Zhang's Beethoven BBC Proms

Hello, I'm Kirsty Wark and welcome to a jam-packed

Royal Albert Hall for tonight's Prom.

People often say that this extraordinary space is tailor-made

for large-scale choral works, and tonight we're

Later we'll hear Beethoven's iconic Ninth Symphony,

but we're starting the concert with the UK premiere of a newer work

- the European Requiem by one of the world's leading contemporary

composers, the profoundly reflective and constantly engaging,

In different ways, both of these composers are offering a powerful

response to hundreds of years of continental culture and history,

but the questions they address are far deeper, bigger,

broader than the politics of our own time.

A committed Catholic, MacMillan sees music as the most

He's written a significant amount of liturgical music,

but the Mass setting we're going to hear now is a concert work,

in the same tradition as Brahms' German Requiem.

It's conceived as a single unbroken symphonic movement

for large orchestra, chorus and two soloists.

There's been some speculation, but this work isn't a response

In fact, it was composed well before the referendum

When it was premiered at the Oregon Bach Festival last

July, to a thunderous reception, the reviews described

a "breathtaking" work of "coruscating brilliance".

Here's James earlier today, talking about his European Requiem.

Some might detect a pessimistic tone to this requiem. But it was inspired

by The Uses Of Pessimism. In that book, he argued that the true

Europe, Europe of spirit, has nothing to do with the fallacies

that nearly destroyed a civilisation in the past, Nazis, communism,

Marxism, fascism, but has more to do with the culture of mercy that came

to Europe from the Middle East, from people that knew Christ. If that

civilisation is over, we should sing a requiem for it. But from the ashes

and the grave of that great culture, we perhaps might breathe life into

the true nature of Europe again, what makes Europe Europe. In that

sense, I am an optimist. James MacMillan,

speaking earlier today. At the very start of the score,

you'll hear a savage parody of the finale

of Beethoven's Choral Symphony - a recurring threat to the gentler,

consoling parts we have the BBC National

Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, joined by the City of Birmingham

Symphony Chorus. And coming on stage now,

our two stellar soloists, counter-tenor Iestyn Davies

and baritone Jacques Imbrailo. And to conduct this UK premiere

of James MacMillan's European Requiem the orchestra's

Principal Guest MUSIC: A European Requiem

by Sir James MacMillan to Sir James MacMillan's

A European Requiem. That magnificent UK premiere

was performed by counter-tenor Iestyn Davies and baritone

Jacques Imbrailo, with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales,

leader Lesley Hatfield, the BBC National Chorus

of Wales and the City of Birmingham

Symphony Chorus, And the sound of the soaring chorus

filled the Royal Albert Hall. And now we can see Sir James

MacMillan coming on to greet Xian Zhang. He was there for the

rehearsal this afternoon. He said he was so excited.

When the European Requiem was performed in Oregon,

Tonight, there were 180 and I think this performance means a great deal

to him. Jimmy MacMillan talks a lot about

his wide range of influences, his profound catholic faith, his

Scottish heritage and his social conscience.

He also draws on a number of music traditions -

Celtic, Far Eastern, Scandinavian and Eastern European.

The soloists coming back on now, Iestyn Davies and South African

Jacques Imbrailo. There we are. And Jimmy MacMillan back on as well,

taking the applause. A profoundly religious man.

CHEERING NACRO

I remember when Jimmy MacMillan exploded on the scene at a very

young age ? everybody was talking about him.

a Proms commission, which harked to the Scottish witch hunts

and the fate of Isobel, tried as a witch.

this crowd so knowledgeable of their music, I'm sure they will certainly

remember that extraordinary Proms performance.

The second half of tonight's concert is devoted to just one work -

the symphony without which no Proms season is complete.

Beethoven's mighty Ninth - the Choral which, astonishingly,

has been programmed in every Proms season since 1928, bar one ? 1982.

We in the UK have ourselves to thank for this work ? it was

London's Royal Philharmonic Society which commissioned this

Symphony from Beethoven, for the princely sum

With the Ninth, Beethoven was revolutionary.

