By Paola Bassanese
For a complete newbie to the BBC Proms my experience so far has been tremendous.
I went to see Prom 9 on Thursday 18th July and Prom 10 on Friday 19th July, the latter featuring the inimitable Sir Tony Pappano. His impeccable conducting commanded the attention of the audience and caused a cascade of applause.
Pappano and Santa Cecilia Orchestra are like a microcosm breathing in unison. You could see the years of performing together in the effortless delivery. Pappano minuetted through Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 and waltzed through Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2 with his energetic directions. It was Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor that stole the show: featuring young performer Jan Lisiecki, the piece was extremely moving and you could feel raw emotion in the audience. The concert will be broadcast on BBC Four on 25th July and it is highly recommended viewing.
Prom 9 featured Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård who is Principal Conductor of BBC National Orchestra of Wales; the programme included a stunning piece by Szymanowski, Symphony No. 3, which created a skilful wall of sound combining orchestra and choir.
For the BBC Proms programme and tickets: BBC Proms.