Angela Hewitt is the soloist in Mozart's Piano Concerto No 25 with the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside Haydn's Symphony No 44. Jonathan Swain presents.
Angela Hewitt (piano), NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, David Afkham (conductor)
Maria Sanner (contralto), Bolette Roed (recorder), Frederik From (violin), Hager Hanana (cello), Joanna Boslak-Gorniok (organ)
Johannes Happel (bass), Balthasar-Neumann-Chor, Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble, Detlef Bratschke (conductor)
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), Igor Stravinsky (arranger), Samuel Dushkin (arranger)
Divertimento (1931) arr. for violin & piano by Stravinsky and S. Dushkin
Petroc Trelawny presents Radio 3's classical breakfast show, featuring listener requests and two shortlisted entries from the Carol Competition.
Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with familiar favourites, new discoveries and the occasional musical surprise.
0915 Playlist starter – listen and send us your ideas for the next step in our musical journey today.
1010 Song of the Day – harnessing the magic of words, music and the human voice.
1030 Playlist reveal – a sequence of music suggested by you in response to our starter today.
1100 Essential Five – in the lead-up to Christmas, we pick five pieces written by their composers as gifts to friends or family.
Donald Macleod witnesses Mozart under pressure from all angles. As the sands shifted, how could Mozart possibly keep his family afloat?
Five years before Mozart’s premature death aged 35, the composer felt at the top of his game. He was performing regularly in Vienna and his music was beloved throughout the city. However, the Austro-Turkish War between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire would soon have a negative impact on Mozart’s prospects, along with changing musical taste in the Austrian capital. The nobility had more important things to do than hold concerts and commission new music. Money was in shorter supply. As a composer for hire, Mozart had to change tack and write chamber music for publication and for performance in middle class homes, rather than concertos for the nobility.
In today's programme Donald Macleod finds Mozart struggling to support his sickly wife Constanze. Those rejuvenating baths at Baden didn’t come cheap.
Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543
I. Adagio - Allegro
Adagio in B minor, K. 540
Divertimento in E flat major, K. 563
II. Adagio
Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581
II. Larghetto
Piano Sonata No. 17 in B flat major, K 570
I. Allegro
The recent Radio 3 Big Chamber Weekend at Snape Maltings brought together current members of the Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme to celebrate the music of Schubert alongside works by other major composers. In this first concert, Eivind Ringstad plays the 16-year-old Britten's precociously eloquent Elegy for solo viola, and teams up with pianist Mengjie Han (of the Amatis Piano Trio) in Schubert's irresistibly lyrical 'Arpeggione' Sonata, a work which was composed for a now-obsolete instrument but has since become one of the jewels of the viola repertoire. In between, violinist Aleksey Semenenko joins Eivind in one of the two delicious duos Mozart wrote for violin and viola.
A sequence of Vivaldi's sacred works, plus Haydn from Simon Rattle, Britten from tenor Ben Johnson and Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite
Les Arts Florissants bring a Venetian baroque celebration of faith from Paris, with his best-loved as well as less well-known choral works. Former Radio 3 New Generation Artist, tenor Ben Johnson gives us Britten's deeply moving take on the poems of Thomas Hardy. And, in the week running up to Christmas, where would we be without Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker?
The Nutcracker, Suite No. 1, op. 71a
Sean Rafferty and Sarah Walker present the In Tune Christmas Special, live from BBC Broadcasting House. It’s a Christmas party celebration like no other, where both presenters are joined by some of the show’s greatest performer friends, and a live audience of In Tune listeners. Welcome the festive season with music from across the eras, including a close harmony seasonal selection from The Swingles, winter-warming sounds from Onyx Brass, Christmas songs from soprano Ailish Tynan, and a Yuletide piano masterclass courtesy of Chilly Gonzales. There's also a selection of seasonal readings from Dame Harriet Walter.
In Tune's classical music mixtape: an imaginative, eclectic mix featuring classical favourites, lesser-known gems and a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists
From the BBC Proms 2021: Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists in music by Bach and Handel, including Dixit Dominus.