It was the longest, most ambitious symphony yet written and,

more importantly, its epic journey from the primeval rumblings

of its opening, through a savage scherzo and a transcendentally

beautiful slow movement led to an explosion of human voices

in his setting of Schiller's 1785 Ode to Joy, with its appeal

The work was written in the 1820s in a world

that was very different to ours, but the urgency of Beethoven's

message is so powerful that this final chorus has been repeatedly

co-opted to speak by many different, conflicting

causes and ideologies ? from the fall of the Berlin Wall

to the NationalAnthem of Rhodesia ? as well,

of course, as the anthem of the European Union.

And who knows what meanings this piece will have taken on when

it's performed at the Proms in 50 years' time.

The essential core of Beethoven's music expresses a shared human

message that that goes far beyond the local politics

Tonight, Beethoven's eternally resonant affirmation of a universal

humanity is performed by a truly international cast ?

Canadian soprano Erin Wall, Italian mezzo Sonia Prina,

They join the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales,

and the CBSO Chorus ? all performing under the baton of Chinese American

When I spoke to her earlier, I started by asking, why Beethoven? I

believe it is a great test for any orchestra, a test of discipline, a

test of playing as an ensemble. I always think it is almost like a

work-out, like you go to the gym, you always go to the treadmill for

half an hour, Beethoven is like that for an all Castro, you need that

work-out. Apparently, every time you conduct Beethoven's Ninth, you use a

fresh call. Why? -- a fresh score. Because for a piece that you perform

so often and people hear so often, you must not get into a habit of

doing certain things in only one way. Then it becomes very boring and

as a performer, I think I must try to avoid that. Do you remember the

first time you ever heard Beethoven? Ever heard Beethoven? That would be

from the piano. I was very young and when I was able to play Beethoven, I

think I was five or six. I was in a very small town on the border of

China and North Korea and I believe I was probably the only one, or one

of two, who were playing the piano, so it was very rare and I enjoyed it

very much. I was on a piano six or eight hours a day, as a kid. I

wouldn't imagine my children doing that now, I wouldn't force them to.

But it worked out for you. I guess it did, it was meant to be and I do

love music. Thank you very much indeed. My pleasure.

And here is Xian Zhang, to conduct the BBC National Orchestra of Wales,

MUSIC: Symphony No. 9, "Choral" by Ludwig van Beethoven

voices of the BBC National Chorus of Wales and the CBSO giving an

unbelievable and moving climax to tonight. Zhang said she wanted to

balance these forces of the orchestra this evening and has

created the most thrilling and visceral performance. When she puts

away her score at the tonight, I would imagine she can put five stars

on it. The Royal Albert Hall has heard many nights but this was --

Ninths but this was superb. Sonia Prina, Simon O'Neill, and Alexander

Vinogradov. And there we have it, the crowd is

on its feet, the choir has behaved magnificently tonight, coming

together to create the most extraordinary sound.

And here we have everybody here waiting to see and waiting to

applaud the choir masters who have done so much work to bring these two

acquires together on tonight's extraordinary night. Waiting for the

orchestra because Xian Zhang will come back on though.

The choir masters coming on now and we can see two delighted choir

masters, the city of Birmingham Symphony Chorus Julian Wilkins on

the BBC National Chorus of Wales Adrian Partington. They should be so

proud of what they have achieved tonight for this, Beethoven's Ninth.

And now we can see great applause for the choir, standing very calmly,

quietly. The soloists are coming back on now, Erin Wall in front and

Sonia Prina, taking the applause from the crowd. And Xian Zhang, such

an expressive conductor, giving applause now to the orchestra.

And we can see there now, crowding round Xian Zhang, she is leaving and

the soloists all leaving the stage together. It has been a magnificent

afternoon, first the European Requiem and now the Ninth.

Well, that's it for this evening's concert.

It's been an incredible night and we have been privileged to share such

stellar performances. Stay with us for more Beethoven on BBC Four in a

few moments where we show a performance of the composer's only

opera, Fidelio, recorded earlier in the season. For now, from me and a

rapturous crowd, good night.