Simon Rattle unites the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and the Berliner Philharmoniker for the annual Proms performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, prefaced by Schoenberg's set of 12-tone variations on the name of Bach.

Proms on Four

BBC Proms 2004

Promenaders donning their finery can only mean one thing - it's that time of year once more. The highlight of the classical music season is about to get under way.  Stephanie Hughes introduces the opening concert live from the Royal Albert Hall , where chief conductor Leonard Slatkin will be leading the BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra with acclaimed American mezzo Lorraine Hunt Lieberson in tonight's programme.

First Night of the Proms

Elgar's Enigma Variations are performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and there's his Cockaigne to enjoy. Delius's Sea Drift is sung by American baritone Thomas Hampson , and Holst's mythical Hymn of Jesus is performed. With Charles Hazlewood.

First Night of the BBC Four Proms

Live at the Royal Albert Hall, Leonard Slatkin conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Richard Strauss 's Alpine Symphony, the premiere of Zhou Long 's The Immortal and Liszt's Second Piano Concerto (soloist: Jean-Yves Thibaudet ). Introduced by Charles Hazlewood.

Proms on Four: An Alpine Symphony

There's a Czech flavour to tonight's concert as Jiri Belohlavek conducts the Prague Philharmonia in Mozart's dramatic Prague Symphony, while mezzo Magdalena Kozena sings works by Mozart, Myslivecek and Novak. Martinu's Double Concerto for piano, timpani and strings completes the programme. With Charles Hazlewood.

Proms on Four: Mozart's Prague Symphony

Under the baton of Gianandrea Noseda, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra launch a 75th anniversary tribute to the Russian ballet impresario Serge Diaghilev with a performance of Stravinsky's dazzling Firebird Suite. Plus the world premiere of John Casken's symphony Broken Consort and Ravel's exuberant G major piano concerto (soloist: Pierre-Laurent Aimard). Introduced by Charles Hazlewood.

Proms on Four: Stravinsky's Firebird

In the mid-1970s George Benjamin studied composition with Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatoire. Tonight at the Royal Albert Hall he conducts the Ensemble Modern in a concert dedicated to his former teacher, beginning with two of his own works - Palimpsest I and Palimpsest II - and his orchestration of an organ piece by the Baroque composer Nicolas de Grigny. Messiaen's monumental Des canyons aux Ã©toiles completes the programme. Introduced by Tommy Pearson.

Proms on Four. A Messiaen Tribute

Charles Ives's Symphony No 4 is played, as well as Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and Stravinsky's ballet, Petrushka. The City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, featuring treble David Stark , are conducted by Sakari Oramo.

Proms on Four: Stravinsky and Bernstein

Israeli violinist Pinchas Zukerman performs Elgar's Violin Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Davis. Plus a performance of Dvorak's Mass in D. Introduced by Tommy Pearson.

Proms on Four: Zukerman Plays Elgar

Alan Titchmarsh introduces an evening of popular works from the classical canon from London's Royal Albert Hall , two of which have been chosen by a public vote which included Radio Times readers. The concert includes arias by Mozart and Gounod, sung by Jonathan Lemalu , and Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme ofPaganini as played by Canadian pianist Louis Lortie. There are two orchestral overtures chosen by the audience, and the evening ends with a bang as the Halle Orchestra, conducted by Mark Elder , play Tchaikovsky's victory celebration 1812.

The Nation's Favourite Prom

Anthony Payne 's reconstruction of Elgar's unfinished work is performed alongside Beethoven's enduringly popular Fourth Piano Concerto and Peter Maxwell Davies 's 20th-century response to John Tavemer 's 16trvcentury organ work In Nomine. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Martyn Brabbins. Verity Sharp presents.

Proms on Four: Eigar's Third Symphony

Popular music from the Romantic period - Dvorak's Czech Suite, Schumann's Second Symphony and Saint Saens 's Second Piano Concerto. Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski makes his debut with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by Joseph Swensen.

Proms on Four Sabit-Saens's Second Piano Concerto

Kurt Masur conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra in Schubert's haunting Unfinished Symphony, while Petr Fiala directs the Czech Philharmonic Chorus of Brno in Janacek's Hukvaldy Songs for a cappella choir. The ensembles join forces for the Czech composer's epic Glagolitic Mass. With soloists Zdena Kloubova (soprano), Karen Cargill (mezzo). Pavol Breslik (tenor) and Gustav Belacek (bass). Charles Hazlewood presents.

Proms on Four: Janacek's Glagolitic Mass

Andrew Davis conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Martinu's luminous The Frescoes ofPiero della Francesca and Janacek's symphonic rhapsody Taras Bulba. And Paul Lewis is the soloist in Mozart's elegant Piano Concerto No 23 in A and mezzo Alice Coote sings Mahler's poignant song cycle Kindertotenlieder. Charles Haziewood presents.

Proms on Four: Mozart and Mahler

Mariss Jansons conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Dvorak's lyrical Eighth Symphony and Strauss's autobiographical tone poem Ein Heldenleben.  Introduced by Charles Hazlewood.

