Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra BBC Proms

South America is taking centre stage in sport this summer and South

America is taking centre stage at the Proms. Yes, the Sao Paulo

Symphony Orchestra are bringing the spirit of Brazil to the Royal Albert

Hall. Hello and a very warm welcome. I'm

thrilled to be back here at the Royal Albert Hall, twice in one

week, I must've lucked out. The Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra and

conductor Marin Alsop, excellent. Marin Alsop has said as the world

focuses on Brazil this summer she cannot wait to show us some of South

Americafinest musicians. We will have some fantastic music to

showcase that. I just adore this piece, it's been performed tonight

by Brazilian pianist from Venezuela. Tonight we're kicking off

proceedings with a piece composed in 2000 and four by one of Brazil's

finest living composers. What a way to kick things off, the energy of

this piece is immense, inspired by an ancient Jewish condition

interpreting the Bible, more mystical than religious. And is a

route and interesting when reflecting that in the music,

especially with the mysticism placed on the number three, which becomes a

guiding principle of the peace. He writes in triple meter rhythm with

the main pieces of it being emphasised by Carol Bell 's, so

listen out for that. Here is conductor, Marin Alsop. -- cowbells.

To lead the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra.

Marin Alsop conducting the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra, and the

Brazilian composer Marcus Nogueira. What did you make of that? -- Marlos

Nobre. I can see how he takes elements and moves the whole

momentum of life forward. It is a very wonderful piece, exciting,

dramatic. Such a sense of Stravinsky through that as well. Coming up next

Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra will be performing one the most popular

pieces in the world, with soloist Gabriela Gabriela Montero.

One of your favourites? Yes, emotions are huge, like a huge tidal

wave. He was not that comfortable writing in large forms like this, he

tended to write shorter pieces. In some ways it is incredible to have

been written at all, but I guess if you're going to right one big one,

this is it. I caught up with Gabriela Montero and asked her when

her relationship with this piece began. I started learning it when I

was about ten years old. Played it for the first time in public when I

was about 11. I remember taking it very seriously.

How does your relationship changed to a piece you have played so often

since childhood? It's that wonderful aspect of getting to know the piece

again, reinventing it, even if it's in your own language, and just

somehow saying hello to it again in a different wide. Tell me about

working with Marin Alsop and the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra? She is the

ultimate professional, a wonderful artist and someone who has really

made an incredible improvement in the classical music world. It's just

really a pleasure to work with her again and be here with her. And the

Sao Paulo Orchestra, the resilience they have, this incredible energy

and this incredible vitality. It is a wonderful combination. I feel very

close, because I'm there with a different country, but we're all in

the same kind of melting pot. You studied at London at the Royal

Academy of music on how good is it to be back and make your Proms

debut? It is a very exciting platform. I think the Proms is very

special, not just because of the size of it but the different

audience, the diversity... It's a fantastically exciting and fun place

to be. So the stage is set and here comes

pianist Gabriela Montero and Marin Alsop to perform with the Sao Paulo

Symphony Orchestra. The concerto in a minor.

Gabriela Montero. What a fantastic performance of Grieg's Piano

Concerto. She brought so much musicality. Both of them. Marion

Allsop handling the orchestra, Gabriela Montero handling the piano.

Tremendous. Here she is, Latin America and bringing fire to this.

In Edvard Grieg's time, gave a performance of this piece and then

he said, I didn't think my music that sounds so beautiful. He will be

smiling down on her. How beautiful, I have heard that so many times. I

have never felt that. The Proms audience wants her back. This is her

Proms debut. She told me how thrilled she was to be back in

London, she loves this city and she studied here. It looks like the

Proms love her. She is coming out again. Taking a bow. Well deserved.

Looks like we will get an encore. Good evening, it is such a pleasure

to be in this exciting, energetic space with this orchestra from Sao

Paulo and Marian Allsop. A dream team, really. What I would like to

do now... APPLAUSE

What I would love to do is improvise, which is something I have

done all my life. It happens in the moment. It doesn't happen again, it

is just now. I need your cooperation, I need one of you to

sing me a well-known Schuhen. I will play it a few times and I will go

off into the musical unknown. Sing me something, it can be British,

anything at all. Yes? Maybe something typical of this moment.

You be shy! Somebody suggested... Absolutely magnificent. Gabriela

Montero, was Land Of Hope And Glory and then some Ragtime. She mixed so

many unusual styles in the moment. You never see a classical artist

doing that. I loved that. I think the theme of tonight is all about

breaking down those barriers. What is classical, jazz, Latin and

European. It is music. Here she comes again. Will she do another

one? She has put on a fabulous pair of earrings in the colours of the

Venezuelan flag. In May 2015 she was honoured in recognition of her

sustained efforts to advocate for human rights in Venezuela, her home

country where she hasn't been able to return for six years. Still to

come this evening, music by the Brazilian legend, Heitor

Villa-Lobos. Marian Allsop is not only music director of the Sao

Paulo, but the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. It is a city a lot of

people will feel they know from the TV series you starred in, At The

Wire. Baltimore was my home while we were shooting that show. I love it.

