The Met Orchestra Plays Strauss

Proms on TV, 2026
The Met Orchestra Plays Strauss
Royal Albert Hall

It is Sunday evening and I am in a reflective, melancholic mood. A combination of the drizzly weather, (foreboding of the incoming autumn) Bank Holiday work tomorrow, and the fact that I drank a coffee this morning which has proved to have an extended half life.

Anyway, on go the iPlayer Proms, and I pick The Met Orchestra playing Strauss. Richard Strauss. Another USA orchestra, in another nod to the country's semiquincentennial.  First up is the Der Rosenkavalier suite. It is a full bodied music which is pleasant to listen to - characteristic of his style. 

Next it's opera to Oscar Wilde's Salome; a play which actually makes up part of the anthology of plays I purchased at his childhood home in Dublin, precisely fourteen days ago. Soprano Elza van den Heever takes the stand to deliver the vocals.

After the interval it is a long piece called Ein Heldenleben. I stand by my front door and watch the light slowly disappear on what has been a day of mixed weather and emotion.

There was a mistake during the encore, apparently, but it was way over my head.

Celebrating James Bond at the Proms

Proms on TV, 2026
Celebrating James Bond at the Proms
Royal Albert Hall

Nick Mohammed presents the latest installment of what I'm calling the 'popular' Proms. This Saturday night is a celebration of all things Bond. James Bond. Cue the usual one-liners and gentle innuendos. Bond does seem to be synonymous with a bank holiday weekend; from Alan Partridge's infamous VHS Bond-a-thon, to today's repeats on ITV 3.

I have always had something of a James Bond quality about my person, I think to myself, as I ingest more pizza and beer. This week I have opted for my more tradional-style Maßkrug, picked up from Munich's Oktoberfest in 2013. Ale and pizza once again obtained from my local Aldi. I have also recently acquired a gorgeous 'Bond at 50' Blu ray set for a steal of £20 - so I place it strategically on the coffee table to set the mood, and to remind myself of a good bargain got.

The show naturally opens with Monty Norman's main Bond theme tune, and a variety of singers hold court on the stage as we run through a roster of hit Bond songs. Highlights for me are Licence to Kill, Diamonds Are Forever [particularly the spine-tingling opening bars, as always], and Goldfinger.

Lulu herself delivers her Man with the Golden Gun, which is a terrific feat for a centenarian. 

Live and Let Die takes me back to the intense heat of Paul McCartney's stage pyrotechnics at his incredible 2015 show in Liverpool, and Skyfall to Adele's atmospheric Manchester gig the year later. Brilliant stuff.

Louis Armstrong's We Have All the Time in the World is a very good choice to close the show and, to finish, I may ponder on the age-old question: who, actually, 'did it better' ?

For me, Brosnan is probably the one. Mostly for the fact that he was the current Bond at the time I was growing up. I will also add - with an element of male begrudging - that he does embody everything one would expect Bond to be. That being said, when I saw Ben Elton on his Authentic Stupidity tour at the Warrington Parr Hall in 2024, he made a proclamation that Roger Moore was his favourite Bond, and for one simple reason: he knew it was a laugh.

Beethoven and Mozart at the Proms

Proms on TV, 2026
Beethoven and Mozart at the Proms
Royal Albert Hall

It's a drizzly Friday evening in late August, and I decide to knock off another two Proms broadcasts on iPlayer. 

Beethoven and Mozart. B&M. The two titans - the Tate & Lyle, if you will - of classical music. They'll do. I am banding these together to avoid having to write two separate blogs, which I am finding are eating into my free time which is not in so much abundance as it was last summer.

Beethoven's Seventh Prom

The first one I watch is Beethoven's Seventh. It is the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra being conducted by the apparently revered Gustavo Dudamel. He is something of a 'rockstar' conductor, we learn, having appeared at this year's World Cup opening ceremony or something. I love the Pete Townshend-style windmills he performs with his arms from time to time, offering a novel exercise for his baton.

