BBC Proms2006
The World's Greatest Classical Music Festival. The BBC Proms is a classical music festival held every summer at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and in recent years has explored an innovative series of Proms around the UK with concerts in all four nations. Its aim: to bring the best in classical music to the widest possible audience, which remains true to founder-conductor Henry Wood’s original vision in 1895. Whether you are a classical connoisseur or think classical music isn’t for you, there is something for everyone in the eight-week stretch of concerts.
Where to Watch BBC Proms • 2006
31 Episodes
- First Night of the PromsA1
First Night of the PromsCzech maestro Jiri Belohlavek lifts the baton for the first time in his new role as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in order to launch the eight-week long 112th season of the world's greatest classical music festival. The concert begins the Proms' celebration of Mozart's 250th birthday and Shostakovich's centenary, and includes music from Belohlavek's homeland with works by Smetana and Dvorak. Featuring an overture and arias from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni sung by soprano Barbara Frittoli and bass John Tomlinson, plus Shostakovich's Symphony No 5, Dvorak's festive Te Deum and Smetana's Vltava from Ma Vlast. Presented by Charles Hazlewood. - BBC Proms 2006A3
BBC Proms 2006The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are guests at a concert to celebrate the monarch's 80th birthday. Children's choirs, the Scots Guards and the BBC Symphony Orchestra perform A Little Birthday Music by Peter Maxwell Davies , Master of the Queen's music and poet laureate Andrew Motion , exploring themes of constancy and the environment; teenage soloist Julian Bliss performs Mozart's Clarinet Concerto; and the Orchestra's new chief conductor Jiri Belohlavek concludes with Dvorak's New World Symphony. With Alan Titchmarsh. - BBC Proms 2006A4
BBC Proms 2006One of today's greatest interpreters of Sibelius, Colin Davis conducts the composer's tone poem Pohjola's Daughter and his Seventh Symphony. The programme also includes Janacek's tribute to the legendary Cossack freedom fighter Taras Bulba and Stravinsky's Second World War-inspired Symphony in Three Movements. The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain perform at London's Royal Albert Hall. Introduced by Howard Goodall. - Mozart at the PromsA5
Mozart at the PromsAlan Titchmarsh introduces the first of two Proms celebrating the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall. Tonight's concert focuses on Mozart the dramatist, with music from some of his best-known and most successful operas - Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and La Clemenza di Tito. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, led by Roger Norrington, is joined by soloists Ian Bostridge, Simon Keenlyside and Ailish Tynan. - BBC Proms 2006A6
BBC Proms 2006Vladimir Ashkenazy conducts the European Union Youth Orchestra as they perform Shostakovich's Symphony No 4 before Promenaders at London's Royal Albert Hall. There's also a rendition of Mozart's Turkish violin concerto (No 5 in A, K219) by Janine Jansen that is preceded by (K)ein Sommernachtstraum, or (Not) A Summer Night's Dream - Alfred Schnittke's mischievous response to a request for a Shakespeare-related work. Introduced by Natasha Kaplinsky. - Mozart at the PromsA7
Mozart at the PromsNicola Benedetti introduces the second of two Proms celebrating the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall. The composer's orchestral music is the focus tonight, as celebrated violinist Maxim Vengerov fills the roles of both soloist and conductor. Vengerov leads the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra in a programme comprising Violin Concerto No 2, Symphony No 29 in A and Sinfonia Concertante, for which he is joined by the brilliant British violist Lawrence Power. - BBC Proms 2006A8
BBC Proms 2006The Shostakovich centenary continues with Valery Gergiev conducting the Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre in the choral Symphony No 13 (Babi Yar), with bass soloist Sergei Alexashkin. Plus, one of Russia's leading violinists, Vadim Repin, performs Sibelius's Violin Concerto and the evening begins with Liadov's From the Apocalypse. Introduced by Michael Portillo from the Royal Albert Hall. - Proms on Four PreviewA9
