BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts

Scottish Symphony
Another packed Royal Albert Hall welcomed the BBC Symphony Orchestra and its Chief Conductor for an early-Romantic sandwich with Beethoven as the filling. Billed as a Prom continuing this season’s...
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
The concert augured well. This was a Finnish occasion – a Finnish orchestra of some 75 years’ standing, a much sought-after Finnish conductor, a distinguished Finnish soprano and a rarely...
Red Over Black
With red over black (inspired by a Mark Rothko painting) a touch over the advertised 13 minutes, it was not surprising that this well-filled lunchtime concert overran. So when the...
Steven Stucky Second Concerto for Orchestra
Perhaps because it followed almost immediately what sounded (on the radio) like a sold-out Prom with Maxim Vengerov, or it was the later-than-usual start-time, or because London was drenched in...
Mozart/Vengerov
It still amuses me how 250 years after the composer’s birth (and not many less years after his death) promoters are able to pack the Royal Albert Hall with an...
European Union Youth Orchestra
Thankfully not visibly delayed following the current alert and increased security at airports, the ranks of the European Union Youth Orchestra (admittedly not as big as the National Youth Orchestra...
John Adams
Two surprising things: that the Royal Albert Hall was not quite as full as anticipated given that the programme comprised music of one of today’s most accessible composers and was...
Steve Reich
Unlike some composers whose anniversaries are being marked by works being performed frequently throughout this Proms season – or, indeed, those who have been totally ignored – Steve Reich's impending...
Andromeda
James Dillon has done well by the Proms over the last fifteen years: four world premieres, all BBC commissions, including the memorable launch of his Violin Concerto in 2000. Andromeda...
… towards a pure land
In the first of his two Proms with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, both including major new works, Ilan Volkov effortlessly displayed why the orchestral musicians seem to like him...
Métaboles
Yan-Pascal Tortelier was a Proms regular during his productive 10-year spell as Principal Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, and this concert confirmed their rapport has in no way diminished.The all-French...
Michael Haydn & Mozart
Michael Haydn (1737-1806) may not be as well-known as his older brother Joseph – an understatement! – but he was a certainly a most accomplished musician and composer, holding the...
Christian Gerhaher & Gerold Huber
This well-planned Schumann programme – “Dichterliebe” balanced by the three Harfner songs at its close – drew a full and attentive house. Christian Gerhaher and Gerold Huber, both born in...
Heaven is Shy of Earth
With one CD devoted to his music just released on the Ondine label, and another due imminently from NMC, the premiere of a work by Julian Anderson comes at a...
David Goode Organ Recital
The Royal Albert Hall organ has had its problems, suffering from split octaves, a shortage of wind, leaky and noisy bellows and deterioration of the original Willis soundboards. Renovation work...
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