Sir John Eliot Gardiner makes his 60th Proms appearance directing his own Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists in Handel’s vividly theatrical Dixit Dominus – a concerto for choir that blazes with virtuosity and colour. It’s paired with Bach’s Easter cantata Christ lag in Todes Banden – a fiery, dramatic setting of Luther’s popular hymn. Mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg is the soloist in the young Handel’s cantata of praise to the Virgin Mary, Donna, che in ciel, containing music the composer later borrowed for his opera Agrippina.
From the BBC Proms 2021: Sir George Benjamin conducts the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in the premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra and Pierre-Laurent Aimard plays Ravel's Piano Concerto.
Henry Purcell: Three Consorts (1680) transcr. Benjamin; world premiere
George Benjamin: Concerto for Orchestra (World Premiere - BBC co-commission with Mahler Chamber Orchestra)
When the 20-year-old George Benjamin’s Ringed by the Flat Horizon was performed at the Proms in 1980, it marked an arrival for a precociously talented young composer. Now established as one of the greats of his generation, he returns to conduct regular collaborators, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, in a concert featuring Ravel’s jazz-infused Piano Concerto, an operatic ‘pot-pourri’ by his friend, the late Oliver Knussen, the world premiere of his own Concerto for Orchestra and his new reworkings of Fantasias by Purcell, the ‘English Orpheus’.
One of the important functions of religious ritual used to be to create a cycle of special days and times of year. The Christian liturgical year marked times of work and rest, punctuated the changing of the seasons and placed the individual in a wider chronological context.
With the decline of religious practice, the writer Madeleine Bunting argues, that structure is gone. So where does that leave people like herself, who grew up a Catholic but turned away from the faith? Madeleine explores new rituals that have taken the place of Sunday worship: in her own case, pond swimming.
This BBC Radio 3 series explores aspects of ritual throughout this week, including public and private Christmas rituals, and asks what the Covid pandemic has taught us about their significance.
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
WEDNESDAY 22 DECEMBER 2021
WED 00:30 Through the Night (m0012pnj)
Christmas with Karlsson Barock
Baroque favourites performed by the versatile Swedish ensemble with soprano Helena Ek. Jonathan Swain presents.
12:31 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Concerto grosso in D minor, HWV 328, op. 6/10
Karlsson Barock, Goran Karlsson (harpsichord), Goran Karlsson (director)
12:46 AM
Leonardo Leo (1694-1744)
Qual farfalle inamorat, from 'Zenobia in Palmira'
Helena Ek (soprano), Karlsson Barock, Goran Karlsson (harpsichord), Goran Karlsson (director)
12:53 AM
Michel Corrette (1707-1795)
Sinfonia VI, from 'Six Symphonies en Quatuor sur les Noëls'
Karlsson Barock, Goran Karlsson (harpsichord), Goran Karlsson (director)
01:01 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Gelido in ogni vena, from 'Farnace, RV 711'
Helena Ek (soprano), Karlsson Barock, Goran Karlsson (harpsichord), Goran Karlsson (director)
01:11 AM
Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709)
Concerto grosso No. 6 in G minor, op. 8/6
Karlsson Barock, Goran Karlsson (harpsichord), Goran Karlsson (director)
01:18 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Rejoice greatly, from 'Messiah, HWV 56'
Helena Ek (soprano), Karlsson Barock, Goran Karlsson (harpsichord), Goran Karlsson (director)
01:23 AM
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
Concerto grosso, op. 6/8 ('Christmas Concerto')
Karlsson Barock, Goran Karlsson (harpsichord), Goran Karlsson (director)
01:37 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Tu del ciel ministro eletto (Il Trionfo del Tiempo e del Disinganno, HWV 46a)
Helena Ek (soprano), Karlsson Barock, Goran Karlsson (harpsichord), Goran Karlsson (director)
01:40 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Orchestral Suite no 3 in D major, BWV1068
La Petite Bande, Sigiswald Kuijken (conductor)
02:01 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Gloria in D major, RV.589
Ann Monoyios (soprano), Matthew White (counter tenor), Colin Ainsworth (tenor), Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Ivars Taurins (conductor)
02:31 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Piano Sonata No 3 in B minor, Op 58
Marc-Andre Hamelin (piano)
03:02 AM
Boris Papandopulo (1906-1991)
Trio Sonata
Zagreb Guitar Trio
03:15 AM
Guillaume de Machaut (c.1300-1377)
La Messe de Nostre Dame
Oxford Camerata, Jeremy Summerly (conductor)
