In the past I've made trips to London, where I was able to arrange the date of a trip I had to make anyhow with the period of 1-2 Proms.
But when glancing through the Proms prospectus this year, nothing leapt out at me as a 'must', I have to say. Very humdrum and 'safe' programming, performed by 'the usual suspects'.
The Proms is a festival - a chance to direct its high-end budgets at 'never-to-be-repeated' programs with exceptional performers. I'd heard they were going to do
The Trojans this year - but it turns out to be only 'excerpts from'. (Two bleeding chunks, 10 minutes and 7 minutes respectively - I wonder why they bothered?). 'Harold in Italy' must turn up twice-weekly at the South Bank - hardly 'festival' material at all.
As you say, with the almost universal availability of nearly any music you'd want on cd or internet, it requires a special 'zing' in the line-up to merit a 300-quid airfare to London these days. Robin Ticciati conducting
Pelleas and Melisande - with a line-up of British soloists and an Austrian Melisande - is not, for me, even worth the tube fare to South Ken, sad to say
