Proms fever
Post categories: Suzanne Aspden
| 09:00 UK time, Friday, 10 July 2009
Last Monday I went to the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV launch for the Proms, held in the upstairs room of a pub, which allowed producers, presenters, and the hard-working programme researchers to get together and share ideas, prior to the start of the season itself. We were a diverse bunch, just as the Proms itself is a diverse programme: I didn't meet any of my fellow bloggers there, and instead of chatting about our Big Four, discussed 'light' vs. 'serious' classical music, , , and so on.
Of course, our four 'Composers of the Year' do feature prominently in the Proms programme, three of them in the first week: Haydn's Creation is on the Saturday the 18th (I wrote about Handelians' reaction to The Creation a couple of blogs ago) with his Seven Last Words on Monday the 20th; Handel's Partenope is between them on Sunday the 19th, and Purcell's Fairy Queen on Tuesday the 21st. So, something of a dramatic theme in that first week as well. But, as always, there are so many thematic strands one can enjoy: I'm particularly looking forward to hearing all eleven of Stravinsky's ballets, for instance.
I'll be participating in the Proms Intro on Radio 3 for Partenope, at 4.15 on Sunday the 19th - a fascinating opera which, in contrast to its rather lacklustre reception at its first performance, is enjoying quite a revival at present. Then Prom 36 on August 12th (broadcast live on Radio 3 and on the evening of Saturday 15th on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳2) with Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, with an all-Handel programme, featuring the four coronation anthems, interspersed with other works from throughout the composer's career. I'll certainly have more to say about each on these pages...
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