Today at the Proms - Prom 51

Continuing our daily coverage of what's on at The Proms 2018, Susan Omand has a quick look at the programme for Prom 51: Strauss, Wagner & Per Nørgård ...



Another UK Premiere tonight with the first performance on these shores of the 1972-5 3rd Symphony by Danish composer Per Nørgård. He is a prolific composer, including for film, if you have watched Babette's Feast you have heard his work, and his music is generally very mathematical, using a specific series of numbers in many compositions, with Symphony No 3 being challenging for both listener and performers but interesting nonetheless.



It will provide an unusual counterpoint to the other two works this evening with Richard Strauss being needlessly over-dramatic with not one but four Last Songs preceded by the lush beauty of the Prelude to Act I of Parsifal from Wagner, played in this video by the Vienna Phil conducted by Sir Georg Solti.









Here's the full programme for this evening's Prom which you can listen to live on Radio 3 or on the iPlayer


Richard Wagner
Parsifal – Prelude to Act I(12 mins)

Richard Strauss
Four Last Songs(22 mins)

INTERVAL

Per Nørgård
Symphony No 3(50 mins)UK premiere


Image - Photo © Chris Christodoulou