upset the gammons on the Daily Mail, who will be eagerly watching for any sign that can be misinterpreted as disrespectful. Woe betide anyone who might be wearing the wrong tie at the moment.

I think it was inevitable that LNOP would be cancelled, as its celebratory purpose would seem out of step and inappropriate in the immediate aftermath of the Queen's death. They might have instead changed the programme to make it a more sombre event, as they did after Diana's death and 9/11, but neither of those changes were entirely satisfactory, so perhaps cancellation was the best thing.

I suspect the BBC might also have been worried that the EU flag-bearers who have targeted the Last Night in recent years would not have heeded calls to modify their behaviour, and this could have led to further calls from the Daily Mail brigade and the Govt to abolish the licence.

As an aside, I was at the opening night of the Wigmore Hall's season last night, which went ahead almost as planned (Carolyn Sampson replaced the advertised singer at the last minute to save the concert). A portrait of the Queen adorned with black ribbons was placed in the foyer, and there was a minutes silence before the concert began. This seemed to me to be very successful; it was suitably respectful, and allowed the concert to proceed.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I suspect the BBC might also have been worried that the EU flag-bearers who have targeted the Last Night in recent years would not have heeded calls to modify their behaviour, and this could have led to further calls from the Daily Mail brigade and the Govt to abolish the licence.

I could quite expect that of BBC management, notwithstanding the fact that the National Rejoin March has been cancelled https://marchforrejoin.co.uk/statement and that the European Movement has asked campaigners to suspend activity during the mourning period.

[DracoM]

I think this idea that we should reflexively cancel things, in a misguided attempt to show respect, is very silly. Especially when it's the monarch, as the whole point of a a monarchy is that there is continuity. I suppose it was done for 'safety first' reasons. They'd rather annoy all the people who had spent money on their tickets, transport and everything else, than upset the gammons on the Daily Mail, who will be eagerly watching for any sign that can be misinterpreted as disrespectful. Woe betide anyone who might be wearing the wrong tie at the moment.

Absolutely.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I wonder if the cancellation is because a celebration party would be inappropriate and a completely different programme would be difficult to rehearse and prepare at such short notice. There is also the consideration that there are now very many radio and outside broadcasts now to be prepared at short notice and limited capacity.Not least the extra Choral Evensong from St Paul’s this evening.Although some elements of this will have been years in the planning there are invariably extra demands. For example I wouldn’t mind betting that just about every long OB HD camera lens in the country is heading towards London.

[Barbirollians]

I think this idea that we should reflexively cancel things, in a misguided attempt to show respect, is very silly. Especially when it's the monarch, as the whole point of a a monarchy is that there is continuity. I suppose it was done for 'safety first' reasons. They'd rather annoy all the people who had spent money on their tickets, transport and everything else, than upset the gammons on the Daily Mail, who will be eagerly watching for any sign that can be misinterpreted as disrespectful. Woe betide anyone who might be wearing the wrong tie at the moment.

Well said - the same with al these absurd sporting cancellations - I suspect the Queen would have been appalled at the racing being cancelled knowing how many in the industry are self-employed and ill paid.

[Barbirollians]

I wonder if the cancellation is because a celebration party would be inappropriate and a completely different programme would be difficult to rehearse and prepare at such short notice. There is also the consideration that there are now very many radio and outside broadcasts now to be prepared at short notice and limited capacity.Not least the extra Choral Evensong from St Paul’s this evening.Although some elements of this will have been years in the planning there are invariably extra demands. For example I wouldn’t mind betting that just about every long OB HD camera lens in the country is heading towards London.

They were able to do it in 2001.