Viennese Night is one of the Proms' most popular traditions. Richard Baker introduces highlights of last night's concert from the Royal Albert Hall, featuring a sparkling selection of waltzes, polkas and marches from the Strauss family, plus some operetta treats sung by soprano Felicity Lott.

BBC Proms 1994

BBC Proms

The 100th season of the BBC Proms opens spectacularly with one of the largest scores ever written, Schoenberg's vast cantata Gurrelieder. Conductor Andrew Davis says: "What a superb start to the Proms. Huge orchestral forces are needed for Schoenberg's epic but although it's daunting to perform it's not at all daunting to listen to. This is a great classical masterpiece, the apotheosis of the late Romantic cantata and an incredible journey through misty Nordic mythology exploring the themes of love and death. It's perfect for the Royal Albert Hall and we have a magnificent line-up of soloists tonight." These include the great Wagnerian baritone Hans Hotter, making his Proms debut at the age of 85. On this First Night of the Proms' 100th year, Davis conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Singers, the Philharmonia Chorus and the BBC Symphony Chorus.

Introduced by James Naughtie, live from the Royal Albert Hall.

In this evening's live concert from the Royal Albert Hall Simon Rattle conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in a typically eclectic programme.

It features a new work,

Drowned Out, by Mark-Anthony Turnage. "Takingthis piece for its London premiere feels as though we're bringing a member of the family with us," says

Rattle. "He's produced some wonderful things for us and this marks the end of his four years as composer in residence."

The concert opens with Sibelius's tone poem Tapiola, in the second half Maria Ewing sings Messiaen' s Poemes pour Mi, and the orchestra ends with LaMer by Debussy.

The "first 100 years" theme continues with this re-creation of a Wagner night, a regular feature of the Proms' early years. It's given by the BBC NationalÃ Orchestra of Wales under their principal conductor Tadaaki Otaka.

Highlights of the concert given last night open with the stirring Tannhauser overture, the most performed work in the history of the Proms, and the Venusberg Music from the same opera. One of Wagner's Wesendonck Songs follows, in which the soloist is Anne Evans, and the concert reaches its climax with two excerpts from Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral Music and Brunnhilde's Immolation Scene.

The BBC Philharmonic come to the Proms in their 60th anniversary year. Under their principal conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier and as part of the celebration of the Proms' first hundred years, they perform two of the many works which received their British premiere at these concerts. The first is Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand (originally written for a pianist who lost his right arm in the First World War - tonight's soloist is Jean-Yves Thibaudet) followed by Sibelius's powerful First Symphony.  The programme is introduced by Richard Baker.

In a season marking 100 years of the Promenade Concerts, tonight's has a special significance. It is being given as a tribute to Sir Henry Wood, founder-conductor of the Proms, who died 50 years ago today. All four pieces being performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra have special associations with Sir Henry, as the conductor, Andrew Davis, will explain from the platform.

At the concert's heart is the Serenade to Music which Vaughan Williams wrote in 1938 to celebrate Wood's 50 years as a conductor. It features 166 outstanding soloists, tonight including Heather Harper, Yvonne Minton, Robert Tear and Thomas Allen.

Age and youth come together for a performance of Brahms's mighty Fourth Symphony. Italian maestro Carlo Maria Giulini, who celebrated his 80th birthday earlier this year, conducts the European Youth Orchestra and beforehand talks about his approach to Brahms, and about the orchestra.

The world's great orchestras have all visited the Proms over the years, and usually provide some of the highlights each season. Tonight's guests are the Los Angeles Philharmonic under their music director Esa-Pekka Salonen, who bring a work that was written for them, Lutoslawski's Fourth Symphony. The composer, who died earlier this year, conducted its UK premiere at last year's Proms.

Live from the Royal Albert Hall, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana provides the thrilling climax to this concert which opens with two British works - the Overture to a Picaresque Comedy by Arnold Bax and Sir Malcolm Arnold's Second Symphony, written for tonight's performers, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Richard Hickox conducts with Janice Watson (soprano), James Bowman (counter-tenor) and Donald Maxwell (baritone), the Highcliffe Junior Choir, the Waynflete Singers and the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus. Presented by James Naughtie.

Live from the Royal Albert Hall , theseason'sfarewell concert starts majestically with the full orchestral arrangement by the Proms' founder, Henry Wood , of Bach's great Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus by Vaughan Williams is followed by Walton's choral masterpiece, Belshazzar's Feast.

The BBC Singers, this year celebrating their 70th anniversary, and the BBC Symphony Chorus join forces with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrew Davis. Introduced by Richard Baker.

The Last Night of the Proms

The first 100 years of Promenade Concerts are brought to a rousing conclusion in the second half of tonight's live concert. Joining in the music-making and festivities are two of Britain's most brilliant young artists, percussionist Evelyn Glennie , soloist in Paul Creston's Marimba Concertino, and Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel.

Popular works by Kabalevsky, Massenet and Grainger - all premiered at the Proms - are performed before the evening comes to its traditional grand climax, including - as ever - Henry Wood's own Fantasia on British Sea-Songs.

The World's Greatest Classical Music Festival.  The BBC Proms is a classical music festival held every summer at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and in recent years has explored an innovative series of Proms around the UK with concerts in all four nations. Its aim: to bring the best in classical music to the widest possible audience, which remains true to founder-conductor Henry Wood’s original vision in 1895.  Whether you are a classical connoisseur or think classical music isn’t for you, there is something for everyone in the eight-week stretch of concerts.

BBC Proms 1994

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