BBC Proms 2026: Poulenc and Adams at the Royal Albert Hall

Now here is some stellar programming: a perfect blend of the much-loved and the intriguing, packaged and presented by the City of Birmingham Symphony for their annual visit to partake in the BBC Proms festival, accompanied on this occasion by their own trusty CBSO chorus. This delightful little tour of the fringe-ish realm of 20^th-century composition partnered a pair of works by France’s Francis Poulenc – his Sinfonietta, or Little Symphony, and his boisterous Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra – with John Adams’s minimalist epic, Harmonium.

The evening’s first work – the 1947 Sinfonietta – was an opener with which the orchestra could have some fun. This charming micro-symphony comes riddled with cinematic themes, both jaunty and soaring, each invariably and inevitably concluded by some sort of wonky interruption. These moments were leant into characterfully by the orchestra, responding vibrantly to the enthusiastic baton of resident Music Director Kazuki Yamada. A frisky, clean and short approach to each phrase suited this piece nicely, the CBSO dancing over Poulenc’s metric minefield with ready ease, retaining life throughout. Yamada encourages his players to revel in the many brief silences incorporated by the composer, and the one or two shaky moments disembarking from these into music once more were brushed aside swiftly.

Next, the concerto. The celebrated Jussen brothers, Lucas and Arthur, took to the stage to perform this work with which they are so familiar, bolting out of the gates at a lick beyond that of their Concertgebouw-accompanied recording, perhaps buoyed to be performing live at the Proms. The pair pass phrases to and from one another beautifully and have an immaculately shared sense of rubato and phrasing, but nevertheless – except when striking a unison – actually play quite differently to one another, which contributes to the character of their performance. The orchestra accompanied deftly, though – despite the additional piano to usual – still managed to swamp the soloists on occasion. As an encore, a chaotically yet brilliantly arranged Die Fledermaus medley was a highly welcome addition.

The evening’s second half brought John Adams’s 1981 minimalist blockbuster, Harmonium, with bolstered ranks among the instrumentalists, and the 200-strong choir standing to perform. This is an eerie and fascinating piece set to poetry by Emily Dickinson and John Donne. Yamada, the CBSO and chorus are adept mood setters in this realm. The choir’s presentation of the text was splendid, though they did come into some trouble with some of the more rhythmically demanding passages. Their melded, pearlescent sound struck a fine tone in conjunction with the orchestra, cloaking the Royal Albert Hall and its occupants in a sonic trance until the last. A fine evening of skilfully programmed music-making.

Will Snell
Photo: BBC Chris Christodoulou

The BBC Proms 2026 are on from 17^th July until 12^th September 2026 at the Royal Albert Hall. For further information and future events, visit the BBC Proms website here.