´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms 2007
Themes: Proms firsts
The ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the partnership between the ´óÏó´«Ã½
and the Proms, which dates from 1927 when the ´óÏó´«Ã½ took over the season and began to
broadcast the concerts.
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Throughout this season the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms is celebrating Proms Firsts,
highlighting just a few of the great works introduced to audiences by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms, many
of them now classics of the repertory and performed around the world.
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The union of the Proms, already a national institution and 32-years-old in 1927 and the young ´óÏó´«Ã½ (then just five), was farsighted
on the parts both of Henry Wood, the Proms'
founder-conductor, and John Reith, Director General of the
´óÏó´«Ã½.
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It was especially brave given that at the time the new
concept of broadcasting was regarded as the enemy of live
concerts.The synergy between them, however, was perfect:
Henry Wood co-founded the Proms with a view to 'truly
democratising the message of music' and Lord Reith felt that
'saving' the then financially stricken Proms for the nation was
crucial to the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s public service mission to 'entertain,
educate and inform'.
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The hopes of both men, and the visions of both organisations,
have been richly rewarded over the decades. Regular
broadcasts on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3 are now joined by more ´óÏó´«Ã½
Television relays than ever, and a constant online presence,
making the most of today's new technologies from big screens
to mobile phones, bringing an enormous range of the best
classical music – and more – to the widest possible audience.
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Reaching vast numbers is not the only great accomplishment
of the partnership. Henry Wood's co-founder Robert
Newman set out to 'run nightly concerts and train the public
by easy stages … until I have created a public for classical and
modern music'. Neither he, nor Henry Wood, was afraid of
introducing 'novelties' and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ has continued to bring the
work of new and often challenging voices to the high-profile
platform the Proms continues to offer.
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The vision, funding and infrastructure of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ – together
with the famous open-mindedness and enthusiasm of Proms
audiences – has brought countless masterpieces to a wide
public and many more into existence.The 2007 season
highlights just a fraction of those introduced during the past
eight decades.
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Proms Firsts begins on the opening weekend of the season
with two premieres from that historic first ´óÏó´«Ã½ season in
1927:Walton's evergreen Portsmouth Point overture, which
was given its London premiere, is played on the First Night;
and Frank Bridge's miniature classic There is a willow grows
aslant a brook, which was given its world premiere is played at
the first Proms Saturday Matinee of the season at Cadogan
Hall.
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Proms Firsts includes classics that Henry Wood introduced
before the war, by Ravel, Sibelius, Delius and Walton, and
continues with new works heard during the war by Copland,
Barber,Vaughan Williams and Shostakovich.
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From the fertile period after the war there are premieres by
Britten, Strauss, Martinu°, Rakhmaninov and Prokofiev, and then
the pioneering work of Proms director William Glock in the
1960s is celebrated with works he introduced here by Berio,
Ives, Mahler and Varèse.
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The widening scope of ´óÏó´«Ã½ commissioning for the Proms
under Robert Ponsonby is marked with pieces by Hans
Werner Henze, Arvo Pärt and Elizabeth Maconchy, and there
is a special concert of new works that the late Sir John
Drummond programmed and commissioned, by James
MacMillan, Lutospawski and Sir Harrison Birtwistle. And a
selection of the successful commissions and premieres of the
last decade are also heard again: works by György Kurtág, HK
Gruber, Henri Dutilleux and Judith Weir.
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The tradition of Proms premieres continues apace this year
with a sequence of new and recent works from established
composers including John Adams, Pierre Boulez, Elliott Carter,
Hans Werner Henze,Thea Musgrave and Esa-Pekka Salonen,
to more recent talent including Sam Hayden, Peter Wiegold,
Rachel Portman and Guto Puw.
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Highlights
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- Antonio Pappano conducts Berio's Sinfonia, a famous
premiere in the William Glock era, in an all-Italian
programme (16 July).
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- Thierry Fischer in his first concert as Principal Conductor of
´óÏó´«Ã½ NOW revives Henri Dutilleux's moving tribute to the
victims of oppression, The Shadows of Time, which made a
deep impression at the Proms at its UK premiere in 1998
(20 July).
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- Roger Muraro makes his Proms debut with Ravel's Piano
Concerto for the Left Hand, a classic 'novelty' which Henry
Wood introduced to the UK in 1932 (20 July).
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- Sir Andrew Davis conducts a selection of quintessentially
British Proms Firsts including Delius's Song of Summer,
Vaughan Williams's Fifth Symphony and Tippett's Triple
Concerto (26 July).
