Saint‐Saëns' Organ Symphony from the BBC Proms

Mark Forrest showcases the best performances by BBC orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.

All this week, we are featuring the best of the BBC Proms 2025. In today's programme Camille Saint‐Saëns' powerful Symphony No. 3 in C minor, ‘Organ’ is played by organist Rachel Mahon with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and conductor Marie Jacquot, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra are conducted by Klaus Mäkelä in Bela Bartok's dazzling Concerto for Orchestra.

There's also summer music making from Switzerland with highlights from the Verbier festival. Today, Max Bruch's Double Concerto for Clarinet and Viola is played by clarinettist Pierre Génisson and viola player Antoine Tamestit with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra and conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy. There's also Ernest Bloch from violinist Boris Brovtsyn, and guitarist Thibaut Garcia plays Mangoré's La Catedral.

Béla Bartók
Concerto for Orchestra
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Klaus Mäkelä (conductor)

Agustín Barrios Mangoré
La Catedral
Thibaut Garcia (guitar)

Camille Saint‐Saëns
Symphony No. 3 in C minor, ‘Organ’
Rachel Mahon (organ)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Marie Jacquot (conductor)

Ernest Bloch
Violin Sonata No. 1
Boris Brovtsyn, violin
Julien Quentin, piano

Max Bruch
Double Concerto for Clarinet and Viola in E minor, op. 88
Pierre Génisson (clarinet)
Antoine Tamestit (viola)
Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra
Gábor Takács-Nagy (conductor)

To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers) just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live".