byronic :: mad bad and dangerous to know

Gustavo Dudamel, The Dude of classical music, conducting the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela - a glorious youth orchestra fostered by an incredibly successful cultural programme known as El Sistema, which offers free musical education to children in one of the poorest countries in the world. 

Tonight they played Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 2 in C minor (‘Resurrection’) at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms. I couldn’t go, but fortunately the whole concert is available on the BBC iPlayer.

Photo via BBC - BBC Radio 3 Programmes - BBC Proms, 2011, Prom 29 - Mahler

Also performing last night at the BBC Human Planet Prom was the Bibilang Shark-Calling Group  from Papua New Guinea, who performed some of their fantastically upbeat ritual songs with guitars, sea shells, sticks and drums. Shark calling is a traditional hunting technique in the islands of Papua New Guinea.

Here some band members are re-enacting a shark-calling dance; behind them is a cellist from the BBC Symphony Orchestra, which accompanied the video projection of the Human Planet series in the Royal Albert Hall with a score by Nitin Sawhney.

Last night was the first time the Bibilang Shark-Calling Group performed outside of their native lands, having never before this week travelled to another country. London gave them the warmest welcome.

(photo by my pal sav_ on instatagram)

Last night at the Proms we were treated to live performances by some of the artists who accompanied the BBC series Human Planet. Khusugtun, a folk band from Mongolia, were one of the highlights: they sounded like Mongolia’s answer to Arcade Fire with Tom Waits as lead vocalist. You can listen to their performance and others from last night on the BBC Radio3 iplayer, or check out their website for info and sample tracks.

The flute sound you hear throughout the songs is produced by one of the singers, who can modulate his breath not only through circular breathing, but also by using his nose and mouth to produce two distinct exhaling sounds. Amazing to listen to and watch, and immensely suggestive of this great land and its past.

nobordersdaily:

La musica classica sbarca a Londra con il festival The Proms. (via The Proms: musica classica a Londra)

Un post in cui vi racconto i Proms: un’istituzione dell’estate inglese, un esperimento di democrazia culturale, una bizzarra rassegna antropologica di materiale umano britannico, una fantastica introduzione al mondo della musica classica. Se siete a Londra è imperdibile, se non ci siete cosa aspettate a venire?