The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra play works by Brahms, Fauré and Debussy. John Shea presents.
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor Op.15
Paul Lewis (piano), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding (conductor)
3 sacred pieces - Anima mea liquefacta est SWV.263 for 2 tenors, 2 instruments and organ (from "Symphoniae sacrae" 1629); Adjuro vos, filiae Jerusalem SWV.264 for 2 tenors, 2 flutes and continuo; Siehe, wie fein und lieblich ist (Psalm 133) SWV.412 for chorus, 5 instruments and continuo
Symphony No. 73 (H.
Satie, Erik (1866-1925), arr. for orchestra by Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
Joanne Kolomyjec (soprano, Tatyana), Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)
Danse des sylphes (S.475) transc. for piano from 'La Damnation de Faust'
Il Giardino Armonico: Giovanni Antonini (recorder/director), Enrico Onofri & Marco Bianchi (violins), Duilio Galfetti (violin/viola), Paolo Beschi (cello), Paolo Rizzi (violone), Luca Pianca (theorbo), Gordon Murray (harpsichord)
Dixit Dominus à 8 - from 'Musiche sacre concernenti messa, e salmi concertati con istromenti, imni, antifone et sonate' (Venice 1656)
Balthasar-Neumann-Chor, Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble, Thomas Hengelbrock (conductor)
Karl Kaiser and Michael Schneider (flutes), Rainer Zipperling (cello), Harald Hoeren (harpsichord)
Benjamin Butterfield (tenor), James Sommerville (horn), Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Simon Streatfield (conductor).
Petroc Trelawny presents Radio 3's classical breakfast show, featuring listener requests.
A selection of music including '5 reasons to love... waltzes'. Two composers tend to spring to mind when waltzes are mentioned - Strauss II and Chopin. This week Rob features dazzling examples of the form by these two composers, as well as other composers ranging from Glazunov to Gounod, which will charm, excite and even prompt you to dance.
Take part in our daily musical challenge: can you work out which two composers are associated with a particular piece?
Rob's guest this week is the journalist and broadcaster Jeremy Vine. Jeremy began his career as a radio news reader and researcher, working as a reporter for Radio 4's Today programme, before going on to become the BBC's African correspondent, and presenter of news programmes including Panorama and The Politics Show. He currently has his own Radio 2 show, which discusses the news stories of the day, and also presents the quiz show Eggheads, as well as being an integral part of the BBC's election night coverage, where he offers political analysis using the famous swingometer. Jeremy will be discussing his career and sharing a selection of his favourite classical music with Rob every day at
During the BBC Proms 2015 Rob takes a look at the Proms season from a century ago and plays music that reflects a time when concert programmes were quite different from those of today. This week Rob showcases works ranging from Liszt's Fantasie on Beethoven's Ruins of Athens, to the ballet music for Massenet's Le Cid.
This week Rob features recordings by one of the country's leading ensembles, The Monteverdi Choir, who are performing Monteverdi's L'Orfeo at the Proms this Tuesday evening. Under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, the choir is known for the purity of its top line, and for the dramatic flair they bring to their performances with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and the English Baroque Soloists. Rob features the choir in well-loved choral masterpieces including Mozart's Mass in C minor, Purcell's Come Ye Sons of Art and Bach's Magnificat.
Donald Macleod looks at possibly William Walton's most successful period - a decade capped by a commission to compose for the coronation ceremony of King George VI.
By the end of the 1920s Walton had become the talk of London's music world, mixing easily with the city's cultural elite. After a variety of strange liaisons, Walton started to display a special fascination for high-born women. Progress on his new symphony was stalling, as was his latest relationship with a German baroness. By the time he had reached the final movement, a new girlfriend was on the scene and his music became much brighter and more festive.
The 1930s saw Walton producing choral works, orchestral pieces and film music of the very highest quality. He was at the height of his powers, and recognised as Britain's pre-eminent composer.
Jean-Guihen Queyras and Alexander Melnikov perform Beethoven cello sonatas, recorded in the Mozart Hall, Schwetzingen, at this year's Schwetzingen Festival
Beethoven: Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5 No. 2; Cello Sonata No. 3 in A, Op. 69
Jean-Guihen Queyras and Alexander Melnikov's recording of the complete works of Beethoven for cello and piano have received high praise. In today's concert they play the Second Sonata in G minor and the much-loved Sonata No. 3 in A major.
Another chance to hear sisters Katia and Marielle Labèque performing Mozart's Concerto for two pianos in E flat major, K.365, as part of the BBC Proms' focus on the composer's late piano concertos.
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 in C major, 'Leningrad'
Sisters Katia and Marielle Labèque perform Mozart's Concerto for two pianos as a complement to our focus on the composer's late piano concertos. Written in the 1770s for Mozart and his own sister 'Nannerl' to perform, it's a work that delights in the interplay of dialogue, with a slow movement that is a tender conversation between friends. Intimacy gives way to epic gestures in Shostakovich's sprawling 'Leningrad' Symphony - one of the giants of the symphonic repertoire, and a passionate musical testament to the 25 million Soviet citizens killed in the Second World War.
Sean Rafferty with a lively mix of music, chat and arts news. There's live music from pianist - and former BBC Young Musician of the Year winner - Martin James Bartlett ahead of his performance at this year's Proms, and violinist Matthew Trusler and pianist Ashley Wass talk about the Lincolnshire International Chamber Music Festival.
Sara Mohr-Pietsch hosts an introduction to Monteverdi's Orfeo, with opera historian Sarah Lenton and baroque music specialist David Vickers. Recorded at the Royal College of Music.
John Eliot Gardiner returns to the Proms with Monteverdi's groundbreaking opera in which the legendary musician Orpheus journeys to Hades to try to reclaim his beloved Eurydice. With the Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Krystian Adam (Orpheus) and Mariana Flores (Eurydice)
Orpheus .... Krystian Adam (tenor)
Eurydice/Hope .... Mariana Flores (soprano)
Music/Messenger .... Francesca Aspromonte (soprano)
Charon/Pluto .... Gianluca Buratto (bass)
Persephone .... Francesca Boncompagni (soprano)
Apollo/Shepherd 1 .... Andrew Tortise (tenor)
Nymph .... Esther Brazil (mezzo-soprano)
Shepherd 2/Spirit 2/Echo .... Gareth Treseder (tenor)
Spirit 1 .... Nicholas Mulroy (tenor)
Shepherd 3 .... James Hall (counter-tenor)
Shepherd 4/Spirit 3 .... David Shipley (bass)
Monteverdi's Orfeo is the first great opera ? the moment when psychological truth and musical virtuosity came together to tell a story of love, loss and the power of art. Sir John Eliot Gardiner ? making the first of two appearances this year, tonight with the English Baroque Soloists ? transforms the Royal Albert Hall into the 17th-century Mantuan court of the Gonzagas with some of Monteverdi's loveliest melodies and most colourful instrumental writing, bringing the tale of Orpheus and his beloved Eurydice to fresh musical life.
The very public death of television playwright Dennis Potter (1935-94), author of 'The Singing Detective', 'Blue Remembered Hills' and 'Pennies from Heaven' was an event which has eclipsed our memory of his remarkable work. Matthew Sweet reassesses the life, work and legacy of Potter with his friends and colleagues including Michael Grade, Melvyn Bragg, Alan Yentob, Janet Suzman, Kika Markham, Kenith Trodd, Jon Amiel and Tony Garnett.
