# The Proms music festival



## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

Tonight is the first night:

Ralph Vaughan Williams - Toward the Unknown Region
Gustav Holst - The Planets
Anna Meredith - Five Telegrams


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Great festival - the best in the world for classical. Too bad the acoustics in RAH are so dreadful. Frankly, the radio broadcasts have better sound than being there live. But there is something powerful about sitting there with 6000 other music lovers that's hard to beat.
You can get all the info and lineup HERE.

And most (but alas, not all) concerts you can hear live or recorded HERE.

Or even better, the British pound took a hit this week against the dollar, and it's cheaper to visit London than it has been. Some concerts will be sold out, though.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Going for first time mid August to RAH to see
Joshua Bell
ASMF

Can't wait


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Judith said:


> Going for first time mid August to RAH to see
> Joshua Bell
> ASMF
> 
> Can't wait


You do surprise me:lol:


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

mbhaub said:


> Great festival - the best in the world for classical. Too bad the acoustics in RAH are so dreadful. Frankly, the radio broadcasts have better sound than being there live. But there is something powerful about sitting there with 6000 other music lovers that's hard to beat.


I thought it depended on where you sit/stand, I went once - was right at the back - and there was too much echo.


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

Mushrooms and echo:

https://www.royalalberthall.com/abo...istory/building/acoustic-diffusers-mushrooms/


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## les24preludes (May 1, 2018)

mbhaub said:


> Great festival - the best in the world for classical. Too bad the acoustics in RAH are so dreadful.


Have you ever played onstage in the RAH? I have, and I really liked the acoustics from the stage. Very airy and spacious. Generally the musicians I've talked to like playing there. Most prefer it to playing in the RFH, but that includes other things they don't like about the layout and general psychological effect of the RFH.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Judith said:


> Going for first time mid August to RAH to see
> Joshua Bell
> ASMF
> 
> Can't wait


Got hairdresser and beautician booked. Well, never know. Have to look nice for him


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

les24preludes said:


> Have you ever played onstage in the RAH? I have, and I really liked the acoustics from the stage. Very airy and spacious. Generally the musicians I've talked to like playing there. Most prefer it to playing in the RFH, but that includes other things they don't like about the layout and general psychological effect of the RFH.


I wish I could play there, but that's never going to happen. As someone else noted, the sound does depend on where you sit, like most halls. One night I was close to the orchestra looking down on the cello section and the sound there was good, if a bit skewed. Another night I queued and stood in the arena as close as I could get - that sound was terrific. But I'm too old to do that much. But sitting directly opposite the stage at the furthest point you can the sound is just dead. It's hard for any orchestra to pump enough sound in that huge building to make an impact. London is truly the world's Classical Music Capital, no question about it. It's just a shame that there isn't a world-class concert hall. The RFH, Barbican all suffer in their own ways. Germany just built a stunning hall in Hamburg, and now I see Munich is building a new hall. London needs something like that, or just duplicate the Concertgebouw or Musikverein.

I listened to the Proms 1 - what a thrilling Planets! The choral fade out at the end was beautifully managed - on radio it came through marvelously.


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

mbhaub said:


> London is truly the world's Classical Music Capital, no question about it.


Why do you say so?


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Let's see:

Radio 3.

World Class Orchestras: London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Philharmonia, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Academy of St. Martin's in the Field, English Chamber Orchestra, London Mozart Players, and about three dozen more smaller groups.

The Covent Garden Royal Opera, the Royal Ballet. 

London is one of the major places where recordings are still being made, by British companies like Chandos, Hyperion, Tocatta, Decca.

The RAM and RCM - two major music schools in one town.

There are few classical magazines anywhere, but Gramophone, BBC Music are both London based - and I'm sure there are others.

There are music stores in London (Great Marlboro St) where I can walk in and buy a score from a collection of thousands upon thousands in stock. There is nothing like it in New York or anywhere else in the US. The only place that I've ever seen that comes close is in Vienna, at Doblinger.

This isn't just London, but the whole of Britain: get a recent copy of BBC Music and look through the adverts in it - it's mind boggling how many music festivals the UK has. Astonishing.

As a non-resident, I sometimes get irked that I didn't move there 40 years ago to partake of the staggering musical offerings more often; traveling there for a couple of weeks at a time helps. Of course, I could never afford to live there with the same standard of living I have at home. But it sure is a great place to visit!


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

mbhaub said:


> Let's see:
> 
> Radio 3.
> 
> ...


Thanks mbhaub.
______________________


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## LezLee (Feb 21, 2014)

mbhaub - you must come to Scotland, it’s so much cheaper to live here in every way. Specially if you live outside the big cities. Plenty of music of every genre and the BBC Scottish Symphony has its home in Glasgow from where its Radio 3 concerts are broadcast. It’s very easy to get to London, trains are fast and frequent and there are often special offers on advance fares. There is good motorway access from both Glasgow and Edinburgh and I’m sure there are cheap flights to be had too. Of course you will need somewhere to stay but you’ll be able to afford it after all the savings you’ll make by living up here! 
And if course Scotland is very beautiful.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Next trip! I'd love to visit and do the Scotland Whisky Tour. Macallan...mmmmm!


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## Forster (Apr 22, 2021)

Just watched Yuja Wang perform Lizst PC No. 1, followed by two encores.

Oslo Phil with Klaus Makela preceded with Sibelius' Tapiola.

Wang's Carmen Variations by Horowitz was astonishing (for those of us unfamiliar with the piece and the performer).

Anyone else see it? Opinions on Wang?


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

Forster said:


> Just watched Yuja Wang perform Lizst PC No. 1, followed by two encores.
> 
> Oslo Phil with Klaus Makela preceded with Sibelius' Tapiola.
> 
> ...


Her pianism was astounding. Reminders of the great Argerich. The old warhorse of Liszt came up fresh as a daisy and the encores were something else! I have Horowitz playing that and it compared. Whoever designed that ridiculous pantomime outfit needs to be shot but never mind. I hope one day she’ll get over her late teen rebellion and realise she is a serious artist. Else she might end up like Kennedy.


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

mbhaub said:


> Next trip! I'd love to visit and do the Scotland Whisky Tour. Macallan...mmmmm!


My wife's favourite. We honeymooned in Scotland and the hotel we stayed at had a whisky bar to die for. Oh hang on you wrote that 4 years ago..oops.


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

There was a terrific double prom with Ldid Ove Andsnes and the Mahler CO playing Mozart including piano concertos 20, 22 and 24. Absolute dream!


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