0:00:00 > 0:00:04Legendary conductor Sir Mark Elder plus the wonderful Halle Orchestra
0:00:04 > 0:00:08and truly inspiring music from Berlioz, Mahler and Colin Matthews.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Sounds like the formula for a perfect concert.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Hello and a very warm welcome from me, Hannah French,
0:00:41 > 0:00:43at the Royal Albert Hall.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44As a musicologist,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47I'm delighted to be indulging my passion and profession this evening
0:00:47 > 0:00:49and we're going to be enjoying some amazing music.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53French early-Romantic Hector Berlioz' Overture King Lear,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Austrian late-Romantic Gustav Mahler's masterwork Das Lied von der Erde
0:00:57 > 0:00:59and the beautifully poignant Berceuse for Dresden
0:00:59 > 0:01:02by contemporary composer Colin Matthews,
0:01:02 > 0:01:03who'll also be giving an insight
0:01:03 > 0:01:06into his work later in the programme.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09First this evening, Berlioz's King Lear.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13It's 1831 and hothead Berlioz is en route from Rome to Paris,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16where he intends to assassinate his fiancee, also her mother
0:01:16 > 0:01:20who broke off the engagement and the newly intended husband.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25He has a disguise and a plan, but he stops off in Nice.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26He decides it's foolish and, instead,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28he indulges his love of Shakespeare,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32composing an overture to one of the most tragic of tragedies, King Lear.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35It's not a retelling of the play,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37but a general representation of its mood
0:01:37 > 0:01:41with events and characters worked into a logical musical sequence.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45You can hear the strong influence of Beethoven in the opening theme,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47the low strings which begin a long introduction
0:01:47 > 0:01:51start in proud strength, but die away to an abstracted mutter,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54clearly portraying the stubborn, once masterful king.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Listen out, too, for Cordelia -
0:01:56 > 0:01:58she's represented by the oboe -
0:01:58 > 0:02:00and the entrance of Lear into the council chamber,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02announced on the timpani.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06The intensity of the music certainly mirrors the atmosphere of the play -
0:02:06 > 0:02:10the storm on the heath, the prison scene and, later, Cordelia's lament.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16APPLAUSE
0:02:19 > 0:02:24Sir Mark Elder to conduct the Halle
0:02:24 > 0:02:27with the leader of the orchestra, Lyn Fletcher,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31in Berlioz's Overture King Lear.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00APPLAUSE
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Sir Mark Elder and the Halle in that invigorating performance
0:18:14 > 0:18:17of Berlioz's Overture King Lear in this,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20the 400th year since Shakespeare's death.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Sir Mark has been musical director of the Halle since 2000.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30It's clearly a lasting relationship with bags of mutual respect.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Still to come is Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Often described as a "song symphony",
0:18:43 > 0:18:46it's an emotional rollercoaster into Mahler's feelings
0:18:46 > 0:18:48on love, loss, life and death.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52But before that, we've got the London premiere
0:18:52 > 0:18:53of Colin Matthews' Berceuse for Dresden
0:18:53 > 0:18:56with German cellist Leonard Elschenbroich.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00In February 1945, Allied forces' bombing of Dresden
0:19:00 > 0:19:03destroyed its baroque jewel, the Frauenkirche.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04In the aftermath,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07the church was left in ruins as a stark war memorial,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11but, following the reunification of Germany in 1990,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13it was rebuilt and finally reconsecrated
0:19:13 > 0:19:14just over ten years ago.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18To mark the event, the Friends Of Dresden Music Foundation
0:19:18 > 0:19:21commissioned British composer Colin Matthews
0:19:21 > 0:19:22to write an orchestral piece.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26The result, Berceuse for Dresden for cello and orchestra,
0:19:26 > 0:19:31is a lamenting lullaby that weaves the sounds of the Frauenkirche bells
0:19:31 > 0:19:34into an atmospheric wash of orchestral colours.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37The creative process and the story behind this work
0:19:37 > 0:19:39reflects the theme of reconciliation,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41as Colin Matthews himself now explains.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51I wrote the piece for the rebuilding of the Frauenkirche
0:19:51 > 0:19:54and the concept was to have a German cellist,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57a British composer and an American orchestra -
0:19:57 > 0:20:02the New York Philharmonic - as a sort of gesture of reconciliation.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05EXPLOSIONS
0:20:05 > 0:20:09- NEWSREEL:- 'As night falls, bombers of the British Royal Air Force
0:20:09 > 0:20:12'and darkness of Dresden, the capital of Saxony, becomes a fantasy
0:20:12 > 0:20:15'of the destructive pyrotechnics of the air war.'
