Vilde Frang and Michail Lifits BBC Proms

Welcome to Cadogan Hall in London,

home of chamber music at the BBC Proms.

Today, the young Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang

and German pianist Michail Lifits.

They are going to play Ravel later

and music by the Mexican composer Manuel Ponce,

but it's Mozart to begin.

His Violin Sonata in G.

He composed it in 1781, during his last few months

working for his hated employer, the Archbishop of Salzburg.

It was written for the celebrations

around the accession of the new Austrian Emperor, Joseph II.

Mozart himself played the piano part of the premiere.

He was under such pressure to complete the work

he had no time to write down the music

and had to play from memory.

APPLAUSE

Mozart's Violin Sonata K.379,

played here at the BBC Proms by Vilde Frang and Michail Lifits.

They are going to take us to Paris next, in the 1920s,

for music by Ravel.

His sonata, in which he said

he wanted to prove the essential incompatibility of violin and piano.

"I am setting out to contrast the two instruments", he said,

"not have them cooperate."

The piece is much inspired by American jazz.

This is the Second Movement, Blues.

APPLAUSE

The Second Movement of Ravel's Second Violin Sonata.

Vilde Frang and Michail Lifits finished the Cadogan Hall Prom

with an ever-perfect encore,

Estrellita, Little Star,

written a century ago by the Mexican composer Manuel Ponce.

APPLAUSE