Well, what a great start to 'the big Proms week'! I thought that Rach 1 and Il Tabarro was a pretty unlikely pairing, but they both showed the BBC Phil and Noseda at their very considerable best. The Rachmaninov was very spirited - to my mind this orchestra are as good in Russian repertoire as any in the UK, better than most. The final movement was taken at quite a lick. I was very taken with the cello and viola sound - I can't really describe what it was, but it came across to where I was sitting very well.

The cast for Tabarro was impressive - Henschel, Miles and Banks in very minor roles. La Frittoli was great; I've only seen her in La Clemenza before - she seems to do quite a bit of Mozart - but I'd ilke to hear her do more Puccini and some Verdi. Lado Ataneli is a relatively new voice to me - I've heard his Barnaba on the EMI Gioconda. I had no idea he is Georgian - I'd assumed with his name that he was Italian; his voice certainly has an Italianate ring to it. He reminds me somewhat of Piero Cappuccilli in timbre, although he uses his voice more dramatically. I was a little disappointed Noseda took the latter part of his Nulla...Silenzio monologue so quickly, as I think something was lost there, but overall, a very good performance.

More from the BBCPO tomorrow, of course...

How so, bbm? Noseda's a great conductor in his own right, and the BBCPhil have been working for years with Vassily Sinaisky, who may not possess the desire for world domination that Gergiev seems to have, but has, in his own quiet way, developed into one of the finest Shostakovich conductors alive today (far more consistent than Gergiev) and who is at least partly responsible for that orchestra's aptitude for Russian repertoire. He's also broadcast a very fine Elgar2 and RVW6 with them over this past year, for my money streets ahead of anything that A Davis or Hickox can turn out.

I personally think its the best prom so far. I was lucky to be in the first row, without queueing for hours. It was a great night out. I have great admiration for the BBC PO, just wish they would come south more often.

Well Ron, I was actually saying was with Noseda being a pupil of Gergiev, he would've been trained in that Russsianesque way.
So when it does come to the Russian or Slavic repertoire he has that insight. Obviously he had the naturally talented gift of becoming a maestro in the first place.

No actual dancing, but Barry Banks was hamming it up, apologising for when his character, dancing with Giorgetta, steps on her foot!

Have just read a delightful post, possibly a wind-up, at TOP complaining about members of the audience sounding air-horns during the music; the tug-sirens and car horns are all part of Puccini's score, of course, and were performed by one of the percussionists on Monday.