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- H K Gruber's wild and wacky trumpet concerto Aerial
returns to form part of Brass Day, performed by the
original soloist, HÃ¥kan Hardenberger, who played it here to
great acclaim in 1999 (28 July).
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- Edgard Varèse's Ecuatorial, premiered in 1966, epitomises
the Glock era, when many European composers were
introduced to the UK for the first time (31 July).
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- György Kurtág's powerful and enigmatic score Stele has
been taken up by many orchestras since its UK premiere at
the Proms in 1996 – here Ilan Volkov conducts the ´óÏó´«Ã½
Scottish Symphony Orchestra (1 August).
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- Mark Elder conducts Shostakovich Symphony No. 7, one of
the most famous wartime Proms premieres given just two
months after the score was smuggled out of the Soviet
Union (4 August).
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- Lawrence Power is the soloist in Walton's Viola Concerto,
one of the earliest world premieres during the ´óÏó´«Ã½ era
(9 August).
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- The ´óÏó´«Ã½ National Orchestra of Wales perform
Rakhmaninov's Symphonic Dances, introduced in 1954 and
one of the few premieres given by Malcolm Sargent
(9 August).
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- Tribute to former Proms director Sir John Drummond with
Birtwistle's notorious Panic and James MacMillan's Veni, veni
Emmanuel (one of the most successful ´óÏó´«Ã½ commissions of
all time, with more than 400 performances worldwide)
from the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra (16 August).
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´óÏó´«Ã½ Orchestras
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The ´óÏó´«Ã½'s four symphony orchestras all give special concerts with their chief conductors, dominated by Proms Firsts, many of
which have become classics.
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| ´óÏó´«Ã½ National Orchestra of Wales/Thierry Fischer |
Dutilleux, Ravel |
20 Jul (Prom 9) |
| ´óÏó´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra/Andrew Davis |
Delius,Tippett,Vaughan Williams |
26 Jul (Prom 18) |
| ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Ilan Volkov |
Sibelius, Britten,Varèse |
31 Jul (Prom 24) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic/
Gianandrea Noseda |
Britten, Mahler |
07 Aug (Prom 33) |
| ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Martyn Brabbins |
MacMillan, Lutospawski, Birtwistle |
16 Aug (Prom 44) |
| ´óÏó´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra/Jiřà BÄ•lohlávek |
Britten, Martinů, Prokofiev |
26 Aug (Prom 56) |
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Other ´óÏó´«Ã½ orchestra concerts feature individual Proms Firsts programmed alongside works that are new this season:
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Visiting Orchestras
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Major visiting and UK orchestras contribute to the celebration of Proms Firsts:
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| Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome/Antonio Pappano |
Berio |
16 Jul
(Prom 4) |
| Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/Marin Alsop |
Barber, Copland |
25 Jul
(Prom 16) |
| National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain/Mark Elder |
Shostakovich |
04 Aug
(Prom 29) |
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Gatti |
R Strauss |
05 Aug
(Prom 31) |
| London Symphony Orchestra/Valery Gergiev |
Prokofiev |
28 Aug
(Prom 59) |
| Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Mariss Jansons |
Honegger |
30 Aug
(Prom 62) |
| Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim |
°´Ç»åá±ô²â |
04 Sep
(Prom 68) |
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Proms firsts in 2007 season
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WP = World premiere UKP = UK premiere LP = London premiere
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| Walton: Overture 'Portsmouth Point' |
1927 LP |
13 Jul
(Prom 1) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ SO/BÄ•lohlávek |
| Bridge: There is a willow grows aslant a brook |
1927 WP |
14 Jul
(PSM 1) |
Britten Sinfonia/Shelley |
| Sibelius: Tapiola |
1928 UKP |
31 Jul
(Prom 24) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish SO/Volkov |
| Walton: Viola Concerto |
1929 WP |
09 Aug
(Prom 36) |
Lawrence Power (viola); ´óÏó´«Ã½ National Orchestra of Wales/Atherton |
| Delius: A Song of Summer |
1931 WP |
26 Jul
