Thomas Adès, who conducts on July 26 © Sheila Rock
It's that time of year again. A perennial highlight of London's classical calendar, the BBC Proms return in 2008 with 76 concerts of superlative quality and diversity. Here are our early picks
Thomas Adès, who conducts on July 26 © Sheila Rock
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Prom 12: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
The
amazing bass Sir John Tomlinson sings excerpts from Musorgsky’s ‘Boris
Godunov’, one of his favourite operas. The City of Birmingham Symphony
Orchestra and Choruses are conducted by the multi-talented Thomas Adès,
whose own piece ‘Tevot’ is also performed. Plus, Canadian Louis Lortie
with Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No 1.
Saturday July 26, 7pm.
Proms 20 & 21: Stockhausen Day
It’s
Stockhausen Day, with two concerts. The first features the BBC Symphony
Orchestra divided into three ensembles to perform ‘Gruppen’, then
percussionist Colin Currie and pianist Nicholas Hodges play along with
a tape in ‘Kontakte’. Later, Paul Hillier directs the Theatre of Voices
in the 70-minute-long ‘Stimmung’, exploring the natural overtones of a
single note.
Saturday August 2, 6pm.
Feature continues
Prom 37: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
The
wonder that is Gustavo Dudamel hits the Proms to conduct his Gothenburg
Symphony Orchestra in Ravel’s ‘La Valse’ and the ‘Symphonie
Fantastique’ by Berlioz. Soloist Martin Fröst also appears to play
Anders Hillborg’s Clarinet Concerto.
Wednesday August 13, 7.30pm
Prom 38: West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
The
most talked-about young orchestra, the West-Eastern Divan, is in town,
with the most talked-about musician, Daniel Barenboim, at the helm. Two
concerts feature: first Haydn, Schoenberg and Brahms’s ‘Symphony No 4’.
Then, at 10.15pm, it’s back with Boulez and Stravinsky.
Thursday August 14, 7pm.
Prom 48: Gürzenich Orchester
The
conductor who runs music in Cologne, Markus Stenz, gets the city’s
Gürzenich Orchestra to recreate the spirit of a concert from 1904.
Featuring Mahler’s ‘Symphony No 5’, Stockhausen’s ‘Punkte’,
orchestrations of Schubert songs and Beethoven’s third ‘Leonore
Overture’.
Friday August 22, 7pm.
Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore SW7 (0845 401 5040/www.bbc.co.uk/proms) South Kensington tube.
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2 comments
If you go to the Royal Albert Hall website you can view the seating layout and searching for best available seats will tell you where these are located...if you can't handle that the staff on the phone are v helpful so you can ring and sort out that way .....enjoy!
WE WILL BE IN LONDON ONTHE 6,7,8,9TH OF SEPTEMBER AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAGUERITE BUT DO NOT KNOW THE SEATING IN THIS VENUE.iS THE GALLERY OR UPPER CIRCLE A CONVENIENT SPOT AND HOW DO O select my seating???tHANKS E. HENRY ..WOULD PREFER TO SEE ON THE 8TH AT 19 HRS.