War, winning, birth and death at BBC Proms 2018
Photo: BBC
Centenaries of the birth of Leonard Bernstein, the end of WWI and the deaths of Lili Boulanger, Hubert Parry and Debussy will be acknowledged throughout the 2018 BBC Proms season - as well as a focus on women composers.
RNZ Concert’s coverage of BBC Proms 2018 begins on Monday 6 August and continues for eight weeks.
Proms Concerts will be broadcast several nights a week in Music Alive and we'll have a matinée concert each Tuesday at 1pm during Upbeat.
Week One - Monday 6th to Saturday 11th August
The 'First Night of the Proms' features a new work for orchestra and choir, plus the Proms Youth Ensemble of 10 trombones, four euphoniums, six trumpets and loads of percussion. 'Five Telegrams' by British composer Anna Meredith was written especially to mark 100 years since the end of WWI. The WWI theme continues with a performance of Vaughan Williams’ 'Toward the Unknown Region'” (with its text borrowed from American poet Walt Whitman) and Gustav Holst’s astrologically inspired 'Planets Suite' rounds out the Proms’ first night.
Photo: 123RF
Wednesday night, sees some of Britain’s best and brightest musicians gathering together to acknowledge a different kind of anniversary.
The 'BBC Young Musician' competition turns 40 this year. It's launched the careers of illustrious performers such as violinist Nicola Benedetti, pianist Freddy Kempf, clarinettist Emma Johnson and, more recently, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason . Those previous winners, along with others, return to mark the competition’s birthday in a celebratory Proms concert which also includes a look at the competition’s rich history and performances by this year’s finalists.
Cellist Sheku-Kanneh Mason Photo: Facebook - Sheku-Kanneh Mason
The Proms Schedule this Week:
Monday 6 August 2018
7.30 Music Alive
BBC Proms 2018
First Night of the Proms
National Youth Choir of Great Britain, BBC Proms Youth Ensemble, BBC SO and Chorus/Sakari Oramo
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Toward the Unknown Region;
HOLST: The Planets;
Anna MEREDITH & 59 Productions: Five Telegrams
(recorded in Royal Albert Hall, London by BBC)
Tuesday 7 August 2018
12.00 Upbeat
Including: 1.00 BBC Proms 2018
Javier Perianes (piano), Calidore String Quartet
Caroline SHAW: First Essay: Nimrod; Second Essay: Echo; Third Essay: Ruby;
SCHUMANN: Piano Quintet in Eb Op 44
(recorded in Cadogan Hall, London by BBC)
7.30 Music Alive
BBC Proms 2018
Francesco Piemontesi (piano), BBC Symphony Chorus, City of London Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Alain Altinoglu
FAURÉ: Pavane;
MOZART: Piano Concerto No 27 in Bb K595;
RAVEL: Daphnis & Chloe
(recorded Royal Albert Hall, London by BBC)
Wednesday 8 August 2018
7.30 Music Alive
BBC Proms 2018
BBC Young Musician Anniversary Concert
Over twenty past winners including Nicola Benedetti, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Freddy Kempf perform short works with the BBC Concert Orchestra/Andrew Gourlay
(recorded Royal Albert Hall, London by BBC)
Saturday 11 August 2018
7.30 Music Alive
BBC Proms 2018: An American in Paris & Turangalîla
Angela Hewitt (piano), Cynthia Millar (ondes martenot), BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sakari Oramo
GERSHWIN: An American in Paris;
MESSIAEN: Turangalîla Symphony
(Recorded Royal Albert Hall, London by BBC)
