Latest news with #LisaBatiashvili
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
First night of the Proms review – Batiashvili's magnificent Sibelius opens the festival
This year's Proms began with a curiously uneven concert. The programme, conducted by Sakari Oramo with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, felt oddly disparate. The main works were the Sibelius Violin Concerto with Lisa Batiashvili as soloist, and Vaughan Williams's oratorio Sancta Civitas, a comparative rarity. There was new music, too, the world premiere of The Elements by Errollyn Wallen, Master of the King's Music. Oramo opened, however, with Arthur Bliss's Birthday Fanfare for Sir Henry Wood, before segueing, without pause, into Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, the latter most beautifully done, with finely focussed strings and woodwind, but something of a jolt after Bliss's jaunty little piece for brass and timpani in honour of the Proms' founder. Wallen's new work, meanwhile, didn't feel entirely successful. The Proms Guide argues that it explores the 'periodic table of orchestral elements' that form the basis of composition, though Wallen writes, in her own programme note, that its prime concern is 'the fundamentals of music, life and love.' It's cast in a single-three section movement, the first dark and gritty, the second poised, elegant and sounding like Ravel, the third ringing changes on music from Purcell's The Fairy Queen. But it never coheres, and the Purcell quotes just leave you longing for the original. The Sibelius, however, was unquestionably magnificent. Oramo conducted Batiashvili's first ever performance of the concerto when she was 16, they've given it together many times together since, and you really sense the almost instinctive give and take that comes from a fine collaboration. Though technically astonishing, Batiashvili never sounded showy, and the big first movement cadenza was all about musical logic rather than display. Oramo – always wonderful in Sibelius – gave us understated drama and intensity in the first two movements, before releasing the edgy mood into the exhilaration of the finale. Vaughan Williams's choral depiction of the Holy City as described in the Book of Revelation, meanwhile, has never struck me as the masterpiece that some claim it to be, though you couldn't fault the fervour or grandeur of Oramo's interpretation. The choral singing – from the combined forces of the BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Singers and members of London Youth Choirs – was all fierce exaltation and rapture. Gerald Finley was the visionary baritone, Caspar Singh the excellent tenor, making much of the precious little Vaughan Williams gives him. Watch on BBC iPlayer, or listen again on BBC Sounds until 12 October. The Proms continue until 13 September.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
First night of the Proms review – Batiashvili's magnificent Sibelius opens the festival
This year's Proms began with a curiously uneven concert. The programme, conducted by Sakari Oramo with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, felt oddly disparate. The main works were the Sibelius Violin Concerto with Lisa Batiashvili as soloist, and Vaughan Williams's oratorio Sancta Civitas, a comparative rarity. There was new music, too, the world premiere of The Elements by Errollyn Wallen, Master of the King's Music. Oramo opened, however, with Arthur Bliss's Birthday Fanfare for Sir Henry Wood, before segueing, without pause, into Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, the latter most beautifully done, with finely focussed strings and woodwind, but something of a jolt after Bliss's jaunty little piece for brass and timpani in honour of the Proms' founder. Wallen's new work, meanwhile, didn't feel entirely successful. The Proms Guide argues that it explores the 'periodic table of orchestral elements' that form the basis of composition, though Wallen writes, in her own programme note, that its prime concern is 'the fundamentals of music, life and love.' It's cast in a single-three section movement, the first dark and gritty, the second poised, elegant and sounding like Ravel, the third ringing changes on music from Purcell's The Fairy Queen. But it never coheres, and the Purcell quotes just leave you longing for the original. The Sibelius, however, was unquestionably magnificent. Oramo conducted Batiashvili's first ever performance of the concerto when she was 16, they've given it together many times together since, and you really sense the almost instinctive give and take that comes from a fine collaboration. Though technically astonishing, Batiashvili never sounded showy, and the big first movement cadenza was all about musical logic rather than display. Oramo – always wonderful in Sibelius – gave us understated drama and intensity in the first two movements, before releasing the edgy mood into the exhilaration of the finale. Vaughan Williams's choral depiction of the Holy City as described in the Book of Revelation, meanwhile, has never struck me as the masterpiece that some claim it to be, though you couldn't fault the fervour or grandeur of Oramo's interpretation. The choral singing – from the combined forces of the BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Singers and members of London Youth Choirs – was all fierce exaltation and rapture. Gerald Finley was the visionary baritone, Caspar Singh the excellent tenor, making much of the precious little Vaughan Williams gives him. Watch on BBC iPlayer, or listen again on BBC Sounds until 12 October. The Proms continue until 13 September.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
First Night of The Proms 2025 - How to watch on TV and BBC iPlayer and listen on Radio and BBC Sounds
The 2025 BBC Proms season, running from Friday 18 July until Saturday 13 September, offers eight weeks of world-class music from leading orchestras, conductors and soloists from the UK and around the world. It opens with the First Night of The Proms at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday 18 July and you can watch and listen along on TV, BBC iPlayer, Radio and BBC Sounds. Prom 1: First Night of The Proms on TV, iPlayer, Radio and BBC Sounds The world's greatest classical music festival gets under way live from the Royal Albert Hall with Sakari Oramo conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Music this year includes Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, Bliss's Birthday Fanfare and Sibelius's majestic Violin Concerto performed by world-class soloist Lisa Batiashvili. A world premiere by Errollyn Wallen - The Elements - starts the second half, followed by Vaughan Williams's powerful Sancta Civitas with tenor Caspar Singh, baritone Gerald Finley, and the BBC Singers and Symphony Chorus. The world's greatest classical music festival gets under way on iPlayer and BBC Two from 6.45pm with Petroc Trelawny and Georgia Mann presenting the spectacular concert which kicks off the summer's Proms season. Radio 3's Countdown to The Proms begins at 6.30am on Friday 18 July with Tom McKinney kicking a day of celebrations off live from the Royal Albert Hall. Petroc Trelawny and Georgia Mann are joined by comedian and actor Nick Mohammed for Prom 1 from 6.45pm. Watch The First Night of The Proms on BBC iPlayer from 6.45pm Listen to The First Night of The Proms on BBC Sounds from 6.45pm Read more: The BBC Proms 2025 - Everything you need to know about the world's greatest classical music festival Follow for more
