:00:40. > :00:45.A single great Symphony conducted by one of the world's most celebrated
:00:46. > :00:54.musicians. A warm welcome to a special night at the BBC Proms.
:00:55. > :00:58.Tonight, Bernard Haitink marks 50 years since his first appearance at
:00:59. > :01:06.the Proms and we are celebrating in style. Back in 1966 he conducted
:01:07. > :01:10.Bruckner's seventh and tonight he undertakes Mahler's Third Symphony.
:01:11. > :01:15.It is one of the most powerful, expansive musical visions of nature
:01:16. > :01:20.ever created, Mahler's personal him to the natural world. It is vast,
:01:21. > :01:25.not Justin Langer, over an hour and a half, but also in its forces. We
:01:26. > :01:29.have the London Symphony Orchestra joined by the mezzo-soprano Sarah
:01:30. > :01:32.Connolly, the women's voices of the London Symphony Chorus and the
:01:33. > :01:36.Tiffin Boys' Choir. As Mahler declared, nature in its totality
:01:37. > :01:42.rings and resounds. This is a feat of injury and spiny conductor, let
:01:43. > :01:45.alone one in his 80s. I caught up with Bernard Haitink and asked if
:01:46. > :01:54.there is a secret to unlocking this great Symphony. They should just
:01:55. > :02:06.listen to it and be overwhelmed. I know it is quite complex. Six
:02:07. > :02:09.movements, very long first movement. The second movement, third movement,
:02:10. > :02:24.fourth, finally the chorus, with the boys. And then the wonderful six
:02:25. > :02:30.movement. -- six movement. One should not waste words on it. It is
:02:31. > :02:35.really beautiful and one should not talk about it. Simon Rattle once
:02:36. > :02:38.said that when you came to Berlin and conducted the Phil Monica he
:02:39. > :02:43.knew you had been because they sounded different, more expensive,
:02:44. > :02:48.after you had been there. What is it you are trying to communicate to
:02:49. > :02:54.your players? You do not say much in Russells. This is, for me, the best
:02:55. > :02:59.way to conduct an orchestra. You have to start as yourself, to know
:03:00. > :03:08.what you really want to do. It is not only knowing the score, but what
:03:09. > :03:14.do you want to express? In such a way that you can motivate the
:03:15. > :03:18.players. Yes, and that seems to work. Conductors do seem to have
:03:19. > :03:23.this amazing work-out they get to do for their mind, body and spirit. It
:03:24. > :03:29.is the career of choice for great longevity. It keeps me fit, in a
:03:30. > :03:37.way. I have my low moments, sometimes. Personally. And then I
:03:38. > :03:48.give myself a push and take a score and work on it for an hour or two.
:03:49. > :03:52.Yes, I feel for the better. I love working with musicians, especially
:03:53. > :04:01.British musicians. I am very fond of them. Very special to do this. Very
:04:02. > :04:06.fond of them, and about to spend the next hour and a half in their
:04:07. > :04:11.company. The players of the London Symphony Orchestra, already onstage.
:04:12. > :04:17.Joined later by mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, and to my's leader there.
:04:18. > :04:42.-- tonight's leader. Applause for tonight's conductor,
:04:43. > :04:45.Bernard Haitink, 50 years after his Proms debut, here tonight to conduct
:04:46. > :50:24.Mahler's Symphony No.3 in D minor. Bernard Haitink conducted Mahler's
:50:25. > :50:53.Symphony No. 3 in D minor. 50 years on from his first
:50:54. > :50:58.performance at the BBC Proms. The soloist, Sarah Connolly has
:50:59. > :51:01.flown in specially from Germany. Her first ever performance with Haitink,
:51:02. > :51:09.and she said she was thrilled to be here. We also heard the London
:51:10. > :51:12.Symphony Orchestra on magnificent form, the women's voices of the
:51:13. > :51:23.London Symphony Chorus and the Tiffin Boys' Choir. The orchestra
:51:24. > :51:28.led tonight by Carmine Lauri. Fabulous playing from every section.
:51:29. > :51:32.Principal trombone played wonderfully. The offstage flugelhorn
:51:33. > :51:42.in the third movement, such beguiling music.
:51:43. > :51:45.And here are the chorus masters - Simon Halsey
:51:46. > :51:47.of the London Symphony Chorus, and James Day, who worked
:51:48. > :51:55.Well, that's it for the moment, but there's lots more to come.
:51:56. > :51:59.Stay tuned on BBC Four for tonight's Late Night Prom celebrating the life
:52:00. > :52:05.Over on BBC Two tomorrow night, Katie Derham will be
:52:06. > :52:11.And on Sunday back on BBC Four there's a performance
:52:12. > :52:15.conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
:52:16. > :52:17.But for now, from me, Suzy Klein, and all of us
:52:18. > :52:24.here at the Royal Albert Hall, good night.