Composer of the Week

Composer of the Week: Britten
Monday 28th June 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

The Fourth B? Episode 1.

Donald Macleod explores the early musical life of Benjamin Britten and the influence of his mother Edith, who thought he could join the ranks of the greats. A childhood friend recalled that `quite often we would talk about the 3 Bs - Bach, Beethoven and Brahms" and Edith was determined that her son Benjamin should become the fourth. Britten: Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge. LSO String Ensemble, Roman Simovic (conductor); Phantasy Quartet. Endellion Quartet; Nocturne (On This Island). Barbara Bonney (soprano), Maclom Martineau (piano); Ballad of Heroes. City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle (conductor); Suite for Violin and Piano. Tamsin Little (violin), Piers Lane (piano); Hymn to St Cecilia. Voces8.
(Episode 1)

Composer of the Week: Berlioz
Monday 5th July 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Ophelia. Episode 1.

Hector Berlioz was one the most innovative and rebellious musicians of 19th-century France, a man of unwaveringly high expectations, in his wider life as well as his music. As the quintessential Romantic, one friend said that love was the `alpha and omega of his existence".. This week, Donald Macleod looks at Berlioz through the passions and relationships that shaped who he was and what he created, exploring the romantic obsessions of an especially obsessive man. Today, he starts with the woman who would have a fatal influence over him - his Ophelia. As the curtain rose for a performance of Hamlet at the Paris Odeon theatre, little did Berlioz know what he would later call the `supreme drama" of his life, was about to begin. Berlioz: Marche Funèbre pour la dernière scène d'Hamlet (Tristia, Op 18). Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner (conductor); Irlande (La belle voyageuse). Anne Sofie von Otter (soprano); Cord Garben (piano); Romeo et Juliette - Scène d'amour. London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis (conductor); Lelio - Choeur d'ombres. John Alldis Choir, London Symphony Orchestra Colin Davis (conductor); Symphonie Fantastique (1st movement - Reveries - Passions). Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mariss Jansons (conductor).
(Episode 1)

Composer of the Week: de Falla
Monday 12th July 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

New City, New Start. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Manuel de Falla, picking up with the young Falla just as he decides to abandon his home in Madrid and seek his fortune among the musical giants of Paris. La Vida breve (Intermezzo from Act 1). RTVE Symphony Chorus, BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Juanjo Mena. Allegro de concierto. Miguel Baselga (piano). Siete canciones populares Españolas No 7 Polo. Teresa Berganza (mezzo soprano), Juan Antonio Álvarez Parejo (piano). La Vida Breve (Act 2). Nancy Fabiola Herrera (mezzo-soprano: Salud), Cristina Faus (mezzo-soprano: La Abuela), Aquiles Machado (tenor: Paco), José Antonio López (baritone: Tío Sarvaor), Raquel Lojendio (soprano: Carmela, Josep Miquel Ramon (baritone: Manuel), Sequndo Falcón (flamenco: El Cantaor), Gustavo Peña (tenor: Una voz en la fraqua), Vicente Coves (guitar), RTVE Symphony Chorus, BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Juanjo Mena.
(Episode 1)

Monday 19th July 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

The Bird of Loudest Lay. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod explores some of the vast range of William Byrd's music, including secret settings of the Latin Mass, instrumental dances and erotic songs. Religious intolerance cast a long shadow over Byrd's life and music. As a Roman Catholic in Elizabethan England he was persecuted by the state and often forced to tread a dangerous path between his personal convictions and his duty to the Queen. His musical talent and his strength of character enabled him not just to survive, but thrive. In this first programme Macleod explores how Byrd's faith marked him out as an outsider, even as his talent led him to the very heart of the British musical establishment. Fantasia a6 (II). Phantasm. Mass for Four Voices (Extract). The Cardinall's Musick. O dear life, when may it be, Robin Blaze (countertenor), Concordia. Galiardo Mistris Marye Brownlow. Davitt Moroney (harpsichord). Infelix ego. Stile Antico.
(Repeat, Episode 1)

Composer of the Week: Jennifer Higdon
Monday 26th July 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