03:46 AM
Ivan Jarnovic (1747-1804)
Quartetto concertante No.1 in F major
Jarnovic Quartet
03:57 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828), Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (author)
Meeres Stille (D.216) (Op.3 No.2) (Quiet Sea)
Christoph Pregardien (tenor), Andreas Staier (pianoforte)
04:00 AM
Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787)
Symphony, Op 10, No 2
La Stagione Frankfurt, Michael Schneider (conductor)
04:11 AM
Max Bruch (1838-1920), Unknown (arranger)
Allegro vivace ma non troppo in C major (Op 83, No 7)
Moshe Hammer (violin), Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi (cello), William Tritt (piano)
04:15 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Rondo in A minor K.511 for piano
Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano)
04:25 AM
Adrian Willaert (c.1490-1562)
Pater Noster
Netherlands Chamber Choir, Paul van Nevel (conductor)
04:31 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Serenade No 1 in D major, Op 69a
Judy Kang (violin), Orchestre Symphonique de Laval, Jean-Francois Rivest (conductor)
04:39 AM
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Aria 'O let me weep' from the Fairy Queen
Irena Baar (soprano), Tomaz Lorenz (violin), Maks Strmcnik (organ)
04:47 AM
Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857)
Capriccio brillante on the theme 'Jota Aragonesa' (Spanish overture no.1)
Bratislava Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ondrej Lenard (conductor)
04:57 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Meine Seele hort im Sehen (HWV.207) - No.6 from Deutsche Arien
Helene Plouffe (violin), Louise Pellerin (oboe), Dom Andre Laberge (organ)
05:03 AM
Cesar Franck (1822-1890)
Elevation in A major (1859)
Joris Verdin (organ)
05:09 AM
Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Mélodies passagères, op. 27 (1950-1951)
Franziska Heinzen (soprano), Benjamin Mead (piano)
05:19 AM
Sandor Balassa (b.1935)
Dances of Mucsa (Op.50)
Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tamas Vasary (conductor)
05:46 AM
William Byrd (1543-1623)
Pavan and galliard for keyboard (MB.
28.70) in G major 'Quadran'
Aapo Hakkinen (harpsichord)
05:59 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Trio for violin, viola and piano in E flat major (Op.40)
Baiba Skride (violin), Lauma Skride (piano), Linda Skride (viola)
WED 06:30 Breakfast (m0012pwx)
Wednesday - Petroc's classical alarm call
The BBC Singers join Petroc Trelawny as he announces the winner of the Breakfast Carol Competition. Also featuring listener requests.
Email 3Breakfast@bbc.co.uk
WED 09:00 Essential Classics (m0012px0)
Georgia Mann
Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with familiar favourites, new discoveries and the occasional musical surprise.
0915 Playlist starter – listen and send us your ideas for the next step in our musical journey today.
1010 Song of the Day – harnessing the magic of words, music and the human voice.
1030 Playlist reveal – a sequence of music suggested by you in response to our starter today.
1100 Essential Five – another in our series exploring music composed as a gift to someone.
1130 Slow Moment – time to take a break for a moment's musical reflection.
WED 12:00 Composer of the Week (m0012px4)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Assault by Opera
Donald Macleod explores Mozart’s provocative late operas.
Five years before Mozart’s premature death aged 35, the composer felt at the top of his game. He was performing regularly in Vienna and his music was beloved throughout the city. However, the Austro-Turkish War between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire would soon have a negative impact on Mozart’s prospects, along with changing musical taste in the Austrian capital. The nobility had more important things to do than hold concerts and commission new music. Money was in shorter supply. As a composer for hire, Mozart had to change tack and write chamber music for publication and for performance in middle class homes, rather than concertos for the nobility.
In this episode Donald Macleod explores Mozart’s late operas. Today we see these works as creative triumphs. It’s hard to believe they were not received as such by audiences of their day. However, these late masterpieces were inherently provocative. 1786’s Le nozze di Figaro mercilessly attacked a bigoted aristocracy from the perspective of a servant. Cosi fan tutte's depictions of the ambivalence of human emotions skirted the boundaries of contemporary morality, and 1791’s The Magic Flute dealt with freemasonry - many Viennese saw it as an allegory for the French Revolution. What lay behind these bold statements of intent? Was Mozart deliberately biting the hand that fed him?
Gigue in G major, K. 574, "Leipziger Gigue"
Mitsuko Uchida, piano
Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K. 492 (Overture, Act I Scene 1: Duet
Act I Scene 1: Recitative; Act I Scene 1: Duet)
Patrizia Ciofi (Susanna)
Lorenzo Regazzo (Figaro)
Concerto Köln
René Jacobs, conductor
Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, "Jupiter”
II. Andante cantabile
Concentus Musicus Wien
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor
Don Giovanni, K. 527 (Act II Scene 12: Rondo; Recitativo accompagnato e Rondo; Act II Scene 13: Finale)
Carmela Remigio (Donna Anna)
Uwe Heilmann (Don Ottavio)
Simon Keenlyside (Don Giovanni)
Bryn Terfel (Leporello)
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Claudio Abbado, conductor
Così fan tutte, K. 588 (Act I Scene 2; Act II Scene 1)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Fiordiligi)
Hanny Steffek (Despina)
Christa Ludwig (Dorabella)
Walter Berry (Don Alfonso)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Karl Böhm, conductor
Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620 (Act II: Allegro)
Gerald Finley (Papageno)
Constanze Backes (Papagena)
English Baroque Soloists
John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
WED 13:00 Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert (m0000xv5)
Schubert Plus at Aldeburgh
Schubert at Aldeburgh - Piano Trio in E flat
The recent Radio 3 Big Chamber Weekend at Snape Maltings brought together current members of the Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme to celebrate the music of Schubert. In this second concert, the Amatis Piano Trio perform the second of Schubert's great piano trios, a giant of the repertoire that is both lyrically touching and ripe with emotional nuance. The slow movement features one of the most the haunting melodies Schubert ever wrote, said to have been taken from a melancholy Swedish folk tune but treated by the composer in a way that makes it truly his own.
Introduced by Petroc Trelawny.
Suk: Elegy, Op. 23
Schubert: Piano Trio in E flat, D929
Amatis Piano Trio
Concert recorded in the Britten Studio, Snape, on 27 October 2018.
WED 14:00 Afternoon Concert (m0012px8)
Carols from Temple Church with the BBC Singers
Owain Park and the BBC Singers in carols old and new, live from London's Temple Church.
Ian Skelly joins the BBC Singers, live from Temple Church, for a concert of contemporary Christmas carols, with conductor Owain Park and organist Ashley Grote.
WED 16:00 Choral Evensong (b04v25tb)
Manchester Cathedal
From Manchester Cathedral
Introit: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61(i) (J.S. Bach)
Responses: Christopher Stokes
Psalm 89 vv1-19 (Barnby)
Office hymn: Creator of the stars of night (Mode iv)
First Lesson: Isaiah 39
Canticles: Sumsion in G
Second Lesson: Matthew 17 vv14-21
Anthem: Vox dicentis: Clama (Naylor)
Hymn: Hills of the North, rejoice (Little Cornard)
Amen, Amen, komm du schöne Freudenkrone BWV 61(vi) (J.S. Bach)
Voluntary: Prelude & Fugue in B minor BWV 544 (J.S. Bach)
Christopher Stokes, Organist and Master of the Choristers
Jeffrey Makinson, Sub-organist
First broadcast 17 December 2014.
WED 17:00 New Generation Artists (m0012pxj)
Winter Showcase: Johan Dalene and the Aris Quartet
New Generation Artists Winter Showcase: Georgia Mann celebrates the prodigious musical talents of the current members of Radio 3's young artist scheme. In this first programme the Aris Quartet plays Mendelssohn's quartet written in the wake of the death of his beloved sister and Johan Dalene, the 21-year-old Swedish violin sensation, brings the house down with his performance of Ravel's Tzigane at the Snape Maltings.
