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The Worst Episodes of BBC Proms

Every episode of BBC Proms ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of BBC Proms!

The Worst Episodes of BBC Proms

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,...
  1. Background image for First Broadcast
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    #1 - First Broadcast

    S1:E1

    The BBC broadcast the Last Night at the Proms for the first time on Saturday the 6th of September 1947

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  2. Background image for Prom 21: Sir Neville Marriner at the Proms
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    #2 - Prom 21: Sir Neville Marriner at the Proms

    S37:E21

    Neville Marriner conducts leader Kenneth Sillito and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields on Fri 12 Aug 1983 at Royal Albert Hall

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  3. Background image for Prom 14
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    #3 - Prom 14

    S56:E14

    Jean Sibelius Tapiola Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major Carl Nielsen Symphony No. 4, ‘The Inextinguishable’

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  4. Background image for Last Night of the Proms
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    #4 - Last Night of the Proms

    S58:E74

    Dvořák - Overture 'Carnival' R. Strauss - Concerto for Horn No. 1 in E flat major, Op 11 Vaughan Williams - 5 Mystical Songs Barber - Toccata festiva, Op 36 Sir Peter Maxwell Davies - Ojai Festival Overture Puccini - Madama Butterfly Rodgers - Oklahoma! (arr. Robert Russell Bennett) Cole Porter - Kiss Me, Kate Sullivan - The Mikado John Philip Sousa - March 'The Liberty Bell' Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D major ('Land of Hope and Glory') Henry Wood - Fantasia on British Sea Songs (with additional Songs arranged by Stephen Jackson) Parry - Jerusalem Anonymous - National Anthem (arr. Henry Wood)

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  5. Background image for Prom 14
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    #5 - Prom 14

    S58:E75

    John Taverner In nomine Peter Maxwell Davies First Fantasia on an 'In nomine' of John Taverner Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major Edward Elgar Symphony No 3 (elab. Payne)

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  6. Background image for First Night of the Proms Part One
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    #6 - First Night of the Proms Part One

    S59:E1

    BBC1 kicks off this centrepiece of the classical calendar for the first time, as Promenaders don their finery for the start of the 111th season of Henry Wood concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Tonight's music is performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Roger Norrington, and begins on a maritime theme with Berlioz's exuberant The Corsair overture. Janine Jansen is the soloist in Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, while Elgar's Overture: Cockaigne (in London Town), a colourful tour of the old capital, prefaces Tippett's oratorio A Child of Our Time, which airs on BBC2 from 8pm.

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  8. Background image for First Night of the Proms Part Two
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    #7 - First Night of the Proms Part Two

    S59:E2

    Michael Tippett's powerful oratorio A Child of Our Time features in continuing live coverage from the Royal Albert Hall, London. The piece marks its composer's centenary as well as the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Roger Norrington conducts Indra Thomas (soprano), Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano), Ian Bostridge (tenor), Willard White (bass), and the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Introduced by Alan Titchmarsh.

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  9. Background image for Prom 4: Richard Wagner - Die Walküre
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    #8 - Prom 4: Richard Wagner - Die Walküre

    S59:E3

    Tenor Placido Domingo makes his long-awaited Proms debut in the Royal Opera House's new production of Wagner's epic Die Walkure, the second opera in the Ring cycle. The cast also includes baritone Bryn Terfel as Wotan and soprano Lisa Gasteen as Brunnhilde. Antonio Pappano conducts the Royal Opera House Orchestra. Charles Hazlewood introduces the first of this year's Proms from London's Royal Albert Hall.

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  10. Background image for Prom 5: Michael Berkeley, Benjamin Britten and Vaughan Williams
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    #9 - Prom 5: Michael Berkeley, Benjamin Britten and Vaughan Williams

    S59:E4

    BBC National Orchestra of Wales - conducted by Richard Hickox - performs a new concerto by Michael Berkeley. Soprano Susan Gritton sings four songs by Benjamin Britten, and there is a performance of Vaughan Williams' 1913 work 'A London Symphony'. Live from Royal Albert Hall.