The Soundworld of Strings. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod is in conversation with the Pulitzer and Grammy award-winning American composer all week giving a fascinating insight into her life and her musical preoccupations, beginning with a focus on writing for strings. Jennifer also discussess her musical roots, her earliest attempts at composition, and how she found success with her Concerto for Orchestra. Jennifer Higdon: Dance Card; No 5 Machina Rockus. Chicago Sinfonietta. String Poetic - II: Nocturne arr for cello and piano. Louise King (cello), Therese Milanovic (piano), String Poetic - III: Blue Hills of Mist. Jennifer Koh (violin), Reiko Uchida (piano). Echo Dash. Hilary Hahn (violin), Cory Smythe (piano). Voices. Pacifica Quartet. Viola Sonata - II: Declamatory. Molly Carr (viola), Charles Abramovic (piano). Concerto for Orchestra - Second movement. Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Robert Spano (conductor).
(Episode 1)

Monday 2nd August 2021 (starting in 5 hours and 14 minutes)
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Friendship with Brahms. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod examines Antonin Dvorak's life and music, beginning by revealing how Johannes Brahms helped kick-start his career. From the mid-1870s, Dvorak developed a friendship with Brahms, who was already well established as a composer and was soon disposed to help Dvorak in any way he could. Brahms encouraged his own publisher Fritz Simrock to take on his younger colleague, and the subsequent release of Dvorak's first set of Slavonic Dances made him a household name. Brahms also introduced Dvorak's work to the conductor Hans Richter and violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim. Richter would go on to conduct Dvorak's music in concerts around Europe, and Joachim was responsible for encouraging Dvorak to compose his famous Violin Concerto. Dvorak: Cigánské melodie, Op 55 No 4 (Songs My Mother Taught Me). Renée Fleming (soprano), English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate (conductor); Slavonic Dances Op 46 (excerpt). Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Jiri Belohlavek (conductor); Hussite Overture, Op 67. London Symphony Orchestra Witold Rowicki (conductor); Violin Concerto in A minor, Op 53 (Finale). James Ehnes (violin), BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Gianandrea Noseda (conductor).
(Episode 1)

Monday 9th August 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Drinking Songs. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod explores five aspects of Poulenc's personality and how they find expression in his music, beginning with the insouciance of the composer in the 1920s. He looks at how the young composer was eagerly taken up by the fashionable artistic crowd who frequented the cafes of Montmartre. Poulenc had the privilege of encountering a stellar line up of artists in postwar Paris, including Picasso, Georges Braque and Modigliani, as well as the writers Paul Valéry, André Gide and Paul Éluard. Poulenc quickly established himself as one of the brightest stars in these glittering circles, but admitted to being dazzled by Jean Cocteau. Poulenc's friendship with Cocteau would last throughout his life, and he returned to setting his texts much later on. Poulenc. Chanson à boire. Groupe Vocal de France, John Alldis (conductor); Cocardes. Robert Murray (tenor) Martin Martineau (piano); La Dame de Monte-Carlo. Felicity Lott (soprano), Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Armin Jordan (conductor); Les Biches (Suite). Ulster Orchestra, Yan Pascal Tortelier (conductor); Chansons Gaillardes. Ashley Riches (bass-baritone), Graham Johnson (piano).
(Repeat, Episode 1)

Composer of the Week: Arcangelo Corelli
Monday 16th August 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Corelli the European Phenomenon. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod delves into the life and career of the Italian violinist and composer, who bridged the gap between the Baroque and the Classical periods, and is seen as pivotal in the development of the sonata and the concerto. He begins by explores the relationships that propelled him to becoming a European phenomenon. Charles Burney thought that Corelli's fame came from his music being so pure, rich and graceful, and that it withstood the test of time. Corelli's fame initially originated with his ability as a violinist, and this attracted over time a stream of international students. With the evolution of the printing press, Corelli's music would also bolster his reputation, with not only copies being produced in Italy, but also Amsterdam, Antwerp and London. Publishers fought over printing music by Corelli, disagreeing over whose publication was more authentic. Myths would grow and surround Corelli, all adding to his celebrity status. Corelli: Sonata in G minor, Op 4 No 2 (Corrente). London Baroque; Concerto Grossi, Op 6 No 3. The Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Jean Lamon (director); Sonata in G, Op 1 No 9. Monica Huggett (violin), Alison Bury (violin), Jaap Ter Linden (cello), Hopkinson Smith (theorbo), Ton Koopman (harpsichord). Handel: La Resurrezione (Ho un non so che nel cor). Nancy Argenta (Maddalena: soprano), The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ton Koopman (director). Corelli: Sonata in F, Op 5 No 10. The Avison Ensemble; Concerto Grosso in D, Op 6 No 1. The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock (director).
(Repeat, Episode 1)