A chance to hear Benjamin Grosvenor, a member of the BBC's New Generation Artists scheme from 2010-2012, perform Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit in a recording made specially for Radio 3.
Nick Luscombe features electronic experimentalism from Vanilla Hammer, the powerful folk sound of Buffy Sainte-Marie plus brand new music from London's Greg Foat Group.
WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2015
WED 00:30 Through the Night (b064043l)
Foggy Albion
Presented by John Shea.
12:31 AM
Scriabin, Alexander (1872-1915), orch. Knussen, Oliver (b.1952)
5 works for piano; 5 works for piano orch. Oliver Knussen
Victoria Postnikova (piano), Capella of Russia State Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (conductor)
12:46 AM
Scott, Cyril (1879-1970)
Concerto for violin and orchestra
Alexander Rozhdestvensky (violin), Capella of Russia State Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (conductor)
1:13 AM
Walton, William (1902-1983), arr. Muir Mathieson
Richard III - A Shakespeare Suite
Capella of Russia State Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (conductor)
1:26 AM
Tyrwhitt-Wilson, Gerald Hugh [Lord Berners] (1883-1950)
The Triumph of Neptune - suite
Capella of Russia State Symphony Orchestra, Kirill Filin (bass-baritone), Gennady Rozhdestvensky (conductor)
1:44 AM
Vaughan Williams, Ralph (1872-1958)
A London Symphony (Symphony no.2)
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin (conductor)
2:31 AM
Brahms, Johannes (1833-1897)
Clarinet Quintet in B minor (Op.115)
Thomas Friedli (clarinet), Quartet Sine Nomine
3:08 AM
Kaiser Leopold I (1640-1705)
Tres Lectiones (1676)
Tragicomedia, Stephen Stubbs (conductor), Concerto Palatino, Bruce Dickey (conductor)
3:32 AM
Bruch, Max (1838-1920) (arr. unknown)
Allegro vivace ma non troppo in C major - No.7 from Pieces for clarinet, viola/cello & piano (harp) (Op.83) arr. for violin, cello & piano
Moshe Hammer (violin), Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi (cello), William Tritt (piano)
3:36 AM
Mokranjac, Stevan (1856-1914)
Eighth Song-Wreath (Songs from Kosovo)
Belgrade Radio & Television Choir, Mladen Jagust (conductor)
3:41 AM
Martinu, Bohuslav (1890-1959)
La revue de cuisine - suite from the ballet
The Festival Ensemble of the Festival of the Sound
3:56 AM
Schmelzer, Johann Heinrich (c.1620-1680)
Suite no.2 in D major
Elizabeth Wallfisch (baroque violin), Rosanne Hunt (cello), Linda Kent (harpsichord)
4:03 AM
Delius, Frederick (1862-1934)
Intermezzo (from 'Fennimore and Gerda') arr. Fenby
Symphony Nova Scotia, Georg Tintner (conductor)
4:09 AM
Enna, August (1859-1939)
Klaverstykker (piano pieces): No.2 Waltz, No.3 Intermezzo
Ida Cernecka (piano)
4:17 AM
Kaufman, Nikolai (1925-)
Melodies from the Shoppe Region
Bulgarian Radio Children's Choir, Hristo Nedyalkov (conductor)
4:21 AM
Ridout, Godfrey (1918-1984)
Fall fair (1961)
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Uri Mayer (conductor)
4:31 AM
Schumann, Robert (1810-1856)
Toccata in C major, Op.7
Ivo Pogorelich (piano)
4:36 AM
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)
Symphony No.16 in C major (K.128)
The Amadeus Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra in Poznan, Agnieszka Duczmal (conductor)
4:50 AM
Britten, Benjamin (1913-1976)
Sacred and profane - 8 medieval lyrics (Op.91)
BBC Singers, Stephen Cleobury (conductor)
5:05 AM
Guillaume IX, Duke of Aquitaine (1071-1126)
Companho ferai un vers tot covinen
Eric Mentzel (tenor); Bois de Cologne: Meike Herzig, Dorothee Oberlinger (recorders); Tom Daun (harp)
5:11 AM
Anonymous
La quarte estampie royal
Bois de Cologne: Meike Herzig, Dorothee Oberlinger (recorders); Tom Daun (harp)
5:13 AM
Debussy, Claude (1862-1918)
Jeux - Poème Dansé
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra; Jukka-Pekka Saraste (conductor)
5:31 AM
Buxtehude, Dietrich [1637-1707]
Jesu, meines Lebens Leben, BuxWV 62
Marieke Steenhoek (soprano), Miriam Meyer (soprano), Bogna Bartosz (contralto), Marco van de Klundert (tenor), Klaus Mertens (bass), Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ton Koopman (conductor)
5:39 AM
Kuula, Toivo (1883-1918)
Suru (Sorrow) (Op.22 No.2)
Arto Noras (cello), Tapani Valsta (piano)
5:46 AM
Kraus, Joseph Martin (1756-1792)
Sinfonie in E flat
Concerto Koln
6:07 AM
Schuncke, Ludwig (1810-1834)
Grande Sonata in G minor (Op.3) (in four movements)
Sylviane Deferne (piano).
WED 06:30 Breakfast (b06404gs)
Wednesday - Clemency Burton-Hill
Clemency Burton-Hill presents Radio 3's classical breakfast show, featuring listener requests.
Email 3Breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
WED 09:00 Essential Classics (b06404z2)
Wednesday - Rob Cowan with Jeremy Vine
9am
A selection of music including '5 reasons to love... waltzes'. Two composers tend to spring to mind when waltzes are mentioned - Strauss II and Chopin. This week Rob features dazzling examples of the form by these two composers, as well as other composers ranging from Glazunov to Gounod, which will charm, excite and even prompt you to dance.
9.30am
Take part in our daily musical challenge. Two pieces of music have been altered. Can you identify them?
10am
Rob's guest this week is the journalist and broadcaster Jeremy Vine. Jeremy began his career as a radio news reader and researcher, working as a reporter for Radio 4's Today programme, before going on to become the BBC's African correspondent, and presenter of news programmes including Panorama and The Politics Show. He currently has his own Radio 2 show, which discusses the news stories of the day, and also presents the quiz show Eggheads, as well as being an integral part of the BBC's election night coverage, where he offers political analysis using the famous swingometer. Jeremy will be discussing his career and sharing a selection of his favourite classical music with Rob every day at
10am.
10.30am
During the BBC Proms 2015 Rob takes a look at the Proms season from a century ago and plays music that reflects a time when concert programmes were quite different from those of today. This week Rob showcases works ranging from Liszt's Fantasie on Beethoven's Ruins of Athens, to the ballet music for Massenet's Le Cid.
11am
This week Rob features recordings by one of the country's leading ensembles, The Monteverdi Choir, who are performing Monteverdi's L'Orfeo at the Proms this Tuesday evening. Under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, the choir is known for the purity of its top line, and for the dramatic flair they bring to their performances with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and the English Baroque Soloists. Rob features the choir in well-loved choral masterpieces including Mozart's Mass in C minor, Purcell's Come Ye Sons of Art and Bach's Magnificat.
Purcell
Come Ye Sons of Art
The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra
John Eliot Gardiner (conductor).
WED 12:00 Composer of the Week (b06407qw)
William Walton (1902-1983)
Music for the Masses
Donald Macleod explores Walton's war years.
