Last Prom

The Proms have just over a week left to run, but we've now been to our last one of the season. AND WHAT A PROM IT WAS!!!!!!

The day started slowly - three days of constant hard work and intensive exercise had left me utterly exhausted, so I slept on the sofa in the morning to give my body chance to recover.

After lunch I collected the Wonderspouse and we drove to London for our last Prom of the season. It was VERY special!

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra are well-known for being very very good indeed (understatement) and I've already been lucky enough to see them this year (see here). Last night, under their principal conductor Sir Simon Rattle, they were on absolutely top form.

The first half was Beethoven's delightful Symphony No.4, which I love. I've both played in and studied the piece, and this was a wonderful reading, fresh and tight, with the magical string ensemble playing that characterizes the Berlin Phil's sound absolutely breathtaking, especially in the passagework of the last movement.

The second half was, if anything, even MORE wonderful. Mahler's First Symphony in all it's fabulous glory. It's a piece I first played in about 20 years ago, and have loved ever since. I can honestly say that listening to it on this occasion was the very very most I've enjoyed the piece without actually being in the orchestra playing it!

From the moment the sustained high harmonic A started to the final octave drop that ends the piece I was captivated. The brightness and energy of the second movement was utter joy, and the trumpet duet in the third movement, which usually sends shivers down my spine in any case, was ELECTRIC! I held my breath, as I always do, for the viola entry in the fourth movement, and was highly impressed by the absolute unison of the whole section!

I think the rest of the audience (a small number of whom are pictured here, about 10 minutes before the concert started - it was packed by the time the orchestra came on) agreed with me. Thunderous applause started while the last note was still ringing and went on for several minutes.

After a clear and easy drive home, with Mahler still ringing in our ears, we stayed up much later than we should have done, eating beans on toast and watching the highlights of the Reading Festival on the TV!

What a night! Farewell Proms 2010, see you again next year for Proms 2011!