Composer of the Week: Beethoven
Monday 23rd August 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

A Musical Calling Card. Episode 1.

Pianist Jonathan Biss discusses Beethoven's piano sonatas with Donald Macleod, beginning with the innovations of No 4 in E flat, the Grand Sonata. Beethoven was a young man in his twenties when he arrived in Vienna in 1792. The piano was his instrument, and he was an accomplished performer himself. As a newcomer, he needed to make his mark, and what better way to do that than through a medium which he knew would allow him to dazzle and shine. Beethoven: Piano sonata No 2 in A, Op 2 No 2 - Third movement: Scherzo: Allegretto; Sonata No 4 in E flat, Op 7 (Grande sonate) - First movement : Allegro molto e con brio; Sonata No 4 in E flat, Op 7 - Second movement: Largo, con gran espressione. Jonathan Biss (piano). Piano Concerto No 2 in B flat - First movement: Allegro con brio. Richard Goode (piano), Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer (conductor); Sonata No 4 in E flat Op 7 (excerpt) - Third movement: Allegro; Sonata No 4 in E flat, Op 7, Fourth movement: Rondo: Poco allegretto e grazioso. Jonathan Biss (piano).
(Repeat, Episode 1)

Monday 30th August 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Josquin and Netherlandish Art. Episode 1.

Humanist Cosimo Bartoli described Josquin des Prez as the Michelangelo of music, a master of polyphonic choral writing who was as widely admired in his own lifetime as posthumously. While Josquin was a dominant force in music, the Franco-Flemish area with which he's associated also produced some remarkable painters, who exported their style, technical accomplishments and influence across Europe. To mark the 500th anniversary of Josquin's death, Donald Macleod visits the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square with art historian Andrew Graham Dixon to build a picture of Josquin's music and the places he lived and worked, which also stimulated painters to produce equally outstanding art. They begin by considering Josquin's roots, and the paintings of Jan van Eyck and other north European Renaissance artists. Josquin: Ave Maria... virgo Serena. Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips (director); Missa l'ami Baudichon. Credo, Capella Alamire, Peter Urquhart (conductor); Adieu mes amours. Clare Wilkinson (soprano), Andrew Lawrence-King (harp); Nymphes des Bois, arr. Ariel Abramovich, Anna Maria Friman, John Potter, Lee Santana. John Potter (voice), Anna Maria Friman (voice), Ariel Abramovich (guitar), Hille Perl (viola da gamba); Pater noster. Taverner Consort, Andrew Parrott (director).
(Episode 1)

Monday 6th September 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Failure and Success. Episode 1.

Seen as the last great champion of Russian Late Romanticism, Sergei Rachmaninov was a celebrated pianist and conductor, as well as a composer, and his musical legacy includes his hugely popular piano concertos. In this series of programmes, Donald Macleod turns his attention to his great choral works and his life during the periods in which they were composed. These choral masterpieces are both sacred and secular, and include the cantata Spring, the choral symphony The Bells, Three Russian Songs, the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, and the iconic All-night Vigil. Donald explores what inspired Rachmaninov while he was writing this music, including creative collaborations, beautiful poetry, and places in in Russia and abroad, beginning by delving into the failures and successes that led to the Spring cantata. Rachmaninov and his wife received the gift of a small house on at estate at Ivanovka as a wedding present, and he used it as a retreat where he composed many of his major works. It was in this rural setting that he worked on his cantata Spring, for baritone, chorus and orchestra. This choral work was completed in 1902, but in the years before Rachmaninov had experienced a series of successes and failures that nearly stopped him composing altogether. Rachmaninov: How Fair This Spot, Op 21 No 7. Aida Garifullina (soprano), ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra of Vienna, Cornelius Meister (conductor). Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor, Op 18 (Adagio sostenuto). Yevgeny Sudbin (piano), BBC Symphony Orchestra Sakari Oramo (conductor). Suite No 2 for two pianos, Op 17. Peter Donohoe (piano), Martin Roscoe (piano). Spring, Op 20. Alexi Tanovitsky (bass), St Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre Chorus, BBC Philharmonic, Gianandrea Noseda (conductor).
(Episode 1)

