Weill's Symphony No. 1 in one movement 'Berliner Symphony' from 1921 and the Symphony No. 2 'Symphonic Fantasy' from 1934, together with the music for the satire "The Seven Deadly Sins" from 1933, the latter a collaboration with Bertolt Brecht. Katharine Mehrling (Anna), Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz. CD released August 2024.

Giuseppe Verdi's 1874 Messa da Requiem for four soloists, double choir and orchestra. First performed in Milan, and then conducted by Verdi himself in London in 1875. BBC National Chorus of Wales, Crouch End Festival Chorus, BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Conducted by Ryan Bancroft. Latonia Moore (soprano), Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano), SeokJong Baek (tenor), Solomon Howard (bass). Originally broadcast on 23.7.24.

Anna Clyne - The Gorgeous Nothings (BBC commission: world premiere); Olivier Messiaen - Turangalîla Symphony. The Turangalîla-Symphonie is the only symphony by Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992), written 1946 to 1948 on a commission by Serge Koussevitzky for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the premiere being conducted by Leonard Benrstein in 1949. It features the ondes Martenot, an electronic instrument, for various sensuous and dramatic parts of the piece. The Gorgeous Nothings, written specially for the Proms, is Anna Clyne's (b. 1980) response to the ‘spellbinding wordsmithery’ of American poet Emily Dickinson, scored for orchestra, amplified voices and real-time electronic processing. BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Nicholas Collon. The Swingles; Steven Osborne (piano); Cynthia Millar (ondes Martenot). Originally broadcast 30 July 2024.

A programme of classic American pieces. Wynton Marsalis: Herald, Holler and Hallelujah! (UK premiere); Aaron Copland: Billy the Kid – suite; Samuel Barber - Adagio for strings; George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue; Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question; John Adams - Harmonielehre. Harmonielehre was composed in 1985 and is a wonderful piece. Adams wrote that the piece "was a statement of belief in the power of tonality at a time when I was uncertain about its future" and that it was "a one-of-kind once-only essay in the wedding of fin-de-siècle chromatic harmony with the rhythmic and formal procedures of Minimalism". Harmonielehre is German for "study of harmony", and is a reference to Arnold Schoenberg's 1911 music theory textbook of the same name, a study of tonal harmony. Adams has said that the piece was inspired by a dream he had in which he was driving across the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge and saw an oil tanker on the surface of the water abruptly turn upright and take off like a Saturn V rocket. This dream and the composition of Harmonielehre ended a writer's block Adams had been experiencing for 18 months. Sinfonia of London conducted by John Wilson. Steven Osborne (piano). Originally broadcast 4th August 2024.

Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances; Busoni: Piano Concerto. My favourite piece of Rachmaninov and a work I didn't know before this concert. Ferruccio Busoni (1866 – 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His compositions include several works for piano, among them a monumental Piano Concerto, over 70 minutes long. His 1904 Piano Concerto in C major, Op. 39 (BV 247) is one of the largest such works ever written, over five movements and incorporating a male voice choir. Played without a break (not followed at this performance!), in the final movement an invisible men's chorus sings words from the verse-drama Aladdin by Adam Oehlenschläger. It is a symphony really, and whilst impressive in scope is hard to appreciate at a first hearing. Benjamin Grosvenor (piano), Rodolfus Choir, London Philharmonic Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Edward Gardner. Originally broadcast 5 August 2024.

Los Angeles composer Sarah Gibson sadly died last month from colon cancer at the tragically early age of 38. She had been commissioned to produce a new work for the Proms, but sadly that wasn't able to be presented. So instead we had her 2021 piece "warp and weft", which was originally commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Nice piece, apparently "a celebration of the creative process and specifically the Schapiro-coined term "femmage." Femmage, or feminist collage, defines any activity practiced by women using traditional women’s techniques to achieve their art – collage, decoupage, and weaving". Brahms and Beethoven bookend this enjoyable concert. Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major; Sarah Gibson (1986-2024): warp & weft; Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor. Tobias Feldmann (violin). BBC Philharmonic conducted by Anja Bihlmaier. First broadcast 8 August 2024.

All British programme with a collection of early 20th century pieces sort of themed around "London". The Holst piece "Hammersmith" is a rarity, and delightful. Edward Elgar: Overture ‘Cockaigne (In London Town)’; Gustav Holst: Hammersmith; Charles Villiers Stanford: Songs of Faith – ‘To the Soul’, ‘Tears’,‘ Joy, shipmate, joy!’ and ‘The Fairy Lough’; Ralph Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony. Christopher Maltman (baritone). BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins. First broadcast 13th August 2024.

Co-founded in 1999 by Daniel Barenboim and Palestinian-American academic Edward Said, the West–Eastern Divan Orchestra comprises a mix of young Arab and Israeli musicians, with ideals of listening, respect and mutual understanding. They presented the Brahms Violin Concerto from 1878, and Schubert's 9th Symphony, originally published as the Great C Major (to distinguish it from the Little C Major Symphony No 6), but now just known as "The Great". Probably mostly written in 1825, three years before Schubert's death in 1828, but not performed until 1839. Anne-Sophie Mutter was the soloist and presented an encore of Bach's Sarabande (from Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor). Barenboim conducted but was very frail. Johannes Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major; Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C major. Anne‐Sophie Mutter (violin). West–Eastern Divan Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Originally broadcast 11 August 2024.