The Proms

The Proms are a traditional summer concert series in London. Every year from July to September daily classical music concerts, a total of about 70 in number, instead, mainly at the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington.

Concept and characteristics

The English abbreviation stands for promenade Proms series. The Proms have their roots here actually in the traditional, popular since the 18th century, also emerged in London Proms. However, they quickly developed a unique music festival that has the Promenade Concerts at most similarities in the orientation to a wide audience and individual events with popular music pieces. Also, the roll-call reference was retained. At concerts in the Royal Albert Hall, there are in addition to the seats also very inexpensive Standing (2013: five pounds per concert ). Visitors who opt for these spaces directly in front of the stage ( in the arena ) or in the gallery are called Promenaders (English, walkers ') or short Prommer. Many of them already attend the concerts for decades, some for more than 40 years. Some miss a single concert during the season.

The Proms traditionally have no dress code. The concert goers often come straight from work (or on days off from the neighboring Kensington Gardens ) and are therefore attracted: from business suit to casual leisure wear everything can be seen. Even short pants, T -shirts and tracksuits are mainly among the standing room crowd in the arena to a normal picture. During the break will take place even small picnics on the floor of the arena. Attracted attention at the Proms already rather fine evening wear: It is usually carried by tourists who are not familiar with the rituals of the Proms.

The Proms are outside the UK often mistaken with the famous Last Night of the Proms, the respective final concert of the season, equated. This leads to the misunderstanding that trims, horns, flags and witty interjections were also observed during the rest of the concert season. This is true, however, just as little as the assumption that the program of the Proms consisted exclusively of easily accessible, popular works ( " Schunkel classical music "). Instead, the Prommer apply in the music world as exceptionally quiet, disciplined, knowledgeable and receptive audience. Many concerts of the Proms also consist of contemporary, experimental or little-known works of art music.

History

The first Proms concert took place on 10 August 1895 in the Queen's Hall held at London's Langham Place. It was initiated by Robert Newman. The concert series was born from the idea to appeal to people who normally do not care for classical concerts. You should with reasonable ticket prices and a more casual atmosphere (eating, drinking and smoking were explicitly allowed) to be convinced of a concert.

Inseparable from the concerts, the conductor Sir Henry Wood. He was the musical director of the first concert and played a major role in the expansion of the repertoire of the later concerts. Since the 1920s, the concerts include popular, less demanding works by contemporary composers such as Claude Debussy, Richard Strauss, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. During the "Last Night of the Proms " is Woods bust, which is built in front of the organ in the Royal Albert Hall, decorated by representatives of Promenaders with bay leaves.

1927 took over the BBC, which still produced near the Queen's Hall in Broadcasting House today radio, directing the concerts. The first transmission took place on 13 August 1927. 1930, the BBC Symphony Orchestra was founded, which is now also recorded most of the concerts. At that time there were individual concerts, which were dedicated exclusively to certain composers: for example, on Monday, Richard Wagner, Ludwig van Beethoven on Friday and on other days other major composers. Sundays were not organize concerts.

With the onset of World War II in 1939, the BBC withdrew from the alignment of the concert series. The Proms continued with private support, to the Queen's Hall in 1941 burned out after an air raid. A year later, the concerts changed to its present abode, the Royal Albert Hall and the BBC took over again the event.

Since the 1950s, an increasing number of guest orchestras played at the Proms. 1963 took over the first international star conductor (such as Leopold Stokowski, Georg Solti and Carlo Maria Giulini ) the line in 1966 and played with the Radio Orchestra Moscow, the first foreign ensemble at the Proms. It is now almost daily an internationally renowned top orchestras with renowned soloists and conductors to hear.

Another important conductor of promenade concerts was Sir Malcolm Sargent. He headed 1948-1966 as chief conductor. A named after him charity held every year shortly after the end of the concert season a special Promenade Concert.

Today's Schedule of promenade concerts includes not only traditional contemporary classical works also Ancient music.

"Last Night of the Proms "

The legendary "Last Night of the Proms ", the closing concert, which is much better known outside the UK as the actual concert season, takes place in a very relaxed atmosphere. In addition to a number of popular classical music will be performed by patriotic works in the second half of the concert. These include Hubert Parry's setting of William Blake's poem And did Those feet in ancient time ( Although the hymn is titled Jerusalem, the poem itself has in Blake but no title. It is part of his poem Milton. Blakes poetry Jerusalem has nothing to do with to do the poem. ), Edward Elgar's pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 ( land of Hope and Glory ) and Rule, Britannia! . In the aforementioned pieces, tradition has it that the audience singing along and partially swings Union Jack flags and wearing just such hats. The " Last Nights of the Proms " that connect carnival cheerfulness with the solemnity of a classical concert.

The concert ends with the national anthem is sung, additions not done; being often alone Auld Lang Syne is sung by the audience. Often the choir is true here also include with.

At the request of until 2004 reigning musical conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the American conductor Leonard Slatkin, the patriotic share of " Last Night" has been reduced. From 2002 to 2007 Rule Britannia was not played as a separate piece, but only as part of Henry Woods Fantasia on British Sea Songs, another traditional plant the "Last Night of the Proms ". The decision to " defuse " "Last Night" in this way, has been welcomed by some Promenaders while she was criticized by others as excessive political correctness ". Since 2008, however, the original version will be re-listed.

On September 13, 2008, the first Sir Roger Norrington conducting the Last Night of the Proms. On September 7, 2013 Marin Alsop served as first conductor of the Last Night.

Interest in the Last Night is beyond the capacity of the Royal Albert Hall many times. Therefore, it is very difficult to get tickets for this concert. Anyone who has at least five of the regular, Proms visited ', takes part in a raffle to load -night cards. Thus, tourists have a chance to visit the final concert, there are special ticket quotas for tour operators. However, different television channels transmitted the Last Night in Germany NDR. The transfer is also in the ARD waves of culture - with the exception of the Bayerischer Rundfunk - taken since 2009 as part of the ARD radio festival. Here are also parts of the concerts that take place simultaneously in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, is shown.

" Proms in the Park"

Because the Royal Albert Hall could no longer cope with the rush of the audience, the "Last Night" in 1996 have been added to the " Proms in the Park". Coinciding with the classical performance at the Albert Hall to celebrate since up to 40,000 people in Hyde Park, the musical event. The Park festival has its own live program. Finally, the Albert Hall is switched on by big screen, and the spectators in the park agree with in the traditional patriotic works. In the same way celebrate Northern Irish, Scots and Welsh for several years at the same time in parks of Belfast, Glasgow, Swansea and Manchester.

The " Proms in the Park" also open to tourists an inexpensive way to experience the typical atmosphere of a "Last Night".