BBC Proms 2026: Korngold’s Violin Concerto at the Royal Albert Hall

Less than a year after being appointed Principal Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Delyana Lazarova delivers a well-executed concert in this season of the BBC Proms, with a programme of works rich in cross-references and reminiscences.

The evening opens with Orpheus’s Comet, Dobrinka Tabakova’s 2017 orchestral fanfare, which reimagines Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo through a modern lens. Atmospheric horns are gradually taken over by violins that seem to vibrate in the air, a bee-like humming sonority. Midway through, the music shifts between high and low registers. Tabakova, who is present in the hall, is enthusiastically greeted at the close of the performance.

Alena Baeva steps on stage and takes up her violin straight away, opening Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major with a slow flurry spanning two octaves, establishing the measured, pensive mood of the first movement, Moderato. Characterised by a variety of rhythms, this part is driven by an ongoing dialogue between the solo violin and the orchestra, each taking the lead in turn. Soaring effortlessly into the upper register, the orchestral strings are given ample room to sing. The next movement, Romance, unfolds at a gentler tempo, with a smooth, lyrical introduction. The violinist then suddenly gathers momentum, making a dramatic turn before delicately returning to the opening material. The final Allegro assai vivace is a highly spirited movement, with the soloist almost pursued by the orchestra before the ensemble eases into more expressive passages. Here, Korngold draws on the language of the cinematic scores for which he became renowned, creating textures that are fluid and unified. The result is upbeat yet with filmic flair, bringing the lyricism of the screen into an engaging orchestral language. The winds round everything off.

Following the audience’s warm applause, Baeva and Lazarova return to the stage, both armed with violins, for the amusing jazz canon After You, My Dear Gaston.

Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major is a monumental work of sweeping contrasts. It begins with an Andante of broad grandeur, the brass lending the music an imposing weight before expanding into a cascade of sound in the flutes and bassoons. The calm gradually dissolves into a tremolo, blossoming into a jubilant, concordant moment led by the strings. After the crisp, polished scherzo of the second movement, the Adagio begins in a subdued, lullaby-like mood, gradually rising to a pulsating core. The final movement, Allegro giocoso, features the cello recalling the Andante. The reciprocity between the string sections is particularly effective, as the viola briefly interrupts before giving way, after a frenzied interjection, to a quartet playing staccato “wrong notes” – flashes of charged energy.

Despite its climaxes and dramatic build-ups, the orchestra never quite realises the full emotional range and vivid imagery the programme has to offer. The performance nevertheless remains balanced and cohesive throughout, with remarkable execution.

Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Mark Allan

For further information and future events, visit BBC Proms 2026: Korngold’s Violin Concerto’s website here.