As wartime loomed, in the summer of 1939, Walton composed what was to be his last work of significance until after the war. He described his first Violin Concerto as a declaration of love for his partner. Then, at the age 40, William Walton was conscripted. After a period of driving ambulances, rather badly it seems, he was exempted from military service so he could write music for propaganda films for the Ministry of Information.
One of his most popular works, the Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, was composed for the film, The First of the Few, about the story of Spitfire designer, RJ Mitchell. The film's popularity saw Walton being asked to provide music for a screen version of Shakespeare's Henry V starring Laurence Olivier, one of the most successful films in the history of British cinema. Olivier said, "The music has more guts, more attack and more venom than one would have thought was hidden in Walton's personality." The collaboration saw Walton and Olivier become life-long friends.
WED 13:00 Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert (b06407qy)
Schwetzingen Festival 2015
Renaud Capucon, David Kadouch
Schubert's Fantasy and the Sonata by Franck performed by violinist Renaud Capuçon and pianist David Kadouch, recorded in the Rococo Theatre, Schwetzingen at this year's Schwetzingen Festival.
Schubert: Fantasy in C, D. 934
Franck: Violin Sonata in A
French violinist Renaud Capuçon is well established as a soloist and chamber musician, and in addition is Artistic Director of the Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival and Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad. In today's concert he partners with pianist David Kadouch to perform two masterpieces of the violin and piano repertoire. First, Schubert's Fantasy D.934 - the third movement a beautiful set of variations on Schubert's 1822 setting of Friedrich Rückert's Sei mir gegrüsst! ('I greet you!'). César Franck's eternally popular sonata for violin and piano ends their recital.
WED 14:00 Afternoon Concert (b06408pq)
Proms 2015 Repeats
Prom 23: Verdi - Requiem
Afternoon on 3 - with Verity Sharp.
Another chance to hear Verdi's Requiem performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Donald Runnicles in the first of their two Proms this year.
Presented by Fiona Talkington from the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Verdi: Requiem
Angela Meade (soprano)
Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano)
Yosep Kang (tenor)
Raymond Aceto (bass)
Concert Association of the Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Donald Runnicles (conductor)
After a powerfully disquieting performance of Strauss's Salome last year, Donald Runnicles returns for the first of two appearances this summer, bringing the chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the BBC SSO together for Verdi's Requiem - a work conductor Hans von Bülow described as 'an opera in ecclesiastical garb', written for the concert hall but distilling all the drama and intensity of the stage. At its core is the extended Dies irae sequence - a Day of Judgement whose terrors are not easily forgotten. The international cast of soloists includes Scottish mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill.
There will be no interval.
[First broadcast last Sunday].
WED 15:30 Choral Evensong (b0640ltc)
Southern Cathedrals Festival in Salisbury Cathedral
Recorded at the Southern Cathedrals Festival in Salisbury Cathedral and sung by the choirs of Chichester, Salisbury and Winchester Cathedrals
Introit: They that put their trust in the Lord (Robin Orr)
Responses: Leighton
Psalms 27, 28, 29 (Woodward, Naylor, Mann, Ouseley, Garrett)
First Lesson: Isaiah 49 vv1-7
Office Hymn: Stand up, and bless the Lord (Carlisle)
Canticles: Collegium Magdalenae Oxoniense (Leighton)
Second Lesson: 1 John 1 vv1-9
Anthem: In the hand of God (Howard Moody) Festival Commission - first broadcast
Final Hymn: Praise, my soul, the King of heaven (Praise my soul)
Organ Voluntary: Paean (Howells)
David Halls (Director of Music)
John Challenger (Assistant Director of Music).
WED 16:30 In Tune (b0640c5g)
Eric Whitacre, Jocelyn Pook, Mary Anne Hobbs
Sean Rafferty with a lively mix of music, chat and arts news. Guests include Grammy Award-winning conductor and composer Eric Whitacre, as he prepares for a Proms performance conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Singers and BBC Symphony Chorus, in a concert featuring his new work 'Deep Field'. Composer and performer Jocelyn Pook plays live in the studio with her ensemble, ahead of Tete a Tete Opera Festival at Kings Place in London, where her new video opera 'Hearing Voices' and her 2014 work, 'Anxiety Fanfare' will be performed. Plus, BBC 6 Music presenter Mary Anne Hobbs visits the studio to talk about the 6 Music Prom featuring pianist Nils Frahm, London Brass and A Winged Victory for the Sullen.
WED 18:30 BBC Proms (b0640lzn)
Prom 26
Prom 26 (part 1): British Composers
Chloë Hanslip, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Tadaaki Otaka live at the BBC Proms in an all-British programme including music by Walton, Elgar and Grace Williams
Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Christopher Cook
Walton: Spitfire Prelude and Fugue
Vaughan Williams: Concerto accademico
Grace Williams: Fairest of Stars
7.25 pm
INTERVAL
7.45 pm
Elgar: Overture 'Froissart', Op 19
Walton: Symphony No. 2
Chloë Hanslip (violin)
Ailish Tynan (soprano)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Tadaaki Otaka (conductor)
Elgar's Froissart overture throbs with national pride and swagger, while Walton's Second Symphony sustains an altogether darker, more contemplative mood. British violinist Chloë Hanslip is the soloist in Vaughan Williams's rarely heard Concerto accademico - a work whose lyrical slow movement and dancing finale are anything but 'academic'. The concert also features Welsh composer Grace Williams's ecstatic, neo-Straussian Fairest of Stars for soprano and orchestra, a musical celebration of Milton's poetry.
[This Prom will be repeated on Tuesday 11th August at
2pm].
WED 19:25 BBC Proms (b0640md0)
Proms Extra
Walton - Symphony No 2
JPE Harper-Scott and David Matthews introduce Walton's Symphony No.2 in the context of 20th-century British music. Presented by Petroc Trelawny. Recorded earlier at the Royal College of Music.
WED 19:45 BBC Proms (b0640md2)
Prom 26
Prom 26 (part 2): British Composers
Chloë Hanslip, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Tadaaki Otaka live at the BBC Proms in an all-British programme including music by Walton, Elgar and Grace Williams
Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Christopher Cook
Walton: Spitfire Prelude and Fugue
Vaughan Williams: Concerto accademico
Grace Williams: Fairest of Stars
7.25 pm
INTERVAL
7.45 pm
Elgar: Overture 'Froissart', Op 19
Walton: Symphony No. 2
Chloë Hanslip (violin)
Ailish Tynan (soprano)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Tadaaki Otaka (conductor)
Elgar's Froissart overture throbs with national pride and swagger, while Walton's Second Symphony sustains an altogether darker, more contemplative mood. British violinist Chloë Hanslip is the soloist in Vaughan Williams's rarely heard Concerto accademico - a work whose lyrical slow movement and dancing finale are anything but 'academic'. The concert also features Welsh composer Grace Williams's ecstatic, neo-Straussian Fairest of Stars for soprano and orchestra, a musical celebration of Milton's poetry.
[This Prom will be repeated on Tuesday 11th August at
2pm].
WED 21:00 Sunday Feature (b04mb49y)
The Gospel According to Joan
This is a personal, detailed portrayal of British theatre's favourite rebel, Joan Littlewood, and her legacy, on the 100th anniversary of her birth, with contributions from those who knew her best - actors and writers.
