Photo, Chris Christodoulou
Monday, August 18, 2025
Royal Albert Hall, London
On the day when some European leaders were over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue supporting President Zelenskyy (sic) in his meeting with President Trump, Mark Elder was conducting Frederick Delius’s A Mass of Life, completed in 1905 “celebrating the transcendent power and triumph of the human spirit in the face of death”; difficult to not think of the Ukraine and other places where hostilities reign. Delius sets words from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus sprach Zarathustra in the original German (preserved at this Prom). Without belittling this ambitious opus, it might be considered a song-and-dance work, yet one that transcends the everyday, transporting, Delius always stylistically himself, even though Wagner’s Parsifal might come to mind at times. There’s no doubting that the setting is compelling, opening with an arresting cascade of choral and orchestral energy, Delius then alive to flora and fauna and other picturesque inspirations, breathing fresh mountain air, the massifs themselves visually stimulating for the composer, writing rapturous music that takes the willing listener to somewhere beyond, suggested magically at the beginning of the much-longer Part Two with faraway horns (played impeccably) perhaps calling across misty summits. Much of Delius’s setting is enraptured, whatever the dynamic, delicately orchestrated, or fully resourced, with much to do for the baritone, Roderick Williams commanding without the need to draw attention to himself, an intimate sharing of Zarathustra’s sentiments based on sterling musicianship. He is also found on Elder’s recent recording, so this Proms performance was rooted in the experienced conductor and main singer, Elder an admirer of A Mass of Life, here with a superb response from BBC Symphony & Chorus, and London Philharmonic Choir, the final few minutes positively operatic, building a glorious conclusion, bells tolling, then fading to a glowing ending and an inclusive silence.
Jennifer Davis (soprano)
Claudia Huckle (contralto)
David Butt Philip (tenor)
Roderick Williams (baritone)
BBC Symphony Chorus
London Philharmonic Choir
BBC Symphony Orchestra
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002h0qh
Not since Norman Del Mar have I heard such a great performance of this astoundingly original masterpiece. I can (almost) forgive the worthless pop and trendy nonsense of some other concerts in this year’s season. This was a most memorable occasion in Proms history.
I agree with all Robert Matthew-Walker’s popints. From the very start, we were transported into a whirling sea of eccentric chromaticism, textures and climaxes to the extent that this morning (the day after) I am suffering from serious withdrawal symptoms. Pure magic
Even up in the cheap seats every subtle detail was clear; it was a truly special evening, as often with Sir Mark in large-scale works (eg Gurrelieder in Manchester)