# which night of the proms?? advice please



## timnorman (Jul 9, 2011)

hello, 

although i like classical music i dont know very much about it.

im looking to go to one of the nights of the bbc proms with my partner and would like some advice on which is a good night to go.

i am on quite a tight budget, around £20 max per person, and although i dont really mind, i would like to have relevantly nice seats at least.

at the moment im looking at PROM 9: SIBELIUS / BARTOK / JANACEK

ive listened to a bit of the music on youtube and quite like it, and can get nice tickets for 20 quid.

i would prefer a 'beginning friendly' easy listening night.

any advice would be appreciated.

thanks, 
timnorman


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## timnorman (Jul 9, 2011)

PROM 8: DVORAK / SMETANA
is also a possibility ?


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## timnorman (Jul 9, 2011)

...bump...


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

What is "night of the proms?"


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

violadude said:


> What is "night of the proms?"


A music festival in the UK sponsored by the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

The July 30th, August 20th, and September 10th (closing) performances are being streamed to theatres in Canada, so clearly somebody thinks those are performances people will want to see.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

timnorman said:


> at the moment im looking at PROM 9: SIBELIUS / BARTOK / JANACEK





timnorman said:


> PROM 8: DVORAK / SMETANA
> is also a possibility ?


Well, it's up to you. If you can tell us which works by those composers will be played, that would make giving advice much easier. All of these composers wrote many different types of works that (esp. concerning Sibelius, Bartok & Janacek) can be quite unlike eachother, one work from another (they had different stylistic "periods," you see).

But since you said this...



> i would prefer a 'beginning friendly' easy listening night.


...then I'd definitely recommend the Dvorak & Smetana, whose music tends to be "easier on the ear" compared to some of the other three composers in the first program you listed. That isn't to say, you & your partner might not enjoy the other three - sometimes it is good to get out of one's "comfort zone" and be totally drawn in & kind of overwhelmed by sounds new (or less familiar, at least) to you...


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## Nicola (Nov 25, 2007)

Sid James said:


> Well, it's up to you. If you can tell us which works by those composers will be played, that would make giving advice much easier.


The confusion seems to get worse and worse.

As anyone who has anything beyond the slightest familiarity with classical music should know, the "Proms" is an annual series of concerts lasting 8 weeks weeks through July/September run by the BBC, and performed mainly at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms

The "Proms" is one of the major concert events of the annual calendar. There is tons of advance information published about it on the BBC's website, giving the names of all the pieces to be played, and the various performers. Each night there is a different concert covering a large array of different styles, periods, etc, concluding with the famous "Last night of the Proms".

What this member is so obviously seeking advice upon is which of the various concerts he and his partner might most usefully try to get tickets for, given that they are classical music novices. The answer of course is how on earth can we advise if he doesn't tell us more about his musical preferences? Without this information there is no way of advising sensibly. And why didn't he flag up the relevant BBC website so that we can easily find the list of concerts to which he is referring? Without this information I don't see why anyone should try to answer to such a vague question. I certainly can't be bothered to do so.


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

Prom 8 sounds ideal - although it might be difficult to get tickets to this late in the game. If you live in london or want to travel there on the offchance, you can get in on the night as a 'Prommer' (that means you stand in the central part, yes, stand for the whole concert) and the tickets are £5. Prom 65 looks good for the Rachmaninov, which is lighter. Prom 37 is light also.



Nicola said:


> As anyone who has anything beyond the slightest familiarity with classical music should know, the "Proms" is an annual series of concerts lasting 8 weeks weeks through July/September run by the BBC, and performed mainly at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
> 
> I certainly can't be bothered to do so.


Really..... so if I didn't know about the BBC Proms, that would mean, apropos your supposition, that I had an massive unfamiliarity with classical music - it is this kind of snobbery that makes people feel that the music this forum represents is inaccessible to them; that it is only for the academic, the intelligent, the rich. If this is the young couples first foray into the classical world, what would them telling us of their current tastes achieve, the member asked for recommendations of easy listening or light classical music (if they listened to Nightwish and the Beatles all day what difference would that make?!?).

and finalment - if you really can't be bothered to do so then why did you even type a response.


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## Llyranor (Dec 20, 2010)

I'll second Proms 8 as well. Dvorak's Cello Concerto is fantastic, and I think anyone could appreciate the beautiful cello throughout the piece.

Smetana's is a good pick too. The most famous part of Ma Vlast is Die Moldau, which is quite beautiful.

You can't go wrong with Proms 8.

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I'm not very familiar with Proms 9 except for Sibelius' 7th Symphony. I really like Sibelius as a symphonist, so that would be a good pick too, though I can't attest for the other compositions in that concert.

