BBC Proms

[John H White]

Having skimmed through the full listings for the forthcoming BBC Proms from their website at www.bbc.co.uk/proms, the only unsung item I've noticed so far is Spohr's Nonet in one of their chamber concerts. No Ruffinatscha, no Raff, no Lachner no Kallivoda etc etc----as usual!
  How about compiling an Alternative Proms programme, say, for one or two weeks concerts? I have a few ideas myself about what to include but I'd be interested to see what other Forum members would put forward for,say, a set of 7 or 14 concerts, each to last between 2 and 3 hours with a 20 minute break in the middle.

[Ilja]

OK, let's suppose...

... I just got off the phone with Warren Buffett, who's in urgent need for a tax write-off for some dodgy funds. He doesn't expect any revenue, just wants to lose money, which I'm obligingly going to arrange with this programme:

Evening 1: Bruckner's Boudoir
- Ignaz Bungert, Torquato Tasso Overture
- Bruckner Symphony No. 'oo'
- Ignaz Dorn, Labyrinth-Bilder oder Traum und Erwachen: Characteristische Symphonie

Evening 2: Danish Delights
- Paul von Klenau, Jahrmarkt bei London (Bank Holiday - Souvenir of "Hampstead Heath")
- Siegfried Langgaard, Piano Concerto No. 1
- Johan Hartmann, Symphony No. 1 in E, Op. 48
- Rued Langgaard, Music of the Spheres (as an encore)

Evening 3: Dutch Courage
- Wouter Hutschenruyter, Sr., Iwan & Pauleska, a Polish Romance
- Cornelis Dopper, Ciaconna Gotica (uncut version)
- Samuel de Lange, Viola Concerto
- Johannes Verhulst, Symphony in E, Op. 40

Evening 4: Bohemian Bravery
- Vilém Blodek, Symphony
- Bohuslav Martinu, Piano Concerto No. 3
- Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek, Schlemihl

Evening 5: Till Eulenspiegel
Hugo Rüter, Eulenspiegel, Overture
Jan van Gilse, Tijl (opera; concertante performance)

Evening 6: Polish Panache
Gregorz Fitelberg, Song of the Falcon
Henryk Melcer-Szczawinski, Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
Xaver Scharwenka, Symphony in C
Emil Mlynarski, Symphony in F major Op.14 'Polonia' (as encore)

Evening 7: Belgian Bonbons
Peter Benoit, The Pacification of Ghent - 4. The Duke of Alva's Entrance in Brussels
Arthur Meulemans, Pliny's Fountain
Arthur de Greef, Piano Concerto No. 2
Jef van Hoof, Symphony No. 2 in A flat major
Paul Gilson, La Mer

Evening 8: French Flaneurs
Paul Dukas, Goetz de Berlichingen, overture after J.W. von Goethe
Darius Milhaud, Le Carnaval d'Aix for 2 pianos and orchestra
Joseph Guy Ropartz, Symphony No. 3

Evening 9: Russian Evolution
Nikolai Miaskovsky, Lyric Concertino in G major
Eduard Napravník, Concerto Symphonique
Sergej Taneyev, Symphony No. 4
Reinhold Glière, Hymn to a Great City (as encore)

Evening 10: German Gründlichkeit
Miloslaw Koennemann, Der Fremersberg, Overture
Hans Bronsart von Schellendorf, Piano Concerto
Johann Abert, Symphony No. 4, "Columbus"
Felix Draeseke, Symphony No. 3 (as encore)
P.D.Q. Bach, Four Next-to-last Songs (as second encore)
Wilhelm Furtwängler, Symphony No. 2 (as third encore to round off an evening of truly Teutonic proportions)

Evening 11: British Bravado
Frederic Cliffe, Violin Concerto
Hubert Parry, Symphony No. 3
John Herbert Foulds, A World Requiem

[John H White]

Brilliant Ilja! The only criticism I might make is that some of the concerts might exceed the suggested 3 hours.

[Altius Directory]

HI, BBC Proms are eight week continuous concert presented at the Albert hall in South Kensington, London. Check the details...

BBC Proms 2010

[eschiss1]

The one Prom I ever attended, in July? 1999, had (I know I mentioned this, I apologize) two Psalm settings by Lili Boulanger (and very fine works they were too, though not in our usual orbit- maybe slightly more impressionistic than Romantic- no, I'm not really sure of that statement either.) Quite, quite undersung though. Not unknown- they'd been recorded once or twice before, and Tortelier (the conductor) went on to record them with the cantata Faust et Helene. Things have changed a little since but not entirely, I -think-...
Hubert Parry's Symphony 5 (1912) during week 2 (on July 23) isn't overplayed, if I may. And I anyway would like to hear over BBC John Foulds' Dynamic Tryptich on August 3 (though I know it's been recorded.) Then Langgaard's most famous work (relatively speaking) on August 11, Luigi Dallapiccola's early Partita (a fine and accessible work) on the 13th. Other works appeal to other tastes. No Raff, Rufinatscha, Draeseke, Bargiel, Tovey, but one can press and advocate and hope at least. I'm glad that Chandos will be doing well by Rufinatscha as they have by Langgaard, Parry and Dallapiccola, for starters...
Eric

[Alan Howe]

I shall certainly be going to hear Parry 5 next Friday. I'll report back after the concert...

[Pengelli]

Pleased to see the Parry 5. Definately not over played at the Proms,let alone any concert halls. Hope to see the 3rd & 4th at a subsequent season.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I shall certainly be attending Prom 68 on Sept 5th in the evening, to hear Dorothy Howell's "Lamia" - a gorgeous piece.

[Hovite]

Having skimmed through the full listings for the forthcoming BBC Proms from their website at www.bbc.co.uk/proms, the only unsung item I've noticed so far is Spohr's Nonet in one of their chamber concerts. No Ruffinatscha, no Raff, no Lachner no Kallivoda etc etc----as usual!

In fairness to the BBC, the Proms are a highly successful festival with a large audience. The concerts are popular with young people, such as students, with little or no disposal income. Remember, everyone has to hear Bruckner, Mahler, and Sibelius somewhere for the first time. Furthermore, as as been pointed out before on this forum, concert goers and CD buyers are two distinct breeds.

Having said that, this year's offerings do look a little stale.

[monafam]

I am in Omaha just like Buffett...I'll put in a good word! 

[John H White]

I must agree with Hovite in general. However, I see there are a couple of pieces by Foulds, together with Korngold's Violin concerto and one of Roussel's symphonies will be getting an airing although, personally, I don't particularly care for his stuff. I suppose we could say that the younger generation of composers are being given a chance, but I suspect they have been mostly drilled in the "modern" incomprehensible style. At least Schumann's bicentenary is being well celebrated which is more than be said for Franz Lachner's back in 2003. Sadly, I forgot to listen to the performance of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand" which opened the series.

[Martin Eastick]

I also agree with Hovite - but surely, if the Proms are considered such a large and successful festival, popular with the younger generation, then the BBC have a god-given opportunity to programme any number of works (repertoire that we frequently discuss and enthuse about on this forum!) that would not normally be given consideration as not being "mainstream" or, even worse, contemporary enough!!

Unfortunately, the BBC have, with a few sporadic exceptions, been missing out over many years!

[eschiss1]

I must agree with Hovite in general. However, I see there are a couple of pieces by Foulds, together with Korngold's Violin concerto and one of Roussel's symphonies will be getting an airing although, personally, I don't particularly care for his stuff. I suppose we could say that the younger generation of composers are being given a chance, but I suspect they have been mostly drilled in the "modern" incomprehensible style. At least Schumann's bicentenary is being well celebrated which is more than be said for Franz Lachner's back in 2003. Sadly, I forgot to listen to the performance of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand" which opened the series.

As to the younger generation, the modern incomprehensible (and I agree in some cases) fashion was several styles ago - the current fashionable style, or a current fashionable style, is an eclectic sort of neo-Romanticism mixed with references to Jazz and rather a number of other things. 

[eschiss1]

That Bruckner and Mahler live feels normal, even "stale", to us says a lot for the sheer heavy-lifting work of the conductors, performers and advocates who made it part of the repertoire, doesn't it... to more heavy-lifting (on behalf of the Rs etc.), then
(I've only heard Mahler symphonies live twice - the same one both times years apart, and preferred the student performance - but that's a personal, subjective story and enough of that... )

[JimL]

Just heard Mahler S1 at the Hollywood Bowl.  AGAIN.  Last time I heard it Esa-Pekka conducted.  This time it was Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos.  At least the first half of the concert was Joshua Bell playing the Bruch Scottish Fantasy!