:00:25. > :00:27.Hello, I'm Kirsty Wark and welcome to a jam-packed
:00:28. > :00:31.Royal Albert Hall for tonight's Prom.
:00:32. > :00:33.People often say that this extraordinary space is tailor-made
:00:34. > :00:35.for large-scale choral works, and tonight we're
:00:36. > :00:45.Later we'll hear Beethoven's iconic Ninth Symphony,
:00:46. > :00:48.but we're starting the concert with the UK premiere of a newer work
:00:49. > :00:51.- the European Requiem by one of the world's leading contemporary
:00:52. > :00:54.composers, the profoundly reflective and constantly engaging,
:00:55. > :01:00.In different ways, both of these composers are offering a powerful
:01:01. > :01:05.response to hundreds of years of continental culture and history,
:01:06. > :01:09.but the questions they address are far deeper, bigger,
:01:10. > :01:11.broader than the politics of our own time.
:01:12. > :01:13.A committed Catholic, MacMillan sees music as the most
:01:14. > :01:19.He's written a significant amount of liturgical music,
:01:20. > :01:26.but the Mass setting we're going to hear now is a concert work,
:01:27. > :01:28.in the same tradition as Brahms' German Requiem.
:01:29. > :01:32.It's conceived as a single unbroken symphonic movement
:01:33. > :01:40.for large orchestra, chorus and two soloists.
:01:41. > :01:42.There's been some speculation, but this work isn't a response
:01:43. > :01:45.In fact, it was composed well before the referendum
:01:46. > :01:49.When it was premiered at the Oregon Bach Festival last
:01:50. > :01:52.July, to a thunderous reception, the reviews described
:01:53. > :01:53.a "breathtaking" work of "coruscating brilliance".
:01:54. > :02:02.Here's James earlier today, talking about his European Requiem.
:02:03. > :02:15.Some might detect a pessimistic tone to this requiem. But it was inspired
:02:16. > :02:18.by The Uses Of Pessimism. In that book, he argued that the true
:02:19. > :02:24.Europe, Europe of spirit, has nothing to do with the fallacies
:02:25. > :02:29.that nearly destroyed a civilisation in the past, Nazis, communism,
:02:30. > :02:32.Marxism, fascism, but has more to do with the culture of mercy that came
:02:33. > :02:36.to Europe from the Middle East, from people that knew Christ. If that
:02:37. > :02:41.civilisation is over, we should sing a requiem for it. But from the ashes
:02:42. > :02:46.and the grave of that great culture, we perhaps might breathe life into
:02:47. > :02:48.the true nature of Europe again, what makes Europe Europe. In that
:02:49. > :02:50.sense, I am an optimist. James MacMillan,
:02:51. > :02:53.speaking earlier today. At the very start of the score,
:02:54. > :02:55.you'll hear a savage parody of the finale
:02:56. > :02:58.of Beethoven's Choral Symphony - a recurring threat to the gentler,
:02:59. > :03:00.consoling parts we have the BBC National
:03:01. > :03:04.Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, joined by the City of Birmingham
:03:05. > :03:14.Symphony Chorus. And coming on stage now,
:03:15. > :03:19.our two stellar soloists, counter-tenor Iestyn Davies
:03:20. > :03:26.and baritone Jacques Imbrailo. And to conduct this UK premiere
:03:27. > :03:30.of James MacMillan's European Requiem the orchestra's
:03:31. > :03:32.Principal Guest MUSIC: A European Requiem
:03:33. > :44:56.by Sir James MacMillan to Sir James MacMillan's
:44:57. > :45:17.A European Requiem. That magnificent UK premiere
:45:18. > :45:20.was performed by counter-tenor Iestyn Davies and baritone
:45:21. > :45:23.Jacques Imbrailo, with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales,
:45:24. > :45:27.leader Lesley Hatfield, the BBC National Chorus
:45:28. > :45:28.of Wales and the City of Birmingham
:45:29. > :45:30.Symphony Chorus, And the sound of the soaring chorus
:45:31. > :46:10.filled the Royal Albert Hall. And now we can see Sir James
:46:11. > :46:14.MacMillan coming on to greet Xian Zhang. He was there for the
:46:15. > :46:16.rehearsal this afternoon. He said he was so excited.