As I think I remarked last year: the music of Beethoven, to me, is at one with mother nature. Hence its brilliance. No other composer - not even Wagner - gets as close. Beethoven's Seventh is a peach; his ninth (which I also like) shares a couple of motifs with this, I reckon.

After Beethoven there is a performance of contemporary music by Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz. She's in the house, and the BBC show us a pre-recorded interview with her, explaining the origins of the music. Revolución diamantina starts with glockenspiel, and I’m a fan of that. As it progresses, there is an off-balance theme to the music: the type of thing that would be placed on a confusion/nightmare sequence of a Hitchcock thriller. Haunting vocal chirps by the (I think) the all-female vocal ensemble. In some ways it grates, and isn’t very pleasant to listen to - but I understand that that is by design. It is touching to see Gabriela Ortiz herself on stage after the performance, visibly grateful to the audience. 

Mozart

This is a Prom with very unique soloists, not least of all because the instruments they play seldom get an outing as a solo instrument.
It is a shame the French Horn is not seen more regularly in the foreground. Aesthetically peculiar, it's tones are gorgeous. As a friend of mine put it, it tends to add 'the cream' to the overall sound of an orchestra. Felix Klieser plays the instrument, and in a very unique way. Born without arms, he plays the instrument with his feet. He plays Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 3. He is genuinely awe inspiring to watch. He concludes the performance with a rendition of the exquisite Just One Cornetto, so what is there not to like?

After the interval, the Bassoon gets a spot in the limelight. Amy Harman takes to the stage, and allows the instrument to steal the show with Thea Musgrave's Bassoon Concerto, Out of the Darkness. It is a sexy piece, and I refer not only to the music. Following suit is Elgar's Romance for bassoon and orchestra, and I hereby grant him a redemption from the unkind words I said about his first concerto, earlier in the season.

Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/music-grades-piano-classic-7973017/

Marvin Gaye: Prince of Soul

Proms on TV, 2026
Marvin Gaye: Prince of Soul
Royal Albert Hall

Roll over Beethoven, Saturday nights ain't for Elise. No, Sir; for tonight, we have the beat and hip sways of soul music overcoming the BBC Concert Orchestra. A night in tribute to the great Marvin Gaye. For my part, I top up my Hofbrauhaus maß (obtained on the back of my visit to the famed establishment in the summer of 2013) with a litre of Aldi's finest German lager - which is actually very nice. And I'm excited, because I also have a tub of Specially Selected Pretzel Fudge Mini Bites, also from the aforementioned supermarket.

The show opens with I Heard It Through the Grapevine, which, for an opener, is quite a brave choice I think. But it works (how could it not?!)

It is an energetic show, and certainly conducive to a lively Saturday night - much like my snacks and beer. Perhaps my only minor criticism is that the high-octane performances never seem to dissipate. It is 'banger after banger,' as they say, but with no break in the energy. This is maybe due to the way the BBC have welded the performances together, because I also note that there is a quick succession of singers with no introductions etc... the pleasantries have not made the cut. This is not a show to intellectualise, but to revel in the enjoyment of. Which I did. 

Miles Davis Centenary

Proms on TV, 2026
Miles Davis Centenary
Royal Albert Hall

In 2026 we are celebrating what would have been the 100th birthday year of Miles Davis: the Big Daddy of jazz. I am a fan, and I always think this type of music is best enjoyed with a nip of whisky. Hence I pour out the last dregs of a small bottle of Jack Daniels that has been sitting on the wine rack in my kitchen since just before last Christmas. 

The BBC concert orchestra is joined by a trumpet player called Ambrose Akinmusire and, boy, is he smooth. He hits all the right timbres, delivering the music of Gershwin (Porgy and Bess) with all the elegance it deserves. Eyes closed, I wouldn't have guessed it wasn't Miles Davis playing. Suffice to say, the rest of the programme follows suit, so there is not much else to say about the broadcast itself.

After the show and in the mood, I dig out my heavyweight, blue-coloured, mono edition vinyl of Kind of Blue, placing it tactfully on the deck and topping up my whisky glass. And after that I put on my not-so-glamourous (but just as treasured) CD-R copy of In a Silent Way. I'm sure I've got Sketches of Spain somewhere, also on a CD-R that a friend did for me some years back. But I don't know where that is just now. 

