The Proms - Number 35

The programme was Elgar's In The South; Vaughan Williams' Piano Concerto; and Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade, performed by the BBC Philharmonic under the baton of Vassily

Sinaisky. This is a very competent, if unexciting orchestra and I didn't find that the conducting was particularly inspiring, but both the Elgar and the Rimsky-Korsakov is so uplifting that the music just shines through. I'm sure pianist Ashley Wass did a grand job with theVaughan Williams, but I'm not surprised this is not a regularly performed piece. There is always a difficulty with modern music - the romantics had it right - melodies and soaring notes, but in the twentieth century composers tended towards virtuosity - and that alone is not enough. Rating overall: 6/10