Ravel: Tzigane
Johan Dalene (violin), Charles Owen (piano)
Mendelssohn: Variations sérieuses in D minor Op. 54
Elisabeth Brauss (piano)
Margaret Bonds (1913-72): Songs of the Seasons
Ema Nikolovska (mezzo soprano), Joseph Middleton (piano)
Lionel Tertis: Hier au soir - Pensée Musicale
Timothy Ridout (viola), James Baillieu (piano)
Charles Aznavour arr Luft: Hier encore
Rob Luft (jazz guitar), Elina Duni (voice), Fred Thomas (piano)
Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80
Aris Quartet
Established two decades ago, Radio 3's New Generation Artists scheme is acknowledged internationally as the foremost programme of its kind. It exists to offer a platform for artists at the beginning of their international careers; each year six musicians join the scheme for two years, during which time they appear at the UK's major music festivals and venues, enjoy dates with the BBC orchestras and have the opportunity to record in the BBC studios. The artists are also encouraged to form artistic partnerships with one another and to explore a wide range of repertoire, not least the work of contemporary, women and diverse composers. In recent years Radio 3's New Generation Artists have appeared at many of the UK's music festivals and concert halls. The BBC New Generation Artists Scheme is not itself a prize, rather it offers a unique two year platform on which artists can develop their prodigious talents. Not surprisingly, the list of alumni reads like a Who’s Who of the most exciting musicians of the past two decades including pianists Paul Lewis, Pavel Kolesnikov, Benjamin Grosvenor and Beatrice Rana, violinists Alina Ibragimova and Lisa Batiashvili, the Belcea, Jerusalem and Ébène Quartets, singers Alice Coote and Fatma Said and the trumpeter Alison Balsom.
WED 18:15 Words and Music (m0008w6s)
Nights in the Gardens of Spain
The Alhambra Palace in Granada is our focus today. The city was home to one of Spain’s greatest poets, Federico Garcia Lorca, from the age of 11 through to his 20s. Field recordings made in Granada combine with music and readings connected to this captivating city, from the epigraphic poems that are written into the very walls of the Alhambra, to the medieval verse of Abd Allah ibn al-Simak, through to the verse and letters of Lorca. Actors Candela Gomez and Khalid Abdalla also read contemporary takes on Granada's Flamenco bars by Victoria Hislop, and a melancholy modern-day visit to the Alhambra from Sameer Rahim's latest novel which considers its imprint of Islamic rule.
The Spanish soundtrack includes Flamenco specially recorded in one of Granada's historic guitar workshops by singer Juan Panilla and guitarist Francisco Manuel Diaz, pieces by that great Andalusian Manuel Da Falla as well as fellow Spaniards Albeniz and Granados, and a song from the Algerian singer Souad Massi who wrote a whole album inspired by the Arab-Andalusian poets. The music melds with the sounds of Granada's fountains, cicadas and birdsong for this special edition of the programme as we transport you to Al-Andalus.
Producer: Georgia Mann. Recordings in Granada made by Robert Winter.
READINGS:
Epigraphic poem on the Basin of the Lions at the Alhambra
Epigraphic poem from the Hall of the Two Sisters at the Alhambra
Extract from a letter by Federico Garcia Lorca to Melchor Fernandez Almagro
Garcia Lorca -La Guitarra
Washington Irving - Tales of the Alhambra
Sameer Rahim - Asghar and Zahra
Garcia Lorca - Baladilla de los tres ríos
Ibn Sa’id al-Maghribi -The Battle
Victoria Hislop - The Return
Gerald Brenan - South of Granada
Abu J’far, Ahmad ibn Sa’id - The Procuress
Abd Allah ibn al-Simak - The Garden
Extract from a letter by Federico Garcia Lorca to Benjamin Palencia
Garcia Lorca - Arbolé, Arbolé
Théophile Gautier - The Last Sigh of the Moor
Garcia Lorca - Little Tales of the Wind
Epigraphic poem Comares' Gate at the Alhambra
Garcia Lorca - Holy Week in Granada
01
00:01:58 Lior Elmaleh (artist)
Invocacion Qamti be-Ishon-Layla (Canta de los Cantares. Inspirado en Cantar 3, 1 -4)
