tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post4170190187030070668..comments2024-03-15T20:32:39.815+00:00Comments on On An Overgrown Path: When classical music danced to the rhythms of Mother IndiaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-14590529129104454432014-09-25T08:33:35.999+01:002014-09-25T08:33:35.999+01:00"There really is a lot of shame in this, happ..."There really is a lot of shame in this, happily enough to go around ... and then we need more for the Prom producers, et al."<br /><br />Philip, that observation deserves amplification. There have been a number of sycophantic appreciations of outgoing Proms director Roger Wright, mainly from those who have benefited from his largess at Radio 3. <br /><br />Undoubtedly the BBC Proms attracted large audiences and achieved a high profile under Roger Wright's direction. But a number of important points have been conveniently overlooked.<br /><br />The Proms budget of around £9 million is not only very large compared with other music festivals, but, uniquely, around £6 million comes from the license fee - see link below. That amount is guaranteed and not subject to the funding vagaries that beset other arts organisations. Moreover the global reach of the Proms broadcasts makes it easier to attract high profile orchestras.<br /><br />On top of this extravagant funding, the BBC Proms have access to a promotional budget valued at around £1 million in the form of virtually unlimited free promotion across all BBC media platforms. Other music festivals could doubtless equal the impressive Proms attendances if they had access to such a lavish promotional budget.<br /><br />Given the factors above, it is not surprising that the BBC Proms are viewed as a success in attendance and prestige terms. But virtually no attention has been paid to the dismal record in programming and commissioning new music for the Proms under Roger Wright. <br /><br />At the BBC Roger wright had access to what is almost certainly the biggest new music commissioning budget in the world - around £350,000 - see link below. Despite this generous resource virtually no new music of any note was commissioned for the Proms during Roger Wright's regime. His commissions followed his general strategy of audience whoring, and, in the main, were brief lacklustre novelty items that came from a limited number of 'safe' composers.<br /><br />Malcolm Arnold 'improved' by Tim Rice is very typical of Roger Wright's approach to contemporary music at the Proms. Which is why his move to Aldeburgh is viewed by me with abject horror. But that's enough. New overgrown path beckon. <br /><br />http://www.overgrownpath.com/2009/08/what-price-bbc-proms.html <br /><br />http://www.overgrownpath.com/2011/07/bbc-radio-3-whose-hand-is-on-balance.htmlPliablehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10616598845886342325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-76763295468685834202014-09-24T22:42:38.933+01:002014-09-24T22:42:38.933+01:00Tim Rice????? For shame! I cannot forget that it w...Tim Rice????? For shame! I cannot forget that it was re Rice's banality that Alan Jay Lerner famously said, "I could eat Alphabet Soup and shit better lyrics than that." That could have been expressed more elegantly, but never so pungently and accurately. There really is a lot of shame in this, happily enough to go around, for it must fall upon Faber and the Arnold Estate first and foremost, and then we need more for the Prom producers, et al.Philip Amoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11739418522974972567noreply@blogger.com