:46:17. > :46:19.When the European Requiem was performed in Oregon,
:46:20. > :46:28.Tonight, there were 180 and I think this performance means a great deal
:46:29. > :46:41.to him. Jimmy MacMillan talks a lot about
:46:42. > :46:49.his wide range of influences, his profound catholic faith, his
:46:50. > :46:52.Scottish heritage and his social conscience.
:46:53. > :46:54.He also draws on a number of music traditions -
:46:55. > :47:00.Celtic, Far Eastern, Scandinavian and Eastern European.
:47:01. > :47:12.The soloists coming back on now, Iestyn Davies and South African
:47:13. > :47:21.Jacques Imbrailo. There we are. And Jimmy MacMillan back on as well,
:47:22. > :47:24.taking the applause. A profoundly religious man.
:47:25. > :47:35.CHEERING NACRO
:47:36. > :47:38.I remember when Jimmy MacMillan exploded on the scene at a very
:47:39. > :47:40.young age ? everybody was talking about him.
:47:41. > :47:46.a Proms commission, which harked to the Scottish witch hunts
:47:47. > :47:54.and the fate of Isobel, tried as a witch.
:47:55. > :48:01.this crowd so knowledgeable of their music, I'm sure they will certainly
:48:02. > :48:06.remember that extraordinary Proms performance.
:48:07. > :48:09.The second half of tonight's concert is devoted to just one work -
:48:10. > :48:11.the symphony without which no Proms season is complete.
:48:12. > :48:15.Beethoven's mighty Ninth - the Choral which, astonishingly,
:48:16. > :48:24.has been programmed in every Proms season since 1928, bar one ? 1982.
:48:25. > :48:27.We in the UK have ourselves to thank for this work ? it was
:48:28. > :48:29.London's Royal Philharmonic Society which commissioned this
:48:30. > :48:35.Symphony from Beethoven, for the princely sum
:48:36. > :48:43.With the Ninth, Beethoven was revolutionary.
:48:44. > :48:45.It was the longest, most ambitious symphony yet written and,
:48:46. > :48:47.more importantly, its epic journey from the primeval rumblings
:48:48. > :48:50.of its opening, through a savage scherzo and a transcendentally
:48:51. > :48:53.beautiful slow movement led to an explosion of human voices
:48:54. > :48:56.in his setting of Schiller's 1785 Ode to Joy, with its appeal
:48:57. > :49:02.The work was written in the 1820s in a world
:49:03. > :49:05.that was very different to ours, but the urgency of Beethoven's
:49:06. > :49:17.message is so powerful that this final chorus has been repeatedly
:49:18. > :49:18.co-opted to speak by many different, conflicting
:49:19. > :49:21.causes and ideologies ? from the fall of the Berlin Wall
:49:22. > :49:23.to the NationalAnthem of Rhodesia ? as well,
:49:24. > :49:25.of course, as the anthem of the European Union.
:49:26. > :49:28.And who knows what meanings this piece will have taken on when
:49:29. > :49:30.it's performed at the Proms in 50 years' time.
:49:31. > :49:33.The essential core of Beethoven's music expresses a shared human
:49:34. > :49:35.message that that goes far beyond the local politics
:49:36. > :49:41.Tonight, Beethoven's eternally resonant affirmation of a universal
:49:42. > :49:45.humanity is performed by a truly international cast ?
