We’ve got all you need to know about today’s BBC Proms concert taking place at the Royal Albert Hall. Prom 27 (Friday 9 August) features music from Mozart, Strauss, and the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho
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What’s on at the BBC Proms today?
Today’s BBC Proms concert features the early Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat major by Mozart. Nicknamed ‘Jeunehomme’, this sparkling early concerto was composed by Mozart at the age of 21. Its nickname is often supposed to come from the composer’s youth at the time of its composition – or, perhaps, that it refers to a certain ‘young man’ who was visiting Salzburg at the time. In fact, though, it’s probably a reference to the work’s dedicatee, a young female pianist called Victoire Jenamy.
The programme continues with Mirage, a work for soprano, cello and orchestra by the late Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho (1952-2023), whose compositions often featured a rich, polyphonic soundworld that often drew on the acoustic properties of sound. When we ran a poll, in 2019, to find the greatest living composer, Saariaho came out on top.
Tonight’s major work, meanwhile, is Richard Strauss‘s majestic 1915 tone poem, Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony). Calling for a large orchestra of around 125 players, An Alpine Symphony is a depiction in music of an 11-hour ascent of an Alpine mountain, from daybreak to nightfall. It’s one of classical music’s most vivid and atmospheric depictions of the natural world.
- Classical music inspired by weather, thunderstorms, wind and the drama of nature
- How the Swiss Alps inspired composers
Who is performing at tonight’s Prom?
Performers at Prom 27 include Finnish soprano Silja Aalto and cellist Anssi Karttunen, soloists in Mirage by their compatriot Kaija Saariaho. South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho is the soloisty in the Mozart. Accompaniment comes from the ‘Proms orchestra’, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and conductor Sakari Oramo. Those same forces are back several times during this year’s Proms including, most notably, the Last Night of the Proms.
Is today’s BBC Prom on TV?
Prom 27 is not being broadcast on television. Don’t worry, though: you’ll be able to hear it on BBC Radio 3, as you can all the BBC Proms.
What time does tonight’s Prom start?
Prom 26 kicks off at 6pm.
And how much are tickets for the BBC Proms today?
Tickets for Prom 26 are priced between £11 and £54. Or, why not become a Prommer for the day and join the line for the chance of an £8 on-the-day ticket?