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  11. Background image for Prom 6: Musgrave, Rachmaninov and Nielson
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    #10 - Prom 6: Musgrave, Rachmaninov and Nielson

    S59:E5

    Conductor Osma Vanska returns to the Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra for a concert in which elemental forces are at play. Thea Musgrave's Turbulent Landscapes was inspired by six dramatic paintings by Turner; Rachmaninov's passionate First Piano Concerto is performed by Stephen Hough; while the essence of life itself is the theme of Carl Nielsen's Symphony No 4, The Inextinguishable.

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  12. Background image for Prom 8: Stravinsky, MacMillan and Ravel
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    #11 - Prom 8: Stravinsky, MacMillan and Ravel

    S59:E6

    A performance of Stravinsky's musical fairytale The Nightingale and an extraordinary new commission for organ and orchestra by James MacMillan, A Scotch Bestiary, mark the BBC Philharmonic's first visit to this year's Proms. Gianandrea Noseda and James MacMillan himself are the respective conductors. Introduced by Charles Hazlewood live from London's Royal Albert Hall.

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  13. Background image for Prom 9: Mozart and Mahler
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    #12 - Prom 9: Mozart and Mahler

    S59:E7

    The conductor Christoph von Dohnanyi is renowned for his insightful interpretations of the great German Romantic repertoire - tonight, he conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra in Mahler's turbulent Fifth Symphony. That's preceded by one of Mozart's most charming works - the Third Violin Concerto - performed by soloist Christian Tetzlaff. Presented by Verity Sharp.

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  14. Background image for Prom 11: Mendelssohn, Bruch and Vaughan Williams
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    #13 - Prom 11: Mendelssohn, Bruch and Vaughan Williams

    S59:E8

    Mendelssohn's Overture: The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave), Vaughan Williams's A Sea Symphony (Symphony No 1) and Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No 1 in G minor, performed by Proms favourite Leila Josefowicz. Gerard Schwarz conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra and the Chester Festival Chorus, with soprano Janice Watson and baritone Dwayne Croft. Verity Sharp hosts.

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  15. Background image for Prom 13: Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius
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    #14 - Prom 13: Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius

    S59:E9

    Elgar's great vision of a spiritual journey - The Dream of Gerontius - is performed by the Halle Choir, London Philharmonic Choir and Halle Orchestra, conducted by Mark Elder. The soloists are mezzo Alice Coote , tenor Paul Groves and bass Matthew Best. Verity Sharp presents the performance.

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  16. Background image for Prom 14: Tippett and Shostakovich
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    #15 - Prom 14: Tippett and Shostakovich

    S59:E10

    Michael Tippett 's mystical The Vision of St Augustine is followed by Shostakovich's Symphony No 10. Soprano Elizabeth Atherton and baritone Roderick Williams join the BBC Symphony Chorus and BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Richard Hickox.

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  17. Background image for Prom15: Fairy Tales
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    #16 - Prom15: Fairy Tales

    S59:E11

    This season's theme of fairy tales is represented by Russian composer Liadov's tone-poem trilogy - Baba-Yaga, The Enchanted Lake and Kikimora - taken from old folk tales, and Stravinsky's ballet music The Fairy's Kiss, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen. Between are Knussen's settings of four poems by Walt Whitman , and the premiere of German composer Detlev Glanert 's Theatrum Bestiarum.

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  18. Background image for Prom 16: Ravel, Dutilleux, Stravinsky and Mussorgsky
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    #17 - Prom 16: Ravel, Dutilleux, Stravinsky and Mussorgsky

    S59:E12

    The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra play Ravel's popular Mother Goose suite. There's also a new work - Correspondences - by France's most eminent composer Henri Dutilleux, featuring soprano Barbara Hannigan. Then it's back to the work of Ravel with his dazzling arrangement of Musorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

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  19. Background image for Prom 18: Adams, Corigliano and Prokofiev
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    #18 - Prom 18: Adams, Corigliano and Prokofiev

    S59:E13

    Conductor Marin Alsop and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra bring American composer John Corigliano's new concerto The Red Violin to the Proms following its successful world premiere in Baltimore last year. Violin superstar Joshua Bell (for whom the piece was written) will perform the concerto. Plus an excerpt from John Adams's opera Nixon in China and music from Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet.