:49:46. > :49:52.Canadian soprano Erin Wall, Italian mezzo Sonia Prina,
:49:53. > :50:11.They join the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales,
:50:12. > :50:14.and the CBSO Chorus ? all performing under the baton of Chinese American
:50:15. > :50:22.When I spoke to her earlier, I started by asking, why Beethoven? I
:50:23. > :50:27.believe it is a great test for any orchestra, a test of discipline, a
:50:28. > :50:33.test of playing as an ensemble. I always think it is almost like a
:50:34. > :50:40.work-out, like you go to the gym, you always go to the treadmill for
:50:41. > :50:46.half an hour, Beethoven is like that for an all Castro, you need that
:50:47. > :50:55.work-out. Apparently, every time you conduct Beethoven's Ninth, you use a
:50:56. > :50:58.fresh call. Why? -- a fresh score. Because for a piece that you perform
:50:59. > :51:02.so often and people hear so often, you must not get into a habit of
:51:03. > :51:08.doing certain things in only one way. Then it becomes very boring and
:51:09. > :51:13.as a performer, I think I must try to avoid that. Do you remember the
:51:14. > :51:17.first time you ever heard Beethoven? Ever heard Beethoven? That would be
:51:18. > :51:23.from the piano. I was very young and when I was able to play Beethoven, I
:51:24. > :51:27.think I was five or six. I was in a very small town on the border of
:51:28. > :51:34.China and North Korea and I believe I was probably the only one, or one
:51:35. > :51:38.of two, who were playing the piano, so it was very rare and I enjoyed it
:51:39. > :51:43.very much. I was on a piano six or eight hours a day, as a kid. I
:51:44. > :51:49.wouldn't imagine my children doing that now, I wouldn't force them to.
:51:50. > :51:54.But it worked out for you. I guess it did, it was meant to be and I do
:51:55. > :51:56.love music. Thank you very much indeed. My pleasure.
:51:57. > :52:04.And here is Xian Zhang, to conduct the BBC National Orchestra of Wales,
:52:05. > :18:32.MUSIC: Symphony No. 9, "Choral" by Ludwig van Beethoven
:18:33. > :54:54.voices of the BBC National Chorus of Wales and the CBSO giving an
:54:55. > :54:57.unbelievable and moving climax to tonight. Zhang said she wanted to
:54:58. > :55:02.balance these forces of the orchestra this evening and has
:55:03. > :55:06.created the most thrilling and visceral performance. When she puts
:55:07. > :55:09.away her score at the tonight, I would imagine she can put five stars
:55:10. > :55:19.on it. The Royal Albert Hall has heard many nights but this was --
:55:20. > :55:21.Ninths but this was superb. Sonia Prina, Simon O'Neill, and Alexander
:55:22. > :55:36.Vinogradov. And there we have it, the crowd is
:55:37. > :55:38.on its feet, the choir has behaved magnificently tonight, coming
:55:39. > :55:45.together to create the most extraordinary sound.
:55:46. > :55:54.And here we have everybody here waiting to see and waiting to
:55:55. > :55:59.applaud the choir masters who have done so much work to bring these two
:56:00. > :56:10.acquires together on tonight's extraordinary night. Waiting for the
:56:11. > :56:19.orchestra because Xian Zhang will come back on though.
:56:20. > :56:26.The choir masters coming on now and we can see two delighted choir
:56:27. > :56:29.masters, the city of Birmingham Symphony Chorus Julian Wilkins on
:56:30. > :56:36.the BBC National Chorus of Wales Adrian Partington. They should be so
:56:37. > :56:43.proud of what they have achieved tonight for this, Beethoven's Ninth.
:56:44. > :56:59.And now we can see great applause for the choir, standing very calmly,
:57:00. > :57:04.quietly. The soloists are coming back on now, Erin Wall in front and
:57:05. > :57:13.Sonia Prina, taking the applause from the crowd. And Xian Zhang, such
:57:14. > :57:36.an expressive conductor, giving applause now to the orchestra.
:57:37. > :57:45.And we can see there now, crowding round Xian Zhang, she is leaving and
:57:46. > :57:49.the soloists all leaving the stage together. It has been a magnificent
:57:50. > :57:59.afternoon, first the European Requiem and now the Ninth.
:58:00. > :58:03.Well, that's it for this evening's concert.
:58:04. > :58:13.It's been an incredible night and we have been privileged to share such
:58:14. > :58:17.stellar performances. Stay with us for more Beethoven on BBC Four in a
:58:18. > :58:22.few moments where we show a performance of the composer's only
:58:23. > :58:24.opera, Fidelio, recorded earlier in the season. For now, from me and a
:58:25. > :58:29.rapturous crowd, good night.