Proms on Four: Friday Night at the Proms - National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain BBC Proms

It's Friday Night at the Proms,

and the final concert of the season on BBC Four

before the big finale tomorrow.

Tonight, we're going large-scale

with the Ninth Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven,

followed by a Beethoven-inspired composition

by British composer, Mark-Anthony Turnage, called Frieze.

On stage is a very large collection

of the cream of young musicians from the British Isles.

The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain,

and above them the National Youth Choir,

with the Irish Youth Chamber Choir

and Codetta, a young choir from Derry.

One of the reasons this evening is special

is that not one member of the audience has paid to get in.

For the first time,

5,000 people are here for a full evening Prom entirely for free.

A happy crowd, then.

Beethoven's Ninth, the Choral Symphony, written in 1824,

is one of the iconic achievements of Western music.

It stands as a monolith.

For many later composers, the symphony to end all symphonies.

As with so many of Beethoven's works, it broke new ground.

For the first time in a symphony, it employs a chorus

in the final movement to outstanding effect in the famous Ode to Joy.

And as with all great works of art,

you could be led on a philosophical journey

while simply enjoying some of the marvellous tunes,

including one of the most famous ever written.

Because they're so young, most of the players and singers

will be performing Beethoven's Ninth for the first time.

When you look at the assembled young musicians here,

it's worth remembering that they spent huge amount of time

on their music training.

They're also willing to give up large amounts of their holidays

through the year to playing or singing.

Before we hear the symphony, we've got time to find out

what it is that makes these young musicians tick

and how their musical life inspires them.

So, here's the National Youth Choir of Great Britain

on their summer residential course in York.

CHORAL SINGING

If you hear a choir in full tilt singing some beautiful harmony,

you can see it in their faces and you can hear it in the voices,

the joy that they share with it. I think that's something very special.

I think people are often astonished and amazed

at what the National Youth Choir can do.

The "youth" moniker sometimes comes off as a bit of a,

"It'll be good, but it's still young people."

In fact, this one of the finest choirs in the world - full stop.

Before this, I only really used to sing in my school choir.

I remember my dad saying at our first concert it was really weird

because it was like going from Third Division to the Premier League in one step.

THEY WARM UP

I have a cousin who's a professional singer

and has been for nearly 50 years.

And she gave me a few lessons.

I auditioned. And I never thought for a minute I'd get in.

And neither did my parents

as I remember my dad opening the letter and being absolutely stunned.

Your internal obliques which come across that way

and the external obliques come across that way.

I think it's scientifically proved that singing is good for you.

It's that wonderful synthesis of being able to communicate

and actually make noises together.

-HE SINGS LOW BASS NOTE

-Lovely!

Personally, I've sung by myself since I was four, five maybe.

But since I've joined NYC, I just can't,

like, describe the buzz I get.

It's this kind of amazing community thing.

It's almost like soldiers going into battle sometimes.

THEY WARM UP

You feel kind of strong, like a big army of singers. It's amazing.

Get every single word out. It's not volume, it's just articulation.

It's been fascinating for me, watching the course unfold

and the various traditions that the National Youth Choir has,

with their social activities and the way also they coalesce as a choir.

When you first arrive, it can almost be really unnerving because all

these things are happening and you don't want any of them means.

After you've been here a year or so, everything makes sense.

You know what's going on. It's just great fun.

This choir has gone on tours to some remarkable and unexpected places.

I do remember landing with them in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands

in the late '90s when we probably increased

the population of the island by about 1% when we were there.

But it's wonderful to finally get a chance to bring all this music

to the places where all our singers from, every corner of Great Britain.

SLOW CHORAL SINGING TO BEAT

At our age, all of our voices have the same youthfulness

and freshness, whereas usually much more mature choirs

would be doing things like the Beethoven.

Once again, and...

THEY SPEAK LYRICS IN RHYTHM

I mean, obviously these pieces are just epic

and they've been sung for hundreds of years,

and having the opportunity to sing such pieces is a massive privilege.

THEY CHEER

In ten years' time, we'll see kids who are just starting out now

singing in the main choir.

And this is a lifelong experience for them.

SHE SINGS

In its 30 years, the National Youth Choir

has done something really special,

which is bringing music to the younger people in society.