For playwright David Hare she offered 'a red hot reinterpretation of the world'. Howard Brenton learnt from her that 'you could do anything' on stage, and Southbank director Jude Kelly was blown away by the sheer vitality of her work. Joan Littlewood herself adds trenchant observations about the class struggle, the Arts Council, and 'giving actors hell'.
Actor Brian Murphy found himself pelted with chocolates by a Paris audience after a shattering performance of Littlewood's 'Oh What A Lovely War'. Nigel Hawthorne says he was almost destroyed by her piercing criticism. Richard Harris had to strip to the buff at his audition, while Barbara Windsor thought she was chatting to the theatre cleaner, only to find that the cleaner was Joan Littlewood and that her audition had already taken place in the foyer that Littlewood was scrubbing down.
The programme traces the development of the Company from its 1930s origins in Ewan MacColl's political street theatre, to the arrival, in the 1940s, of Jean Newlove (now a sparky 91 year old) who brought the Laban movement techniques that gave the Company its physical attack. Her assistant in the 1960s, director Philip Hedley, recalls how, for Littlewood, danger was her safety. She pushed every idea and every player to the limit.
And as for the famous cap that Joan Littlewood always wore, Brian Murphy remembers that when the play had gone well she threw it in the air, but when she wasn't happy, she threw it on the ground and stamped on it, and that sometimes happened during the interval.
WED 21:45 The Essay (b03vd5xt)
The Islamic Golden Age
Lubna of Cordoba
The Islamic Golden Age (c. 750-1258 CE) rediscovered through portraits of key figures and events. In tonight's essay, award-winning writer Kamila Shamsie looks at the life of Lubna of Cordoba. She leaves traces in fragments of records: one says she was the royal library acquisitions expert, another suggests she was private secretary to al-Hakam II. What's not in doubt is that she had a fine and piercing intellect and moved in some of the most interesting circles of the day.
Producer: Sarah Taylor.
WED 22:00 The Essay (b03k0q37)
The Islamic Golden Age
Al-Khwarizmi
In a major series for Radio 3, we rediscover some of the key thinkers and achievements from the Islamic Golden Age. The period ranges from 750 to 1258 CE and over twenty episodes, we'll hear about architecture, invention, medicine, mathematics, innovation and philosophy.
In today's essay, Iraqi-born scientist, writer and broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili tells us about the legacy of al-Khwarizmi. Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was a Persian mathematician, astronomer, astrologer geographer and a scholar in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad. The House of Wisdom was a renowned centre of scientific research and teaching in his time - attracting some of the greatest minds of the Islamic Golden Age. Al-Khwarizmi was born in Persia around 780 and was one of the learned men who worked in the House of Wisdom under the leadership of Caliph al-Mamun, the son of the caliph Harun al-Rashid, who was made famous in the Arabian Nights.
Producer: Mohini Patel.
WED 22:15 BBC Proms (b0640mhj)
2015
Prom 27: Late Night With - BBC Radio 6 Music
6Music's Mary Anne Hobbs presents a late night Prom performance featuring the influential German composer-performer Nils Frahm and the American duo A Winged Victory for the Sullen.
Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Mary Anne Hobbs
Nils Frahm (piano/keyboards)
Members of Wayne McGregor | Random Dance
A Winged Victory for the Sullen
London Brass
For this late-night 6Music Prom, Mary Anne Hobbs brings together two of her most ardent musical interests: the influential German composer-performer Nils Frahm and the American duo A Winged Victory for the Sullen, musicians who explore the borderlands of classical music. All are making their Proms debut this season. Mary Anne's interest in these artists was piqued when she noticed the seismic effect their music had whenever she played it on her 6Music weekend breakfast show.
WED 23:45 Late Junction (b0640mk7)
Wednesday - Nick Luscombe
Nick Luscombe's selection includes music from electronic producer Squarepusher, the latest solo recording by Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier, pianist Herbie Hancock and Colombian singer Toto La Momposina.
THURSDAY 06 AUGUST 2015
THU 00:30 Through the Night (b0640447)
Caldara's Morte e sepoltura di Cristo - Europa Galante
Jonathan Swain presents a performance from Poland of Antonio Caldara's oratorio 'Morte e sepoltura di Cristo', performed by Europa Galante directed by Fabio Biondi.
12:32 AM
Caldara, Antonio (c.1670-c.1736)
Laboravi in gemitu meo - motet
Martina Belli (contralto), Carlo Allemano (tenor), Ugo Guagliardo (bass), Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi (director/violin)
12:34 AM
Caldara, Antonio (c.1670-c.1736)
Morte e sepoltura di Cristo - Oratorio (Part 1)
Maria Maddalena ..... Maria Grazia Schiavo (soprano),
Maria di Giacobbe ..... Monica Piccinini (soprano),
Giuseppe d'Arimatea ...... Martina Belli (contralto),
Nicodemo ..... Carlo Allemano (tenor),
Centurione ...... Ugo Guagliardo (bass),
Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi (director/violin)
1:35 AM
Caldara, Antonio (c.1670-c.1736)
Transfige, dulcissime Jesu - motet
Martina Belli (contralto), Carlo Allemano (tenor), Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi (director/violin)
1:38 AM
Vivaldi, Antonio (1678-1741)
Sonata Santo Sepolcro (Rv.130)
Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi (director/violin)
1:42 AM
Caldara, Antonio (c.1670-c.1736)
Morte e sepoltura di Cristo - Oratorio (Part 2)
Maria Maddalena ..... Maria Grazia Schiavo (soprano),
Maria di Giacobbe ..... Monica Piccinini (soprano),
Giuseppe d'Arimatea ...... Martina Belli (contralto),
Nicodemo ..... Carlo Allemano (tenor),
Centurione ...... Ugo Guagliardo (bass),
Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi (director/violin)
2:35 AM
Mendelssohn, Felix (1809-1847)
Sonata for cello and piano No.1 in B flat major (Op.45)
Diana Ozolina (cello), Lelde Paula (piano)
2:58 AM
Schumann, Robert (1810-1856)
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor (Op.posthumous)
Harald Aadland (violin), Norwegian Radio Orchestra, John Storgards (conductor)
3:30 AM
Debussy, Claude (1862-1918)
La plus que lente
Roger Woodward (piano)
3:35 AM
Bortnyansky, Dmitri [1751-1825]
Hymn of the Cherubim No.7 "The Lord is King"
Platon Maiborada Academic Choir, Viktor Skoromny (conductor)
3:39 AM
Khachaturian, Aram Ilyich [1903-1978]
Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from the ballet 'Spartacus' (Act 3)
NRCU Symphony Orchestra, Vyacheslav Blinov (conductor)
3:49 AM
Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750)
Fugue in G minor (BWV.1000)
Konrad Junghänel (lute)
3:55 AM
Merikanto, Oscar (1868-1924)
Improvisation (Op.76 No.3)
Eero Heinonen (piano)
4:02 AM
Telemann, Georg Philipp (1681-1767)
Sabbato' (TWV42:g3) - from 'Pyrmonter Kurwoche'
Albrecht Rau (violin), Heinrich Rau (viola), Clemens Malich (cello), Wolfgang Hochstein (harpsichord)
4:10 AM
Frumerie, Gunnar de (1908-1987)
Pastoral Suite (Op.13b)
Kathleen Rudolph (flute), CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)
4:23 AM
Wieniawski, Henryk (1835-1880)
Polonaise No.1 in D major (Op.4)
Reka Szilvay (violin), Naoko Ichihashi (piano)
4:31 AM
Vilec, Michal [1902-1979]
On the Watchtower (from the cycle 'Summer Pictures')
Ivica Gabrisova-Encingerova (flute), (unnamed pianist)
4:35 AM
Debussy, Claude (1862-1918)
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
BBC Philharmonic, Jan-Pascal Tortelier (conductor)
4:45 AM
Marini, Biagio [1594-1663]
Violin Sonata no 4 (Op. 8)
Davide Monti (violin), Maria Cleary (Arpa Doppia)
4:56 AM
Raff, Joachim (1822-1882)
La Fileuse (Op.157 No.2)
Dennis Hennig (piano)
5:00 AM
Liszt, Franz (1811-1886)
Tasso, S.96 (symphonic poem)
Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Juozas Domarkas (conductor)
5:21 AM
Handel, Georg Friedrich (1685-1759)
Concerto Grosso in F major (Op.6 No.9)
Estonian Radio Chamber Orchestra, Paul Mägi (conductor)
5:38 AM
Strauss, Richard [1864-1949]
Ständchen (Op.17 No.2)
Ailish Tynan (soprano), Simon Lepper (piano)
5:41 AM
Strauss, Richard [1864-1949]
No.2 Cacilie from 4 Lieder (Op.27)
Christianne Stotijn (soprano), Joseph Breinl (piano)
5:43 AM
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus [1756-1791]
Fantasia for piano in C minor (K.475)
Juho Pohjonen (piano)
5:56 AM
Kuula, Toivo (1883-1918)
Sorrow for cello and orchestra (Op.22 No.2)
Arto Noras (cello), The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jorma Panula (conductor)
6:02 AM
Beethoven, Ludwig van [1770 -1827]
Quartet in F major Op.135 for strings
Oslo Quartet.