I also remember and take note that I still haven't watched the Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool documentary film, which I downloaded from iPlayer ages (years) ago. Must watch that before 2026 is out.

This Prom was one hundred percent me.

National Youth Orchestra at the Proms

Proms on TV 2026
NYO at the Proms
Royal Albert Hall

The youth of today are not all lazing about at home on their Game Boys, or knocking golf balls through pensioners' windows. Some are entertaining us with a selection of Liszt, Ades, and Berlioz. And they do do a sterling job, it must be said.

Tonight's music is all about death and devilry, presented in that 'Royal Albert Hall' sort of way. Could there be echoes of Danse Macabre then, I wonder? I certainly hope so.

I'm spiffed when Petroc T announces that tonight's show will feature Franz Liszt because - despite his name being as well-known in the classical world as Coca Cola - I have not yet had the chance to get my teeth into any of his music. I do not believe he appeared at all in the 2025 Proms run? I suppose I put him in the same drawer as Chopin, due to the piano connotations. But there must be more to him than that?

This first piece is called Mephisto Waltz No 1, and I have to say that I like it - a lot. There is something rum about it, though it doesn't conjure up blood and gore. A gentle gothic feel, I would call it. And that is invariably a very good thing, musically.

Moving away from the Liszt, we hear the conductors own piece of work - Purgatorio–Dante ballet Part II. It's certainly unnerving, fitting with the evening's theme perfectly. Though I would struggle to play it on my HiFi for pleasure. It has something of the Egyptian Pharoes and snake charmers about its character.

Finally, the Berlioz, which I am looking forward to. Especially when I hear it is about the mental instability that arises from unrequited love. I hear you, Hector. I so hear you.

Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/x-box-console-joypad-activity-blue-1791671/

Celebrating Graceland at the Proms

Proms on TV 2026
Celebrating Graceland at the Proms
Royal Albert Hall

It seems that 2026 is a year of many a milestone anniversary, and one such example is the fortieth of Paul Simon's Graceland album. 

I have a certain level of affinity for the record, and in particular its titular track. Like Simon, I made the road trip to the Home of Elvis Presley in a state of contemplation; not knowing where life was taking me, save for the direction of the road. That was over ten years ago now, and I still haven't fully snapped out of that. When I had my non-stop oldies played on Radio 2 that same year (thanks again, Steve W), Paul Simon's Graceland appeared as the final track on the running order. Three years later, in 2018, I saw Paul Simon at BST Hyde Park, on his 'Homeward Bound' tour, where we, the vast audience, were treated to all the hit singles of the Graceland record, namely Graceland, You Can Call Me Al, and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes. 

Clive Myrie presents this celebration at the Royal Albert Hall, and on stage we have Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the ensemble who were on the original album. They are joined by contemporary pop stars such as James Bay, all offering their best impression of Paul Simon, with varying degrees of success.

While I knew this album had African influences in its music, I was previously unaware of the apartheid connotations at the time of its making. Simon collaborated on this album against the wishes of the anti-apartheid movement, who were otherwise making an effort to boycott the scene.

As Graceland [the song] begins, I can feel its bass line in the armrest of my settee. That, and the presentation of the undulating colours on stage, are testament to the fettle of my fifty inch. But I wish I could have been there, all the same.

Outside the gates of Graceland. September, 2015

Paul Simon at Hyde Park. July. 2018

Space Soundtracks at The Proms

Proms on TV 2026
Space Soundtracks at the Proms

Royal Albert Hall

I have decided to band together this year's broadcast of Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra, and the compilation show of Space Soundtracks that was presented by Nick Mohammed. What better evening to type this up than this evening -  Wednesday 12th August 2026 - as we witness the first solar eclipse since 1999. Funnily enough, I remember the one back in '99 and, though only ten or eleven years old at the time, seem to recall there being much more hype about that one. By contrast, I only found out about this one when various notifications flashed up on my phone this afternoon. I usually get a fill of the nightly sun down at the rear of my property, and so I decided to see what I might see. Just is my luck, a big-fuck-off cloud drifted across the line of view, just at the moment of totality. I did, however, get a couple of amateur shots before this moment, and I *think* I captured something at around 'half time', so to speak, by using my sunglasses to filter the camera lens on my phone.

