2024

Claude Debussy
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Igor Stravinsky
Petrushka (1910-11, rev. 1946)
Hector Berlioz
Symphonie fantastique

Jean-Baptiste Doulcet (piano – Petrushka)

Orchestre de Paris – Philharmonie
Klaus Mäkelä

As the world eagerly turns its gaze to Paris for the 2024 Olympics, Parisian artistry graced London’s Royal Albert Hall in the form of the Orchestre de Paris – Philharmonie  under the baton of their dynamic music director, Klaus Mäkelä. The evening’s program—Debussy, Stravinsky, and Berlioz—was a veritable showcase of French flair, imbued with Mäkelä’s signature energy and precision.

The concert opened with Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, a work often heralded as the harbinger of modern music. While it’s been anecdotally called the first true piece of atonal music, Debussy himself remarked that it has “no respect for tonality,” a claim that belies its lush harmonic landscape. Mäkelä’s interpretation was dreamy, almost languorous, evoking more of Delius’s pastoral idylls than Debussy’s Parisian chic. Principal flautist Anais Benoit embodied the faun’s capricious spirit with a delicate yet sinuous performance, swaying with the music as if in dialogue with the mythical creature itself. Mäkelä, notably batonless for this piece, sculpted the sound with a fluidity that allowed the music to breathe and unfold organically.

Following a brief off-stage interlude, Mäkelä returned to the podium with a burst of energy, launching into Stravinsky’s Petrushka with a vigour that momentarily caught the orchestra—and the audience—off guard. The initial surprise gave way to a performance of sharp rhythmic clarity, where Stravinsky’s meticulous demands for accent and articulation were met with unerring precision. Mäkelä’s attention to detail was meticulous, though not without a few personal touches. One could detect a hint of Stokowski in the added percussion—an extra side drum subtly inserted at pivotal moments. The climactic moment when Petrushka’s tambourine should fall flat to signal his demise was a tad overdone, the instrument landing with more force than one might expect from a sawdust-filled puppet. These were, however, minor quibbles in what was otherwise a kaleidoscopic and riveting performance, rich in the colour and nuance that too often elude concert renditions of this work.

After the interval, the orchestral layout underwent a subtle but significant change, with the violas swapping places with the second violins, adding a new dimension to the soundscape for Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. This five-part fever dream of a symphony received the Orchestre de Paris’s full attention, the strings once again proving their mettle with a sound that filled the hall from floor to rafters. Mäkelä’s interpretation brought out the contrasts in the score with razor-sharp clarity: orchestral pianissimos were so delicate they were barely there, while fortissimos shook the very foundations of the hall.

One moment of dubious drama occurred in the first movement, where the second violins engaged in an overblown crescendo-decrescendo that felt more melodramatic than effective. Yet, aside from this, the performance was exemplary, revealing subtleties in Berlioz’s writing that are often overlooked. Mäkelä moved directly from the first movement into the second without a pause, a decision that stymied premature applause but couldn’t completely silence the persistent coughs that seem to plague quiet passages at the Proms. The Ball waltzed along with vivacious charm, and the dual harps added a luxuriant sheen to the texture.

The Scene in the Countryside was notable for its forward momentum, never allowed to linger or sag. An off-stage oboe, responding to the cor anglais, was stationed high in the gallery—an unusual choice that, while striking, could have been more effective with a subtler dynamic. The quartet of timpanists at the movement’s close provided a visual and aural spectacle, their synchronised playing adding to the growing sense of drama.

Mäkelä drove the March to the Scaffold at a brisk tempo, perhaps a bit too brisk for the bassoons and cellos, whose ensemble wasn’t as tight as one might have hoped. Nevertheless, the movement was exhilarating, the timpanists clearly enjoying themselves as they hammered out Berlioz’s grim march with gusto. The final movement, Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath, was a tour-de-force of diabolical energy, the orchestra conjuring up a nightmarish vision with eerie bells (off stage) summoning Berlioz’s hellish apparitions. The strings, playing col legno, created a bone-chilling effect as skeletal figures danced in macabre glee.

On paper, this was a program of well-trodden classics, a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. Yet Mäkelä and his Parisian forces elevated it to something far beyond the ordinary, delivering performances of such vivid imagination and technical brilliance that the standing ovation from the packed hall was not only inevitable but richly deserved.