THU 06:30 Breakfast (b06404gv)
Thursday - Clemency Burton-Hill
Clemency Burton-Hill presents Radio 3's classical breakfast show, featuring listener requests.
Email 3Breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
THU 09:00 Essential Classics (b06404z6)
Thursday - Rob Cowan with Jeremy Vine
9am
A selection of music including '5 reasons to love... waltzes'. Two composers tend to spring to mind when waltzes are mentioned - Strauss II and Chopin. This week Rob features dazzling examples of the form by these two composers, as well as other composers ranging from Glazunov to Gounod, which will charm, excite and even prompt you to dance.
9.30am
Take part in today's music-related challenge: listen to the clues and identify the mystery object.
10am
Rob's guest this week is the journalist and broadcaster Jeremy Vine. Jeremy began his career as a radio news reader and researcher, working as a reporter for Radio 4's Today programme, before going on to become the BBC's African correspondent, and presenter of news programmes including Panorama and The Politics Show. He currently has his own Radio 2 show, which discusses the news stories of the day, and also presents the quiz show Eggheads, as well as being an integral part of the BBC's election night coverage, where he offers political analysis using the famous swingometer. Jeremy will be discussing his career and sharing a selection of his favourite classical music with Rob every day at
10am.
10.30am
During the BBC Proms 2015 Rob takes a look at the Proms season from a century ago and plays music that reflects a time when concert programmes were quite different from those of today. This week Rob showcases works ranging from Liszt's Fantasie on Beethoven's Ruins of Athens, to the ballet music for Massenet's Le Cid.
11am
This week Rob features recordings by one of the country's leading ensembles, The Monteverdi Choir, who are performing Monteverdi's L'Orfeo at the Proms this Tuesday evening. Under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, the choir is known for the purity of its top line, and for the dramatic flair they bring to their performances with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and the English Baroque Soloists. Rob features the choir in well-loved choral masterpieces including Mozart's Mass in C minor, Purcell's Come Ye Sons of Art and Bach's Magnificat.
Brahms
Begräbnisgesang, Op.13
The Monteverdi Choir
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
John Eliot Gardiner (conductor).
THU 12:00 Composer of the Week (b06407r0)
William Walton (1902-1983)
A Post-War Fight
Donald Macleod explores how Walton struggled to prove his place as Britain's pre-eminent composer, as new rivals came to the fore.
The emergence of Benjamin Britten, whose dazzling successes culminated in 1945 with the opera Peter Grimes, saw Walton under pressure to prove that he hadn't fallen out of fashion. There was a suspicion that Walton's work during the war writing propaganda music for the Ministry of Information had dulled his powers. Walton started on a his first stage work reasoning that "I thought it was not a good thing for British opera to have only one opera by one composer".
As he fought to restore his reputation, Walton was also suffering great personal grief; the love of his life was terminally ill and her death would haunt him for the rest of his days.
THU 13:00 Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert (b06407r2)
Schwetzingen Festival 2015
Krassimira Stoyanova, Jendrik Springer
Songs by Puccini, Berg, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov from the Rococo Theatre, Schwetzingen, sung by soprano Krassimira Stoyanova and pianist Jendrik Springer, from the Schwetzingen Festival
Presented by Verity Sharp
Krassimira Stoyanova, soprano
Jendrik Springer, piano
Bulgarian soprano Krassimira Stoyanova quickly rose to fame as the leading soprano of the Vienna State Opera and is nowadays one of the most sought-after soloists worldwide. In today's concert she performs a selection of songs by Puccini, Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, and Alban Berg's richly sonorous Seven Early Songs, accompanied by pianist Jendrik Springer.
THU 14:00 Afternoon Concert (b06408ps)
Proms 2015 Repeats
Prom 20: Schubert, Luke Bedford and Bruckner
Afternoon on 3 - with Verity Sharp
Another chance to hear the BBC Philharmonic with Chief Conductor Juanjo Mena perform a symphony by Schubert, the world premiere of 'Instability' by Luke Bedford, and a Bruckner Mass.
Presented from the Royal Albert Hall by Petroc Trelawny
Schubert: Symphony No. 4 in C minor 'Tragic'
Luke Bedford: Instability (BBC commission) (world premiere)
Bruckner: Mass No. 3 in F minor
Luba Orgonášová (soprano)
Jennifer Johnston (mezzo-soprano)
Robert Dean Smith (tenor)
Derek Welton (bass-baritone)
Orfeón Pamplonés
BBC Philharmonic
Juanjo Mena (conductor)
Although composed for the church, it is in the concert hall that the dramatic scale of Bruckner's mighty Mass in F minor comes into its own. A new commission from Luke Bedford puts the Royal Albert Hall's great organ in the spotlight, while opening the concert is Schubert's 'Tragic' Symphony, music of high drama seen through the eyes of a composer still in his teens.
[First broadcast last Saturday]
Followed by a selection of recordings from this week's Proms Artists.
THU 16:30 In Tune (b0640c5j)
Rudolf Buchbinder, Sian Edwards, Leonard Elschenbroich
Sean Rafferty with a lively mix of music, chat and arts news. His guests include Rudolf Buchbinder ahead of his performance of the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas at the Edinburgh Festival.
THU 18:30 Composer of the Week (b06407r0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:00 today]
THU 19:30 BBC Proms (b0640n19)
Prom 28
Prom 28 (part 1): Dukas, Turnage, Schuller and Scriabin
Live at BBC Proms. Oliver Knussen conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Works by Dukas, Schuller and Scriabin's thrilling Poem of Ectasy. And violist Lawrence Power plays Turnage.
Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Penny Gore
Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Mark-Anthony Turnage: On Opened Ground
8.15 pm
INTERVAL
8.35 pm
Gunther Schuller: Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee
Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy
Lawrence Power (viola)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Oliver Knussen (conductor)
Poetry, art and music itself inspire this programme. Scriabin's The Poem of Ecstasy fuses poetry and music in pursuit of sexual bliss and spiritual transcendence. Turnage's viola concerto On Opened Ground pays tribute to the poet Seamus Heaney. Schuller's Seven Studies explore Paul Klee's paintings in sound, while Dukas transforms a ballad by Goethe into a musical tale of magic and mischief.
[This Prom will be repeated on Thursday 13th August at
2pm].
THU 20:15 BBC Proms (b0640n1c)
Proms Extra
Scriabin - The Poem of Ecstasy
Marina Frolova-Walker offers insights into Scriabin's The Poem of Ecstasy and the world of the composer. Recorded at the Royal College of Music.
THU 20:35 BBC Proms (b0640n1f)
Prom 28
Prom 28 (part 2): Dukas, Turnage, Schuller and Scriabin
Live at BBC Proms. Oliver Knussen conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Works by Dukas, Schuller and Scriabin's thrilling Poem of Ectasy. And violist Lawrence Power plays Turnage.
Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Penny Gore
Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Mark-Anthony Turnage: On Opened Ground
8.15 pm
INTERVAL
8.35 pm
Gunther Schuller: Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee
Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy
Lawrence Power (viola)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Oliver Knussen (conductor)
Poetry, art and music itself inspire this programme. Scriabin's The Poem of Ecstasy fuses poetry and music in pursuit of sexual bliss and spiritual transcendence. Turnage's viola concerto On Opened Ground pays tribute to the poet Seamus Heaney. Schuller's Seven Studies explore Paul Klee's paintings in sound, while Dukas transforms a ballad by Goethe into a musical tale of magic and mischief.
[This Prom will be repeated on Thursday 13th August at
2pm].
THU 21:45 Sunday Feature (b04lpqnj)
Enter the Dragon: Chinese Theatre in the 21st Century
Rana Mitter travels to Beijing to explore the recent flourishing of theatre in China.
Through interviews with leading Chinese playwrights, directors and producers, he examines Chinese theatre's re-invention as an art-form of youthful, urban cool.
Drama has been a hugely important force in Chinese culture for centuries, but spoken word drama as western audiences understand it, only took root in the early 20th century. Released from the restrictions of the Cultural Revolution, the latest generation of theatre practitioners in China has breathed new life into Chinese theatre, led by the charismatic director and playwright Meng Jinghui (director of the cult hit Rhinoceros In Love, written by his wife, Liao Yimei - and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 later this evening).
Rana attempts to define this specifically Chinese version of experimental theatre - dubbed by academic Rossella Ferrari as 'pop avant-garde'.
Featuring interviews with Meng Jingui, Wang Chong, Liao Yimei, Rossella Ferrari and Claire Conceison.
Readings by David Acton, Monty d'Inverno, Roslyn Hill and Jason Wong.
Produced by Emma Harding.
THU 22:30 The Essay (b03t0dc4)
The Islamic Golden Age
Al-Biruni
Radio 3 continues its series of portraits of some of the more remarkable figures and events from the Islamic Golden Age - an era which saw huge changes in empires, medicine, architectural achievements and philosophical thought. In this evening's essay, Professor James Montgomery sheds light on the scholar al-Biruni. An exceptionally gifted mathematician, he devoted much of his life to astronomy and chronometry in an effort to measure, capture and contain time. He lived a long life devoted to scholarship and wrote more than 140 books which influenced intellectual thought of the period and beyond.
Producer: Sarah Taylor.
THU 22:45 The Essay (b03thc4m)
The Islamic Golden Age
Al-Ghazali
Radio 3's twenty-part essay series on the Islamic Golden Age continues its exploration through this five-hundred-year period of empire, innovation, religious turmoil, scientific discovery and major advances in philosophical thought. In this evening's essay, Professor Mona Siddiqui turns her attention to Al-Ghazali. He had a major influence on both Muslim and European philosophers.
Producer: Sarah Taylor.
THU 23:00 Late Junction (b0640nl8)
Late Junction Sessions
Collaboration Session featuring Eska
Including the second Late Junction at Latitude Collaboration Session featuring the singer Eska alongside Jesse and Louis Hackett. Nick Luscombe also features Staff Benda Bilili, Varese's Ionisation for percussion ensemble, and remembering the late Ornette Coleman and Charlie Haden, a track from Coleman's 1961 album This Is Our Music.
FRIDAY 07 AUGUST 2015
FRI 00:30 Through the Night (b064044d)
Ravel, Gershwin and Dvorak
With Catriona Young.
12:31 AM
Ravel, Maurice (1875-1937)
Le Tombeau de Couperin
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ilyich Rivas (conductor)
12:49 AM
Gershwin, George (1898-1937)
Piano Concerto in F major
Conrad Tao (piano), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ilyich Rivas (conductor)
1:21 AM
Gershwin, George (1898-1937)
Prelude No. 1 from 3 Preludes for piano
Conrad Tao (piano)
1:23 AM
Dvorák, Antonín (1841-1904)
Scherzo capriccioso Op.66
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ilyich Rivas (conductor)
1:39 AM
Scriabin, Alexander (1872-1915)
Symphony No. 3, Op. 43 (The Divine Poem)
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Emil Tabakov (conductor)
2:31 AM
Gaultier, Ennemond (1575-1651)
Lute pieces in D minor
Konrad Junghänel (lute)
2:49 AM
Schäfer, Dirk (1873-1931)
Piano Quintet in D flat major, Op.5 (1901)
Orpheus String Quartet, Jacob Bogaart (piano)
3:31 AM
Handel, Georg Frideric [1685-1759]
Sonata in B flat HWV.377
Bolette Roed (recorder), Allan Rasmussen (harpsichord)
3:37 AM
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)
Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio - aria for soprano and orchestra (K.418)
Cyndia Sieden (soprano), Prima La Musica, Dirk Vermeulen (conductor)
3:44 AM
Moszkowski, Moritz (1854-1924)
Guitarre
Jan-Erik Gustafsson (cello), Heini Kärkkäinen (piano)
3:48 AM
Diepenbrock, Alphons (1862-1921)
Berceuse (words by Charles van Leberghe - from 'La Chanson d'Eve)
Jard van Nes (mezzo-soprano), Daniël Esser (cello), Rudolf Jansen (piano)
3:54 AM
Schreker, Franz [1878-1934]
Valse Lente
BBC Philharmonic, Vassily Sinaisky (conductor)
3:59 AM
Brahms, Johannes (1833-1897)
Schaffe in mir, Gott, ein rein Herz (Op.29 No.2)
Wiener Kammerchor, Johannes Prinz (director)
4:06 AM
Telemann, Georg Philipp (1681-1767)
Sonata for oboe & basso continuo in B flat major - from Essercizii Musici
Camerata Köln - Hans-Peter Westermann (oboe), Rainer Zipperling (cello), Sabine Bauer (harpsichord)
4:19 AM
Debussy, Claude (1862-1918)
D'un cahier d'esquisses (1903)
Roger Woodward (piano)
4:24 AM
Medins, Janis (1890-1966)
Flower Waltz - from the ballet 'Victory of Love'
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Imants Resnis (conductor)
4:31 AM
Feremans, Gaston (1907-1964)
Preludium and fughetta from 'The Bronze Heart'
Vlaams Radio Orkest, Jan Latham-Koenig (conductor)
4:35 AM
Maldere, Pierre van (1729-1768)
Sinfonia in A major (viola obligata)
The Academy of Ancient Music , Filip Bral (conductor)
4:48 AM
Albeniz, Isaac [1860-1909]
Cordoba (Nocturne) from Cantos de Espana (Op.232 No.4)
Henry-David Varema (cello), Heiki Mätlik (guitar)
4:55 AM
Glazunov, Alexander Konstantinovich (1865-1936)
Muza (The Muse) (Op.59 No.1)
Peter Mattei (baritone), Stefan Lindgren (piano)
4:58 AM
Glazunov, Alexander Konstantinovich [1865-1936]
Vakkhicheskaja Pesnja (The Amber-coloured goblet - drinking song) (Op.27 No.1)
Peter Mattei (baritone), Stefan Lindgren (piano)
5:00 AM
Glazunov, Alexander Konstantinovich (1865-1936)
Don't be bewitched by warlike honour
Peter Mattei (baritone), Stefan Lindgren (piano)
5:02 AM
Haydn, (Franz) Joseph (1732-1809)
Trio for strings in B flat major (Op.53 No.2) arr. from Piano Sonata (H.
