In the second of four appearances this season (see Proms 1, 36 & 37) Sir Mark Elder directs an orchestra of young musicians brought together from every continent.
The programme begins with Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem, both a private memorial to his parents and a reaction to the developing menace of war. Next we sample Mahler’s big-boned lyricism, an idiom Britten particularly esteemed. The world premiere of a BBC commission from a young composer to watch is followed by the iconic work whose unveiling provoked a scandal for Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes.
Discover the Music a 3 minute audio guide to a key work in tonight's Prom: Tom Service talks about Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.