BBC Proms 2018: Festival Guide

At a Glance

For full concert details, see Listings • For details of feature articles, see Contents

FIRST NIGHT LIGHTS

Launching our celebrations marking 100 years since the end of the First World War, Five Telegrams is an ambitious new work fusing music by Anna Meredith – inspired by modes of communication, including telegrams, codes and ciphers – with spectacular visual projections created by 59 Productions.

PROM 1 • 13 JULY

See also Musical Memorials

ANNA MEREDITH

(Image credit: Mark Kean)

WINNERS’ REUNION

Since its foundation 40 years ago, BBC Young Musician has discovered a plethora of leading young performers, many of whom have now taken their place on the international stage. We welcome an array of former winners and finalists in a special Prom marking the anniversary.

PROM 3 • 15 JULY

See also Inspiring the Future

BBC YOUNG MUSICIAN

(Image credit: BBC)

SYMBOLISM AND SPELLS

Two complete operas – Debussy’s enigmatic Pelléas and Mélisande and Ravel’s enchanting L’enfant et les sortilèges – sit at the heart of a survey of French music, inspired by the centenary year of Debussy’s death.

PROM 5 • 17 JULY;

PROM 48 • 18 AUGUST

See also Impressions in Colour

MARY GARDEN AS MÉLISANDE

(Image credit: Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris/akg-images)

PARRY AND HIS PUPILS

One hundred years after the composer’s death, Hubert Parry’s Fifth Symphony – an exploration into the human condition – is heard alongside works by Vaughan Williams and Holst – both of whom studied at London’s Royal College of Music with the composer, whose Jerusalem remains a Last Night of the Proms staple.

PROM 17 • 27 JULY

See also Musical Memorials

RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS AND GUSTAV HOLST

TEN PIECES PROMS

The BBC’s nationwide initiative, aimed at encouraging schoolchildren of all ages to get creative with classical music, returns to the Proms for its fourth year, with an exciting journey through music from Purcell to the present day and creative responses selected from the work of schools around the country.

PROMS 19 & 20 • 29 JULY

See also Magical Moments

TEN PIECES PROM, 2017

(Image credit: Guy Levi/BBC)

BAROQUE CON BRIO

Austrian soprano Anna Prohaska and Italian period-instrument ensemble Il Giardino Armonico make their Proms debuts in a Late Night Prom exploring Baroque instrumental works as well as operatic depictions of dramatic monarchs Dido and Cleopatra.

PROM 26 • 2 AUGUST

ANNA PROHASKA

(Image credit: Harald Hoffmann)

TREADING NEW GROUND

A celebration of folk music from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with leading lights from a new generation of innovative folk artists, collaborating with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

PROM 27 • 3 AUGUST

JULIE FOWLIS

(Image credit: David Williams/ArenaPAL)

INSIDE SHOSTAKOVICH

BBC Radio 3’s Tom Service and Aurora Orchestra Principal Conductor Nicholas Collon return to deconstruct and poke around Dmitry Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 before it is reassembled in a complete performance – played from memory.

PROM 32 • 6 AUGUST

See also Lifelong Teacher

DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH

(Image credit: Sputnik/akg-images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK!

As part of our celebrations marking the centenary year of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, John Wilson conducts the composer’s two most popular Broadway musicals – West Side Story and On the Town – which both see the Big Apple itself play a lead role.

PROMS 38 & 39 • 11 AUGUST PROM 57 • 25 AUGUST

See also An Embarrassment of Gifts

WEST SIDE STORY

(Image credit: Bridgeman Images)

LUNCHTIME DAZZLE

The astonishing American JACK Quartet makes its Proms debut with a bold programme in the ‘Proms at … Cadogan Hall’ chamber music series, pairing two scintillating classics by Iannis Xenakis with two world premieres.

PROMS AT … CADOGAN HALL 5 • 13 AUGUST

See also New Music

IANNIS XENAKIS

(Image credit: Louis Monier/Bridgeman Images)

BALLET DOUBLE

One hundred this year, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande makes its Proms debut with a concert featuring two colourful Ballets Russes works: Debussy’s Jeux, in which a game of tennis takes an erotic turn, and Stravinsky’s tale of the lovelorn Russian puppet Petrushka.

PROM 45 • 16 AUGUST

See also Impressions in Colour and Fantastic Four

VASLAV NIJINSKY AS PETRUSHKA

(Image credit: Alamy)

DIDONATO SINGS BERLIOZ

Lustrous American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato takes the dramatic solo role in Berlioz’s La mort de Cléopâtre (‘The Death of Cleopatra’), in an all-Berlioz programme conducted by today’s foremost interpreter of the composer, Sir John Eliot Gardiner.