Performer: Lior Elmaleh
Duration 00:01:34
02
00:03:30
Anon
Epigraphic poem from The Alhambra, Poem on the basin of the Lions read by Khalid Abdallah
Duration 00:00:54
03
00:04:20 Manuel de Falla
Extract from Nights in the Gardens of Spain (i. En el Generalife)
Performer: Steven Osborne
Orchestra: BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Ludovic Morlot
Duration 00:03:18
04
00:06:17
Anon
Epigraphic poem from The Alhambra, Poem in the Hall of the Two Sisters read by Candela Gomez
Duration 00:00:58
05
00:07:30
Federico García Lorca
Extract from a letter to Melchor Fernandez Almagro, read by Candela Gomez
Duration 00:00:43
06
00:08:12 Francisco Tárrega
Recuerdos de la Alhambra for guitar
Performer: Andres Segovia (guitar)
Duration 00:05:15
07
00:09:02
Federico García Lorca
La Guitarra, read by Candela Gomez and Khalid Abdallah
Duration 00:01:04
08
00:13:41 Juan Panilla (voice), Francisco Manuel Diaz (guitar) (artist)
La Guitarra
Performer: Juan Panilla (voice), Francisco Manuel Diaz (guitar)
Duration 00:02:15
09
00:15:56
Washington Irving
Extract from Tales of the Alhambra, read by Candela Gomez
Duration 00:01:00
10
00:17:03 Isaac Albéniz
Suite espanola, Op. 47: Granada
Performer: Alicia de Larrocha
Duration 00:05:03
11
00:22:14
Sameer Rahim
Extract from Asghar and Zahra, read by Khalid Abdallah
Duration 00:00:59
12
00:23:14 Inçiraf Dil
Li Ayyi Sabab
Performer: Amina Alaoui (vocalist), Ahmed Piro Et Son Orchestre
Duration 00:02:59
13
00:26:27 Isaac Albéniz
Iberia - book 3 for piano, no.1; El Albaicin
Performer: Alicia de Larrocha
Duration 00:01:25
14
00:27:59
Federico Garcia Lorca
Baladilla de los tres ríos, read by Candela Gomez
Duration 00:01:35
15
00:30:27 Anon
Extract from Taqsim instrumental & Danza morisca
Performer: Moslem Rahal (ney), Waed Bouhassoun (oud), Driss El Maloumi (oud), Hakan Gungor (kanun), Yurdal Tokcan (oud), Haig Sarikouyoumdjian (duduk), Erez Shmuel Mounk (percussion), Jordi Savall (Director)
Duration 00:02:11
16
00:31:00
Ibn Sa:id al-Maghribi
The Battle, read by Khalid Abdallah
Duration 00:00:25
17
00:32:46
Victoria Hislop
Extract from The Return, read by Candela Gomez
Duration 00:00:53
18
00:33:12 Juan Panilla (voice), Francisco Manuel Diaz (guitar) (artist)
Unknown
Performer: Juan Panilla (voice), Francisco Manuel Diaz (guitar)
Duration 00:02:37
19
00:35:48 Manuel de Falla
El Sombrero de tres picos - suite no. 2, Dance of the miller (Farruca)
Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic
Conductor: Jesús López Cobos
Duration 00:02:41
20
00:38:30
Gerald Brenan
Extract from South of Granada, read by Khalid Abdallah
Duration 00:01:00
21
00:39:32 Manuel de Falla
Extract from Seven Popular Spanish Songs
Singer: Victoria de los Ángeles
Performer: Gonzalo Soriano
Duration 00:02:29
22
00:42:05
Abu J'far, Ahmad ibn Sa'id
The Procuress, read by Candela Gomez
Duration 00:01:00
23
00:43:11 Souad Massi
Saaiche
Performer: Souad Massi (voice)
Duration 00:03:37
24
00:47:03
Abd Allah ibn al-Simak
The Garden, read by Candela Gomez
Duration 00:00:49
25
00:47:56 Enrique Granados
Andaluza - Spanish Dance no.5
Performer: Judith Hall
Performer: Tim Walker
Duration 00:04:17
26
00:52:16
Federico Garcia Lorca
Extract from a letter to Benjamin Palencia, read by Khalid Abdallah
Duration 00:00:37
27
00:52:46 Pablo de Sarasate
Playera (Spanish Dance, Op. 23 No. 1)
Performer: Brodsky Quartet
Duration 00:04:48
28
00:53:21
Federico Garcia Lorca
Arbolé, Arbolé, read by Candela Gomez
Duration 00:01:15
29
00:57:34
Théophile Gautier
The Last Sigh of the Moor, read by Khalid Abdallah
Duration 00:02:15
30
00:59:53 Claude Debussy
Extract from Images, L. 118a: II. Iberia - Les parfums de la nuit
Orchestra: Orchestre national de France
Conductor: Emmanuel Krivine
Duration 00:06:06
31
01:06:09
Federico Garcia Lorca
Extract from Little Tales of the Wind, read by Candela Gomez
Duration 00:00:29
32
01:06:46
Anon
Epigraphic poem from The Alhambra, Poem on Comares: Gate, read by Khalid Abdallah
Duration 00:00:18
33
01:07:07 Juan García de Zéspedes