Of course, space soundtracks are an integral feature of the 'popular' Proms. With good reason, because they are pretty smashing. [stopped myself from typing 'out of this world' just here.] I myself made the journey to watch The Planets and Star Wars at last year's run, and it was nice to see excerpts of those 2025 performances again. This programme also journeyed back to 2024, with a performance of the score from Episode I: The Phantom Menance. Just like the solar eclipse in 1999, I remember the hype around the Phantom Menace film in... [checks the year]... 1999! So, it was the same year - no wonder we were all going space mad. I believe I had the game on Playstation - the only console I owned before largely losing interest in computer games. It is the game that this performance of Phantom Menace takes me back to, and it is a fond memory of more innocent times. Being John Williams, the score is naturally a corker. It might be worth mentioning that I happened to watch ET a few years back and could not get into it, yet Williams's score is perfectly at home with me.

Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathrusta at the Proms is featured in its own broadcast as well as the compilation, and I confess it is one I know of but not much about. It featured in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Oddity, which I've never seen, but have now duly added it to 'the list.' The performance starts and, yes, of course I know this tune. It has been heard and rigorously parodied through the ages. Must watch that film when I get chance. And it's a fine piece by Strauss. But which Strauss, I wonder? There's that bloody many of them. I shall endeavor to find out.

Partial eclipse before being obscured by clouds. AKA, my life story.

Boléro: Rhythms of Spain

Proms on TV, 2026
Boléro: Rhythms of Spain
Royal Albert Hall

After watching the Elgar broadcast on Friday - slop of which I've better stomached on Blackpool prom - it was time to catch up with the Spanish one on iPlayer. And I must say that I found this broadcast much more flavourful. I am watching on my Lenovo tablet; I think a part of me wants to recreate the thrill of watching them onboard the National Express coaches, like I did a couple of times during last year's run. But it is for practical reasons also, because yesterday I had my settees shampooed, and I am allowing them time to dry out.

It was the Spanish National Orchestra's Proms debut, and they present a hearty tapas. We open with Ravel's Bolero. Do I know this tune? Boy do I know it, and it is further cementing Ravel into my favourite composers list. 

Rafael Aguirre plays the guitar in the later pieces, and it is textbook nylon-stringing. 

We have the Concierto de Aranjuez - or 'orange juice,' as they call it on Brassed Off. I recognise the music from the film - it was almost its theme tune? I guess I'll be listening out for it when I watch the 30th anniversary screening at the Royal Albert Hall in October.

Needless to say, Rodrigo's Orange Juice is a welcome digestif. Spain win The Proms as well as the World Cup.

Elgar at the Proms

Proms on TV, 2026
Elgar at the Proms
Royal Albert Hall

It is another Friday evening, and I am learning that the majority of televised Proms are broadcasted belatedly, over the weekends. That is fine, though I am also learning that this year's summer diary is somewhat fuller, and I am therefore not always capable of diarising on the night. 

On Friday I managed a 7.5k run, which wasn't bad. 10k was the goal, but we roll.

This evening at the Royal Albert Hall we have Elgar - a name surely as synonymous with The BBC Proms as Holst and... et al. I am half expecting to see a premature Union Flag flapping in the stalls.

Am I allowed to say that I found the first half a bit lacking? Nothing to do with the performers, and more the music itself? For me, it is not so much the highs, but the gentle lows that redeem this piece and give it its flair. Sounds like it was something of a whimsy on Elgar's part, but I have been known to be wrong. 

After a very short intermission, we have shifted in time. There's a different conductor, and it's a reminder that these broadcasts are not live.

The cello concerto - in contrast to the first symphony - seems to have more depth to it. And I am impressed with the soloist. Reading the blurb on iPlayer now, I see this was actually a 'delve into the archives,' and so now I am feeling slightly short-changed.

Can't win 'em all.