Composer of the Week: Telemann
Monday 13th September 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Rise to Stardom. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod explores the life and career of Georg Philipp Telemann, who was one of the most celebrated musicians of the 18th century. In Europe, his fame eclipsed that of close contemporaries Handel and Bach, and he left behind him a vast legacy of works. This week, Donald turns the spotlight on this often forgotten musical superstar, exploring the many challenges he met, the influence of his family and friends, and the composer's involvement in promoting his own music. He begins revealing Telemann's rise to stardom wasn't, by any means, a foregone conclusion. Throughout his career he had to negotiate numerous obstacles, including his own mother, who decided early on that she didn't want her son to follow a musical career and did her best to put a stop to it. Telemann: Concerto in E minor for recorder, flute, strings and continuo, TWV52:e1 (Presto). Wilbert Hazelzet (flute), Michael Schneider (recorder), Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel (director). Sonata for violin and basso continuo in G, TWV 41:G1 (Allegro & Adagio). Arsenale Sonoro, Boris Begelman (violin), Ludovico Minasi (cello), Alexandra Koreneva (harpsichord). Ouverture Suite in A minor, TWV 55:a2. Maurice Steger (recorder), Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu, TWV 6:6 (Tod! Wo ist dein Stachel?). Rheinische Kantorei, Das Kleine Konzert, Hermann Max (conductor). Seig der Schönheit, TWV 21:10 (excerpt). Valer Barna-Sabadus (counter-tenor), Basel Chamber Ensemble, Julia Schröder (conductor).
(Episode 1)

Monday 20th September 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

A Country to Make. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod explores the early musical life of Bela Bartok, who was expected to have a brilliant career as a pianist due to his unusually large hands. For Children. Andreas Bach (piano). Piano Concerto No. 3. Budapest Festival Orchestra, Ivan Fisher (conductor), Andras Schiff (piano). Contrasts. Ensemble Intercontemporain, Matthias Pintscher (conductor). Hungarian Sketches, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez (conductor). Kossuth. Budapest Festival Orchestra, Ivan Fisher (conductor).
(Episode 1)

Monday 27th September 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Total Artwork. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod examines Richard Wagner's decades-long journey to realise his dream of building his own music theatre, and establishing a festival there dedicated to his music. He begins by looking at how Wagner set out his vision of a new kind of artwork that would unite all the arts and address the great philosophical questions of the age. These music dramas would be would be staged in a specially constructed theatre of his own design, a hugely expensive enterprise that was surely far beyond the reach of the poverty-stricken composer. Wagner: Das Rheingold, Scene 1: Lugt, Schwestern! Die Weckerin lach in den Grund. Oda Balsborg (soprano: Woglinde), Hetty Plümacher (mezzo: Wellgunde), Ira Malaniuk (contralto: Flosshilde), Gustav Neidlinger (bass-baritone: Alberich), Vienna Philharmonic, Georg Solti (conductor). Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly (conductor). Tannhäuser: Act 3 Scene 1: Allmächt'ge Jungfrau, hör mein Flehen! and Scene 2: O du, mein holder, Abendstern. Eberhard Waechter (baritone: Wolfram), Anja Silja (soprano: Elisabeth), Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch (conductor). Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III. Berlin Philharmonic, Lorin Maazel (conductor). Tristan and Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod. Helga Dernesch (soprano: Isolde), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan (conductor).
(Episode 1)

