Golden Prague → 2009 → Highlights → Tribute to the BBC Proms

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 17:00, in the Small Hall at Žofín

The BBC Proms are widely regarded as the world's greatest music festival, with more than 70 concerts and events taking place in the heart of London from July to September every year. Since they were founded by Sir Henry Wood in 1895, the Proms have grown and developed in line with Wood's original idea, to make excellent music available to as many people as possible
In its first seasons, a tradition was established of a Wagner Night on Mondays and a Beethoven Night on Fridays. Wood also promoted young, talented performers, and he fought to raise orchestral standards, making himself unpopular in 1904 with a successful bid to scrap the system whereby orchestral players could send deputies to the rehearsals and appear in person only for the concert. By 1920 Wood had introduced to the Proms many of the leading composers of the day, including Richard Strauss, Debussy, Rachmaninov, Ravel and Vaughan Williams. In 1927 the BBC had established its status as a Corporation with a mandate 'to inform, educate and entertain', clearly a vision that Henry Wood held for the Proms.

The BBC took over the Proms, and for three years the concerts were given by 'Sir Henry Wood and his Symphony Orchestra', until the BBC Symphony Orchestra was formed in 1930. The Proms now reached a far wider audience and although some feared that broadcasting would reduce audience numbers, Wood emphasised its role in achieving his aim 'of truly democratising the message of music, and making its beneficent effect universal'.

Television broadcasting began at the Proms in the late 1950s and now the Proms are available on radio, television, via streaming and the web, both in the UK and for a worldwide audience. Peter Maniura gives an insight into the Proms phenomenon and includes some of the artistic highlights and innovations of this remarkable classical music festival.

Tribute to the BBC Proms takes place on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 17:00, in the Small Hall at Žofín.