Your favourite PROM so far?

The London Winds chamber concert, especially the "Gran Partita". The addition of a contra-bassoon to the 13 "wind instruments" gave the piece a little more body.

Playing and sound were outstanding, and the audience were responsive without shouting all over the last bars. I really felt involved.

Dear Ken,

Whilst the contra-basson is certainly an instrument conventially used to aurgement the 'twelve wind instruments and double bass' Mozart scored the work for, was a string bass used as well? No contra yet devised can play the pizzicato passages in the bass part!

I did have the chance to listen, of course, but it is a sublime creation, even with a contra! [Smiley].

ATB from Fredrik

To be honest I haven't been overly impressed with this year's programme (though, in fairness I haven't heard a huge amount of it - but on the face of it things are less impressive than last year). However, what I heard of Siegfried wasn't too bad (though I was travelling the length of the country at the time and my portable Robert's radio is no NAT101.

I am very much looking forward to the Hickox/BBC Wales programme this evening when we shall be getting the Mackerras arranged suite from Janacek's Cunning Vixen, the Mozart concerto for two pianos (K365 if memory serves), where one of the soloists is Paul Lewis and Dvorak 7. The Janacek suite is a particular favourite, though not in the butched (albeit one of the other arrangements than Mackerras) form it appeared on CD review with Jonathan Nott and the Bamberg orchestra (who have the dubious distinction of being the only act I have ever felt compelled to boo - and if you can play Schubert's unfinished that badly you deserve it). In the performance this morning he was in some ways worse (in concert he could get nice sounds but had no overall picture of the piece), making Janacek dull is a rare talent and one to be avoided.

However, there are one or two things I'm really looking forward to. In mid-august Donald Runnicles is coming with the orchestra of St Luke's to play (if memory serves) Adams and Mozart, even better it's a different programme to the one he's giving in Edinburgh a few days earlier. At the start of September we are getting a real treat in the form of Mackerras and the OAE playing the new Levin completion of Mozart's C minor mass. I am also curious to hear (and indeed see - because these last few concerts will be on BBC 4) the Haitink BBCSO Mahler 2 (I am told his reading of this work is greatly improved since the rather poor one on his 1960s Concertgebouw survey).

regards, Tam

Dear Friends,

By way of an update, the Hickox prom this evening was superb. I believe it is believe it is repeated at 2pm on Tuesday, so if you missed it, I urge you to listen again.

I was struck by how fine the combination of Hickox and the BBC Welsh was (I'm not sure I've heard them before) and a little disappointed to hear he's leaving them after tomorrow's Prom (which, based on tonight ought also to be worth a listen).

regards, Tam

Fredrik,
The piece was played with 13 wind instruments, plus double bass, and sounded very fine indeed.
The contrabassoon was an addition, not a replacement.
Regards,
Ken

P.S.

Fredrik,
You can still hear Prom 5 using the BBC 3 "Listen Again". I just did so, but the sound seemed to be distorted. This may be due to my computer, so I might try again later.
Regards,
Ken