Dani Howard
Argentum (excerpt)

Dominique Le Gendre
Dolphin Dance

Georg Philipp Telemann
Wassermusik – overture

Maurice Ravel
Mother Goose Suite – No. 5: The Fairy Garden

Benjamin Britten
Four Sea Interludes from ‘Peter Grimes’ – Storm

Mason Bates
Whalesong

Eleanor Alberga
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – Celebration Dance

Andy Day (presenter)
Puja Panchkoty (presenter)

Sinfonia Smith Square
Kwamé Ryan

The first of two CBeebies Proms today (same programme), offered a vibrant afternoon where the exuberance of childhood met the sophistication of classical music. It was a carefully crafted event designed to cater to the boundless energy and short attention spans of young children, while still providing an enriching experience for adults. Guided by the affable Andy Day and Puja Panchkoty of Andy’s Adventures, the journey through the depths of the ocean was as informative as it was entertaining, with the visual delight of beloved CBeebies characters like Love Monster, JoJo & GranGran, Hey Duggee, and even the Australian export Bluey projected on the screen above the orchestra.

The programme opened with a truncated version of Dani Howard’s Argentum, a piece originally composed for Classic FM’s 25th anniversary. Though its brevity left some yearning for more, the scintillating woodwinds and bold brass interjections set a sparkling tone for what was to come. However, the decision to abridge this already concise work was somewhat disappointing, especially given its potential to captivate even the youngest listeners with its effervescent charm.

Following this, Dominique Le Gendre’s Dolphin Dance, commissioned specifically for this Prom, offered a more abstract evocation of the ocean. The woodwind, percussion, and double basses created a soundscape reminiscent of the seashore, with steel pans adding a playful touch as they represented the dolphins in the accompanying video. While melodically sparse, the piece succeeded in painting an aural picture of the ocean’s rhythmic ebb and flow.

Telemann’s Wassermusik provided a lively interlude, accompanied by a visually engaging segment on sea horses. The audience was informed of the sea horses’ unique ability to camouflage and survive in clean waters. The orchestra and audience alike joined in clapping to the music, albeit with some timing discrepancies, but the enthusiasm in the hall was palpable.

Ravel’s Fairy Garden from Mother Goose followed, bringing a touch of whimsy to the proceedings. This delicate, four-minute gem was paired with fun facts about starfish, much to the delight of the children who giggled at the revelation that starfish poop out of their mouths.

A segment on the environmental perils facing our oceans was anchored by a short piece from the Go Jetters, another CBeebies success. The serious message about oceanic pollution was delivered with a light touch, though it was somewhat jarring to hear the American term “garbage” instead of the more familiar “rubbish.” Nevertheless, the ecological imperative was made abundantly clear.

Mason Bates’ Whalesong, performed under the baton of Kwamé Ryan, brought a more contemplative mood to the afternoon. The use of percussion and recorded whale song to depict a lone whale searching for its pod was both haunting and majestic. However, by this point, the younger members of the audience began to grow restless. Despite the piece’s atmospheric beauty, it struggled to maintain the children’s attention – a reminder that even the most carefully curated concerts can face challenges when catering to a very young audience.

The concert concluded on a high note with Eleanor Alberga’s Celebration Dance from her score for Roald Dahl’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Drawing from Alberga’s Caribbean roots, the music was vibrant and full of life, providing a fitting and uplifting finale to an afternoon that managed to both educate and entertain.

Overall, the CBeebies Prom: Ocean Adventure succeeded in its mission to introduce young children to the wonders of classical music while keeping them engaged through familiar characters and interactive elements. The concert’s thoughtful programming, combined with the infectious energy of Andy Day and Puja Panchkoty, made for an afternoon that was as delightful as it was educational, despite a few moments where the pacing faltered.

