BBC Proms continues to prove why it’s one of the best ways to experience world-class classical music this summer.
The Royal Albert Hall once again plays host to the BBC Proms this July-September.
The programme for the 21st of July was as follows:
Tales of a Summer Sea – Betsy Jolas
Violin Concerto in D Minor – Jean Sibelius
Soloist: Sueye Park
Also sprach Zarathustra – Richard Strauss
All of the above pieces were performed by the BBC Philharmonic, directed by the Finnish violinist and Chief Conductor John Storgårds.
The first piece was the debut of Tales of a Summer Sea, composed by Betsy Jolas. Listening to it, it is possible to picture a dangerous sea imagery such as the one represented in Turner’s The Storm.
Through the juxtaposition of softer xylophone passages with sudden, loud wind and brass sections, a feeling of peril is easily invoked in the audience. Listening to this piece feels like being on a large boat at sunset, sailing towards a storm it will inevitably have to face.
The debut of this piece as the opening one seems fitting, setting up a path that later leads to Zarathustra. Since one of the key objectives of the BBC Proms is to make classical music more widely accessible to the public, introducing new pieces alongside more famous ones offers a rich variety.
This was followed by the second piece: the Violin Concerto in D Minor, composed by Jean Sibelius. The diamond of this second part was, without a doubt, the soloist Sueye Park. From the very moment she started playing, it became evident why she was the perfect choice for the role. Listening to her playing brought one word to mind that best describes it: exquisite.
The melody of the solo violin was beautifully complemented by the rest of the orchestra, although it was difficult to pay attention to anything but Park’s playing, which was simply mesmerising.
This was followed by a 20-minute interval, after which came the third and final piece: Also sprach Zarathustra.
This powerful piece was by far the most familiar to the audience, thanks to its exposure through the cinema classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. The piece opens with a striking mix of contrabassoons, timpani, and organ. One of the instruments that stood out most was the organ, positioned behind the orchestra at a higher level, with clever lighting highlighting both player and instrument.
Another nice touch later in the piece was the bell, rung from the highest level of the audience section, adding even more depth and realism to the performance; it captured the sound of a church bell remarkably accurately.
One of the key reasons I wouldn’t give this performance the highest score has to do with certain stylistic choices. There was a projection screen behind the orchestra. In the earlier sections of the performance, the projection was unobtrusive, but this changed during the final piece. At that point the projection became a galaxy image with “BBC Proms” at its centre. This might have looked more aesthetically pleasing on camera with lower exposure, but that wasn’t the case live. It also switched on and off periodically, which became a distraction. The earlier projections in that same spot had been fitting and unobtrusive by comparison.
Another potential issue is that, since the programme magazines are paid-for and phones are prohibited, audience members unfamiliar with classical music could easily lose track of what’s being performed. Since several other projections already display the BBC Proms branding, perhaps projecting the title of the piece being played could help keep the audience informed. Many of the other, more discreet projections were well suited to the atmosphere.
The standing tickets are reasonably affordable, which can help broaden both the range and number of people attending, making the music more accessible to a wider public.
All in all, this is a fine effort by BBC Radio 3 to make classical music more accessible to a wider audience, part of an ongoing yearly season now running for over 100 years.
BBC Proms is still running until the 12 of September – tickets here.