Proms on Four: Dvorak and Strauss

Live from the Royal Albert Hall, chief conductor Mariss Jansons leads the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in an all-Russian programme. Charismatic international violin soloist Gidon Kremer joins the orchestra to perform Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No 1 in A minor. The orchestra then plays Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony (Pathetique), which he first conducted just ten days before his death.  During the interval, presenter Stephanie Hughes talks to Mariss Jansons.

Trumpet virtuoso Marsalis - a regular visitor to the Proms - returns with his Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra for a late-night celebration of swing.

Proms on Four: Wynton Marsalis - Out Here to Swing!

Birmingham Opera Company present the first of Britten's three "church parables".

Proms on Four: Britten's Curlew River

ive from the Royal Albert Hall, Roger Norrington - who recently turned 70 - conducts the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain in its annual visit to the Proms.  This year's Prom has a Bohemian theme; they play three popular tone poems from Czech composer Smetana's patriotic work, Ma Vlast (My Country), followed by Mahler's Symphony No 1. During the interval, presenter Stephanie Hughes talks to Roger Norrington and members of the orchestra.

Live from the Royal Albert Hall, the English Concert is directed by violinist and conductor Andrew Manze with sopranos Emma Bell and Ailish Tynan, mezzo Catherine Wyn-Rogers and violinist Rachel Podger.  The Baroque gems include Handel's My Heart Is Inditing, one of the coronation anthems he wrote in honour of George II; three arias from Arne's opera about ancient Persia, Artaxerxes; and Bach's popular concerto for two violins, which brings the first half to a close.  Jean-Fery Rebel's depiction of chaos from Les Elemens and Vivaldi's exuberant Gloria conclude proceedings.

The transience of human life is the theme as the Orchestre de Paris and London Voices are conducted by Christoph Eschenbach with mezzo Yvonne Naef, tenor Anthony Dean Griffey and baritone Andreas Schmidt.  Luciano Berio's last work, Stanze, is set to poetry, including verses by Alfred Brendel, and is scored for solo baritone, three men's choruses and orchestra.

Gustav Mahler's symphonic piece, Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth), is also set to a series of poems, in this case ancient Chinese verse. It is one of the composer's most personal works, written after the death of his eldest daughter and in the midst of his own failing health.  During the interval, Stephanie Hughes talks to guests and some of the musicians taking part.

Musorgsky's demonic tone poem Night on Bare Mountain is paired with Stravinsky's 20th-century masterpiece The Rite of Spring, a piece that at its premiere in Paris in triggered the most famous riot in ballet history. Deborah Bull will be hoping for less controversy at the Royal Albert Hall when she introduces the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of charismatic conductor Valery Gergiev.

Russian Night at the Proms

Rich in tradition and regarded as the world's oldest orchestra - its roots lying in the 16th century - the Dresden Staatskapelle perform in the second of their two Proms conducted by the celebrated Bernard Haitink.  The programme from the Royal Albert Hall features renditions of Dvorak's darkly dramatic Seventh Symphony and one of Haydn's Paris symphonies. Also featured is Bartok's Dance Suite, a piece composed to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of Budapest.  During the interval, Stephanie Hughes talks to guests and some of the musicians taking part.

Conductor Simon Rattle and his Berliner Philharmoniker perform La Mer , the sea symphony by Debussy, then Messiaen's Eclairs sur I'Audela...., his last major orchestral work, and a glimpse into a world beyond death. Presented from the Royal Albert Hall in London by Tommy Pearson.

Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducts the British premiere of Kaija Saariaho's Orion.

Duke Bluebeard's Castle, Bartok's only opera, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Jukka-Pekka Saraste.

On the day of Dvorak's birthday, leading champion of Czech music Charles Mackerras conducts the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in the composer's ever popular New World Symphony and his Scherzo capriccioso. Plus Sarah Chang plays the Violin Concerto in A Minor. Also on BBC Radio 3 from 7pm. Presented from London's Royal Albert Hall by Charles Hazlewood.

A 300thanniversary celebration of the music of the 18th-century French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Conductor William Christie leads the Choir and Orchestra of Les Arts Florissants in a concert of sacred music.

Superstar Russian soprano Anna Netrebko sings popular arias by Puccini, Bellini and Dvorak accompanied by the BBC Philharmonic and their conductor Gianandrea Noseda. The concert concludes with Shostakovich's powerful Symphony No 5 in D minor.

Live coverage from London's Royal Albert Hall of the final evening of performances from this year's Proms. The BBC Symphony Orchestra under chief conductor Leonard Slatkin - in his final Last Night - are joined by baritone soloist Thomas Allen, organist Simon Preston and horn player David Pyatt. This first-half programme comprises performances of Dvorak's Carnival overture, Richard Strauss's extrovert Horn Concerto No 1, Vaughan Williams's Five Mystical Songs and Barber's Toccata Festiva.

Last Night of the Proms

The Proms season comes to a spectacular close as BBC1 takes over coverage. Introduced by Alan Titchmarsh.  The second-half programme commences with six short and varied pieces. The Ojai Festival Overture by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies is followed by the Humming Chorus from Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Two songs from Hollywood musicals follow - Oh What a Beautiful Mornin' from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Where Is the Life That Late I Led? from Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate. Gilbert and Sullivan's I've Got a Little List from The Mikado precedes the rousing Liberty Bell March by Sousa.

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.

Proms on Four

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