91Èȱ¬

Live at the 91Èȱ¬ Proms: National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and conductor Andrew Gourlay in Ravel's complete ballet Daphnis et Chloé and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with pianist Simone Dinnerstein and to start a special commission from Hollywood legend, Danny Elfman.

Presented by Linton Stephens, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London.

Danny Elfman: Wunderkammer
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (orch. Grofé)

c.8.20pm
Interval: Ahead of the performance of Ravel’s score for the ballet Daphnis et Chloé, classicist Natalie Haynes joins Linton Stephens to shed some light on the source from which its drawn –Greek writer Longus’s novel from the 2nd century CE – and other works that owe a debt to this ancient text from Shakespeare’s comedies to The Princess Bride.

c.8.40pm
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé

Simone Dinnerstein (piano)
National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, Andrew Gourlay (conductor)

‘I think and feel in sounds,’ said Maurice Ravel. So, when he wrote his ballet Daphnis et Chloé, he created a sumptuous musical panorama in which you can hear every drop of dew, every flurry of birdsong and every ray of glittering light. Sounds thrilling? Now hear it performed by the ‘world’s greatest orchestra of teenagers’ – playing with an energy and joy that make even the Royal Albert Hall feel a bit on the small side. The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain’s annual Prom is always a highlight of the season, and tonight its 150-plus players are working on a cinematic scale: Simone Dinnerstein performs Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and there’s a spectacular, specially commissioned opener from Hollywood legend Danny Elfman.