Here is your daily BBC Proms preview from BBC Music Magazine. We're looking at Prom 53, taking place today, Friday 30 August, and featuring works by Stravinsky and Tippett, plus a UK premiere of a new work by American composer Steve Reich. It all culminates in a performance of Edward Elgar's masterful Enigma Variations.
Keep checking back at www.classical-music.com every day while the 2024 Proms continue (the Last Night of the Proms is on Saturday 14 September). Why? Because each day you'll find an insightful preview to that evening's Prom concert. And, if you want all the 2024 Proms at a glance, our 2024 BBC Proms guide is the place to go.
What's on at the BBC Proms today?
Prom 53 (Friday 30 August) opens with Igor Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements. Composed from 1943 to 1945, this work was described by Stravinsky as his 'War Symphony', and it's one of the major classical works to come out of World War II.
You can hear some key Stravinsky styles within the piece, such as prominent woodwinds, tangy harmonies, and sudden changes in time signature. The third movement, with its strident brass writing and propulsive march rhythms, is an attack on the rise of Fascism.
That's followed by a UK premiere: Jacob’s Ladder by Steve Reich. A BBC co-commission, Jacob’s Ladder sets Biblical texts describing Jacob’s vision of a ladder between Heaven and Earth, with angels ascending and descending. Around 20 minutes long, it features choir and orchestra. 'Burbles with a steady, propulsive rush… Energetic while meditative … light, graceful, refreshing,. praised the New York Times.
After the interval, we have the 'Ritual Dances' from Michael Tippett's opera The Midsummer Marriage. Tippett modelled his 1954 opera on Mozart's The Magic Flute. Then comes the evening's showpiece: Elgar's magnificent, endlessly inventive Enigma Variations.
Composed between 1898 and 1899 and officially known as Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36, the Enigma Variations is a set of 14 variations on a theme (the latter opens the work). Ingeniously and movingly, each variation is dedicated to, and in some way depicts, one of Elgar's friends or family members.
'Enigma' means mystery or riddle, and Elgar himself suggested that there was a hidden theme that runs through the variations. He never revealed what this was, and over the years musicologists and others have speculated at length. Here are five theories for the meaning behind the Enigma Variations. Away from this fascinating hidden aspect, the piece is justly famous for its emotional depth, rich orchestration, and ingenious way of encapsulating each character in music.
The Enigma's most famous movement is undoubtedly 'Nimrod', whose solemn and profoundly moving atmosphere has made it a firm favourite, often played at funerals and remembrance services.
Who is performing at the BBC Proms today?
Today's performers for Prom 53 are the BBC Symphony Orchestra and conductor Martyn Brabbins. They are joined by Synergy Vocals for Steve Reich's Jacob's Ladder.
What time does today's Prom start?
Prom 53 starts at 7.30pm.
How much are tickets to the Proms?
Tickets to today's Prom 53 are priced from £10 to £44.
