Once again, the Proms are back to dominate the city of London with a multitude of prom-tastic events, which are set to surpass those that have gone before. To kick start the summer sessions, the world premiere of Judith Weir’s ‘Stars, Night, Music and Light’ commissioned especially for the occasion, alongside the classic Brahms, Liszt, and Janáček entertains a taste for the coming weeks. But the real treat, the one I was most looking forward to this year unreservedly… Benjamin Grosvenor. At a mere nineteen years of age, this youthful pianist compared to Leiszt himself, was for me the most exciting prospect. He is the youngest-ever soloist to play at the opening Prom and here I was, witnessing it with my very own eyes. Hurrah.
What a build up to ‘music and light’. Eclipsed by the moody lighting of the BBC backdrop, we are lulled into a sense of serenity by the BBC Orchestra and Choir, subtle and yet intriguing, the music quietly mounting, like our excitement, until at once the fiddles begin to fly. This piece though not quite as grand as Weir’s previous work is joyful and playful and at the end quite lurid, sets the scene for the rest of the show with an epic sense of fluidity. Alas, lasting only four minutes, one feels a little disheartened when it comes to a hasty and unwelcomed end. Brahms Academic Festival Overture swiftly takes turn and continues this irresistible sense of fun and with a lengthy introduction in C minor, it augments a mystification that was introduced by Weir. Once more there is a real sense of occasion mid-way through the piece as it begins to make a ‘merry noise’ conjoining all orchestral instruments to produce a united sound.
This is all very well and good but at this point I really did only have Grosvenor on the mind. His appearance was something of a spectacular you see. Having been somewhat ‘groomed’ since the tender age of eleven when he won the BBC Young Musician of the Year contest, his parents and his tutors at the Royal Academy have kept this what I call, prodigy under wraps and out of the limelight, so that he was able to mature and grow without the eager eyes of the world watching. He has recently secured a deal with Decca, releasing his Chopin and Liszt debut disc last week. Thus the build up to this performance was ever more paramount. Clearly he is extremely talented but his skill is a delicate affair. He plays with a gentle touch that is ideally suited to intimate gatherings and so one questioned whether Grosvenor would thrive in an environment such as the Royal Albert Hall with its rather poor acoustics. However, the nineteen year old pianist who performed Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2, rose to the challenge magnificently. The intimately expressive melody was demonstrated to perfection, encompassed by an ethereal texture of strings and woodwind. Grosvenor had clear command over his arpeggios with a delicacy that brought a new lease of life to the piece. After a prolonged period of applauding and several bows later, he sat again at the piano and performed his encore which was one of Brahms’s Hungarian Rhapsodies, as arranged by Georges Cziffra.
Glagolitic Mass by Leoš Janáček was the final and perhaps most earth moving piece performed on the night, which affirmed this year’s Proms had truly begun. It had substance, full of vigour and energy, particularly noted with David Goode’s proficient organ playing and tenor Stephan Vinke’s explosive sound, along with his fellow BBC Singers and Symphony Chorus. Whilst haunting and lasting this piece was poignant to say the very least. It had been an energetic end to a steady evening. One can only imagine what lies in store for the following ten prom packed weeks of fun.
–Dani Telford
YOU CAN WATCH FIRST NIGHT OF THE PROMS ON BBCIPLAYER FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MISSED THE SHOW AND UPDATES OF ALL OTHER PERFORMANCES ALSO
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b012n19t/BBC_Proms_2011_First_Night_of_the_Proms/
OR ALTERNATELY TUNE IN TO BBC RADIO 3 TO LISTEN TO EACH PROM AS IT OCCURS LIVE.
For those of you whom wish to attend in person, you can check out the royal albert hall website for ticket sales or turn up on the day and join the queue for a £5 proming ticket which will allow access to the standing area of the hall.
