Prom 75: Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Albert Hall

Will London ever get enough of Sir Simon Rattle (Berlin Philharmonic)? The Berlin-based conductor, who in a few years will take the reins of the LSO, is sure-fire box office dynamite. And so he should be – whichever ensemble he waves the baton before, the results are always excellent, often magnificent. The prospect of an appearance in this year’s Proms with the adored Vienna Philharmonic is a mouth-watering one.

Want to discover the full BBC Proms 2015 lineup?


Rattle will be conducting the orchestra – always regarded one of the world’s finest – in Sir Edward Elgar's (Pomp and Circumstance March, Enigma Variations) masterpiece, The Dream of Gerontius (1900). Based on a poem by Cardinal Newman, it relates tells the tale of the title character as he dies, faces judgment, and reaches Purgatory for the purification of his soul. Over an hour and a half, the score balances passages of shimmering golden notes with impassioned outbursts. This is religious music at its most regal and sensual.
The orchestra will be joined by the amassed forces of the BBC Youth Choir – giving some of Britain’s best young singers the chance to work with Rattle and the Philharmonic – and three mighty soloists. Magdalena Kozena, mezzo-soprano and Rattle's wife, should lend her sense of gravity and presence to the Angel. Baritone Roderick Williams, who had the honour of singing ‘Rule Britannia’ in 2014’s Last Night of the Proms, will play the Priest. And the tenor Toby Spence, who has in the past few years been recovering from life-threatening thyroid cancer, will mark his complete re-emergence as Gerontius.

Seating for this concert has sold out, but £5 Promming tickets will be available on the day.