Radio Times: Review by:; Patrick Mulkern

Richard Strauss and Sibelius are this Prom's heavyweights. Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra – indelibly associated now with 2001: a Space Odyssey – makes for a spine-tingling start, followed by his serene Four Last Songs. Sibelius’s majestic Symphony No 7 closes the evening.

Between there’s a real curio, the UK premiere of Laterna Magica, a tribute to the films of Ingmar Bergman. Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho intends “a fiery dance rhythm inspired by flamenco” and “a shifting asymmetrical rhythm provided by speech”. Radio 3’s erudite Petroc Trelawney is on hand to make the connections for us.

About this programme

The BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Juanjo Mena, performs works by Strauss, Kaija Saariaho and Sibelius, from London's Royal Albert Hall. Featuring soprano Anne Schwanewilms.