0:20:17 > 0:20:22The first performance was one of the most moving experiences of my life -
0:20:22 > 0:20:25to see, in particular, what it meant to the people of Dresden
0:20:25 > 0:20:30to see this symbol, which had been a ruin for so long, rebuilt
0:20:30 > 0:20:32and the gesture of reconciliation
0:20:32 > 0:20:36between the three nationalities was something very special.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44A berceuse is...
0:20:44 > 0:20:49You might call it a "cradle song" and I deliberately chose that title
0:20:49 > 0:20:53and that form because I wanted it to be lyrical for the soloist
0:20:53 > 0:20:56to almost sing with the orchestra.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00I absolutely resisted the idea of writing anything that was fierce.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02I wanted the feeling of reconciliation
0:21:02 > 0:21:06to be part of the piece so although it builds to a big swelling climax,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09the cello writing is never virtuosic.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11It sings along with the orchestra.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14BELLS PEAL
0:21:17 > 0:21:19I wanted to use the bells of the Frauenkirche
0:21:19 > 0:21:22because they seem to be such a symbol of the church
0:21:22 > 0:21:23and they're remarkable.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Of course, they've all been recast.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28The originals were all completely destroyed
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and I used their pitches - there are eight of them -
0:21:31 > 0:21:35to underlie the whole structure of the piece and then, halfway through,
0:21:35 > 0:21:41the bells themselves come in and gradually build up to a huge peal,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43which almost overwhelms the orchestra.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47BELLS PEAL
0:21:49 > 0:21:52I haven't yet heard it in the Albert Hall itself,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55but the bells have been rearranged
0:21:55 > 0:21:57so that they are on separate tracks
0:21:57 > 0:22:00and will be on speakers from the gallery, where I hope
0:22:00 > 0:22:03they will have the sort of sound as if they were from a cathedral.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11I think that the Albert Hall is the ideal place for it.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18APPLAUSE
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Soloist cellist Leonard Elschenbroich
0:22:20 > 0:22:22with conductor Sir Mark Elder.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32The Halle performing the London premiere
0:22:32 > 0:22:35of Colin Matthews' Berceuse for Dresden.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58BELLS PEAL
0:32:34 > 0:32:37BELLS PEAL
0:33:47 > 0:33:50BELLS PEAL
0:34:44 > 0:34:47APPLAUSE
0:34:54 > 0:34:58Sir Mark Elder and the Halle performing the London premiere
0:34:58 > 0:35:00of Colin Matthews' Berceuse for Dresden -
0:35:00 > 0:35:04the soloist, German cellist Leonard Elschenbroich.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06An exquisite performance
0:35:06 > 0:35:09from the former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28There's Colin Matthews, the composer.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32He was Benjamin Britten's last musical assistant
0:35:32 > 0:35:35and, interestingly, he completed his doctorate on Mahler
0:35:35 > 0:35:37and assisted Deryck Cooke
0:35:37 > 0:35:40on his completion of Mahler's Tenth Symphony.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50APPLAUSE CONTINUES
0:35:52 > 0:35:55This is Colin Matthews' second appearance at the Proms this year.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59His first was for Pluto in the National Youth Orchestra Prom.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Matthews' Berceuse captures the essence of the place
0:36:11 > 0:36:12and all it stands for now.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall,
0:36:14 > 0:36:18the ruins of the Frauenkirche became a symbol for the peace movement
0:36:18 > 0:36:20in East Germany - a place where people would gather
0:36:20 > 0:36:22in non-violent protest.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46And back to take a second bow, Leonard Elschenbroich.
