London as the World's Musical Capital

This Friday, the BBC Promenade Concerts (Proms)
will begin. They will last until September 10.
These performances will be distributed
globally via BBC Radio 3 webcasts.

Composers receiving Proms commissions and
premieres include: Hans Abrahamsen, Thomas
Ades, Michael Berkeley, Unsuk Chin, John Corigliano,
Marc-Andre Dalbavie, Henri Dutilleux, Detlev
Glanert, Sofia Gubaidulina, Morgan Hayes, Tatjana
Komarova, James MacMillan, Stuart Macrae, Thea
Musgrave, Paul Patterson, Esa-Pekka Salonen,
Bent Sorensen, Fraser Trainer, Mark-Anthony Turnage,
Huw Watkins, and John Woolrich.

Michael Berkeley's Concerto for Orchestra world
premiere includes a slow movement in tribute to the
South-East Asian tsunami victims. In particular,
I look forward to listening to this work.

Other highlights include Michael Tippett's A Child
of Our Time oratorio (also heard, this Spring, in
Washington, D.C. and elsewhere), Edward Elgar's
Dream of Gerontius, the late Luciano Berio's Coro,
choral masterpieces by Perotin, Tallis (Spem in alium),
and Arvo Paert, and symphonic masterpieces by Brahms,
Bruckner, and Witold Lutoslawski.

With thanks to the "On An Overgrown Path" blog.

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Ruins of Kosava Castle in Belarus: