United Kingdom BBC Proms 2025 [2] – Coult, Mahler: Allan Clayton (tenor), BBC Philharmonic Orchestra / John Storgårds (conductor), Royal Albert Hall, London, 21.7.2025. (JR)

Tom Coult – Monologues for the Curious (BBC commission, world premiere)
Mahler – Symphony No. 7
British composer Tom Coult, born in London in 1988, was Composer-in-Association with the BBC Philharmonic from 2021 to 2014; the BBC commissioned a work from him for this year’s Proms. His new work, with the intriguing title Monologues for the Curious, is not so much a song-cycle as a set of four dramatic monologues, with the tenor adopting different characters for each. Coult has created his own texts out of existing source material, in this case various ghost stories by M. R. James, the English master of the supernatural tale.
In the first monologue, the tenor recounts an erotically charged encounter with two men using rushing strings and oscillating winds at the outset, warped brass thereafter, including the highly unusual use of two melodicas (a hand-held reed instrument with a keyboard) – which sadly proved virtually inaudible. Allan Clayton was his usual impressive self, his firm tenor voice carrying right across the huge Royal Albert Hall, diction clear as a bell. The second monologue started in anguish but ended with a brief climax and repeated tapping – most effective. The third monologue was something of a scherzo, its opening line ‘I have a kindness for owls’ had the audience giggling, as did the constant charming use – by both the soloist and one of the percussionists – of harmonicas by way of accompaniment. ‘Letitia left me for Brighton’ was the title of the final song, dark and desolate, with added saxophone and cowbells, Clayton resorting frequently to magnificent head voice for the very top notes. The work proved a perfect prologue to the Mahler and went down a storm with the audience – including this critic. The piece was fascinating throughout, very accessible, and most entertaining.
Mahler’s Seventh Symphony has, ever since its composition, rather been regarded as the ugly duckling of Mahler’s symphonies but as the decades roll on, audiences are warming to the fragmentary work. It is rather disjointed, with Bruckner-like stops and starts, and an air of banality to the outer movements, and oddity for the two inner Nachtmusik (Night Music) movements. It needs a conductor with conviction to bring it off, and the BBC Philharmonic’s chief conductor John Storgårds was the man for the job, forging the bitty work into a convincing whole, not smoothing over any of the dissonances. He performed it with his orchestra in Manchester a few years before Covid, and now was his chance to show it off at the BBC Proms.
All Mahler symphonies are very well suited to the cavernous acoustic of the Royal Albert Hall, allowing us to hear every detail, and thrill to the climaxes. Full marks to the flawless tenor horn, to the athletic timpanist, to the principal trumpet and all the French horns. In the inner movements we saw and heard the vast array of cowbells spread across the back of the stage; we also (just) heard the guitar and mandolin, a pity that visually they get concealed behind the violins and harps. I think they need their own podium. The orchestra played their hearts out, following Storgårds’s wishes and masterly control at every turn, the occasional lip faults doing no damage to the overall experience – a convincing, satisfying and enthralling performance of a still somewhat neglected, inscrutable and often misunderstood symphony.
We now look forward with eager anticipation to more Mahler at the Proms – performances of his Second, Third and Fifth symphonies and Das klagende Lied.
John Rhodes
Featured Image: John Storgårds conducts the BBC Philharmonic © BBC/ Mark Allan