Today’s concert at the BBC Proms is a very intriguing one. It features a performance of Beethoven‘s awesome final symphony, the Ninth, performed… from memory.
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What’s on at the BBC Proms today?
Today’s Prom, Prom 42, features a performance of Beethoven’s mighty Symphony No. 9 in D minor, ‘Choral’, performed from memory. That will take place after the interval. Before the interval, we’ll be treated to a musical and dramatic exploration of of the same symphony.
Composed between 1822 and 1824, Beethoven’s Ninth – his final symphony – is one of the major landmarks in the history of classical music, and finished very strongly in our list of the greatest symphonies of all time (indeed, it was only pipped to the top spot by another Beethoven symphony).
Among the work’s many strokes of genius is the placing of the Adagio slow movement third in the sequence of movements, rather than the usual second place. This later placing gives this movement more of the climactic profundity it deserves, and later composers including Mahler would learn from Beethoven’s traiilblazing decision.
If the first three movements already mark the Ninth down as a work of greatness, the final movement, featuring the exultant, utopian Ode to Joy by the contemporary poet Friedrich Schiller, elevates it to one of music’s supreme achievements.
Who is performing at tonight’s Prom?
Tonight’s performers are the Aurora Orchestra, specialists at performing works from memory, and their charismatic conductor Nicholas Collon.
In August 2014, Aurora became the first modern professional orchestra to perform a symphony entirely from memory. That symphony was Mozart‘s No. 40, performed at that year’s BBC Proms. Aurora has since pioneered the trend for orchestras memorising works for performance, and has collaborated with an impressive range of artists across various art forms in putting together its immersive and involving performances.
The orchestra also offers regular workshops and storytelling concerts for young people, schools and families, including children with disabilities and special educational needs.
Tonight’s soloists include soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, mezzo-soprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons, tenor Brenden Gunnell and baritone Christopher Purves. Alongside the Aurora Orchestra, they are joined by the brilliant BBC Singers and National Youth Choir.
Why do Aurora Orchestra perform from memory?
Following that groundbreaking BBC Proms performance in 2014, Aurora has performed other works from memory including Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 ‘Jupiter’; Brahms’s First Symphony; Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony; the Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz; and the Third, Fifth and Sixth symphonies by Beethoven. But why take the time and trouble to commit these works to memory?
As the orchestra explains, audiences already expect concerto soloists and opera singers to perform from memory, while string quartet ensembles and choirs often do the same. So why couldnt an orchestra do the same?
‘Memorising deepens and enriches our relationship with the music in every way, and takes communication to a new level,’ explains Nicholas Collon. ‘Whilst it feels naked on stage without a stand and music to hide behind, it intensifies the levels of trust between players.’
‘I cannot exaggerate the joy I feel at sharing these experiences with my colleagues,’ adds Jamie Campbell, the orchestra’s principal second violin. ‘To be able to look up, make eye contact and know that every person on that stage knows every single note of the piece inside out makes for an incredibly intense experience of the music. I’ve known Mozart’s 40th Symphony all my life, but I felt like I was discovering more of the genius of the work, and getting to know Mozart himself every moment that I spent learning it.’
What time is the BBC Proms concert today?
Prom 42, Beethoven’s Ninth by Heart, begins at 7.30pm.
And how much are tickets to the Prom?
Tickets are priced between £15–£64. You also have the option of joining the Proms’s legendary faithful queuers, the Prommers, and waiting in line on the day for the chance of a ticket for just £8.
- A day in the life of a Prommer
- The cellist, the cameraman, the Prommer and the snapper: meet the people who put the magic into the BBC Proms
Will tonight’s Prom be on TV?
Yes. Prom 42 is being recorded for broadcast on BBC Four. It will go out on Friday 30 August. A signed version of the same concert will be broadcast the following day, Saturday 31 August.