Kaija Saariaho
Mirage
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat major ‘Jeunehomme’
Richard Strauss
An Alpine Symphony

Silja Aalto (soprano)
Anssi Karttunen (cello)
Seong-Jin Cho (piano)

BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sakari Oramo

In a Prom that could best be described as a curate’s egg – good in parts – the BBC Symphony Orchestra served up a program that oscillated between the ethereal and the tumultuous, led with characteristic assurance by their Finnish Chief Conductor, Sakari Oramo. The evening opened with the first Proms performance of compatriot Kaija Saariaho’s Mirage, a work that resonated with the spectral echoes of the late composer’s deeply evocative sound world.

Saariaho’s Mirage is a delicate, almost fragile composition that hovers on the brink of the other-worldly. The piece, setting a poem chanted by a Mazatec shaman from Mexico, unfolds as a musical shriek – a description not far from the truth, though it perhaps undersells the extraordinary nuance present in the music. The cello, in the hands of Anssi Karttunen, initiated the dialogue with an atmospheric opening that shimmered with anticipation. Soprano Silja Aalto, singing from memory as did Karttunen, joined this conversation with a vocal line that was more about texture than melody, her voice blending seamlessly with the colours conjured by the large yet restrained orchestra.

Oramo’s careful control of dynamics ensured that the balance between the soloists and the orchestra never tipped into excess. The BBC Symphony Orchestra, seasoned interpreters of contemporary repertoire, handled the complex, glimmering textures with precision, allowing the music to fizz and sparkle with an almost translucent clarity. Saariaho’s work demands an ensemble that can navigate its subtle shifts in tone and colour, and the BBCSO did not disappoint.

Following this, a rather pedestrian performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.9 in E flat major played by Seong-Jin Cho. Despite Cho’s technical prowess, this reading of the concerto lacked the spirit and nuance that one might expect. The full strings of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, rather than lightening the texture by removing a few desks from the string sections, added a weightiness that felt out of place, particularly in the first movement, where their sound was heavy and somewhat unwieldy. The Andantino fared better, with Oramo providing a tighter cohesion between the soloist and the orchestra, yet the final Presto movement felt wayward, perhaps a casualty of the hall’s acoustics. As an encore, Cho played the second movement from Ravel’s Sonatine. Cho’s performance, while flawless in execution, ultimately left a sense of emotional detachment.

The second half of the concert was devoted to Richard Strauss’s epic tone poem An Alpine Symphony, a work that, like Mirage, utilises a vast orchestra more for its potential in colour than sheer volume. The hushed opening, intended to evoke the stillness of night just before dawn, was unfortunately marred by a restive audience. Nonetheless, the symphony soon found its stride. Strauss’s depiction of nature in its many forms – from the serene to the ferocious – was vividly brought to life, with Oramo expertly guiding the orchestra through the sweeping narrative.

The lighting in the hall subtly shifted from the red of the first half to an icy blue, mirroring the chill of the Alpine landscape. The off-stage hunting party, with its twelve horns, two trumpets, and two trombones, may have seemed an indulgence on Strauss’s part, yet the effect was undeniably striking. Less successful, however, were the off-stage cowbells, which clattered more like a street brawl than a pastoral idyll, detracting from the otherwise evocative soundscape.

Strauss’s orchestral imagination was at its most vivid in the depiction of the climber’s struggle and the ensuing storm, where the BBC Symphony Orchestra excelled, particularly in the tumultuous climax that felt both overwhelming and inevitable. The cartoonish Precarious Moments section was polished. The organ’s first entry at the summit was barely audible, but later in the storm and epilogue, its presence, in Richard Pearce’s hands, provided a weighty addition to the symphony’s vast emotional arc.

Despite the odd disappointing moment, this performance was a tour de force, concluding with Oramo holding the silence before the applause – a moment of stillness as powerful as the music that preceded it. The BBC Symphony Orchestra, under Oramo’s direction, demonstrated their ability to navigate the vast landscapes of sound, whether in the delicate whispers of Saariaho or the grandiose sweeps of Strauss. While the evening may have had its uneven moments, the overall impact was one of remarkable musical storytelling, leaving an indelible impression on those present.