Ay que me abraso - guaracha
Ensemble: Hespèrion XXI
Choir: La Capella Reial de Catalunya
Conductor: Jordi Savall
Duration 00:03:27
34
01:10:39
Federico Garcia Lorca
Extract from Holy Week in Granada, read by Khalid Abdallah
Duration 00:01:11
35
01:11:52 Tomas Barrera/Rafael Calleja/Victoria de los Angeles
Adios Granada
Performer: Victoria de los Angeles (soprano)
Duration 00:02:07
WED 19:30 BBC Proms (m0012pxn)
Proms at Christmas 2021
George Lewis and Beethoven
From the 2021 BBC Proms: BBC SSO & Ilan Volkov with soprano Lucy Crowe. A new work, Minds in Flux, by George Lewis; and Beethoven's Symphony No 2 and concert aria ‘Ah! perfido’
Recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Kate Molleson
George Lewis: Minds in Flux
Interval
Kate Molleson talks to George Lewis about the forces that have influenced him as a composer and artist.
Part 2
Beethoven: Concert aria ‘Ah! perfido’
Beethoven: Symphony No 2
Lucy Crowe, soprano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ilan Volkov, conductor
Another chance to hear the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor Ilan Volkov pair Beethoven’s dramatic concert aria ‘Ah! perfido’ with the Second Symphony – a work whose vitality and ‘smiling’ mood belie the private struggles and despair of a composer wrestling with hearing loss. Plus a commission from celebrated American composer George Lewis. This recent work blends a conventional orchestra with spatialised electronics, exploiting the unique space of the Royal Albert Hall to create, in Lewis’s words, ‘a medium for meditation on what processes of decolonisation might sound like’.
WED 21:15 BBC Proms (m0012pxq)
Proms at Christmas 2021
BBC Concert Orchestra and James McVinnie
Another chance to hear the BBC Concert Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor Anna-Maria Helsing with organist James McVinnie at the 2021 BBC Proms in music by Rautavaara, Arvo Part, Philip Glass and ending with Samy Moussa's A Globe Itself Infolding.
Recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, London in September.
Presented by Georgia Mann
Rautavaara's expansive Cantus Arcticus pairs field recordings of bird song with live orchestra; exciting and inventive organ virtuoso James McVinnie plays Philip Glass's hypnotic Mad Rush for solo organ, and joins the BBC CO for Canadian composer Samy Moussa's 2014 piece A Globe in itself Infolding. The chill-out vibe runs through two short pieces by Johann Johannsson; and envelop yourself in the warm atmosphere of Judith Weir's Still, Glowing.
Rautavaara Cantus Arcticus Op.61 for orchestra & taped bird song
Judith Weir Still, Glowing
Philip Glass Mad Rush*
Arvo Pärt Festina Lente for string orchestra and harp
Johann Johannsson Good Night Day
Messiaen La Joie de la grâce from Livre du Saint Sacrement
Johann Johannsson A Sparrow Alighted on Our Shoulder
Samy Moussa A Globe Itself Infolding *
James McVinnie (organ)
BBC Concert Orchestra
Anna-Maria Helsing (conductor)
James McVinnie is a chameleon among organists who has held titles at Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral, yet also worked with Philip Glass and The National’s Bryce Dessner. In a Prom that explores the organ in a contemporary light, he navigates the time-warping oscillations of Philip Glass’s Minimalist Mad Rush, before giving the UK premiere of Samy Moussa’s A Globe Itself Infolding with the BBC Concert Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor Anna-Maria Helsing.
WED 22:45 The Essay (m0012pxs)
The Meaning of Ritual
Rituals of State
Rituals such as the State Opening of Parliament and royal weddings and funerals have survived the decline of ritual in other areas of life relatively unscathed. We take pride in their military precision and the way they showcase the UK to the world.
But, as the writer Madeleine Bunting asks in this Essay, do certain rituals also have a sinister side? In particular, do the annual Remembrance Day commemorations serve as much to assuage guilt and promote forgetting as to honour the dead?