Marian Allsop said she used to binge watch the box set. If you want a

crash course on how to negotiate that city, watch the box set. She

believes in something passionately, which is music has the power to

change lives. I couldn't agree more. It was something she put into

practice in Baltimore in an initiative called orchids. I asked

her what changing music looks and sounds like in Sao Paulo? It is a

different city, over 20 million people. As you can imagine, to try

to reach a lot of young people is a challenge. But the orchestra

performs for over 100,000 young people every year. More specifically

we have an academy where we train young brilliant musicians. Over ten

years we have had 105 young musicians and 99 of them are

employed in orchestras. Can you imagine? The other six are studying

abroad. We are trying to make a difference. Your conviction that

music can change lives is alive and well. You have worked with some of

the finest orchestras all over the world, what makes the Sao Paulo said

so unique? They are not a afraid to make music, be emotional, be

passionate and show, really appeals to me. I like orchestras that move,

that are engaged. Everyone will hear and see from the Brazilian

musicians, everyone is giving 120%. Not just 100%, but more. You are

there until 2019, what plans are for the future? We have worked on some

fundamentals, but some pretty high ideals, in terms of colour, palate

and emotional range, dynamic range. We want to keep doing that. The

greatest gift is we can represent a country that is underrepresented in

terms of sophistication and maturity and quality of art. Brazil is just

so rich in terms of all these things, but especially music. Is

that why you have featured two Brazilian composers on the programme

tonight? I love these Brazilian composers. I didn't know much

Brazilian music at all before I went there, which is a treasure chest I

want to share with everyone. How is it performing at the Proms? It is

the biggest stage in the world. The musicians are so excited to be here

again. They know the hall a little bit better and they are excited

about the public. Bringing Brazilian music feels like sharing their

hearts with the public and I think everyone will like it. There she is,

such an inspiring lady. I love talking to Marin, I love watching as

well, the way she moves. Coming up is the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra

bringing symphonic dances. This was the last piece he wrote. He said, it

must have been my last spark. Originally he called the piece the

fantastic dances, but the dances became symphonic. He wrote, it

should have been called just dances, but I was afraid people would think

I had written music for a jazz Orchestra. Not that would have been

a bad thing and they do sound fantastic. Before we get to the

Sergei Rachmaninov, there is classical composer of yours, Hayter

Villalobos, favourite of yours? He was my introduction to classical

music. It is the bomb. He put Brazilian classical music on the

map. Bit of a game changer, a rebel and he took up the guitar when

polite society disapproved of it and mix with Street musicians around Rio

and Brazil, amassing himself. That makes sense now, as I love his

guitar music. It is rebellious and full of romance. He was well versed

in European classical music and like most musicians, he was obsessed with

the music of Johann Sebastien Bassong. He wrote nine pieces, which

he described as a whole Marge Judi James of him. We will listen to the

fourth suite written for the strings. It has a distinctly

Brazilian flavour. Conductor Marin Alsop. The Sao Paulo

Symphony Orchestra. Leader, Emmanuelle Val Deeney. Performing

Bachianas brasileiras No. Four - Prelude.

Marin Alsop and the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra in the Symphonic

Dances by Rachmaninov. What a fantastic way to bring this prom to

a close. Absolutely beautiful. I loved the way Marin Alsop talks

earlier about how the way it has the power to move, you can see it and

feel it. Embracing the music, the rhythm, the vibration of it. Not

only are their bones in sync, their bodies are also moving as one. What

a terrific show they have put on. Marin Alsop as such drive in this

Orchestra, as well. She said to me how much she wants people to

recognise the quality of their musicians, these are world-class

players. You can see the pride in her face as she brings the soloists

in each section to their feet. They respect her as well, they are right

along with her, they are one. Look at that.

I think she just blew a kiss to the Proms audience, she loves it here

and they love her. The performers treat Marin Alsop as one of their

own. The first-ever woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms in 2013.

Then she came back again in 2015 for the last night, she will be here

with one more from this season. What a fantastic show she has put on for

us this evening. Are we going to get more? She's

coming back, here she is, here she is. The Sao Paulo Symphony

Orchestra. Heitor Villa-Lobos, performed by

Marin Alsop and the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra. A much deserved

Concord tonight. That deserved romance I was talking about. I am a

sucker for romance. She talks about the emotions these players bring to

music and I think that is something we have really heard tonight. Their

hearts are on their sleeve, they are not ashamed to be romantic and

generous. Yes, and you can see that when they are playing of a dance

with it. They close their eyes, the eyebrows get turned down at the

corners, they get all soppy. I think we might get another encore.

Brilliant. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Sensational music. Before that, Marilyn Alsop and the Sao Paulo

Symphony Orchestra with a second encore. She grew up with the love of

music and is not ashamed to put classical music together with jazz

and all sorts of music phones. You were dancing away. I couldn't help

it, she just does it to you like that. I think The Royal Albert Hall

were dancing. That is it for this prom, what an evening it has been so

far. I say so far because the Sao Paulo sizzle continues at midnight.

Press the Red Button, go to the iPlayer and get on the website to

see Proms 52 when there will be a celebration Brazilian popular music

from the last 100 years. We will definitely be sticking around to

watch that. But now, goodbye. APPLAUSE