Gustavo Dudamel conducts the LA Philharmonic in Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and Thomas Adès’s Dante: Inferno — the first of two Proms from the LA Phil.
Programme
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 in F major, ‘Pastoral’
Thomas Adès Dante – Part 1: Inferno
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel
Tuesday 11 August 2026 · 6pm–c8.10pm
Royal Albert Hall
Listen on BBC Radio 3 / BBC Sounds · Watch on BBC iPlayer (recorded for broadcast)
Preview
The first of two Proms from the Los Angeles Philharmonic with outgoing music director Gustavo Dudamel. Lots of people get hot under the collar about bracketing the ‘Big Five’ US orchestras (of which the LA Phil is one) or indeed ranking orchestras across the world. They might consider getting over themselves just for a moment. Because the LA Phil are one of the finest not just in the US but across the world. What you could listen out for here is the difference in sound compared to UK orchestras. Or maybe you don’t really care about what different orchestras sound like. If you don’t, that’s OK too.
Dudamel brings two Beethoven symphonies — 6 and 7 — in one week, themselves successive works that demonstrate the way in which Beethoven’s symphonic writing wasn’t just revolutionary in and of itself but that each symphony pushed the envelope just that little bit further. Number six – tonight’s excursion – is what it says in the title: pastoral. The writing in this programmatic work is revolutionary because it generates such evocative imagery. Expect a late summer sojourn through lush German pastures, with the faint whiff of farm animals. There’ll likely be some milkmaids along the way. And do be sure to bring a mac and a brolly, because it does get a little rainy partway through. The concluding movement carries one of Beethoven’s most famous tunes — the melodic equivalent of the sky clearing after all that thunder.
Review
Dudamel and the LA Phil opened their two consecutive nights at the Proms with a lush, verdant Beethoven 6. This was a summer sojourn of two distinct halves: detail and nimbleness in the first half, and a loss of nerve in the second. Summer camping holidays sprang to mind amid the zingy excitement of a clear alpine view in the first movement. Fresh, crisp contrasts from the clearly articulated woodwinds sat above motoring upper strings, violas; cellos and basses combining similarly detailed articulation and depth. A gently undulating second movement saw carefully placed staccatos at the ends of phrases, with sonorous pizzicatos in the basses, and string textures that seemed to blow gently in the breeze. The tender romantic feel to this reading was ramped up with the addition of buzzing bassoons towards the end. A fast-paced toe-tapping merry gathering delivered in spades with jaunty woodwind lines and infectious cello and bass lines that ramped up the speed and excitement. A vicious unrelenting storm descended, putting paid to proceedings and veering occasionally into a lack of focus. Obvious horn wobbles aside, the serene aftermath felt rushed early on, though the pace seemed to settle come the end; a third listen doesn’t make clear whether this was by accident or design. The payoff felt imbalanced. The final bars seemed to peter out uncertainly with a surprising lack of cohesion.
This review will be updated in due course.