Composer of the Week: JS Bach
Monday 11th October 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Youthful Conflicts. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod follows Bach to his first job in Arnstadt, and sees the young composer fall into battles with with both his students and his employers. As Bach tries to put his first foot on the rungs of the music world, there is an ugly incident in Arnstadt's town square and a reprimand from his employers after a long leave of absence from the town without their agreement. Bach: St Matthew Passion, BWV 244 - "Wir setzen uns mit Tranen nieder". Vienna Boys' Choir, Schoenberg Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt (conductor). Solo Violin Sonata no 1 in G minor, BWV 1001 - I. Adagio. Itzhak Perlman (violin). Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150. Katharine Fuge (soprano), Carlos Mena (counter-tenor), Jan Kobow (tenor), Stephan MacLeod (bass), Ricercar Ensemble, Philippe Pierlot (conductor). Passacaglia and fugue in C minor, BWV 582. Christopher Herrick (organ). Ascension Oratorio, BWV 11- "Ach bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben". Meg Bragle (contralto), Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner (conductor).
(Episode 1)

Monday 18th October 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Arnold's Many Personalities. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod traces Sir Malcolm Arnold's life through exploring five different influences upon the composer's music, from his love of Cornwall and Ireland, to his own mental and emotional wellbeing. In the first programme the focus is upon the many different and contrasting sides of Arnold's character and its impact upon his music. Some of Arnold's best loved scores may be full of fun, such as his music for the Hoffnung festivals, but his works could also have a much darker character as well. The slow movement in his second symphony depicts lamenting shades of Mahler, and his first string quartet has influences of Bartok. In his early career Arnold also led a double life between trumpeter, and composer. The composer won the day, and yet despite his often highly turbulent personal life, Arnold could compose music which has stood the test of time. His ever popular first set of English Dances for example, was composed not long after he'd been released from an asylum. Arnold: The Belles of St Trinian's (Prelude). Paul Janes (piano), BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Rumon Gamba (conductor); Symphony No 2, Op 40 (Lento). London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox (conductor); String Quartet No 1, Op 23. Maggini Quartet; Clarinet Sonatina, Op 29. Michael Collins (clarinet), Michael McHale (piano); English Dances Set 1, Op 27. The Philharmonia, Bryden Thomson (conductor).
(Repeat, Episode 1)

Composer of the Week: Sofia Gubaidulina
Monday 1st November 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

An Incorrect Path. Episode 1.

To mark the Tatar-Russian composer's 90th birthday, Donald Macleod is joined by Gerard McBurney to explore five different aspects of her progressive and distinctive music, beginning with Shostakovich's encouragement that she follow her own convictions as a young composer. As a small child Gubaidulina found her imagination and music could free her from a life in poverty in Tartarstan. Spotted by a delegation of talent scouts, years of training followed at the prestigious Moscow Conservatory. It was a thorough grounding which failed to repress her inquisitive and independent mind. Gubaidulina: Musical Toys - Magical Accordion. Mei Yi Foo (piano); Allegro rustic for flute and piano. Jordi Palau (flute), Gennady Dzubenko (piano); Offertorium: Oleg Kagan (violin), Ministry of Culture Orchestra, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky (conductor); Piano Sonata - I: Allegro. Diana Baker (piano); Pantomime for Double Bass and Piano. Daniele Roccato (double bass), Fabrizio Ottaviucci (piano).
(Episode 1)

Monday 8th November 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

An Italian by Birth. Episode 1.

