From Star Wars to Tom Jones, here’s our pick of the Proms...
THE world’s largest classical music festival begins tonight as the Proms open at London’s Royal Albert Hall. With more than 90 concerts across eight weeks, and Nicola Benedetti, Tom Jones and Simon Rattle among the big names, ADRIAN THRILLS picks the ones to watch . . .
FIRST NIGHT
A STELLAR opening weekend is due to climax with sunday’s return of Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink, a Proms regular for more than 50 years. Before that, the festivities get under way tonight as edward Gardner leads the BBC symphony Orchestra for Beethoven’s third Piano Concerto. With this year marking the 70th birthday of American composer John Adams, the latter’s Harmonium also gets an airing (Tonight, 7.30pm).
VIOLIN VIRTUOSO
A TEENAGE prodigy when crowned Young Musician Of the Year in 2004, nicola Benedetti is now a sophisticated performer. the scottish violinist, 29, returns to the Albert Hall next week to play shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto, which should give her plenty of scope to show her virtuosity (Tuesday, 7pm).
SOUNDTRACK SPECIAL
THE force — along with the majestic melodies — should be strong on a night that celebrates the 85th birthday of one of the world’s great film composers. John Williams wrote the music for star Wars, Jurassic Park and the Harry Potter and Indiana Jones movies, and his long-time colleague Keith lockhart will pilot the BBC Concert Orchestra through a series of excerpts from a galaxy far, far away (Thursday, 7.30pm).
HULL CALLING
THE Proms leave london for the first time since 1930 (when 24 concerts were staged in Manchester, leeds and liverpool) as Hull signals its City Of Culture status with a performance to mark the 300th anniversary of Handel’s Water Music. the dockside stage will also host the royal northern sinfonia playing works by telemann and Mendelssohn ( July 22, 12.30pm, 3pm & 5.30pm).
SIXTIES SALUTE
POP Proms are thinner on the ground this year, but this tribute to singer- songwriter scott Walker deserves its place. With Jules Buckley leading the Heritage Orchestra, vocalists Jarvis Cocker, richard Hawley and John Grant will salute a British-American maverick who moved between pop and avant-garde in the late sixties (July 25, 10.15pm).
JAZZ TREATS
SINGER Dianne reeves and trumpeter James Morrison head up this tribute to jazz legends ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie, both born 100 years ago. With the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Broadway stalwart John Mauceri, the night will revisit the standards of the Great American songbook (August 4, 7.30pm).
COWBOY CAPERS
JOHN WILSON and his orchestra make their customary Proms visit with two performances of the Wild West musical Oklahoma!, the first collaboration between richard rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein which opened on Broadway in 1943. the production’s full cast has yet to be announced, but fans can expect memorable tunes and dramatic swagger (August 11, 2pm & 7.30pm).
RATTLE RETURNS
AHEAD of his move back to Britain from Germany, where he has led the Berlin Philharmonic since 2002, sir simon rattle conducts the london symphony Orchestra for the first time at the Proms. Joining him for schoenberg’s opulent Gurrelieder will be tenor simon O’neill and soprano eva- Maria Westbroek (August 19, 7.30pm).
SUMMER SOPRANO
NEW YORK soprano renee Fleming has sung leonard Cohen and jazz, but she returns to her classical roots for a late summer Prom that teams her with the royal stockholm Philharmonic. Fleming cites the final scene from strauss’s opera Daphne as one of her favourite pieces, and she will also sing American composer Barber’s nostalgic Knoxville: summer Of 1915 (August 30, 7pm).
SWEET SOUL MUSIC
SIR TOM JONES (pictured below) makes his Proms debut in a show dedicated to the legendary stax label. sir tom will be joined by stax pioneers steve Cropper, Booker t. Jones and eddie Floyd. Jools Holland’s big band provides the backing, while soul veteran Beverley Knight also appears (September 1, 10.15pm).
AMERICAN BEAUTIES
U.S. ensembles are prominent as this year’s season nears its finale. Hot on the heels of the Cincinnati symphony Orchestra, who will play Bernstein’ s On the Waterfront, the Pittsburgh symphony Orchestra will be joined by German violinist Anne- sophie Mutter as the soloist in Dvorak’s Violin Concerto (September 4, 7.30pm).
THE LAST NIGHT
FINNISH conductor sakari Oramo leads the last night festivities for the third time in four years. Aided by swedish soprano nina stemme and the BBC symphony Orchestra, he will oversee works by Weill, Wagner and sibelius, plus rule Britannia!, Pomp And Circumstance and Auld lang syne. A simultaneous concert in Hyde Park stars knights Bryn terfel and ray Davies (September 9, 7.15pm).
ALL concerts are at the Royal Albert Hall unless indicated. Every Prom is live on Radio 3 and BBC Online, with some on BBC1, BBC2 and BBC4. Promming — or standing — tickets are available for £6 on the day of each concert. For tickets, visit bbc.co.uk/proms