16.41)
Leopold String Trio
5:10 AM
Geminiani, Francesco (1687-1762)
Concerto grosso in D minor (Op.7 No.2)
La Petite Bande, Sigiswald Kuijken (conductor)
5:20 AM
Yuste, Miguel (1870-1947)
Estudio melodico (Op.33) for clarinet and piano
Christo Barrios (clarinet), Lila Gailing (piano)
5:27 AM
Finzi, Gerald (1901-1956)
White-flowering days for chorus (Op.37)
BBC Singers, Stephen Layton (conductor)
5:31 AM
Tippett, Michael (1905-1998)
Dance, clarion air - madrigal for 5-part chorus;
BBC Singers, Bo Holten (conductor)
5:35 AM
Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750)
Concerto for oboe d'amore and string orchestra No.4 (BWV.1055) in A major
Kalin Panayotov (oboe d'amore), Ars Barocca
5:50 AM
Franck, César (1822-1890)
Le chasseur maudit - symphonic poem (M.44)
Orchestre National de France, Pinchas Steinberg (conductor)
6:05 AM
Rachmaninov, Serge (1873-1943)
Suite No.2 (Op.17) for 2 pianos
Ouellet-Murray Duo: Claire Ouellet & Sandra Murray (pianos).
FRI 06:30 Breakfast (b06404gx)
Friday - Martin Handley
Martin Handley presents Radio 3's classical breakfast show, featuring listener requests.
Email 3Breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
FRI 09:00 Essential Classics (b06404z8)
Friday - Rob Cowan with Jeremy Vine
9am
A selection of music including '5 reasons to love... waltzes'. Two composers tend to spring to mind when waltzes are mentioned - Strauss II and Chopin. This week Rob features dazzling examples of the form by these two composers, as well as other composers ranging from Glazunov to Gounod, which will charm, excite and even prompt you to dance.
9.30am
Take part in our daily musical challenge: identify a piece of music played backwards.
10am
Rob's guest this week is the journalist and broadcaster Jeremy Vine. Jeremy began his career as a radio news reader and researcher, working as a reporter for Radio 4's Today programme, before going on to become the BBC's African correspondent, and presenter of news programmes including Panorama and The Politics Show. He currently has his own Radio 2 show, which discusses the news stories of the day, and also presents the quiz show Eggheads, as well as being an integral part of the BBC's election night coverage, where he offers political analysis using the famous swingometer. Jeremy will be discussing his career and sharing a selection of his favourite classical music with Rob every day at
10am.
10.30am
During the BBC Proms 2015 Rob takes a look at the Proms season from a century ago and plays music that reflects a time when concert programmes were quite different from those of today. This week Rob showcases works ranging from Liszt's Fantasie on Beethoven's Ruins of Athens, to the ballet music for Massenet's Le Cid.
11am
This week Rob features recordings by one of the country's leading ensembles, The Monteverdi Choir, who are performing Monteverdi's L'Orfeo at the Proms this Tuesday evening. Under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, the choir is known for the purity of its top line, and for the dramatic flair they bring to their performances with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and the English Baroque Soloists. Rob features the choir in well-loved choral masterpieces including Mozart's Mass in C minor, Purcell's Come Ye Sons of Art and Bach's Magnificat.
Handel
Dixit Dominus
The Monteverdi Choir
English Baroque Soloists
John Eliot Gardiner (conductor).
FRI 12:00 Composer of the Week (b06407r4)
William Walton (1902-1983)
Reputation Restored?
Donald Macleod looks at William Walton's later years, a period that became a time of ease and prosperity for him.
Walton's reputation may have fallen in Britain, but he was still respected in the USA and enjoyed regular commissions from orchestras in New York, Washington, San Francisco and Chicago.
During the 1960s, Walton and his wife Susana built a stunning place of their own on the Mediterranean island of Ischia. In her words: "...it was now time to let the music speak for itself...". But still the British critics hammered his work. Suspicious of his jet-setting, expatriate life they could not bring themselves to appreciate his compositions as much as they had twenty years earlier. Not only did Walton clash with classical music journalists he also fell out with the BBC.
Eventually Walton's work was to become appreciated again. His achievements were recognised with gala concerts in London arranged for his 75th birthday and then his 80th, a year before he died in 1983.
FRI 13:00 Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert (b06407r6)
Belcea Quartet
Chamber music by Beethoven and Britten performed by the Belcea Quartet, recorded at this year's Schwetzingen Festival.
Presented by Verity Sharp
Belcea Quartet
Beethoven: String Trio No. 5 in C minor, op. 9/3
Britten: String Quartet No. 3 in G, op. 94
The Belcea Quartet is regarded as one of today's most impressive string quartets. They combine high-profile engagements in the world's leading concert halls, with residencies at Vienna Konzerthaus with the Artemis Quartet since 2010, and at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The quartet recently created their own Trust to support and inspire young quartets, alongside commissioning works from composers. In today's concert they perform one of Beethoven String Trios and Britten's Third String Quartet. The concert was recorded in the Mozart Hall, Schwetzingen as part of this year's Schwetzingen Festival.
FRI 14:00 Afternoon Concert (b06408pv)
Proms 2015 Repeats
Prom 22: Aurora Orchestra
Afternoon on 3 with Verity Sharp.
Another chance to hear the dynamic young orchestra Aurora in their family-friendly Sunday matinee Prom.
Presented by Tom Service from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Brett Dean: Pastoral Symphony
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 26 in D major, K537 'Coronation'
Anna Meredith: Smatter Hauler (BBC commission) (world premiere)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major 'Pastoral'
Francesco Piemontesi (piano)
Aurora Orchestra
Nicholas Collon (conductor)
The Aurora Orchestra staged a Proms first last year when it performed Mozart's Symphony No. 40 from memory. Now the dynamic young ensemble returns to continue this season's sequence of family-friendly matinees, giving Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Symphony the same direct, communicative treatment. It is paired with Australian composer Brett Dean's own homage to nature - a work, he explains, inspired by 'glorious birdsong, the threat that it faces, the loss, and the soulless noise that we're left with when they're all gone'. Former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Francesco Piemontesi joins the orchestra for Mozart's late 'Coronation' Concerto, and the afternoon also features the premiere of a new commission from British composer Anna Meredith - also performed from memory.