Luigi Cherubini sets out to learn his craft, with an eye to a future career as a theatrical composer, with Donald Macleod. Today Cherubini jumps at the chance to work with one of the biggest names in the operatic world, Giuseppe Sarti. Overture to Lo sposo di tre e marito di nessuna. Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia, Dimitri Jurowski (conductor). Il Giocatore: Intermezzo. Monica Bacelli (soprano: Serpilla), Giorgio Gatti (baritone: Bococco). Accademia Strumentale Italiani, Giorgio Bernasconi (conductor). Mass in F minor (Chimay) (excerpt). Credo. Et incarnatus est. Crucifixus. Et resurrexit. Et expecto. Et vitam venturi saeculi. Ruth Ziesak (soprano), Herbert Lippert (vocals), Ildar Abdrazakov (bass). Bavarian Radio Choir and Orchestra, Riccardo Muti (conductor). Sonata for harpsichord no 3 in B flat. i: Allegro comodo. ii: Rondo Andantino. Laura Alvini (harpsichord). Nemo gaudeat in festo septem dolorum BV virginis a 8 voci. Barbara Fleckenstein (soprano), Barbara Muller (alto), Bernhard Schneider (tenor). Bavarian Radio Chorus, Harald Feller (organ), Max Hanft (organ). Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Riccardo Muti (conductor).
(Episode 1)

Tuesday 23rd November 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Going international: 1912-13. Episode 2.

Donald Macleod looks at the impact Sibelius's international travels and meetings with fellow composers had on his work and his outlook. He looks back at Sibelius on his fourth visit to Britain, hearing about his interactions with British composers such as Frederick Delius and Arnold Bax. Sibelius: Kallion kirkon kellosavel (The Bells of Kallio Church), Op. 65b. Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Heikki Seppanen (conductor); Two Serenades Op. 69. Pekka Kuusisto (violin), Tapiola Sinfonietta; Rakastava (The Lover), Op. 14. Tom Nyman (tenor), YL Male Voice Choir, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Osmo Vanska (conductor); Piano Sonatina in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 67, No. 1. Leif Ove Andsnes (piano); Luonnotar (Daughter of Nature) Op. 70. Soile Isokoski (soprano), Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Leif Segerstam (conductor); Barden (The Bard), Op. 64. Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgards (conductor).
(Episode 2)

Tuesday 14th December 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

The Man About Town. Episode 2.

Donald Macleod examines how Saint-Saëns became a star of the Parisian social scene, aided by his performing skills which led to him being heralded as a genius. Saint-Saëns: Fantaisie in D-flat major, Op 101. Ben van Oosten (Cavaille Coll organ, Ste. Madeleine, Paris); Tarantella in A minor, Op 6. Hexagon; The Carnival of the Animals - Aquarium, The Swan, Finale. London Symphony Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth (conductor); Piano Concerto No 2 in G minor, Op 22. Stephen Hough (piano), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor).
(Episode 2)

Composer of the Week: Mozart
Monday 20th December 2021
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

An Unstoppable Force? Episode 1.

Donald Macleod explores why Mozart's extraordinarily prolific working life underwent such a significant gear change between 1786 and 1787. From being beloved throughout Vienna, a string of great works flowing from his pen, Mozart now found himself searching for any paid work, trying to find new students to teach and even offering the furniture in his house as collateral for a loan. This period marked the culmination of the most productive in Mozart's life. The composition process of The Marriage of Figaro had been challenging, but it unleashed a flood of creativity that found its expression in the non-operatic works Mozart wrote at this time, now acknowledged as unique masterpieces. But a string of events would transform Mozart's prospects for the worse, and he could have had no idea what lay around the corner. Mozart: Horn Concerto No 4 in E flat, K 495; I. Allegro maestoso. Dennis Brain (horn), Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan (conductor). Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor, K 491; I. Allegro. Alfred Brendel (piano), Scottish Chamber Orchestra), Charles Mackerras (conductor). Sonata for Piano 4 Hands in F, K 497; I. Adagio - Allegro di molto. George Malcolm (piano), András Schiff (piano). Symphony No 38 in D, K 504, Prague; I. Adagio - Allegro. Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood (conductor).
(Episode 1)

