Proms 2026 Rachmaninov, Bartók and Varèse

The evening

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Ryan Wigglesworth celebrate the orchestra’s 90th anniversary with a snapshot of a golden year in musical history: 1936 was a turning point, producing not only Rachmaninov’s final symphony – the Romantic, death-haunted No. 3 – but also Bartók’s electrifying fusion of folk and modernity, his Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, with its two duelling string orchestras and barrage of percussion forces. Varèse tests the limits of sound and space in Density 21.5 – named for the density of platinum – for solo flute, performed by the orchestra’s Principal Flute Matthew Higham.

Ryan Wiggleworth © Benjamin Ealovega