Prom 62: Thursday, 1st September at 7.30 p.m. (Israel PO/Mehta)

[Stunsworth]

Well, that should keep the thread going for a while

[Petrushka]

I know what you mean, Petrushka. But there was and must always be the hope that traditional musical goodwill (the sort advocated by Daniel Barenboim and his wonderfully intentioned West Eastern Divan Orchestra) would succeed. I feel sorrow for Zubin Mehta and the IPO musicians as I did for the USSRSSO, Rostropovich and Oistrakh in 1968. I detested what the Eastern Bloc did on on the 20th of August of that year. I went to the USSRSSO concerts in sadness but to hear the music: then shouted my protest up the road at the embassy by Kensington Palace and went to the extra "Prom" where Barenboim and du Pre repeated the Dvorak Cello Concerto (Sunday Proms were rare in those days). I believe that the arts should be there to build bridges and there must always be hope that they will. I believe that Israel has become the creator of its own woes but it will not be moved to fairness by yobbish behaviour.

Agree with this 100%. What I question is the booking of the IPO in the first place when anyone with half a brain could have predicted the likely outcome. Indeed, when I first glanced through the Proms Guide back in April I said this would happen and instantly crossed it off my list. So, so predictable.

[french frank]

The edited version of this concert is now in the iPlayer.

[tony yyy]

The whole of the Bruch seems to be available via the iPlayer but it seems to be limited to 56Kbps at the moment, unless I'm doing something wrong.

[Chris Newman]

I was out earlier this evening then very strange, I clicked on iPlayer for the first part of the Philadelphia concert with Dutoit and have been given Mehta's Webern Passacaglia complete with Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

[PJPJ]

The whole of the Bruch seems to be available via the iPlayer but it seems to be limited to 56Kbps at the moment, unless I'm doing something wrong.

I don't think you are - I tried it out yesterday morning and that's what I got, too. However, the Bruch performance is quite terrific, I think.

[Anna]

Members of the LPO suspended because of letter of protest about the IPO
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/54...rael-proms-row

[Caliban]

Members of the LPO suspended because of letter of protest about the IPO
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/54...rael-proms-row

Thanks for posting that Anna - most interesting!

[BudgieJane]

The only reference to this I can find is in the Jewish Chronicle. Why isn't it in our mainstream newspapers?

[Osborn]

The same thing would happen if you worked for Natwest, BP, The National Trust or the local council. You can't use your employer's name to add weight & apparent support to your private view. Of course you will be disciplined & quite rightly so (whether the punishment fits the crime in this case is a different matter).