The 92nd season of Henry Wood Promenade Concerts opens with Mahler's Symphony No 8 in E flat. Mahler himself conducted the triumphant premiere of his vast Eighth Symphony in Munich in 1910, little more than eight months before his death. The massive choral work was nicknamed

(without Mahler's approval) 'Symphony of a Thousand', because of the number of performers at the premiere.

The first of BBCl's visits to the 92nd season of Henry

Wood Promenade Concerts, recorded earlier this evening at the Royal Albert Hall.

Introduced by Jane Glover Iona Brown plays Walton's sparkling and lyrical Violin Concerto With the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra leader DENNIS SIMONS conducted by Edward Downes

This is followed by Respighi's Pines of Rome - a tour de force for large orchestra conjuring up the evocative atmosphere of four different Roman locations, which ends with a brilliant vision of a consul and his army marching along the ancient Appian Way at dawn.

Stravinsky: Le Rossignol (The Nightingale)

In the second of this year's visits to the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts

Jane Glover introduces Stravinsky's evocative setting of HANS ANDERSEN'S fairytale The Emperor and the Nightingale.

At the excitable court of a Chinese emperor, the beautiful song of a real nightingale triumphs over the attractions of a mechanical rival.

A Spanish Evening

Infectious rhythms, sweeping melodies and glittering instrumental colours - the hallmarks of Spanish music - are in abundance in tonight's trilogy of Iberian show-pieces played by the Philharmonia Orchestra leader PETER THOMAS conducted by Serge Baudo with solo Alicia de Larrocha pianist in the impressionistic Nights in the Garden of Spain by Manuel de Falla.

The concert opens with the perfect Spanish picture-postcard, Espana by Emmanuel Chabrier , and ends with more music by Falla: the two suites from his ballet The Three-Cornered Hat.

Introduced by Jane Glover

Part One

Tonight's live relay from the Royal Albert Hall features Alfred Brendel as soloist in the Piano Concerto No 1 in D minor by Brahms with the London Symphony Orchestra leader MICHAEL DAVIS conducted by Claudio Abbado

8.20* The Promenaders During the interval

Michael Berkeley looks at a unique group of music lovers, the Promenaders, including those who remember earlier years in the Queen's Hall. His survey also includes archive film of sm HENRY WOOD and SIR MALCOLM SARGENT

8.40* Part Two

Debussy Nocturnes with the women's voices of the London Symphony Chorus

Bartok The Miraculous Mandarin (Suite) Introduced by Michael Berkeley

Madonna of Winter and Spring by Jonathan Harvey The world premiere of a major commission by the BBC.

A work of religious meditation expressed through the combined forces of a large orchestra and live electronics, involving more than 100 musicians, three synthesisers and a double circle of 16 loudspeakers round the Royal Albert Hall. The composer introduces his new composition during rehearsals and at his home on the Sussex Downs. With the BBC Symphony Orchestra leader RODNEY FRIEND conducted by Peter Eotvos Introduced by Jane Glover

Beethoven

Choral Symphony conducted by Sir Georg Solti with Jessye Norman (soprano) Sarah Walker (mezzo)

Reiner Goldberg (tenor) Hans Sotin (bass) The BBC Singers

London Voices and the Chorus of Welsh National Opera London Philharmonic

Orchestra leader DAVID NOLAN

Introduced by Jane Glover

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on the last Friday of the Promenade concert season is a tradition established by Sir Henry Wood that continues to this day. Schiller's 'Ode to Joy' will be sung by 120 voices made up of three professional choirs together with a quartet of world-renowned soloists.

Sung in German with English subtitles

Live in stereo from the Royal Albert Hall , television and radio join to relay the entire concert, with its unique blend of musical integrity and end-of-season festivity. The

Italian emphasis that has marked the 1986 season continues in both halves of tonight's programme with the BBC Symphony Chorus director GARETH MORRELL BBC Symphony Orchestra leader RODNEY FRIEND conducted by Raymond Leppard

Introduced by Richard Baker Parti

The Italian theme is acknowledged in two rarely-heard works by the youthful Puccini.

Preludio sinfonico, a rapt homage to Wagner, was written when Puccini was an 18-year-old student.

Messa di gloria was Puccini's graduation exercise four years later; already his masterly touch foreshadows the great operas. With soloists

David Rendall (tenor) David Wilson-Johnson (baritone)

Matthew Best (bass)

(Part 2 is on BBC1 at 8.55pm)

Part 2

Before the time-honoured last-night favourites, Walton pays tribute to a commedia dell'arte rascal, and Britten re-fashions Rossini.

Walton Overture: Scapino Bax Mediterranean

Britten Soirees musicales Elgar Pomp and Circumstance March

Nol Parry (orch Elgar, words by William Blake ) Jerusalem Henry Wood Fantasia on British Sea Songs