BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts

Wayne Marshall Plays Wagner
“Fast” and “furious” are not words normally used to describe the opening of the Prelude to Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” (pace the programme note, Wagner designated “vorspiel” – prelude...
Sondheim at 80
Stephen Sondheim describes himself as a “playwright in song”; a description which has unwittingly done the man a disservice as with it he appears to rank his skills as a...
The Australian Youth Orchestra
It might seem a little odd but Shostakovich has lost his shine with Russian audiences. On a visit to St Petersburg in the composer’s centenary year (2006) I attended a...
Late-night Dvořák & Mozart
This was the second Prom this year due to have been conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras, and featuring repertoire the late conductor held dear. While it would have been a...
Paul Lewis Beethoven (2) [CBSO/Nelsons]
This very fine concert offered further evidence that Andris Nelsons, who has been at the helm of the CBSO since 2008, is continuing the transformative work of his predecessors. By...
BBCSO/Knussen Leila Josefowicz – Jubilee
Oliver Knussen can be relied on for imaginative but also intelligent concert planning, and so it proved with this Prom. A three-part programme lasting around 80 minutes might appear extravagant,...
Beethoven – Paavo Järvi & Hilary Hahn
This programme revived the spirit of “Beethoven Night” at the BBC Proms for the second time in a week, and these were no ordinary performances. As its four-year Beethoven Project...
Medée … a table of noises … Till
If this particular Proms confection didn’t quite capture the public’s imagination in terms of bums on seats and feet in the Arena, there were still a few oddballs dotted around...
Francesco Piemontesi & Navarra Quartet
With Meta4 unable to appear due to the illness of its cellist, and thus the postponement of Jouni Kaipainen’s String Quartet No.6 (a BBC co-commission), Francesco Piemontesi was joined at...
In Memory of Sir Charles Mackerras
Sir Charles Mackerras was scheduled to conduct this BBC Prom, which became dedicated to his memory. As a suitable tribute to him, a Dvořák piece replaced one of the advertised...
Doctor Who Prom (2)
The Sunday morning after the Saturday evening: a repeat of the Doctor Who Prom. One thing that stood out is the apparent ease in which duplication took place. Not in...
Doctor Who Prom (1)
A number of firsts for the annual BBC children’s franchise Prom (if I can put it like that); which was once the sole preserve of “Blue Peter” but which, in...
Parry, Scriabin & Tchaikovsky
For many, this was the first highlight of this Proms season – the chance to hear a Parry symphony live – and we weren’t disappointed. Vassily Sinaisky gained his spurs...
Sinfonia da Requiem … Leningrad Symphony
A somewhat gruelling programme from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, under its principal conductor Thierry Fischer, brought together three works written under the cloud of war, two of them...
Maria João Pires – Chopin Nocturnes
There’s no such thing as coincidence, is there? Only an hour before the diminutive figure of Maria João Pires stepped on to the platform for that rare Proms accolade of...
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