Composer of the Week: Puccini
On: BBC Radio 3 (703)
Date: Monday 27th December 2021 (starting in 5 hours and 13 minutes)
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Success at Last. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod recounts how Puccini's struggles to write Manon Lescaut paid off, the only one of his operas applauded by both audiences and critics alike. After critics called Puccini's second opera, Edgar, a sin against art, the young composer really needed a hit. To the consternation of his publisher Giulio Ricordi, what must his protégée do but pick a subject that had already been used for an opera by Massenet most successfully. Could Puccini pull off a winner too? Manon Lescaut, Act 1; Donna non vidi mai. Jonas Kaufmann (tenor), Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano (director). Le Willis, Act 1; Preghiera: Angiol di dio. Brian Mulligan (Guglielmo (Anna's father): baritone), Ermonela Jaho (Anna: soprano), Arsen Soghomonyan (Roberto: tenor), Opera Rara Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder (conductor). Messa di Gloria; Credo. Roberto Alagna (tenor), London Symphony Chorus, Antonio Pappano (conductor). Crisantemi. Navarra String Quartet. Manon Lescaut, Act 2; Dispettosetto questo Riccio!; In quelle trine morbide. Mirella Freni (Manon: soprano), Renato Bruson (Lescaut: baritone), Philharmonia Orchestra, Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor). Manon Lescaut, Act 4; Sola, perduta, abandonnata; Fra le tue bracce amore. Mirella Freni (Manon: soprano), Placido Domingo (Des Grieux: tenor), Philharmonia Orchestra, Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor).
(Episode 1)

Monday 10th January 2022
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

The Miller's Son. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Jean-Baptiste Lully, one of the most influential French composers of the 17th century and a key figure in the court of Louis XIV. Donald looks at how Lully rose from humble origins in Italy to become the most powerful musician in France, a story of lies, ambition and intrigue. He begins with Lully's childhood in Italy and the circumstances which led him to France, where he began to make a name for himself in a sometimes hostile environment for Italians, and also examines the composer's own misleading claims about his heritage. Lully: Phaeton, LWV 61, Overture. Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset (conductor); Le Carnaval, LWV 52, Overture. Cafe Zimmerman, Pablo Valetti (conductor); Le Carnaval, LWV 52, air Son dottor per occasion. Philippe Estèphe (bass), Les Talens Lyrique, Christophe Rousset (conductor); Dies Irae, LWV 64/1. Allabastrina Choir & Consort, Elena Sartori (conductor); Dances - Les noces de village, LWV 19 (excerpts). Accademia Amsterdam; Psyche, LWV 56 (Finale). Boston Early Music Festival Chorus, Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, Stephen Stubbs and Paul O'Dette (conductors).
(Episode 1)

Monday 17th January 2022
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Recollections. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Franz Liszt, beginning with his childhood in the Hungarian village of Raiding and the story of his youthful, rural upbringing, examining the influence of his musical father and of the travelling folk musicians that passed through his village. Donals recounts Liszt's first encounter with the piano and his emerging precocious musical talent, up to his departure to the bright lights of Vienna to begin a life as a travelling virtuoso. Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No 8 in F sharp minor. Roberto Szidon (piano); Die Drei Zigeuner. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone), Daniel Baremboim (piano); Symphonic Poem: From the Cradle to the Grave. BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Gian Andrea Noseda (conductor); Fantasy on Motifs from Beethoven's Ruinen von Athen. Michel Beroff (piano), Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Kurt Masur (conductor); Variation on a theme of Diabelli. Leslie Howard (piano); Hungarian Rhapsody No 10 in E - Preludio. Georges Cziffra (piano).
(Episode 1)

Composer of the Week: Marianna Martines
Monday 24th January 2022
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)

Protégé. Episode 1.

Donald Macleod is joined by Jeremy Llewellyn to explore the life and career of this long-neglected, prolific and highly celebrated composer and discover the unique perspective her story provides on cultural life in Vienna during the late-18th and early-19th century. Martines lived and worked alongside some of classical music's greatest names. She was tutored by Haydn, played piano duets with Mozart, corresponded with Padre Martini and Farinelli, and was frequently invited to perform for the Imperial Court. In the opening edition, Donald explores the relationship between Martines and celebrated opera librettist Metastasio, who encouraged her talents and introduced her into Vienna's musical life. Martines: Dixit Dominus (excerpt). Salzburger Hofmusik, Wolfgang Brunner (director); Keyboard Concerto in E. Nicoleta Paraschivescu (harpsichord), La Floridiana. Haydn: Symphony No 1 in D. Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood (conductor). Martines: Sonata in E for harpsichord. Barbara Harbach (harpsichord).
(Episode 1)