(Prom 18) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ SO/A. Davis |
| Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand |
1932 UKP |
20 Jul
(Prom 9) |
Roger Muraro (piano); ´óÏó´«Ã½ National Orchestra of Wales/Thierry Fischer |
| °´Ç»åá±ô²â: Dances of Galánta |
1934 UKP |
04 Sep
(Prom 68) |
Vienna PO/Barenboim |
| Britten: Piano Concerto |
1938 WP |
31 Jul
(Prom 24) |
Steven Osborne (piano); ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish SO/Volkov |
| Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem |
1942 UKP |
07 Aug
(Prom 33) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic/Noseda |
| Copland: Billy the Kid – Suite |
1942 UKP |
21 Aug
(Prom 50) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ SO/Adams |
| Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 |
1942 UKP |
04 Aug
(Prom 29) |
National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain/Mark Elder |
| Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5 |
1943 WP |
26 Jul
(Prom 18) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ SO/A. Davis |
| Barber: Violin Concerto |
1944 UKP |
25 Jul
(Prom 16) |
James Ehnes (violin); Bournemouth SO/Also |
| Britten: Four Sea Interludes |
1945 LP |
26 Aug
(Prom 56) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ SO/BÄ•lohlávek |
| R. Strauss: Oboe Concerto |
1946 UKP |
05 Aug
(Prom 31) |
Alexei Ogrintchouk (oboe); Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Gatti |
| Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 |
1946 UKP |
26 Aug
(Prom 56) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ SO/BÄ•lohlávek |
| Honegger: Symphony No. 3, 'Symphonie liturgique' |
1949 UKP |
30 Aug
(Prom 62) |
Bavarian Radio SO/Jansons |
| Rakhmaninov: Symphonic Dances |
1954 UKP |
09 Aug
(Prom 36) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ National Orchestra of Wales/Atherton |
| Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2 |
1955 UKP |
28 Aug
(Prom 59) |
Alexander Toradze (piano); London Symphony Orchestra/Gergiev |
| Prokofiev: Symphony No. 7 |
1955 LP |
28 Aug
(Prom 59) |
London Symphony Orchestra/Gergiev |
| Copland: Symphony No. 3 |
1956 UKP |
25 Jul
(Prom 16) |
Bournemouth SO/Alsop |
| Martinu°: Piano Concerto No. 4, 'Incantation' |
1957 UKP |
26 Aug (Prom 56) |
Ivo Kahanek
(piano); ´óÏó´«Ã½ SO/BÄ•lohlávek |
| Brahms (arr. Schoenberg): Piano Quartet in G minor |
1962 UKP |
13 Aug
(Prom 40) |
Frankfurt Radio Symphony/Paavo Järvi |
| Mahler (compl. D. Cooke): Symphony No. 10 |
1964 WP |
07 Aug
(Prom 33) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic/Noseda |
| Ives: Symphony No. 4 (complete) |
1966 UKP |
17 Jul
(Prom 5) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ SO/Robertson |
| Varèse: Ecuatorial |
1966 UKP |
31 Jul
(Prom 24) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish SO/Volkov |
| Berio: Sinfonia |
1969 UKP |
16 Jul
(Prom 4) |
Swingle Singers; Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome/Pappano |
| Henze: Ragtimes and Habaneras |
1975 WP |
28 Jul
(Prom 20) |
Grimethorpe Colliery Band/Withington |
| Pärt: Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten |
1979 UKP |
19 Jul
(Prom 8) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic/Sinaisky |
| Tippett: Triple Concerto |
1980 WP |
26 Jul
(Prom 18) |
Daniel Hope (violin); Philip Dukes (viola); Christian Poltéra (cello); ´óÏó´«Ã½ SO/A. Davis |
| Maconchy: Music for Strings |
1983 WP |
04 Aug
(PSM 2) |
Scottish Ensemble/Morton |
| Lutospawski: Chantefleurs et Chantefables |
1991 WP |
16 Aug
(Prom 44) |
Solveig Kringelborn (soprano); ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish SO/Brabbins |
| MacMillan:Veni, veni Emmanuel |
1992 WP |
16 Aug
(Prom 44) |
Colin Currie (percussion); ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish SO/Brabbins |
| Birtwistle: Panic |
1995 WP |
16 Aug
(Prom 44) |
Martin Robertson (alto saxophone); Peter Erskine (drums); ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish SO/Brabbins |
| Kurtág: Stele |
1996 UKP |
01 Aug
(Prom 26) |
´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish SO/Volkov |
| Dutilleux:The Shadows of Time |
1998 UKP |
20 Jul
(Prom 9) |
Choristers from Eton College Chapel Choir; ´óÏó´«Ã½ National Orchestra of Wales/Thierry Fischer |
| HK Gruber: Aerial |
1999 WP |
28 Jul
(Prom 21) |
HÃ¥kan Hardenberger (trumpet); ´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic/de Ridder |
| Knussen: Violin Concerto |
2003 LP |
17 Aug
(Prom 45) |
Leila Josefowicz (violin); ´óÏó´«Ã½ SO/Knussen |
| Weir: The Voice of Desire |
2003 WP |
16 Jul
(PCM 1) |
Alice Coote (mezzo-soprano); Graham Johnson (piano) |
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