So often, people your age don't get into it,

but having a group like the National Youth Choir

is something where there's, like, a touchstone

that you can hold on to and grow from.

# Sing joy for the... #

In a strange way, you subsume the individual identity

and then are exalted again as an individual

by being part of this larger thing.

And I've always felt, and perhaps is a bit highfalutin,

but that's the best model for a society.

# Sing... #

A good society is one in which individuals are aware

and proud of themselves, but also very aware of the good of the group

and the need to do things together as humans.

And all the best human accomplishments are always done by groups and not by individuals.

The National Youth Choir.

Inspirational stuff.

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the Choral,

picks up on themes that are present in previous works by the composer.

The struggle from darkness to light, the Promethean myth,

a search for personal peace

and the aspiration for us to live in unity and love.

It's a 75-minute work in four movements.

The first movement can be seen in narrative terms

as nothing less than the emergence of light at the dawn of time

leading to the creation of life.

After a savage scherzo and a third movement of infinite grace,

we are led to an outburst of song

that confirms what Beethoven profoundly believed in -

the possibility of the unity of mankind -

in his setting of Schiller's Ode to Joy.

Alongside the famous statue of Sir Henry Wood on stage today

to enjoy the music-making is a bust of Beethoven.

It's been placed here by the Royal Philharmonic Society

which has the proud record of having commissioned the Ninth Symphony.

And in charge today

will be the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain's

principal conductor, Vasily Petrenko.

Joining the orchestra and the choirs for the final movement

will be a wonderful line-up of soloists - Ailish Tynan,

Jennifer Johnston, Toby Spence and Gerald Finley.

APPLAUSE

Here now comes conductor Vasily Petrenko

to join the National Youth Choir of Great Britain,

the Irish Youth Choir, Codetta

and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain

for Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

SILENCE

SILENCE

HE SINGS IN GERMAN:

CHORUS ECHO SOLOIST

# Deine Zauber binden wieder

# Was die Mode streng geteilt

# Alle Menschen werden Brueder

# Wo dein sanfter Fluegel weilt

# Ja - wer auch nur eine Seele

# Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!

# Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle

# Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!

# Kuesse gab sie uns und Reben

# Einen Freund, geprueft im Tod

# Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben

# Und der Cherub steht vor Gott

# Und der Cherub steht vor Gott

# Steht vor Gott

# Vor Gott

# Vor Gott

# Laufet, Brueder, eure Bahn

# Freudig wie ein Held zum Siegen

# Ein Held zum Siegen

# Freudig, Freudig, Freudig Wie ein Held zum Siegen

# Freude, schoener Goetterfunken

# Tochter aus Elysium

# Wir betreten feuertrunken

# Himmlische dein Heiligtum

# Deine Zauber binden wieder

# Was die Mode streng geteilt

# Alle Menschen werden Brueder

# Wo dein sanfter Fluegel weilt

# Deine Zauber binden wieder

# Was die Mode streng geteilt

# Alle Menschen werden Brueder

# Wo dein sanfter Fluegel weilt

# Seid umschlungen, Millionen!

# Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt!

# Brueder - ueberm Sternenzelt

# Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen

# Ueber Sternen muss er wohnen

# Freude, schoener Goetterfunken

# Tochter aus Elysium

# Wir betreten feuertrunken

# Himmlische dein Heiligtum

# Freude, schoener Goetterfunken

# Tochter aus Elysium

# Wir betreten feuertrunken

# Himmlische dein Heiligtum

# Seid umschlungen, Millionen!

# Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt!

# Freude, schoener Goetterfunken

# Tochter aus Elysium

# Wir betreten feuertrunken

# Himmlische dein Heiligtum... #

THEY HARMONISE PREVIOUS PASSAGES

# Goetterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium

# Deine Zauber binden wieder Was die Mode streng geteilt!

# Dein sanfter Fluegel weilt

# Alle Menschen, Alle Menschen Alle Menschen

# Alle Menschen

# Werden Brueder

# Wo dein sanfter

# Fluegel weilt

# Dein sanfter

# Fluegel weilt

# Seid umschlungen, Millionen! Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt!

# Brueder - ueberm Sternenzelt Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen

# Seid umschlungen, seid umschlungen!

# Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt! Der ganzen Welt!

# Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt! Der ganzen Welt!

# Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt!

# Freude, Freude, schoener Goetterfunken

# Tochter aus Elysium

# Freude, schoener Goetterfunken

# Goetterfunken! #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the Choral.

The performance by the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain,

the National Youth Choir of Great Britain,

the Irish Youth Choir, Codetta and the soloists -

Ailish Tynan, soprano, Jennifer Johnston, mezzo-soprano,

Toby Spence, tenor, and Gerald Finley, bass.

And they were conducted by the orchestra's principal conductor, Vasily Petrenko.

And what an overwhelming outpouring of youthful skill and enthusiasm

in the Ode to Joy,

with words by Schiller that reflects so much determination

in the hope for a better future.

So many things to relish from that exhilarating opening movement,

that breathtaking scherzo

to the last movement when the bass, Gerald Finley tonight,

stands and begs - perhaps demands -

that we focus on our common humanity.

Absolutely electrifying.

In the whole of its 63-year history, this is the first time

the National Youth Orchestra has played Beethoven's Ninth.

And what a confident celebration of unity they displayed. Fabulous.

The leader, Roberto Ruisi, is aged 17 from Birmingham.

He's been leading the orchestra since he was 15.

Roberto has talked about the thrill

to play with an orchestra that generates so much energy.

Coming on stage now to take their bows

are the respective choir leaders.

Ben Parry and Robert Isaacs, Greg Beardsell and Donal Doherty.

They've all done wonderful work coaching these young singers to the peak of excellence.

Follow that? Well, follow we shall with another work

from the same concert by the English composer Mark-Anthony Turnage.

This is a brand-new commission from the BBC,

the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Society.

As I mentioned earlier, the Royal Philharmonic Society was the organisation

that originally commissioned Beethoven to write his Ninth Symphony.

And this is the 200th anniversary year of the society's foundation.

So, to celebrate that fact and in a concert that features Beethoven's work,

we have this new piece by Turnage. It's called Frieze.

That's "frieze" as in a wall painting, rather than to make very cold.

The frieze in question is a famous painting

by the Austrian painter, Gustav Klimt,

which can be seen at the Secession Building in Vienna.

It reflects the themes of the Ninth Symphony,

in the heroic search for human happiness

and the consolation of exhilarating possibilities and great art.

It must be particularly daunting for any composer

to have the weight of the past placed so heavily on their shoulders.

But Mark-Anthony Turnage seems somehow to have coped.

I met him before the concert today and asked him first

whether he had written a symphony or not

with Beethoven looking so alarmingly over his shoulder.

This is a tricky one because I never thought...

Of course, I haven't called it a symphony, but I've always been

intimidated by the idea of calling something a symphony.

There are people who write symphonies.

My teacher, Oliver Knussen,

for instance, is a great composer who has written three.

But it was just a personal thing

where I always gave it a title rather than an abstract title.

I've steered away from it,

although this is as close as I've got to symphonic form.

And "symphonic" in the sense of the four movements.

Opening, scherzo, slow movement. Is that right?

I have. I've chickened out, really. I should've called it "symphony"!

It's the weight of history and the idea you call something "symphony".

In a sense, there's a lightness to the piece.

This is much more sort of a light thing, so, I don't think I could've called it a symphony.

I still think that I'm intimidated by the idea of the form.

You came to Beethoven early. I mean, he's always been around in your life.

-Yeah.

-I know from my personal experience that I always found him

quite...dull...when I was young.

And then, suddenly, I had this moment about ten years ago

-when I thought, "Actually, this is amazing stuff!"

-It was my mother.

My mother was obsessed with Beethoven for some reason.

And she instilled this in me. And it's funny.

She just led me to everything.

And I was, I don't know, it just influenced me hugely.

I remember going to the Proms when I was quite young, eight or nine.

And going very often. They used to have a lot of all Beethoven problems.

And I remember sometimes there would be some contemporary piece

by Tippett or somebody, but Beethoven was the thing I was going for.

And so I got it into my bloodstream very early on.

You can't help but listen to those pieces,

however abstract they might be, without constructing a narrative.

-That seems to me to be the case.

-That's very interesting,

you saying that, Simon, because I think composers don't do that.

