Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo 2011 BBC Proms

Friday evening in London the First Night of the 117th annual BBC Proms takes place. Many of the world's finest orchestras visit for eight weeks of daily concerts in what is fairly called the "World's Greatest Classical Music Festival".

The concerts are all available live on the BBC iPlayer site and most are available on demand for the following seven days there. As I have in past years I'll probably occasionally mention here a concert that I especially enjoyed and think that you may as well.

Thanks for the link John.

Okay, here's one not to miss. Earlier this evening in London Prom 8 was held. The concert program comprised two of my most favorite works of music. The beautiful Dvorak Cello Concerto, which some of our members have added to their collection with great satisfaction after my recommendation, opened the program. The very appreciative audience then heard the Sarabande from the Bach Cello Suite No.2 for an encore. Following the intermission there was a complete performance of Smetana's Ma Vlast(My Country)highly dramatic and emotional music which opens the Prague Spring Festival every year, with copious flowing of tears. Again, this is one of my real favorites and I have seven performances in my collection.

Available for seven more days on the BBC iPlayer site .

John, thanks for linking this. I just listened to the first two movements at work. The second still gets me every time with the interplay between the clarinet and cello.

An enjoyable concert of French/Spanish music took place for Prom 10 earlier this evening. The three sections of Debussy"s Images were the first, third and final items on the program. Ravel's Rapsodie Espagnole was second. After intermission, Ravel's Alborado del Gracioso and de Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain were followed by the concluding Debussy Iberia.

Available for seven days at the BBC iPlayer site .

Prom 21 featured an exciting performance of Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky after the intermission and opened with Strauss's Don Juan, followed by the Walton Violin Concerto. Still more high-octane after the Nevsky, with Strauss's Dance of the Seven Veils from Salome concluding the program, available on demand at the BBC iPlayer site .

Earlier this evening in London at Prom 29 Dudamel conducted the Simon Bolivar Orchestra in a powerful, if somewhat measured, performance of Mahler's massive Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection". This is the symphony I suggested some time ago in the "Stunning Recordings" thread in the thrilling performance with Mehta conducting the Vienna Philharmonic, and which several of our members got and enjoyed.

Dudamel's performance is available on demand for seven days at the BBC iPlayer site .

Following the intermission at Prom 35 Ukrainian conductor Kiril Karabits led the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the gloriously melodic 2nd Symphony of Rachmaninoff. Available on demand at the BBC iPlayer site .

For Prom 42 Russian conductor Valery Gergiev brought his Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater from St. Petersburg to play an unusual(first time at the Proms)complete concert performance of the glorious music Tchaikovsky composed for the ballet Swan Lake. Swan Lake has always been a staple in the repertoire of the Kirov Ballet dancers at the Mariinsky, and the music's gorgeous melodies also come off very well in a concert setting, especially in an exciting performance such as the one Gergiev led.

Available on demand for six more days at the BBC iPlayer site .

After intermission at Prom 53 Sir Colin Davis conducted the Mahler Youth Orchestra in a fine performance of Tchaikovsky's stirring Symphony No. 4. I enjoyed hearing how well these young, but very talented players did with this difficult music. Available on demand at the BBC iPlayer site .

John, thanks...listening now...

Anti-Israeli fanaticism reared its ugly head at the Proms last Thursday when demonstrators in the audience booing, shouting and singing attempted to disrupt a performance by the Israel Philharmonic. Although the musicians carried-on, the BBC took the unprecedented step of terminating the live broadcast. Due to the efforts of BBC security and personal action by audience members who weren't amused, order was restored to the extent that most of the recorded performance could be edited for later re-broadcast.

That re-broadcast took place earlier this afternoon and although the opening number, the Webern Passacaglia, was apparently too badly damaged to present, excellent performances of some of my favorites, the Bruch Violin Concerto, three selections from the orchestral version of the Albeniz Iberia(my favorite solo piano music)and an exciting Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol, plus an encore from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet were heard. Very worthwhile beautiful music, despite the ugliness of the situation, and available on demand for seven days at the BBC iPlayer site .

Following intermission of Prom 70 American conductor David Robertson led the BBC Symphony in a fine performance of The Planets. Enjoyed hearing it in comparison to the seven Planets recordings I own, and worth anyone's time for a listen to this very colorful music. BBC iPlayer site .

Another very strong concert as the 2011 Proms draws near to the close(Saturday night is the "Last Night of the Proms")as the great Philadelphia Orchestra appeared for Prom 72. Following the opening Sibelius Finlandia, the first half featured Janine Jansen as soloist in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto(plus a Bach encore). After the intermission, the gorgeous Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances(which Rachmaninoff wrote to be premiered by the Philadelphia)were wonderfully performed and followed by Ravel's rather sinister take on the Viennese waltz, "La Valse". iPlayer site on demand for the next six days.

Gotta Love the Rach!