Just wonder have anyone been to a Prom concert in London before? How was it? Plan to go there next month.

I try and get to a couple a year - in fact have three booked next week. Only trouble is I book them so far in advance that half the time something else comes up that I have to do! Can't even remember what I'm going to hear - think it's some Vaughan Williams...

What are they like? Well, depends on who and what the concert is, but i think there's a little more atmosphere - people actually talk to you. I should confess that I've never actually "prommed" (ie stood down in the arena) before, but I'd imagine there's a great spirit down there.


I'm sure you'll have a great time.

subsequent edit:
they've improved the air conditionining, but on hot days taking fan along is handy...

I went to one a couple of years ago with a friend. It was really exciting to be there, instead of watching it on tv. Have you got a particular concert in mind Pavel?

I did actually "prom" for several years when I was younger. The main thing I remember was when the doors opened to go into the arena everyone rushed from the box office down the stairs to the doors so that we could get the best "spot". And one year someone behind me missed their footing on the stairs, and we all went down like ninepins and I ended up crashing into the wall quite hard, with a huge beefy bloke landing on top of me, and I damaged my knee. "Promming" that evening was an uncomfortable, miserable experience.

After that I decided that the safest way to watch the proms was on the telly, and that I'd only go to the Albert Hall when I had a seat to sit in already allocated.

And Fen's right - it is still jolly hot in there! I was there on Sunday singing in the Really Big Chorus performance of Carmina Burana - we nearly melted!

Cheers

Katyjay

Last year I went to the Last Night - a friend of mine was performing and was able to get a pair of tickets for me. It was fantastic - I can't begin to describe the atmosphere - it was everything you'd expect and to be close to the orchestra (we sat in the Choir) when they're playing those tunes they do each year, was lovely

One little thing - we got the tube home and in the carriage was one of the violinists, in her coat, carrying her instrument in its case. She looked so ordinary - but half an hour ago she'd been playing the most beautiful music as part of one of the worlds great orchestras. Of course - she had to get home somehow - but it looked so.... you know!!

Leif Ove Adsnes - Stravinsky: Firework

Any recommendation?

Finally thought I'd better check my tickets. I've got Prom 5 on Tuesday - Britten's "Quatre Chansons francaises" and Vaughan Williams' "London Symphony", then Rakhmaninov's (new spelling for me - must be BBC speak) Piano Concerto #1 on Wednesday.

I have one ticket for Saturday night at 7:30, which is Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, Bruch's Violin Concerto #1 and Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony. Doesn't look like I can go now, if any of you are London based and are interested PM me and I could pass it on at a bit less than face value (trust this doesn't count as advertising!).

Technically correct from the Russian if transliterating literally, but looks weird doesn't it?


*sigh* bit far to go sadly!

I love the proms and always went 3 or 4 times a week to prom when I was in sixth form and when I was a student. We prommers became like a big family and I am in touch still with one or two of them 35 years on. We used to know exactly where we would end up in the arena by where we were in the queue.

Now I try to go once or twice a season and look down wistfully at the prommers in the arena having decided that I cannot stand any longer for that length of time!

It’s a great season… love it!

I've only been to four Proms. This season, that is!

Silver pianist, come back! I probably know some of the people you know from your arena days, and no-one minds too much if you just lie on the floor and let the music wash over you (unless you're in the very front row).

katyjay, it's far more civilised these days; in fact, running across the arena is positively frowned upon by the RAH staff.

I've done my dash for this season now - saw Steven Hough play the Rachmananov piano concerto last night. Strange posture - almost as though he wanted to be as physically disengaged from the piano as poss...
Was a bit annoyed to have missed the Michael Berkley concerto for orchestra on tuesday night - blooming tube!
Aah well, from the sublime to the ridiculous - Lovebox festival on saturday.

There were quite a few recumbent prommers on Tuesday, but then the place was almost half empty. Slightly fuller last night - I wonder if the fact that they're all televised is meaning some people just stay home?

We've just booked to go for the first time ever. Monday 22nd August for Ravel and Shostakovich. We've booked a hotel for the night, too, to do it properly.

I'm looking forward to the Shostakovich (Symphony No 8). I played one movement from it on an orchestral course years ago, and it was the first time I played piccolo. It was definitely a baptism of fire, because there is a long sequence of top B flats.

I've heard the recordings of him (won the cd from classic FM, ), is he good live?

Well, apart from a terrible taste in shirts, yes!

Actually, having heard a couple of concerti (sp?) at the RAH, more and more I think it's not a great piano + orchestra venue - even with good seats the sound is very distant. It's such a huge space to file.

He's very interesting to watch - and apologies if this bores the non-pianists, just skip the rest! My teacher is trying to get me to use the edge of the stool more, so that I've got a better pivot for using body weight. This chap sat squarely in the middle of the stool - like sitting in a chair really. My other half had watched some of the concert on tele and his comment was "the guy looked like he thought the piano'd explode at any moment and didn't want to get too close to it", which was fair. Don't know whether you've seen some of the "should I play with curved or straight fingers" threads on Viva Piano, but here was an example of using whichever works for the passage. It was lovely to watch such precise finger work.

But the shirt...

I guess it's also a case of when you're THAT good, you play how it best suits you, and if that involves "breaking the rules" then so be it. From the recordings I've heard, acting like the piano may explode hasn't slowed him down much!! Bit like on the flute you're supposed to keep your fingers close to the keys - but some very good flautists don't...

Sounds like it was good anyway though, even if the RAH doesn't do pianists justice (I'll take your word for it!) I just wish I'd known he was playing, assuming it was televised, I'd've liked to have seen that. ho hum!

The acoustics at the RAH are pretty awful for any combination of instruments. Fortunately the (generally) wonderful performances and fantastic atmosphere at the Proms more than make up for that. Don't think I'll be able to get to any Proms this year but at least I've got tickets for the Gothenburg SO at Symphony Hall.

Totally agree - the acoustics are not great (certainly in the circle it pays to get as close to the centre block as you can), but what a venue. Even if they perform from the stage you still get an "in the round" feeling.
Went to see a production of Madame Butterfly there a couple of years ago where they performed in the Arena - flooded it and created a Japanese water garden. I'm sure purists would have said it was a flashy, crowd-pleasing production, but we really enjoyed it (specially since we booked one of the boxes and had champers too!)