PROM 71 • 5 SEPTEMBER

See also Impressions in Colour

JOYCE DIDONATO

(Image credit: Nick Heavican)

Contents

WELCOME

BBC Proms Director DAVID PICKARD introduces the 2018 festival

IMPRESSIONS IN COLOUR

One hundred years after Debussy’s death, CAROLINE POTTER explores what inspired him and his Parisian contemporaries

THE OTHER BOULANGER GIRL

GAIL HILSON WOLDU celebrates the prodigious composing talent of Nadia Boulanger’s trailblazing younger sister Lili

FANTASTIC FOUR

As four major European orchestras mark anniversaries at the Proms, PETROC TRELAWNY traces their individual evolutions

AN EMBARRASSMENT OF GIFTS

Marking Leonard Bernstein’s centenary, NIGEL SIMEONE celebrates his legacy as a composer

PODIUM PASSION

EDWARD SECKERSON considers Bernstein’s conducting style and his compulsive need to immerse himself completely in the music

LIFELONG TEACHER

Focusing on Leonard Bernstein as a teacher, SOPHIE REDFERN outlines how his eternal curiosity inspired generations of students

MUSICAL GIFTEDNESS: BORN OR BRED?

VICTORIA WILLIAMSON explains what studies reveal about predictors of musical ability

RICH PICKINGS

A round-up of the many free talks, discussions, readings, films and other events that complement this year’s Proms, by KIMON DALTAS

PERFORMANCE ART

Photographer DAMIEN DEMOLDER reveals four Proms performers in rehearsal, showing their close connection to their instruments

MUSICAL MEMORIALS

Marking 100 years since the end of the First World War, KATE KENNEDY considers how composers of the time created acts of musical remembrance

INSPIRING THE FUTURE

CHARLOTTE GARDNER explores the many ways in which Proms Learning supports emerging musical talent and participation for all the family

RESTORATION DRAMA

As the Victorian Theatre at Alexandra Palace hosts Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury, KATE ROMANO traces the venue’s troubled history

CONTEMPORARY COLLABORATIONS

Conductor JULES BUCKLEY talks about the variety of musicians he has collaborated with at the Proms since 2010, from Quincy Jones to Jacob Collier

MAGICAL MOMENTS

From the Ten Pieces Prom to Sunday matinees to family workshops, there’s something at the Proms for all the family, as ANDREW MCCALDON explains

ALL TYPES OF BEETHOVEN

TOM SERVICE looks at Beethoven symphony interpretations, savouring the range on offer this year

BRANDENBURGS OLD AND NEW

PAUL GRIFFITHS reports on a project to give Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos new life by pairing them with fresh responses from six living composers

NEW MUSIC

DAVID KETTLE previews innovative and varied new works by eight female composers who have each been given their first-ever BBC commission

LOVE, FAITH AND HONOUR

RICHARD WIGMORE introduces Handel’s Theodora, whose noble Christian heroine, the lover of a Roman convert, dies for her beliefs

THE PROMS ON RADIO, ON TV, ONLINE

Follow the Proms on TV, radio, online and on social media

CONCERT LISTINGS

Full listings and details of pre-Prom events

BOOKING AND VENUES

Ticket Prices

Promming

Last Night of the Proms

Royal Albert Hall

Imperial College Union

Cadogan Hall

‘Proms at …’ venues

Season Tickets & Discounts

How & When to Book

Promming Passes

INDEXES

Index of Artists

Index of Works

The BBC Proms 2018 Festival Guide is also available as an audio book, in Braille and as a text-only large-print version. See here for further information.

Welcome to the 2018 BBC Proms

(Image credit: BBC Creative/BBC)

(Image credit: Thane Bruckland/BBC)

As you browse through this festival guide, I hope you will be struck by the astonishing range of this great festival – embracing not just the best classical music of the past, but also the work of some of today’s most exciting composers. I cannot think of any other festival in the world that celebrates classical music in such depth: this year we have more than 90 concerts over 57 days, ranging from solo recitals to Mahler’s ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ (with the help of five choirs), and featuring an unrivalled line-up of soloists, conductors and orchestras from the UK and around the world.

You will also find a number of threads running through the season with connections to the remarkable year of 1918. We start with the First Night of the Proms which, alongside that Proms favourite, Gustav Holst’s The Planets (first performed in September 1918, towards the end of the war) also features a contemporary response to that conflict in a new piece by one of today’s most eclectic young composers, Anna Meredith. A joint BBC commission with 14–18 NOW and the Edinburgh International Festival, Five Telegrams features spectacular visual projections created by 59 Productions, and draws on the talents of the Proms Youth Ensemble and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain.

The First World War influenced a whole generation of composers in the first half of the 20th century and, in particular, we explore the way British composers responded to its aftermath. Marking the centenary of the death of Hubert Parry, we pay tribute to his extraordinary qualities as a teacher of distinguished pupils such as Vaughan Williams, Holst, Ireland and Frank Bridge – all of whom were profoundly influenced by the war. In two special projects taking place beyond the Royal Albert Hall we also look at other countries involved in the Great War. Marking the 50th anniversary of the London Sinfonietta, we return to the Roundhouse in Camden for a matinee concert in which Messiaen’s Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum – his great commemoration of the fallen from both world wars – is placed alongside a suite of new pieces from composers representing a cross-section of the countries caught up in the conflict. And, for the first time, the Proms visits the city of Lincoln, where Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale is performed – aptly – in the converted Drill Hall.

As the Great War was ending, one of the 20th century’s greatest musicians was born. Leonard Bernstein would have been 100 this year and it is hard to overestimate his influence as conductor, composer, pianist and educator. We reflect all these aspects this summer, with highlights including concert performances of two of his Broadway musicals, On the Town and West Side Story (both conducted by John Wilson). We also recreate the first of the two concerts Bernstein conducted at the Proms (appropriately led by Thomas Dausgaard, a former pupil), celebrate some of the other American composers Bernstein championed, and showcase two key 20th-century works that he helped to bring into the world: Berio’s Sinfonia (dedicated to Bernstein) and Messiaen’s Turangalîla Symphony, which he premiered in Boston in 1949.

Perhaps Bernstein’s most lasting contribution to musical life was his commitment to broadening the appeal of classical music, particularly through the famous TV broadcasts for both adult and younger audiences that he presented with unique flair. His 100th birthday would have been on 25 August and, as part of a bank holiday-weekend Bernstein celebration, we present our own exploration for audiences of all ages of what makes up the sound of an orchestra. In a similar vein, and following on from the success of last year’s exploration of Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ Symphony, the Aurora Orchestra presents a special Late Night Prom which dissects Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9, culminating in a complete performance from memory.

Elsewhere, the Proms features a number of events aimed at reaching ever-wider audiences, including two Ten Pieces Proms, based around the latest selection of music that has been explored by schools up and down the country, and a Relaxed Prom given by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, which spotlights its groundbreaking, disabled-led ensemble, BSO Resound.

In 1918 women over the age of 30 were given the right to vote – a significant step forwards for women’s suffrage. To celebrate this anniversary, each of our Proms at … Cadogan Hall chamber-music concerts features a world premiere from a woman composer who has never previously been commissioned by the BBC. This series sits alongside a huge range of contemporary works that feature at the Proms this year, continuing the tradition of ‘novelties’ beloved of Proms founder-conductor Henry Wood. Most intriguing of all is the creation of six new ‘Brandenburg Concertos’ to sit alongside Bach’s originals – with all 12 works being played over two concerts on the same day. And, 100 years after his death, we also celebrate the composer some consider the ‘godfather’ of modern music, Claude Debussy, as well as another brilliant French composer, Lili Boulanger, who died tragically young in 1918. Together, they provide the perfect starting point for a broader exploration of 20th-century French music throughout the festival.

Claude Debussy (1862–1918) – the ‘godfather’ of modern music – at the beach in north-west France, 1911

(Image credit: Lebrecht Music & Arts)

These are just some of the interlinking threads across the summer, but I hope you will find many other individual highlights of your own – whether it is Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury at Alexandra Palace, as the restoration of its Victorian Theatre nears its completion; a range of imaginative programmes from our own BBC orchestras; the chance to hear two of the world’s youngest orchestras (MusicAeterna and the Estonian Festival Orchestra) alongside the 100-year-old Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; or the first appearance in the UK of the Berlin Philharmonic under its new Chief Conductor Designate, Kirill Petrenko. And, just as in Henry Wood’s day, when classical repertoire was mixed with popular fare, you can enjoy a celebration of British folk music with the BBC Concert Orchestra, a return to the Proms for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, two projects with Proms favourite Jules Buckley (including one devoted to the extraordinarily talented Jacob Collier) and a celebration of Argentine tango, along with its thriving variant as it has taken hold in Finland.

