Prom 18: Barenboim/West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Yes, the mighty ‘Choral’ Symphony, containing Schiller’s manifesto of human unity, coincided with the Olympics’ opening night and started early so that everyone could catch the ceremony – and so that Daniel Barenboim could zip from podium to stadium as one of eight great humanitarians who together carried in the Olympic flag. The second movement continued with absolute seriousness of purpose, the atmosphere turning on the axis of the woodwind as they introduce the work’s first hint of sunshine. After a Mahlerian-scale pause, the Adagio molto was first cousin to the Adagietto of Mahler’s Fifth: a great-hearted meditation, with moments of hold-your-breath magic over hushed deepenings of colour.
History of this topic
BBC Proms, review: First night opens with Beethoven ‘mash-up’
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Prom 24, Royal Albert Hall, London: 'An exhilarating collision of precision and all-out abandon'
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Prom 69: Barenboim/Staatskapelle, Royal Albert Hall, review: 'Gold-plated'
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BBC Prom 61 Late Night review: Kamasi Washington performs at the Royal Albert Hall with conductor Jules Buckley
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Prom 4: Abduraimov/Munich PO/Gergiev, Prom 5: Halle Choir/BBC Phil/Noseda, Royal Albert Hall, review
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Prom 13: Daniel Barenboim/Michael Barenboim/West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall
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Staatskapelle Berlin/ Barenboim, Royal Festival Hall
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Prom 21: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra & Chorus / Nelsons,
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Prom 1: BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/ Belohlavek, Royal Albert
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