Les Siècles, the period-instrument orchestra, performed Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust at the Royal Albert Hall under conductor Jakob Lehmann, who was making an energised Proms debut. While the period instruments and strong soloists brought vivid colour to Berlioz's dramatic legend, the Albert Hall's notoriously difficult acoustic sometimes muddied the intricate orchestral detail, meaning the performance did not consistently do justice to the score.

The 80-strong Choeur de Radio France, joined by the Radio France children's choir for the finale, sang well but did not always cut through the orchestra clearly enough. Standout moments came from an ophicleide adding period grain to the sound, a snappy Hungarian March, and soloists John Osborn, Véronique Gens and Thomas Dolié all impressing, though it was Gerald Finley's scene-stealing turn as a sharp-suited Méphistophélès that brought the drama to life. The performance is available on BBC Sounds until 12 October, with the Proms season continuing until 12 September.