Intriguing connections in Anja Bihlmaier & BBC Philharmonic's Prom including Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde with Jamie Barton & Clay Hilley, yet perhaps better heard on BBC Sounds

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde - Jamie Barton, Anja Bihlmaier, BBC Philharmonic
BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall (Photo: BBC/Chris Cristodoulou)

Bushra El-Turk: Mosaic, Haydn: Symphony No. 45 in F sharp minor, 'Farewell', Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde; Jamie Barton, Clay Hilley, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Anja Bihlmaier
Reviewed 21 August 2026

A rare performance of one of Haydn's best-known early symphonies alongside Mahler's glorious final symphonic utterance in a concert full of links and references in performances that did not always quite overcome the challenges of the Royal Albert Hall

The BBC Prom at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday 21 August might, at first, have seemed a typical Proms programme presenting a diverse trio of works. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and their principal guest conductor, Anja Bihlmaier presented us with Bushra El-Turk's Mosaic, Haydn's Farewell Symphony, and Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde with Jamie Barton and Clay Hilley.

Diverse works, to be sure, but scratch under the surface and we saw the connective tissues. The subject of a farewell linked Haydn and Mahler in a way that was sufficiently contrasting as to be intriguing. And then Bushra El-Turk's work addresses issues of cross-pollination between cultures, finding elements of the rootlessness and otherness that Mahler found in the Chinese poetry he set in Das Lied von der Erde. It was a lavish programme too, the huge orchestra for the Mahler not used in the first half. I did wonder whether Bihlmaier should have had the courage of her convictions and performed Haydn with Mahleresque forces (large body of strings, four oboes, five horns). Go on, it sounds intriguing and after all what are festival for?

Bushra El-Turk's Mosaic was written for the Manchester Camerata for the 2009/10 season. It began with a scurrying shimmer on the strings that was so quiet as to be almost inaudible in the Royal Albert Hall. Dramatic fragments and motifs emerged over, creating an anxious, almost unnerving feel. A gradual build-up led to denser textures but the fragments never quite coalesced, until at the end in ravishing quiet we heard a romantic, rather hymn-like figure emerge. I would have liked to hear the piece in more sympathetic circumstances to bring out the detail.

Because of the circumstances of its first performance, and the rather intriguing meta-theatre woven in to the music in a very contemporary manner, Haydn's Farewell Symphony is amongst the best known of his earlier ones. Yet it has not been performed at the Proms since 1938, and this was only its fourth performance! It was brave of Bihlmaier to decide to do it with a modern instrument orchestra and all credit to her. We should her more Haydn like this.

Haydn: Farewell Symphony - Anja Bihlmaier, BBC Philharmonic - BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall (Photo: BBC/Chris Cristodoulou)

In the first movement, the strings were strong, stylish yet completely modern. With a large-ish string body, the wind rather receded in the balance, yet there was urgency and dynamism to the performance with a lovely lyricism in the central episode. The slow movement was quiet with intimate detail, pointed motifs and lyrical moments. Yet there was harmonic uncertainty too, for all the standard feel of the movement the music was not obvious. I was worried about Bilhmaier's choice of tempo: not that slow, but with the repeats it made the movement too long for its surroundings, yet her tempos gave space for the detail. The Menuetto was full of contrasts, delicacy against strength, alongside the pull of the key relationships. All ending in wonderful midair. The finale was crisp and urgent, again full of contrasts with energetic impulse against elegant slow lyricism. As the instrumental body reduced (and the players did leave the stage) we went on a sort of time-lapse performance towards the modern day impulse for small scale performance. And the ending was as weird and mysterious as it should be.

Mahler's orchestra for Das Lied von der Erde is huge, with quadruple woodwind and much else besides including the mandolins. Throughout the performance the BBC Philharmonic was indeed resplendent. Bihlmaier took a disciplined almost classical approach, yet relishing all the tonal and timbral contrasts that Mahler implies. Speeds were steady-ish yet fluid with space for the singers. And yet... I suspect this is one of those performances that will sound better when rebalance for the radio. Somehow, neither singer quite dominated or cut through the orchestra when push came to shove. There were plenty of good moments, but you had to concentrate hard.

