BBC Proms Season 60, Episode 16: Proms on Four

First Night of the Proms

Czech 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.

180 min

Proms on Four

Bruch's Violin Concerto performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

BBC Proms 2006

The 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 2006

One 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 Proms

Alan 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 2006

Vladimir 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 Proms

Nicola 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 2006

The 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 Preview

Highlights 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 Four

Colin 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 Four

Conductor Philippe Jordan makes his Proms debut with the Mahler Youth Orchestra. Featuring Strauss's Don Juan, Chausson's Poeme de l'Amour et de la Mer, sung by Susan Graham, and Shostakovich's Symphony No 6.

Proms on Four

The 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.

Proms on Four

The Minnesota Orchestra and conductor Osmo Vanska visit London to perform Mahler's much-loved Symphony No 5. Also featuring Barber's First Essay for Orchestra, and the UK premiere of Three Songs by Argentinian Osvaldo Golijov , sung by soprano Dawn Upshaw.

Proms on Four

Magnus Lindberg's Sculpture receives its UK premiere, conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Plus Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, played by Nikolaj Znaider, and Sibelius's Symphony No 5.

BBC Proms 2006

The 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.

Proms on Four

The Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra play Mozart. Ivor Bolton conducts Symphonies No 34 and 38 (Prague). Lars Vogt performs Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor, and Veronique Gens sings two arias. Ivor Bolton joins Petroc Trelawny during the interval.

Proms on Four

Hans Werner Henze 's Five Messages for the Queen of Sheba receives its London premiere, followed by Shostakovich's Symphony No 7 (Leningrad). Kurt Masur conducts the Ochestre National de France. Charles Hazelwood hosts.

Proms on Four

Charles Haziewood conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra. The programme is Ibert's Divertissement, Pauline Malefane singing Weill, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, the premiere of Dai Fujikura 's Crushing Twister and Bernstein's Fancy Free.

Proms on Four

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Simon Rattle join the Mozart celebrations with Symphony No 25 in G minor and Symphony No 4 in G minor. Plus three Debussy Preludes and the London premiere of Noesis by Hanspeter Kyburz. Charles Hazelwood presents.

BBC Proms 2006

Simon 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 Four

Beethoven'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 Four

Two 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 Four

Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No 1 in E flat, featuring Rostropovich protégée Han-Na Chang , and Rachmaninov's lyrical Symphony No 2 in E minor. Tadaaki Otaka conducts the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Proms on Four

Bernard Haitink conducts the combined voices of the BBC Symphony and London Symphony Choruses in a performance of Mahler's mighty Symphony No 2 (Resurrection) with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Featuring soprano Susan Gritton and mezzo Christianne Stotijn.

Proms on Four

Conductor 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 Four

Rounding 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 Proms

Live 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 Proms on Four

Soprano Lesley Garrett, violinist Nicola Benedetti, the Ulster Orchestra and the Ulster Youth Choir feature in a live concert from the grounds of Belfast City Hall.

Last Night of the Proms

The 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.

Episode 31