Good Thing
I’m Not The Only One
I’ve Told You Now
Like I Can
Leave Your Lover
Both Sides, Now
Lay Me Down
Hushabye Mountain (with Joanna Eden)
Writing’s on the Wall
Stay With Me
Latch
Dancing With A Stranger
Messin’ with Fire (with Clare Teal)
Fever (with Clare Teal)
Too Good At Goodbyes
Midnight Train
My Funny Valentine
How Do You Sleep
Lighthouse Keeper
Unholy
Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Sam Smith
Ruth O’Mahony-Brady (piano)
Ben Totten (guitar)
Lucita Jules (backing vocals)
Patrick Linton (backing vocals)
Ladonna Young (backing vocals)

Ralph Salmins (drums)
Steve Pearce (bass guitar)
Ben Castle (saxophone/clarinet)

LJ Singers (Lawrence Johnson – chorus director)
Simon Hale (conductor/arranger)
David Odlum (musical director)
Brendan Grieve (musical director)

BBC Concert Orchestra

In a unique fusion of pop sensibility and orchestral grandeur, Sam Smith made their only UK appearance of 2024 at the BBC Proms, marking the tenth anniversary of their landmark debut album, In the Lonely Hour. This concert, more than just a retrospective, was a heartfelt journey through the music and experiences that have shaped Smith’s life and career, with an audience eager to dance, sing, and share in the moment.

The evening opened with the full forces of the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted and arranged by Simon Hale, who has had a longstanding collaboration with Smith dating back to In the Lonely Hour. Smith, alongside their long-term guitarist Ben Totten and pianist Ruth O’Mahony-Brady, brought a warm and introspective energy to the stage. Their connection was palpable, especially during the rendition of “I’m Not the Only One,” co-written by Jimmy Napes, who joined Smith on piano, much to the audience’s delight.

Smith set the tone early, expressing a desire to celebrate the people and songs that have defined their journey, even including their father’s favourites. This sentiment was echoed in the poignant delivery of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now,” accompanied by a delicate piano arrangement. Later, the deeply moving “Hushaby Mountain,” performed with Smith’s singing teacher Joanna Eden, was a highlight, showcasing a tender side often overshadowed by their pop persona.

The concert was a study in contrasts, with the first half dedicated entirely to songs from In the Lonely Hour. The raw emotion and vulnerability of these tracks reminded the packed Royal Albert Hall of Smith’s beginnings. The second half broadened the scope, incorporating hits from The Thrill of It All, Love Goes, and the recent Gloria. “Unholy” stood out with its high-production, dramatic flair, enhanced by red lighting and rich orchestration.

Smith’s versatility shone throughout, particularly during a spine-tingling duet with long-time collaborator LaDonna Young. The performance of “Writing’s on the Wall,” their Bond theme, was both visually and sonically stunning, bathed in monochrome lighting that evoked the song’s cinematic roots.

A striking element of the evening was Smith’s sartorial choices. They transitioned from a tailored suit in the first half to a custom-made red ball gown by Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, accompanied by millinery from Stephen Jones and jewels by Asprey. This costume change, complemented by a stage adorned with red and pink flowers, reflected not only the visual but also the emotional shift of the concert’s second half.

Smith’s setlist included some delightful surprises. Clare Teal joined for a lively rendition of her own “Messin’ with Fire,” followed by the sultry standard “Fever.” Smith then took a brief respite, allowing their talented backing singers to shine with a rendition of “Midnight Train.” The inclusion of “My Funny Valentine,” arranged in a lilting 6/8, was another nod to the Great American Songbook, illustrating Smith’s appreciation for timeless melodies.

The night concluded with an encore that brought all the evening’s guests together for a charming, albeit slightly saccharine, performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Despite the audience’s hopeful applause for a second encore, the concert ended there—a fitting close to a splendid evening of music, leaving a lasting impression of an artist who continues to evolve and enchant.

Smith’s Prom was not merely a reflection on past successes but a celebration of a decade-long journey, filled with love, pain, and growth. As they continue to explore new musical landscapes, this night at the Royal Albert Hall will be remembered as a milestone in their storied career.

Charles Ives
Three Places in New England
Maurice Ravel
Piano Concerto in G major
Claude Debussy
Nocturnes
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Francesca da Rimini

Denis Kozhukhin (piano)

Philharmonia Chorus (upper voices)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Vasily Petrenko

The excellence of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under their conductor Vasily Petrenko continues with each concert. Thursday’s Prom was a vivid and well-contrasted programme that showed off all departments of the orchestra, especially the woodwind, to good advantage and was a mixture of the familiar and unfamiliar that drew a full house. 

