Our last Prom of this year is with Berlin Philharmonic, its chief conductor Kirill Petrenko, and Grammy Award-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich playing beloved Beethoven Violin Concerto and more...
To book your ticket: please click here. Alternatively, you can buy day promming ticket from 9:30am on the day, costs £8.
Pre-Prom meeting place: at the steps of the Albert Memorial for picnic (weather permitting) from 5:30pm.
Interval and Post Prom meeting place: outside Door 3.
There will be a WhatsApp group set up for this event. Please email swcsocialATgmailDOTcom with your mobile number if you wish to be on it.
Programme
Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major 42’
Interval
Scriabin Symphony No. 3 in C minor, ‘The Divine Poem’ 50'
Augustin Hadelich violin
Berlin Philharmonic
Kirill Petrenko conductor
#2026-09-03T19:00
3 comments:
Some walkers have booked choir seats
PART 2
Here are our very own critiques!
“The Beethoven violin concerto was nice, but maybe a bit too nice? I thought I was going deaf because the violin sounded a bit quiet, despite it only being about 30 metres away. But others had the same issue. The playing was technically spot on but perhaps lacked passion.”
“Things came to life in the second half with the Scriabin, however. Astonishingly it turned out that I knew this piece very well: a previous iteration of myself was obviously quite keen on it! The conductor also came to life - you could tell he was passionate about the work and excited to be conducting it - as well he might be with a huge Berlin Philharmonic at his disposal. One might quibble about the almost total lack of gender and ethnic balance in this orchestra, but they play with great heft and authority. If a male bison could play classical music, this is what it would sound like.”
“I enjoyed it very much. I liked the finale of the Scriabin and the harps when you could hear them…..I didn't find the Scriabin that easy but I liked the brass section and the drums were impressive.”
“I am always impressed by soloists in the Albert Hall and enjoyed the sections when the violinist played alone to the whole concert hall.”
“I loved the exquisite performance of the violin soloist and the subtlety of the orchestra's interpretation of the Beethoven….. And the Scriabin was rousing.”
“It was a very memorable and enjoyable prom.”
“Great finale to our Prom Season”
“It was a great ending for the SWC promming!”
PART 1
Another fantastic Prom brought our 2026 Proms season to a fitting close.
N=12
gathered on the steps of the Albert Memorial for a pre-Prom picnic, including three Prommers who were fortunate enough to secure their tickets thanks to their perseverance in overcoming some rather stubborn IT difficulties. Sadly, another intended Prommer was not so lucky….
Once again, the two pieces in the programme offered a wonderful contrast. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto was beautifully played by the award-winning Augustin Hadelich, whom we also heard at the Proms back in 2023. He was every bit as mesmerising as we remembered.
A few of us also recalled his extraordinary life story. At the age of 15, his promising musical career was put on hold following a devastating fire at his family farm in Italy in the 1990s, which severely disfigured his face, upper body and bow arm. Doctors initially doubted that he would ever play again. Yet, through sheer determination, together with a year of intensive treatment and rehabilitation, he rebuilt his technique and went on to develop the remarkable career we know today. Hearing him play Beethoven so exquisitely was all the more extraordinary in that context.
Most of us had not heard Scriabin’s Symphony No. 3 before. A relatively modern work compared with Beethoven, it was brought vividly to life by the Berlin Philharmonic and its wonderfully animated conductor, Kirill Petrenko. It proved to be an enjoyable and energetic conclusion to the programme.
And with that, goodbye to the 2026 Proms. It has been another wonderful season of music, friendship, picnics and, of course, the occasional battle with the ticketing system.
We look forward to returning next year!
See PART 2 for more insights
Post a Comment