Proms on Four PreviewHighlights of two concerts earlier in the season. Maxim Vengerov plays Mozart's fourth violin concerto with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, and Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra in Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and Ravel's Piano Concerto in G, with Francois-Frederic Guy. Charles Hazlewood presents. - Proms on FourA10
Proms on FourColin Davis conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in a programme featuring his twin passions, Berlioz and Elgar. Berlioz's Overture: Les Francs-Juges and Elgar's Symphony No 2 in E flat frame James MacMillan 's Confession of Isobel Gowdie , inspired by witch-hunts of the Scottish Reformation. MacMillan talks during the interval. - Proms on FourA12
Proms on FourThe London Philharmonic Orchestra play the UK premiere of A Relic of Memory by Mark-Anthony Turnage. Vladimir Jurowski conducts Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No 2 with Nikolai Lugansky , and Rakhmaninov's The Bells, with Sergei Leiferkus, Tatiana Monogarova and Vsevolod Grivnov. Turnage and Jurowski talk in the interval. - BBC Proms 2006A15
BBC Proms 2006The NDR Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor, Christoph von Dohnanyi, present two neoclassical masterworks: Ravel's Le tombeau de Couperin; and the pithy Violin Concerto in F minor by Stravinsky, with soloist Gil Shaham. In the second half of the concert, Tchaikovsky grapples with fate in his Fourth Symphony. Introduced by John Sessions. - BBC Proms 2006A21
BBC Proms 2006Simon Rattle conducts the Berlin Philharmonic. Tonight's programme opens with Szymanowski's impressionistic Violin Concerto No 1 featuring the brilliant virtuoso Frank Peter Zimmermann as soloist. After the interval Rattle leads his Berlin forces in a performance of Bruckner's Symphony No 7 in E, with its famous Adagio mourning Wagner it's a high point of the Austro-German symphonic repertory. Introduced by Huw Edwards from the Royal Albert Hall. - Proms on FourA22
Proms on FourBeethoven's Ninth Symphony and Matthias Pintscher 's Hérodiade-Fragmente, based on verse by Mallarme. Christoph Eschenbach conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Chorus. Soloists for the setting of Schiller's Ode to Joy are Marisol Montalvo (soprano), Yvonne Naef (mezzo), Nikolai Schukoff (tenor) and Franz-Josef Selig (bass). - Proms on FourA23
Proms on FourTwo minor-key fifth symphonies by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, both concerning mankind's struggle with fate and the ineluctable triumph of light over darkness. The Philadelphia Orchestra is conducted by Christoph Eschenbach , who talks to host Charles Hazlewood in the interval. - Proms on FourA26
Proms on FourConductor Daniele Gatti conducts the Royal Philharmonic in a performance of the last of this season's eight Shostakovich symphonies in celebration of the Russian composer's centenary: the epic Symphony No 10. Plus Bruch's Violin Concerto No 1 in G minor with soloist Joshua Bell, who is also interviewed. Introduced by Charles Hazlewood. - Proms on FourA27
Proms on FourRounding up the series of Mozart anniversary Proms, Charles Mackerras directs the Orchestra and Choir of the Age of Enlightenment in a performance of Symphony No 35 in D (Haffner), and a UK premiere of Mozart's unfinished Mass in C minor (Great), completed by musicologist Robert D Levin. Charles Hazelwood presents. - Last Night of the PromsA28
Last Night of the PromsLive at London's Royal Albert Hall, Alan Titchmarsh introduces the final concert in the Proms season. In Shostakovich's centenary year, a Russian theme is reflected as baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky and violinist Viktoria Mullova perform works by Borodin, Rubinstein and Prokofiev. The BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mark Elder, also performs works by Shostakovich, Verdi, Wagner and Colin Matthews. - Last Night of the PromsA30
Last Night of the PromsThe pomp and circumstance continues at the Royal Albert Hall as the Proms season reaches its climax. All the traditional rousing, flag-waving tunes will be on offer as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mark Elder, performs Rule Britannia, Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem, among others.