0:37:03 > 0:37:04SHE LAUGHS
0:37:04 > 0:37:07He looks like he's being encouraged by the composer.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Coming up next, the Halle conducted by Sir Mark Elder
0:37:37 > 0:37:40will perform Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde
0:37:40 > 0:37:43with mezzo-soprano Alice Coote and tenor Gregory Kunde.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47Mahler wrote Das Lied von der Erde or The Song of the Earth
0:37:47 > 0:37:50in a frenzied two months in 1908.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53It was a response to a heartbreaking trio of tragedies.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56He'd just left his post as director of the Vienna Court Opera
0:37:56 > 0:37:58under bitter circumstances.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01His eldest daughter had died of scarlet fever and diphtheria
0:38:01 > 0:38:05and he himself was diagnosed with an incurable heart valve defect.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09He found solace in a book of poetry, Hans Bethge's The Chinese Flute,
0:38:09 > 0:38:13which was derived from Tang Dynasty literature, and Mahler was inspired
0:38:13 > 0:38:17to write a series of songs, which he originally titled The Jade Flute.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20The Prommers are in good voice this evening.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23The six songs with soloists alternating tenor and alto -
0:38:23 > 0:38:26or mezzo-soprano, as it is this evening -
0:38:26 > 0:38:29took on symphonic proportions and could have also evolved
0:38:29 > 0:38:33into his Ninth Symphony, but Mahler was superstitious and all too aware
0:38:33 > 0:38:37that Beethoven and Bruckner had died writing their ninth symphonies.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41So, Das Lied von der Erde became known as a symphonic song cycle,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44as it fuses the forces and the form of a symphony
0:38:44 > 0:38:46with a collection of themed songs
0:38:46 > 0:38:48and Mahler returned to numbering symphonies
0:38:48 > 0:38:51when he believed the danger was passed.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Through Mahler's intense writing,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56the six songs soar the heights and plumb the depths of emotion,
0:38:56 > 0:39:00from meditating and reflecting to celebrating and joshing,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04and, ultimately, saying farewell with poignancy and hope.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07The Halle-Colin Matthews relationship
0:39:07 > 0:39:09also continues in this performance.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12The first song, Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde,
0:39:12 > 0:39:14The Drinking Song of the Earth's Sorrow,
0:39:14 > 0:39:16always presents challenges in the balance
0:39:16 > 0:39:18between orchestra and soloist
0:39:18 > 0:39:21so, in 2012, at Sir Mark's bidding, Matthews re-orchestrated it
0:39:21 > 0:39:24and that's the version we'll be hearing this evening.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31APPLAUSE
0:39:35 > 0:39:38The Prommers giving a warm welcome to our soloists,
0:39:38 > 0:39:42mezzo-soprano Alice Coote and tenor Gregory Kunde.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Sir Mark Elder with the Halle
0:39:50 > 0:39:55for tonight's performance of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde.
1:44:41 > 1:44:45APPLAUSE
1:45:13 > 1:45:18Sir Mark Elder and the Halle in Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde.
1:45:20 > 1:45:24The soloists - mezzo-soprano Alice Coote and tenor Gregory Kunde.
1:45:28 > 1:45:30CHEERING
1:45:34 > 1:45:35"Imprinted on the atmosphere"
1:45:35 > 1:45:38is how Benjamin Britten described Der Abschied,
1:45:38 > 1:45:40which is exactly how it feels tonight.
1:45:40 > 1:45:43You could hear a pin drop in the Royal Albert Hall
1:45:43 > 1:45:47as Alice Coote's final "ewig" faded into silence.
1:45:52 > 1:45:55Sir Henry Wood was a champion of Mahler's music.
1:45:55 > 1:45:57He gave the British premiere of Das Lied in 1914
1:45:57 > 1:45:59and described it in his memoirs
1:45:59 > 1:46:02as "accessibly modern, but very beautiful".
1:46:08 > 1:46:11CHEERING
1:46:13 > 1:46:16Alice Coote has said Der Abschied would work
1:46:16 > 1:46:18as the soundtrack to her life.
1:46:18 > 1:46:19She used to listen to it
1:46:19 > 1:46:21when feeling disgruntled at music college.
1:46:27 > 1:46:28Such versatility in her voice,
1:46:28 > 1:46:31as well known for singing Mahler and Strauss
1:46:31 > 1:46:32as she is for the operas of Handel.
1:46:38 > 1:46:41And Gregory, this is his Proms debut.
1:46:53 > 1:46:57Such a warm applause for Sir Mark Elder.
1:47:00 > 1:47:03CHEERING
1:47:06 > 1:47:09It's been a busy evening for the woodwind,
1:47:09 > 1:47:12Mahler such a wizard of orchestration.
1:47:12 > 1:47:14He writes so magnificently for them.
1:47:33 > 1:47:35CHEERING
1:47:42 > 1:47:45Mahler's closest friend, the conductor Bruno Walter,
1:47:45 > 1:47:48called Das Lied Mahler's most personal work,
1:47:48 > 1:47:50perhaps the most personal in music.
1:47:51 > 1:47:54And Mahler himself never heard a public performance.
1:47:54 > 1:47:58Well, that's it for this evening from me, Hannah French,
1:47:58 > 1:47:59in the Royal Albert Hall.
1:47:59 > 1:48:03I hope you enjoyed the concert as much as we did here.
1:48:03 > 1:48:04If you've caught the Mahler bug,
1:48:04 > 1:48:07set yourself a reminder for Friday the 2nd of September,
1:48:07 > 1:48:10when Sir Simon Rattle will be performing Symphony No. 7
1:48:10 > 1:48:11with the Berlin Philharmonic
1:48:11 > 1:48:14and the Proms are back on your screen tomorrow evening
1:48:14 > 1:48:15with a Mozart double bill,
1:48:15 > 1:48:17starting with the Aurora Orchestra
1:48:17 > 1:48:20performing the Jupiter Symphony from memory,
1:48:20 > 1:48:22but, for now, a very good evening.