29/08/2009

Prom 53 A celebration of Handel and Haydn

We celebrate the anniversaries of two legendary composers in our concert today from the 2009 BBC Proms.

This year is the 250th anniversary of the death of George Frideric Handel. We’ll be marking the occasion by hearing one of his most famous pieces – Water Music, Suite no.2 in D major, which was originally performed for King George I while he travelled with guests in his barge on the River Thames in London.

We’ll also be hearing two beautiful arias from Handel’s operas, Xerxes and Alcina, sung today by the American mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato.

And Joyce will also be performing Joseph Haydn’s haunting “Scena di Berenice”. It’s been described as one of the great eighteenth century concert arias and is therefore a fitting way to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of its composer, Haydn.

World Service broadcast programme:
Handel: Xerxes – Ombra mai fu
Handel: Alcina – Ah, mio cor!
Handel: Water Music – Suite No. 2 in D major
Haydn: Scena di Berenice

Performers:
Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Sir Roger Norrington, conductor