Followed by a selection of recordings from this week's Proms Artists.
FRI 16:30 In Tune (b0640c5s)
Andris Nelsons, Alex Hutton Trio, 12 ensemble
Sean Rafferty with a lively mix of music, chat and arts news. Guests include one of the world's most sought-after conductors, Andris Nelsons, as he prepares for two Proms appearances with Boston Symphony Orchestra, where his contract as Music Director has just been extended to 2022. There's also live music in the studio from the Alex Hutton Trio ahead of their gig at the Ronnie Scott's International Piano Trio Festival plus, 12 Ensemble, 'London's un-conducted string orchestra' performs live in the studio as they prepare for a concert at the North Norfolk Music Festival.
FRI 18:30 BBC Proms (b0640ntx)
Prom 29
Prom 29 (part 1): Stravinsky, Messiaen and Ravel
The BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Nicholas Collon, live at the BBC Proms. They are joined by pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.
Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Petroc Trelawny
Mozart: Idomeneo - ballet music
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
7.30 pm
INTERVAL
7.50 pm
Messiaen: Un oiseau des arbres de Vie (Oiseau tui) (orch. Christopher Dingle) (world premiere)
Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements
Ravel: Miroirs - Oiseaux tristes (arr. Colin Matthews) (BBC commission) (world premiere)
Ravel: La valse
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano)
BBC Philharmonic
Nicholas Collon (conductor)
Mozart's Idomeneo owes its ballet sequence to the influence of French opera, and it launches a programme featuring two Frenchmen who idolised Mozart: Ravel and Messiaen. Ravel's Piano Concerto in G adds a jazzy colouring to its Classical influences, while Oiseaux tristes and La valse contrast the doleful calls of lost forest birds with a dark, swirling portrait of the disintegration of Vienna. The world premiere of a recently rediscovered work by Messiaen - originally intended for the composer's Éclairs sur l'au-delà - brings more birdsong (that of the tui from New Zealand), while Stravinsky's urbane neo-Classical Symphony combines piquancy and elegance.
[This Prom will be repeated on Friday 14th August at
2pm].
FRI 19:30 BBC Proms (b0640p3y)
Proms Extra
Messiaen
Christopher Dingle and Peter Hill explore the life and works of Olivier Messiaen, with a particular focus on the newly orchestrated Un oiseau des arbres de vie.
Presented by Christopher Cook. Recorded earlier at the Royal College of Music.
FRI 19:50 BBC Proms (b0640p40)
Prom 29
Prom 29 (part 2): Stravinsky, Messiaen and Ravel
The BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Nicholas Collon, live at the BBC Proms. They are joined by pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.
Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Petroc Trelawny
Mozart: Idomeneo - ballet music
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
7.30 pm
INTERVAL
7.50 pm
Messiaen: Un oiseau des arbres de Vie (Oiseau tui) (orch. Christopher Dingle) (world premiere)
Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements
Ravel: Miroirs - Oiseaux tristes (arr. Colin Matthews) (BBC commission) (world premiere)
Ravel: La valse
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano)
BBC Philharmonic
Nicholas Collon (conductor)
Mozart's Idomeneo owes its ballet sequence to the influence of French opera, and it launches a programme featuring two Frenchmen who idolised Mozart: Ravel and Messiaen. Ravel's Piano Concerto in G adds a jazzy colouring to its Classical influences, while Oiseaux tristes and La valse contrast the doleful calls of lost forest birds with a dark, swirling portrait of the disintegration of Vienna. The world premiere of a recently rediscovered work by Messiaen - originally intended for the composer's Éclairs sur l'au-delà - brings more birdsong (that of the tui from New Zealand), while Stravinsky's urbane neo-Classical Symphony combines piquancy and elegance.
[This Prom will be repeated on Friday 14th August at
2pm].
FRI 21:00 Sunday Feature (b050skcg)
Palace of Shame
This is a story of loot, revenge and devastated beauty that still looms over British-Chinese relations. The imperial summer palace in Beijing was an extraordinary collection of beautiful architecture, landscapes and precious art. It was looted by invading French and British troops in 1860. Then the British commander, Lord Elgin, ordered its complete destruction. It was a dramatic moment of 'national humiliation' every Chinese schoolchild learns about today, encouraged by the communist government. Chris Bowlby discovers why it happened, with a surprising personal twist along the way. There's a rare interview with the current Lord Elgin on his family's controversial role in imperial history. And what about all the looted art? We hear how it still sits in British museums, or re-emerges in lucrative auctions - while angry Chinese voices, including the martial arts star Jackie Chan, demand its return.
Presenter and producer: Chris Bowlby
Editor: Richard Knight.
FRI 21:45 The Essay (b03t0bh0)
The Islamic Golden Age
Avicenna
In a major series for Radio 3, we continue our journey through the Islamic Golden Age. The period ranges from 750 to 1258 CE and we'll hear about architecture, religious scholarship, medicine, innovation and philosophy. In this evening's essay, Dr Tony Street assesses the great philosopher and highly influential physician Avicenna. Born in Bukahara in 980, Avicenna was an Arabic-speaking Persian who supplanted Aristotle as the leading philosopher of all time, at least for Muslim scholars.
Producer: Sarah Taylor.
FRI 22:00 The Essay (b03k0q3c)
The Islamic Golden Age
Al-Tabari
In a major series for Radio 3, we continue our journey through the Islamic Golden Age. The period ranges from 750 to 1258 CE and over the twenty episodes, we'll hear about architecture, religious scholarship, medicine, innovation and philosophy. In this evening's essay, Professor Hugh Kennedy explores the life of al-Tabari, the chronicler and historian of the early Islamic World.
Producer: Mohini Patel.
FRI 22:15 BBC Proms (b0644ft6)
2015
Prom 30: The John Wilson Orchestra Performs Frank Sinatra
Seth MacFarlane, Jamie Parker and Claire Martin with the John Wilson Orchestra and John Wilson, live at the BBC Proms
Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Clemency Burton-Hill and Clarke Peters
Seth MacFarlane (vocalist)
Jamie Parker (vocalist)
John Wilson Orchestra
John Wilson conductor
'The Voice' ... 'Ol' Blue Eyes' ... 'The Sultan of Swoon': the mythology surrounding Frank Sinatra is overwhelming. A gifted entertainer, screen actor and ubiquitous personality, his real legacy as a pioneer of popular song can sometimes get lost in the clamour. This Late Night Prom celebrates the centenary of this musical legend in a concert that brings together some of the great voices of our own time, led by the multitalented Seth MacFarlane and vocalists Jamie Parker and Claire Martin. Join John Wilson and his orchestra for an after-hours sequence of big tunes and even bigger performances.
FRI 23:30 World on 3 (b064f81x)
Mary Ann Kennedy
Mary Ann Kennedy with the latest new releases from across the globe, new music from BBC Introducing, plus our album of the month, as selected by studio guest Kevin Le Gendre.