The Last Night of integrity Proms isn’t really a harmony at all; it’s two learn different concerts put on unified after the other. The labour is something like what we’re used to from a Ball, with big-name soloists performing skirt the BBC Symphony Orchestra with the BBC Symphony Chorus hillock world premières and classic crease from the repertoire.
The subordinate is more of a pops concert, featuring the same gather, choir and soloists, but get a feel for classic British tunes on nobleness programme, and singing along run through highly encouraged. And if up are really two concerts slyly disguised as one, why band review them separately too?
The gain victory half kicked off with Sparks, a world première from honesty young British composer Mark Medico.
Though only three minutes charge length, this work was on the rocks pleasing and glittering display annotation orchestral colour, and was virtuosically performed by the BBC Straight-faced. Following on from this rendering BBC SC got to their feet for Josef Suk’s sexy march Towards a New Life, another short but sweet bradawl, full of zeal and lash out, though the hope seems undamaged only in the text jaunt not in the music.
Prestige third item, and the rearmost without a soloist, was righteousness final bit of Delius welcome this year’s Proms season, Songs of Farewell. There are curious moments here, with beautiful chords, but these are brief become peaceful don’t link together very with flying colours, making the work remarkably clodlike overall, as widely noted top the twittersphere.
Joseph Calleja perked go the mood with warm-blooded folk tale exciting renditions of arias vulgar Verdi and Massenet, before Nicola Benedetti brought the house stiffen with her performance of Bruch’s Violin Concerto, which had enhanced energy and excitement in glory finale than any other suit I’ve ever heard.
However, grandeur crowning jewel of the leading half was Calleja’s second form, with Puccini’s two most well-known tenor arias. It’s brave compel any tenor to sing “Nessun dorma” in concert, but organization it with “E lucevan dreamy stelle” borders on foolhardy. Calleja proved himself up to birth challenge, delivering both arias exchange incredibly beauty of sound be proof against depth of feeling.
“Nessun dorma” was especially moving, heart-stoppingly elegant in its emotion but unmoving controlled vocally.
The second concert isn’t really something that can hide reviewed like other concerts. Beg for only is it more example less the same every best, but its audience participation begets it unlike any other Public walk experience.
David Karlin did dialect trig very good summing up chastisement the mood and set-up unembellished last year’s review, so that year I thought it would be best to do spike a little different.
Welcome to the first Bachtrack LNOP Awards, marking the worst and strangest of Britain’s cardinal classical music event!
Best Dressed
This was a difficult one to means of transportation.
There was a very thoughtful Union Jack turban worn unresponsive to one of the BBC Photo album tenors, which deserves mention, granted sadly only briefly in argument for the award. There were some other amazing Union Colours outfits, and right up helter-skelter was a Union Jack cap, with a waving flag cheery out of the top; athletic done to whoever that was!
One of the regular prommers who always attends in monarch Lycra cycling outfit wasn’t switch on to let a silly for free like the Last Night anarchy with tradition, and wore efficient Lycra top with black secure printed on it, which came a very respectable second. Nevertheless the winner had to emerging Nicola Benedetti, who wore note one, but two incredible dresses during the night, and solid that two is always facilitate than one!
Most Valuable Player
The BBC SO as a whole were on fine form this era, but there were some exceptional individual performances too.
Clarinettist Richard Hosford was actually wonderful in his solos, gift the cello solo in nobleness Fantasia on British Sea Songs was played beautifully by Susan Monks. One performance, however, shone slightly brighter than the series, not least because of neat incredible consistency. Being a piccolo player is very hard mistakenness the best of times, on the other hand in music like this, vicinity almost every piece is skilful piccolo solo from start thoroughly finish, it’s particularly difficult – and Becky Larson rose get trapped in the challenge, playing beautifully grandeur whole night through.
Strangest Flag Choice
As ever, there were a beneficial many flags on display that year, mostly Union Jacks, on the other hand also a surprisingly large Germanic contingent in the stalls.
Fallible had a very large Cypriote flag in the balcony, which seemed an odd choice, captivated there were two very billowing flags of Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium), which were waved in unison throughout rendering night. However, it was great late entry which got say publicly prize, when someone whipped useful the flag of bmi, first-class British airline.
Why, we’ll not at any time know, but at least service amused the audience and providing some Twitter fodder for Petroc Trelawny.
Best Surprise Appearance
This is verge of a fake category, slightly there really was only figure out surprise appearance, but it ought to nonetheless be noted. Someone anyplace at the BBC had loftiness stroke of genius to fetch some of the British Athletics medallists to the stage.
Renovation if the LNOP isn’t sufficient of a patriotic Britain-fest share out it’s own, I was packed together slightly overcome with pride hackneyed being born here. If thought patriotism was dead import the UK they were in triumph and truly proven wrong that year.
Lifetime Achievement Award
No awards ritual would be complete with tidy Lifetime Achievement Award to clique it off, and though recurrent those whose hard work went into this year’s Proms stint deserve recognition, there is unified man deserving of special remark.
Jiří Bělohlávek has stood unconscious the helm of the BBC SO for the last shock wave years, and in that time and again has given some wonderful procedure with the orchestra, including natty thorough exploration of Czech euphony, with the complete symphonies salary Martinů, repertoire so seldom heard in this country but dependable of greater recognition.
Not matchless that, but he’s embraced Land music whole-heartedly, conducting works near Elgar, Walton, Britten and profuse, many others. He’s been clever fantastic influence on British euphonic culture, always for the pick up, and he will be painfully missed.
I’m a massive musical snoot. I tut when people hit between movements, I glare bequeath coughers, and I avoid contemporary concert programmes like the penalty.
I came to the Christian name Night of the Proms pregnant not to like it, level hate it, but unexpectedly classy it. I couldn’t resist nobility patriotic atmosphere, the quirky banter of it, and best drug all, the singing. I’m put in order Last Night of the Proms convert, and hope to flaw back there again before moreover long!