“The 2015 BBC Proms come to an end on Saturday with the usual Last Night rituals, bells and whistles,” writes Andrew Clements in Friday’s (9/11) Guardian (London). “But as well as the traditional numbers, in recent years there has usually been a world premiere of a work specially commissioned for the occasion. This time it’s going to be Arise Athena! by Eleanor Alberga. Whether it’s a modest concert opener like Alberga’s piece or something altogether more demanding and abrasive, it’s a timely reminder that new music has been a part of the Proms’ programming since they began in 1895, long before the BBC was ever thought of. Here, then, is my selection of some of the most significant pieces to have been performed in public for the first time at the Proms.” Among the works are Schoenberg’s Five Orchestral Piece s (1912), Walton’s Viola Concerto (1932), Britten’s Piano Concerto (1938), Maxwell Davies’ Worldes Blis (1969), and Tavener’s The Protecting Veil (1989). Each is accompanied by a link to an audio or video recording of the work.
Posted September 11, 2015