The less familiar was Charles Ives’ Three Places in New England programmed in commemoration of the 150^thanniversary of his birth and receiving only its seventh performance at the Proms. (Lorin Maazel’s 1975 performance with the Cleveland Orchestra still lingers in the memory.) The opening movement, The Saint Gaudens in Boston Common, is a memorial to America’s first black army company in the Civil War and is haunting and elegiac. It’s a slow march built on several tunes from plantation songs to Civil War songs and Petrenko drew out wispy strands of sound from the strings. It was very controlled and dreamlike without suggesting the discreet layers of sound within the music.  The second movement, Putnam’s Camp, Redding, Connecticut, with its two clashing brass bands on a 4^th July outing was rambunctious, leading to a massive orchestral pile-up at its dissonant coda.   

The Housatonic at Stockbridge memorialises Ives and his wife, Harmony, walking along the banks of the Housatonic River on their honeymoon. Petrenko and the RPO caught the nostalgic quality of the dignified slow-motion central theme perfectly.

Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major is much more familiar with Denis Kozhukhin as the soloist in a work that he has also recorded. Kozhukhin always brings great clarity and a sense of purpose to his performances. He seemed more meditative than usual in the first movement and emphasised the bluesy nature of the music, whilst Suzy Willison – Kawalec ‘s harp solo was a delight.   The second movement seemed a touch too slow and introspective rather than wistful, but the third movement burst into life with mercurial playing from both soloist and orchestra and Kozhukhin providing some dazzling finger work. Overall, there was the nagging feeling that a little more rehearsal, especially in the slow movement, would not have gone amiss.  Kozhukhin’s encore was Tchaikovsky’s “In Church” from Album for the Young (Opus 39) with its ending seemingly stretching out into infinity.

Debussy’s Nocturnes was next up after the interval. Petrenko kept the opening Nuages moving with some lovely woodwind solos, especially from Emer McDonaugh’s flute, and the cor anglais (Patrick Flanaghan) suggesting a hint of menace at an approaching storm. The following Fetes was bracing, vivid and tight rhythmically. The upper voices of the Philharmonia Chorus took a moment to settle in Sirénes but were fresh and precise in the movement’s changing harmonies and rhythms and the orchestra offered skeins of sound in accompaniment. Many of the promenaders seemed mesmerised by the Choir’s singing and the piece worked its magic in the hall.

If the Nocturnes were restrained, Petrenko’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini was music–making with the hand- brake off. In the wrong hands the work can seem a pot boiler, but Petrenko and the RPO offered a fervent and highly musical performance. The opening had baleful brass and swirling, dense, chromatic strings that summoned up a view into the pits of Hell. Petrenko keep the central section flowing for the love music for Francesca and Paolo with an especially poignant clarinet solo (Katherine Lacy) for Francesca herself. Petrenko, his left-hand flying, launched the final maelstrom with maniacal energy to cap a fine performance that mixed grace with ferocity in equal measure.

BBC Concert Orchestra

Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser
conductor

Vanessa Haynes
vocals

Elisabeth Troy
vocals

Vula Malinga
vocals

Cedric Neal
vocals

Meg Birch
backing vocals

Tehillah Daniel
backing vocals

Sacha Savory
backing vocals

Shanice Steele
backing vocals

James Thompson
backing vocals

Sound, style and fashion met in the disco movement, and in late 1970s New York there was only one place to experience it: Studio 54. Many of the disco hits that electrified the dance floor at the iconic midtown-Manhattan venue borrowed extensively from orchestral traditions. Here the BBC Concert Orchestra returns the favour, lending its power and exuberance to an evening that celebrates a pivotal movement in late 20th-century club culture and the glorious music it produced. With iconic hits from Chic, Gloria Gaynor, Diana Ross, Boney M. and Walter Murphy, get ready for all the glitz, glamour and groove of disco at the Proms!

bbc.co.uk/proms

No reviewer was available to review this Prom, but we have published this so you may listen to it using the iPlayer link in the left-hand column. If you would like to join the classical source team and review future concerts and proms like this, please contact us at reviewers@classicalsource.com