Prom 63: Nishat Khan September 1, 2008

The Proms' Messiaen centenary celebrations continue with Cinq rechants (the second instalment of the composer's Tristan trilogy - see PCM 4 and Prom 64), which draws its inspiration from Sanskrit texts, traditional Indian rhythms and Renaissance polyphony.

Tonight's opening sequence likewise weaves together music of the East and West. Nishat Khan (known for his imaginative fusions of European and Asian musical traditions) joins the BBC Singers in a sequence of French Renaissance chansons and motets (exploring the season of spring and the erotic imagery associated with it) woven around improvised classical Indian ragas for similar times, seasons and states of mind, to create a sensual sound-world which echoes that of Messiaen.

Khan concludes with a selection of night ragas, chosen according to the mood of the occasion.

Motets and chansons by Claudin de Sermisy, Jean Richafort, Antoine Brumel and Claude Le Jeune, interspersed with Indian ragas (c15 mins )

* Messiaen Cinq rechants (20 mins)
* Night ragas (c45 mins)

There will be no interval

Nishat Khan sitar
Rashid Mustafa Thirakwa tabla
Emmanuel Masongsong tanpura

BBC Singers
David Hill conductor

Official Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2008/whatson/0109.shtml#prom63