The Great Frieze
Post categories: COTY,ÌýComposers of the Year,ÌýProms 2009,ÌýPurcell
| 14:56 UK Time, Tuesday, 25 August 2009
During the Proms interval, one wanders over to the . All four anniversary composers are represented in the amazing at the base. It was carved by and features 169 life-size sculptures of those whom the Victorians considered to be the most important artists (including architects) since civilisation began. The musicians are on the south side facing the . Purcell is the most prominent as he has a corner spot. A shapely leg is protruding from his robes, his bewigged head is slightly bowed and he has his right hand to his ear as if there is a bee in it. Unlike, the others he is not in conversation with anyone, but alone with his inspiration.
Handel, meanwhile, who is bursting out of his frock coat, has put down his score of and seems to be having an argument with . Haydn is seated and is ignoring 's begging gesture which may be aimed more at Mendelssohn behind them. Dear Felix may have been added as an afterthought as he is in bas-relief and not long dead. Anyway, probably insisted on having him represented. His exact contemporaries Chopin and Schumann did not make the cut, as it were, though such lesser composers as and are present. too is considered worthy of the honour though he died, aged 90, only the year before the memorial's unveiling in 1872.
Rick Jones lectures in the history of music at .
One has to seek such entertainments as the bar prices at the Albert Hall are such a scandal. I emptied the pockets of last year's promming jacket this summer and found a £6.60 bar receipt for two Beck's beers. This summer I was clobbered for £7.90 for the same order. Someone's not trying very hard during the recession. I'm afraid I now buy supermarket cans on the way up if I'm meeting a guest.
Hard times hit charity-giving, too. Last year, if I remember rightly, the Prommers with their collecting buckets for 'musical charities' raised roughly £1,000 a night as the figure kept pace roughly with the number of the Prom, so that by prom 53, say, they had reached £53,000. This year it's much less, although the figure still gets a round of applause.
Personally, I find it rather distasteful clapping a sum of money. Charity shouldn't be so brash. I am sorry if you are one of those who does the collecting, but to my mind, the deed should be performed with more modesty. Certainly no interval announcement should be made, interrupting people's conversations with the tawdry score. Those who make it can't even be bothered to change the wording - except once, during Patience, when they added the word 'aesthetic'.
It's almost as bad as the automatic announcement to turn mobiles off. It is dehumanising being told what to do by a machine even if the voice is as warm and firendly as Rob Cowan's. The three peeps which precede it are much too loud. Doesn't the law on decibels cover recorded announcements? If the audience must be told certain things, send on a human presenter as in the chamber concerts or the Ukulele show last week.
Comment number 1.
At 25th Aug 2009, arenaprommer2 wrote:Your statement regarding the Promenaders' Musical Charities is incorrect: at Prom 53 last year (25 Aug 2008), the collection total was just below £ 40,000. This year's total as of yesterday (Prom 52) was already over £ 48,000. We're very grateful for the public's continued and generous support.
The interval announcement that a collection will take place after the concert is a condition imposed by the Royal Albert Hall. If you have suggestions for better wordings why don't you contact one of the PMC trustees instead of being so disparaging of their efforts?
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)