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde - Jamie Barton, Clay Hilley, Anja Bihlmaier, BBC Philharmonic - BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall (Photo: BBC/Chris Cristodoulou)

For 'Drinking song of the earth's misery', Clay Hilley's approach leaned on a vivid dramatic presentation, and a clear histrionic effort to communicate the dramatic narrative of the song. By the end of the song, his anger was surprisingly fierce. Yet his unforced, focused tone meant that his voice was somewhat recessed in the balance. Hilley took so much care with the dramatic detail and narrative that I wished we could have been in closer contact. For 'The lonely on in Autumn', Bihlmaier began with barely there strings and a fabulous oboe solo. Jamie Barton was a dignified presence, and she seemed to choose emotion over simple beauty of tone. Towards the end there were moments of letting go, but mostly this was a contained yet intense account of the song. One which did not always cut through the orchestra.

Hilley brought a delightful lightness of touch to 'Youth' with very pointed words and the sense that he was telling a story. The orchestra was light and delicate for the opening of 'Beauty' contrasting with Barton's rather darker, steadier approach. She was telling a story and somewhat relished the contrast between voice and orchestra. I loved the way Bihlmaier got the orchestra to dip and dance, but her and later in the work I was rather wishing for some portamentos to enliven the clean string lines. In the faster, vivid sections, Barton's detail was rather lost in the hall though I loved the sense of impulse. In the moments when the orchestra relaxed and gave her space, her delight was palpable.

'The drunkard in Spring' featured Hilley back in storytelling mode, and oh boy was he vividly histrionic, yet some terrific detail was lost though the climaxes of the verses were terrific. We ended with bravura histrionics and came to appreciate his lively engaged storytelling. Then came 'Farewell' (Der Abschied). For the opening, Bihlmaier brought out the lower instruments and that tam tam to create some aural magic. There was space here for Barton, and she was artful yet affecting, but dignified too. I almost felt she was feeling the weight of the pressure of performing this work in this hall (following on from Janet Baker's four performance and Jessye Norman's one with Rattle and Jon Vickers!).  Barton's dignified emoting was paired with some strong orchestral colours and a constant sense of impetus allied to fluid tempos. Towards the end of the first half we did get more expansive phrases, yet there was also the magic of her quiet intensity contrasting with just the solo flute. But at the end of the first part it was touch and go who won the loudness battle! In the second part, Barton was dignified, the music flowing yet with classical discipline. In the final stanza she did let do, though the repeated 'Ewig' was very internal and concentrated. 

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde - Jamie Barton, Clay Hilley, Anja Bihlmaier, BBC Philharmonic - BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall (Photo: BBC/Chris Cristodoulou)

The concert is on BBC Sounds. 

Never miss out on future posts by following us

The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.

Elsewhere on this blog

• BBC Proms: Stripped back drama & strong musical values in Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos from Glyndebourne Opera - opera review 
• Fiordiligi to the fore: Korean soprano Soyeon Shin shines in Scherzo Ensemble's trimmed yet still full-fat performance of Cosi fan tutte - review  
• BBC Proms: Thrilling moments, terrific theatre, intimacy & transcendence as Sir Antonio Pappano conducts Berlioz's Requiem - concert review 
• Salzburg Festival
• Memories are made of this: Tugan Sokhiev & Vienna Philharmonic in Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet, Debussy & Ravel with Lang Lang - review
• Heavenly joy & earthly travails: Philippe Sly is compelling as St Francis in Romeo Castellucci's mesmerising & frustrating vision Messiaen's opera - opera review
• Darkness visible: remarkable performances from Jonathan Tetelman & Asmik Grigorian in Bizet's Carmen directed by choreographer Gabriela Carrizo - opera review
• Life on Mars: Ersan Mondtag's futuristic vision of Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos - opera review 
• Mozart's Cosi fan tutte: director Christof Loy & a strong cast demonstrate that less is more - opera review 
• Virtuoso tour de force of triviality: Barrie Kosky's production of Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims - opera review
• Home