# Proms orchestra playing Beethoven's Sixth from memory



## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

I'm watching the Proms right now. Beethoven's sixth.

They're playing it *standing up* and *without sheet music*! 

It's engaging to watch. The musicians are certainly into it, sometimes swaying to the music, looking at each other and of course able to give the conductor their attention. The viewer gets a feeling that the music is coming from the individual players rather than the sheet music they are reading.

I really like this.

Any thoughts? Similar experiences?


----------



## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Don Fatale said:


> They're playing it *standing up* and *without sheet music*!


That will keep them on their toes - hahaha!


----------



## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Radio 3 played a performance of one of Beethoven's string quartets (from a Chamber Prom last week) that was also played standing up (apart from the cellist) - I think the Quartet were drawn from the orchestra you were watching


----------



## Steatopygous (Jul 5, 2015)

Damned risky, I would have thought. When the conductor gets it wrong, the orchestra can look to the concertmaster. When the orchestra gets it wrong....? And given the amount of music a professional orchestra has to get through in an average month, not realistic all the time. But clearly, from your experience, worth it for a special occasion.


----------



## Steatopygous (Jul 5, 2015)

Headphone Hermit said:


> Radio 3 played a performance of one of Beethoven's string quartets (from a Chamber Prom last week) that was also played standing up (apart from the cellist) - I think the Quartet were drawn from the orchestra you were watching


Standing up is not unusual. The Australian Chamber Orchestra always stands. It's the absence of scores that is amazing.


----------



## Proms Fanatic (Nov 23, 2014)

Don Fatale said:


> I'm watching the Proms right now. Beethoven's sixth.
> 
> They're playing it *standing up* and *without sheet music*!
> 
> It's engaging to watch. The musicians are certainly into it, sometimes swaying to the music, looking at each other and of course able to give the conductor their attention. The viewer gets a feeling that the music is coming from the individual players rather than the sheet music they are reading.


They're called the Aurora orchestra. This isn't the first time they've done this at the Proms, last year they performed Mozart's Symphony No. 40 from memory. It's very impressive!


----------



## Vicente (Aug 5, 2015)

I think that playing without sheets does not add anything to the music you listen.


----------



## gHeadphone (Mar 30, 2015)

I love the idea of playing without sheet music, im guessing there was a heightened level of concentration!


----------



## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Vicente said:


> I think that playing without sheets does not add anything to the music you listen.


so, in that case, why do you think that it is such common (make that, 'almost universal') practice for soloists to do so in a concerto?


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Headphone Hermit said:


> so, in that case, why do you think that it is such common (make that, 'almost universal') practice for soloists to do so in a concerto?


I suspect it's at least partially fashion, something that adds to the "virtuoso" image. Also I suspect it's reasonably recent. The descriptions I've read of Liszt's concerts have him using a page-turner. It's an interesting question -- maybe somebody knows more.

Dispensing with the score can be dangerous. "In 1939 [von Karajan] was conducting Meistersinger at Bayreuth without a score. He fumbled, lost his place, and the performance stopped briefly. Hitler, who was present, got angry and declared: 'Herr von Karajan will never conduct again at Bayreuth'. And during the remainder of Hitler's life, he didn't."


----------



## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

^^^ perhaps that was what led him to conduct so often with his eyes closed thereafter? :devil:


----------



## Tedski (Jul 8, 2015)

I would have sworn KenOC was leading up to the punchline, "It's the last of the 9th, the basses are loaded, and there's no score." :lol:


----------