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  20. Background image for Prom 19: Russia Night
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    #19 - Prom 19: Russia Night

    S59:E14

    An all-Russian line-up, with excerpts from Tchaikovsky's The Snow Maiden, followed by Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No 1 played by the 20-year-old Armenian virtuoso Sergey Khachatryan. The concert concludes with Prokofiev's wartime Symphony No 5, written in support of the greatness of the human spirit. The BBC Philharmonic is led by their Russian-born principal guest conductor Vassily Sinaisky. Hosted by Charles Hazlewood.

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  21. Background image for Prom 21: Violins!! - Part 2
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    #20 - Prom 21: Violins!! - Part 2

    S59:E15

    Viktoria Mullova is the soloist for the world premiere of Fraser Trainer's violin concerto For the Living, in the second of today's three Violins!! concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. Talented young players from across the UK join the BBC Symphony Orchestra and conductor. Martyn Brabbins for Respighi's The Pines of Rome and their own collaborative workshop piece Invisible Lines. Plus Bernstein's Overture: Candide and Britten's ever-popular The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. With Charles Hazlewood.

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  22. Background image for Prom 23: Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet
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    #21 - Prom 23: Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet

    S59:E16

    Shakespeare's tale of doomed young love is brought to life in Berlioz's dramatic symphony Romeo et Juliette Nan Volkov conducts the BBC SSO and the London Symphony Chorus, with soloists Katarina Karneus (mezzo), Jean-Paul Fouchecourt (tenor) and John Relyea (bass). With Charles Hazlewood.

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  23. Background image for Prom 41: Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
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    #22 - Prom 41: Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra

    S59:E17

    Following last year's sell-out success, celebrated conductor Daniel Barenboim returns to the Royal Albert Hall with his young orchestra of Arab and Israeli musicians - the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. Soloists are showcased in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn. Following the interval the concert ends with Mahler's Symphony No 1 in D major. During the interval, Verity Sharp talks to Barenboim, plus guests Rob Cowan and James Murphy.

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  24. Background image for Prom 2: Arthur Sullivan's HMS Pinafore
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    #23 - Prom 2: Arthur Sullivan's HMS Pinafore

    S59:E18

    WS Gilbert's libretto on ignorant sea lords combines with Arthur Sullivan 's memorable melodies in one of the duo's most enduring creations, HMS Pinafore. Charles Mackerras is at the helm and also conducts his own ballet Pineapple Poll, based on another of Gilbert's naval satires, with a re-orchestration of Sullivan's music. A cast of leading British artists take centre stage, including Richard Suart , Felicity Palmer and Sally Matthews , plus the Maida Vale Singers, the BBC Orchestra, and narration by Tim Brooke-Taylor . Alan Titchmarsh introduces the performance, recorded last month at London's Royal Albert Hall. Director Francesca Kemp ; Series editor Oliver Macfarlane

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  25. Background image for Prom 49: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, ‘Choral’
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    #24 - Prom 49: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, ‘Choral’

    S59:E19

    Live from the Royal Albert Hall, Kurt Masur conducts the London Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, as well as a cast of international soloists, in the annual Proms rendition of Beethoven's life-affirming Choral symphony. Prior to the main performance, there's the UK premiere of The Light of the End, a piece by the highly individual Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina. During the interval presenter Verity Sharp meets Kurt Masur and talks to guests John Deathridge, who holds the King Edward VII chair in music at King's College, London, and Tom Service, presenter of BBC Radio 3's Music Matters.

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  26. Background image for Prom 57: Valery Gergiev conducts the World Orchestra for Peace
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    #25 - Prom 57: Valery Gergiev conducts the World Orchestra for Peace

    S59:E20

    Live from the Royal Albert Hall, dynamic conductor Valery Gergiev leads the World Orchestra for Peace in a concert of opera and fantasy. Founded by the late Georg Solti for the 50th anniversary of the UN in 1995 the ensemble comprises players from leading professional orchestras around the world. Making its second visit to the Proms, to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the orchestra plays music by Rossini, Debussy, Wagner, Rimsky-Korsakov and the world premiere of a new work by Esa-Pekka Salonen. During the interval presenter Verity Sharp talks to the orchestra's current music director, the lively Mr Gergiev.

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Worst Episodes Summary

"First Broadcast" is the worst rated episode of "BBC Proms". It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 9/6/1947. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Prom 21: Sir Neville Marriner at the Proms".