Kirill Petrenko, who becomes Chief Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic next year, makes his Proms debut

(Image credit: Wilfried Hösl)

Encouraging and supporting new talent remains a key part of what we do and we are proud to celebrate it each year at the Proms, whether it is an exciting young international artist appearing for the first time, or a chance to showcase one of the outstanding BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists. This year we mark the 40th anniversary of BBC Young Musician, which has done so much to bring outstanding young performers to the attention of a wider public. The roll call of winners and finalists is hugely impressive, and a number of them will take part in our celebratory concert over the opening weekend.

Last year, many of our concerts played to full houses and the first day of booking always sees the box office dealing with the enormous demand. But it’s important to remember that no concert is ever sold out in advance. Promming, at £6.00 per ticket, remains one of the great bargains of concert-going, and season ticket-holders can hear all 75 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall for less than £3.40 per concert. For those who can’t attend in person there is the opportunity to hear every concert live on BBC Radio 3, with 24 Proms broadcast on BBC TV – all available for catch up for 30 days on BBC iPlayer too.

So, whether you join us in person, by radio, TV or online, I hope you will find much to enjoy in this summer of outstanding music-making.•

David Pickard Director, BBC Proms

(Image credit: Guy Levy/BBC)

A warm welcome to the BBC Proms 2018.

This year’s programme is as gripping and wide-ranging as ever, spanning a new commission by Anna Meredith that will light up the Royal Albert Hall on the First Night; a whole range of French music inspired by the centenary year of Debussy’s death; centenary honours, too, for Hubert Parry (died 1918) and Leonard Bernstein (born 1918); lunchtime Xenakis; a ballet double bill of Debussy and Stravinsky; and a concert celebrating the folk music of Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There really is something for everyone. At BBC Radio 3, where you can hear every Prom live and on demand in superb sound, the Proms is summer to us and, if you like what you hear in this year’s programme, rest assured the same wide range and intelligent ambition is available to you on air the whole year round.

Leonard Bernstein played a wonderful role in inspiring children to find out about music through his Young People’s Concerts, and we are proud of our focus on youth this year – including a celebration of BBC Young Musician in a special concert to mark the competition’s 40th anniversary and, of course, Ten Pieces, which continues to introduce young people to the lasting experience of classical music, as well as an appearance by the BBC Proms Youth Ensemble on the First Night. New commissions abound and we continue to welcome artists new to the Proms. Let the Proms 2018 be the sound of your summer – whether you listen in person, on BBC Radio or TV, or online.•

Alan Davey Controller, BBC Radio 3

Impressions in Colour

As this year’s Proms marks the centenary of Debussy’s death with a mini festival of French music, CAROLINE POTTER considers the range of influences – from nature to art and literature – that inspired Debussy and his Parisian contemporaries to evoke myriad moods in shifting hues of luminous sound

Design by Léon Bakst for the original production of Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (music by Claude Debussy, choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky), premiered by the Ballets Russes at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, on 29 May 1912

(Image credit: Photo 12/Getty Images)

Does the concept of a national musical style have any meaning? The classical music of every European nation has always been marked by influences and trends beyond its frontiers, as throughout history composers have travelled and exchanged ideas with their international peers. At the same time, educational institutions and concert-giving organisations based in Paris predominantly served composers of the same background who spoke the same language. These composers also shared a literary, artistic, social and political environment. But music is an art form that respects no geopolitical borders and, beyond whatever common ground that might be shared by French composers, they exist in an international marketplace, with Paris as one of its key musical centres.

It was only when Hector Berlioz moved to Paris as a student in 1821 that he heard an orchestra for the very first time; there were no opportunities at all to hear orchestras in La Côte Saint-André, the small town outside Lyon where he grew up. However, his childhood years marked him in other ways: hearing a religious procession – with a marching band approaching and then receding into the distance – was something he never forgot, and the evocation of a passing procession, increasing and decreasing in volume to suggest changing proximity to the listener, is present in many of his orchestral works, including the Symphonie fantastique (1830). When he moved to Paris, he enrolled as a medical student but spent much of his time enjoying one of the leading musical centres of Europe. The conductor François-Antoine Habeneck’s performances of Beethoven with the orchestra of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire had a huge impact on him, as did performances of Shakespeare by an English troupe. There was opera too, where