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You might want to look into Proms 33 as well. Sibelius' 6th symphony features, and Grieg's Piano Concerto is highly likely my favorite piano concerto. Though I'm not familiar with Nielsen's symphony.

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I also just want to point out Proms 34. I don't know any of the other pieces, but St-Saens's 3rd 'Organ' Symphony is one of my favorite symphonies out there! What beauty, what power! 



Oh, what I'd pay to hear this one live!

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I saw some others with Mahler's 2nd Symphony, or Verdi's Requiem, but those seem to be sold-out. Would have been great choices too, imo.


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## timnorman (Jul 9, 2011)

thank you everyone for your help (with the exception of Nicola.... why are you on here, honestly..)

particularly Barry and Llyranor, very helpful 

I have booked tickets for prom 8, that's: 'Dvorák Cello Concerto in B minor' and 'Smetana Má vlaII I am familiar with ma vlast, and really like it, so am very much looking forward to i've (i'veive also booked a table for 2 in one of the royal Albert halls restaurants  )

for your guys information I didn't put my taste in classical music, because as I said I am a newbie, I like to listen to classical music on the radio, and on TV when it comes up, but I don't know who I like yet. that's why I tried to describe the best I could the type of music that I like and want to listen to, not the people I know that I like. this is my first time going to a classical music concert, and I'm looking forward to it. I have seats that are about half way back, so its a long way, but I don't really mind.

I was a bit worried that if I posted on here, un knowledgeable about classical music I would get some stereotypical posh, snobby, look down their nose on you, people post. fortunately the majority of people on this post at least have been very nice and helpful, and I thank you for that, but some people (you know who you are :/ ) haven't been. As anyone who has anything beyond the slightest familiarity with classical music should know, Nicola, is that the point of the BBC proms is to bring music to the masses. that means people that have never been before, and don't know much about the subject, like me... I don't need (no one does) to be talked to in such a derogatory manor. its demoralising, and makes me want to keep listening to classical music on the radio, as a posed to going to a concert, if I have to meet people that will look down their noses at me...


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

timnorman said:


> I have booked tickets for prom 8, that's: 'Dvorák Cello Concerto in B minor' and 'Smetana Má vlaII I am familiar with ma vlast, and really like it, so am very much looking forward to i've (i'veive also booked a table for 2 in one of the royal Albert halls restaurants


Excellent choice - I really do hope you and your partner enjoy it - I'll be watching on BBC Four so give us a wave 

The cello concerto is fabulous - be prepared like with Ma vlast to be dragged on a journey.


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## Llyranor (Dec 20, 2010)

Good pick. Enjoy the concert!


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

timnorman said:


> ...I have booked tickets for prom 8, that's: 'Dvorák Cello Concerto in B minor' and 'Smetana Má vlaII I am familiar with ma vlast, and really like it, so am very much looking forward to i've (i'veive also booked a table for 2 in one of the royal Albert halls restaurants  )


Sounds like it'll be a great night out all-round - hope you enjoy it & don't be afraid to report back here (eg. on the "Latest Concerts" thread) of what you think of the performance. Here is that thread -

http://www.talkclassical.com/5564-latest-concerts.html

BTW - Don't be scared off by what member Nicola said - it'd be a shame if that happened. Things like this forum can help you get a bit of a grasp of some aspects of classical music, so do not hesitate to check out the threads relevant to you here - eg. the ones on Dvorak or Smetana, for example, under the Composer Guestbooks heading.



> ...for your guys information I didn't put my taste in classical music, because as I said I am a newbie, I like to listen to classical music on the radio, and on TV when it comes up, but I don't know who I like yet.


I'm exactly the same with music that's new to me, I think we all know what you're saying there...



> ...the point of the BBC proms is to bring music to the masses...


& also to people outside of London & all around the world. This is a great tradition. I have enjoyed listening to radio broadcasts of these concerts, as well as the "Last Night of the Proms" on television (in fact, I can't think of a better way to listen to things like Elgar's _Land of Hope & Glory_, or Parry's _Jerusalem_, or Wood's _Fantasy on Sea Songs_). That concert is always 110 per cent "atmosphere," even if you're not physically there, it's very easy to be swept away with the obvious enthusiasm of the audience & musicians. & they often pay tribute to composers with anniversaries (in 2009, I remember they played some Haydn & Villa-Lobos) & they also play a fair amount of new classical things on the night. As you suggest, the Proms offers enjoyment as well as a kind of education in classical music, speaking to breaking down the barriers & negative preconceptions...


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