To Soothe the Aching Heart

Conductor Ben Glassberg and the BBC Philharmonic are joined by a host of British opera stars in an evening of opera excerpts on themes of separation and reconciliation.

Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Nicola Heywood Thomas.

Francesca Caccini: La liberazione di Ruggiero – suite

Beethoven: Fidelio – ‘Abscheulicher! … Komm, Hoffnung, lass den letzten Stern’
Fidelio – Gott! welch Dunkel hier! … In des Lebens Frühlingstagen
Fidelio – ‘O namenlose Freude!’

Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice – ‘Che farò senza Euridice?’

Puccini: La bohème – ‘Che gelida manina’
La bohème – ‘Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì’
La bohème – ‘O soave fanciulla’

8.20: Interval: Flora Willson joins Nicola Heywood Thomas to survey highlights of the Proms week ahead.

Bizet: Carmen – overture
Carmen – ‘La fleur que tu m’avais jetée’

Handel: Rodelinda – ‘Io t'abbraccio’

Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel – ‘Der kleine Sandmann bin ich’
Hansel and Gretel – ‘Abends, will ich schlafen gehn’
Hansel and Gretel – Dream Pantomime

Janáček: Jenůfa – closing scene

Sally Matthews (soprano)
Natalya Romaniw (soprano)
Nardus Williams (soprano)
Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano)
Nicky Spence (tenor)
Freddie De Tommaso (tenor)
BBC Philharmonic
Ben Glassberg (conductor)

An evening of opera excerpts on the themes of separation and reconciliation.

A host of British opera stars join Ben Glassberg and the BBC Philharmonic for a night rich in emotion and drama. After a year of lockdowns and social distancing, the themes of isolation and loneliness as well as the joy of reunion have particular poignancy in excerpts from much-loved operas including Handel’s Rodelinda, Beethoven’s Fidelio, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel and Puccini’s La bohème.