Because, in a way, what I'm doing all the time is looking at the technical things.

I'm always fascinated by other people,

when they say, "This reminds me of something."

I'm always fascinated to see somebody who doesn't compose

or isn't a musician necessarily... I know you're a musician as well.

But I always think of it

of the way the notes work and how good the notes are.

The reason why, for me, Beethoven and Bach particularly

are the greatest composers

is because, I think, their notes are perfect.

Not just the form, but the choice of...the material.

Like we have in Shakespeare, the way the language is and is compiled.

-There can only be that word in that place.

-Yeah, so, in a way

I've got to forget that to some extent, but I never think of images.

I never think, "Oh, the opening of Beethoven Nine is..."

Nothing comes to mind other than the actual physical thing of the notes

and what they mean to me.

It's really the nuts and bolts of the technical material

which in a way, can be a disadvantage in some ways,

because it would be like watching a film

and thinking about the camera shots.

Do you know what I mean? Or the editing.

In some ways... I do lose that to some extent,

but I'm still aware of how marvellous this transition is,

for instance, from the first subject to the second subject.

All these technical things...

I suppose, that's the same for any practical artist, isn't it?

They must look at their own form being done by other people

-and perhaps still be going...

-I know. I know.

You should really lose yourself, though.

I've only heard the first movement,

so I'm looking forward to hearing the other three tonight.

And the first movement seems to be a direct...

It was in the rehearsal I heard it and I heard it immediately after Beethoven's Ninth,

so it seemed to me to be a direct nod

-in Beethoven's direction. Is that...?

-Yes, it's deliberate.

The opening is a perfect fifth at the beginning which is the same.

It goes in a different direction,

but there were little references in each movement.

In the first movement, there's a reference to the open fifths

and in the second movement, which is the scherzo,

there's these little gaps or these general pauses

which are a bit like the scherzo.

Although in the Beethoven, it's much more dramatic and more violent.

In my piece, it's quite jazzy and sort of like a big band.

In the third, slow movement,

there's an inversion of a tune from the Beethoven slow movement.

There's a wonderful tune I inverted. It works very well in inversion...

And then in the last movement there's no reference.

It actually references Beethoven's Seven, which is probably

my favourite Beethoven symphony.

The last movement which is his manic finale.

That's more what it references.

-Endless dancing...

-Exactly. Endless dancing.

Do you even construct a sort of from darkness to light

or from chaos to order or from joy to...

Yeah, I would do, but it's very vague.

I mean, it would never be anything that was anything that specific.

I think that I build it up gradually.

In the structure, although I'm sort of aware of some place I'm going to,

I'm quite willing to change it all,

I'm quite willing to replace notes

or change the structure.

I mean, even in this piece, even the rehearsal today.

In the second movement, I've added sort of 15 bars at the end

with references back to the beginning of the movement

because the end didn't work for me

of the second movement. So, I'm always thinking, "This doesn't work."

So, it's always a process of change all the time.

APPLAUSE

So, here is Vasily Petrenko coming on to conduct this new commission

with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

Mark-Anthony Turnage's Frieze.

SILENCE

SILENCE

APPLAUSE

Vasily Petrenko conducting the world premiere

of Mark-Anthony Turnage's Frieze

with The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, leader Roberto Ruisi.

A new commission to celebrate

the founding of the Royal Philharmonic Society 200 years ago.

The work will also be played by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra

in October, and I've no doubt will see plenty of life thereafter,

possibly paired with the Ninth Symphony.

CHEERING

And here is Mark-Anthony Turnage, self-effacing as ever.

He must be thrilled with that performance by these young players.

He's one of the country's most successful composers,

having written operas, orchestral works and chamber music,

that are now played regularly all over the world.

He's looking absolutely delighted.

Well, that's the end of this evening's concert

from the Royal Albert Hall.

Tomorrow night on BBC One, BBC Two, Radio 3, on your Red Button

and online, you can enjoy the party at the end of this Proms season.

The Last Night with the conductor Marin Alsop starts at 7.30pm

and promises to be wonderful

with solo performances by violinist Nigel Kennedy

and soprano Joyce DiDonato.

Join Katie Derham on BBC Two to take part in the celebrations.

From me, Simon Russell Beale, good night.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd