After eight weeks of international concert-making at the highest level we've reached the last week of the Proms.
Last Night of the Proms 2017 Photo: BBC
This week you can look forward to more music from composer John Adams – who’s 70th birthday is being celebrated this year all around the world with performances of his works (including at NZSO concerts). His 1995 piece Lollapalooza was written as a 40th birthday present for his friend and collaborator Simon Rattle and it’s performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck on Monday night. The same concert has violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter joining orchestra to perform Dvorak’s Violin Concerto in A.
American pianist Emanuel Ax plays Mozart with the Vienna Philharmonic on Tuesday night and the whole festival ends Wednesday night when Swedish soprano Nina Stemme leads the festivities at the Last Night of the Proms.
Reviews have Stemme down as truly the star of the show – complete with helmet and spear for the traditional singing of Rule Britannia. This year EU flags featured alongside Union Jacks with those still firmly opposed to Brexit making their presence felt.
Monday 18 September
7.00 Music Alive
Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin), Pittsburgh SO/Manfred Honeck
ADAMS: Lollapalooza; DVORAK: Violin Concerto in A minor Op 53; MAHLER: Symphony No 1 in D, Titan
(recorded by the BBC, Royal Albert Hall, London)
Tuesday 19 September
7.00 Music Alive
Emanuel Ax (piano), Vienna Philharmonic/Michael Tilson Thomas
BRAHMS: Variations on a theme by Haydn Op 56a; MOZART: Piano Concerto No 14 in Eb K449; BEETHOVEN: Symphony No 7 in A
(recorded by the BBC, Royal Albert Hall, London)
Nina Stemme at the Proms Photo: BBC
Wednesday 20 September
7.00 Music Alive
Last Night of the Proms
Nina Stemme, Lucy Crowe (sopranos), Christine Rice (mezzo), Ben Johnson (tenor), John Relyea (bass), BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra/Sakari Oramo
WENNÄKOSKI: Flounce (BBC commission, world première); KODÁLY: Budvári Te Deum; SARGENT: An Impression on a Windy Day; SIBELIUS: Finlandia; WAGNER: Prelude and Liebestod;
Second half:
ADAMS: Lola Montez does the spider dance;
Songs by WEILL and GERSHWIN;
Last Night of the Proms traditional works with audience participation
(recorded by the BBC, Royal Albert Hall, London)