This BBC Radio 3 series explores aspects of ritual throughout this week, including public and private Christmas rituals, and asks what the Covid pandemic has taught us about their significance.
The series producer is Kristine Pommert for CTVC.
WED 23:00 Night Tracks (m0012pxv)
Night music
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
THURSDAY 23 DECEMBER 2021
THU 00:30 Through the Night (m0012pxx)
The Sugar Plum and the King Rat
Juraj Valčuha conducts the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in the complete music to Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker. With Jonathan Swain.
12:31 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
The Nutcracker Op 71 (Ballet in 2 Acts)
RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Juraj Valcuha (conductor)
01:39 AM
Leo Delibes (1836-1891)
Sylvia, suite from the ballet
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oliver Dohnanyi (conductor)
01:57 AM
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Orpheus ballet in three scenes (1947)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink (conductor)
02:26 AM
Hugo Alfven (1872-1960)
Finale, from The Prodigal Son (ballet)
Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic, Kristjan Jarvi (conductor)
02:31 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828), Gustav Mahler (arranger)
String Quartet 'Death and the Maiden' , D.810, arranged Mahler
Sofia Soloists, Plamen Djurov (conductor)
03:11 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828), Franz Liszt (arranger)
Wandererfantasie, D760 arranged by Liszt (S.366)
Anton Dikov (piano), Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Alipi Naydenov (conductor)
03:34 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Sinfonia from Christmas Oratorio (BWV.248 Part 2)
Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Ketil Haugsand (conductor)
03:40 AM
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Overture to 'Les Vêpres siciliennes'
WDR Radio Orchestra, Rasmus Baumann (conductor)
03:49 AM
Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
Ave Maria
Chamber Choir AVE, Andraz Hauptman (conductor)
03:55 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Divertimento in D major, K136
Van Kuijk Quartet
04:07 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
The Swan of Tuonela (Lemminkainen suite Op.22
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Thomas Sondergard (conductor)
04:18 AM
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (c.1620-1680)
Sonata in D major for 3 violins and continuo
Il Giardino Armonico
04:25 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Overture, 'Le nozze di Figaro' K490
Danish Radio Chamber Orchestra, Adam Fischer (conductor)
04:31 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Eugene Onegin, Op 24 (Act 2: Introduction & waltz)
BBC Philharmonic, Vassily Sinaisky (conductor)
04:39 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Schicksalslied, Op 54
Warsaw Philharmonic Chorus, Henryk Wojnarowski (conductor), Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Antoni Wit (conductor)
04:57 AM
Christoph Gluck (1714-1787)
Dances of the Furies - ballet music from 'Orphee et Euridice'
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer (artistic director)
05:02 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Fantaisie-impromptu for piano in C sharp minor, Op 66
Dubravka Tomsic (piano)
05:08 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Violin Sonata in E flat major Op 12, No 3
Alexandra Soumm (violin), Julien Quentin (piano)
05:27 AM
Corona Schroter (1751-1802), Patrick Van Goethem (author)
Overture to Die Fischerin
Michael Freimuth (guitar), Gerald Hambitzer (pianoforte)
05:31 AM
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
La Creation du monde, ballet (Op.81a) (overture & 5 scenes)
Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bernhard Klee (conductor)
05:51 AM
Lars-Erik Larsson (1908-1986), Sigfrid Siwertz (lyricist)
De nakna tradens sanger, Op 7 (Songs of the Naked Trees)
Swedish Radio Choir, Gote Widlund (conductor)
06:06 AM
Pierre-Gabriel Buffardin (c.1690-1768)
Flute Concerto in E minor
Ernst-Burghard Hilse (flute), Berlin Academy for Early Music, Stephan Mai (director)
06:19 AM
Martin Wegelius (1846-1906)
Rondo quasi Fantasia
Margit Rahkonen (piano), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Petri Sakari (conductor)
THU 06:30 Breakfast (m0012rfx)
Thursday - Petroc's classical mix
Petroc Trelawny presents Radio 3's classical breakfast show, featuring listener requests.
Email 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk
THU 09:00 Essential Classics (m0012rfz)
Georgia Mann
Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites.
0915 Playlist starter – listen and send us your ideas for the next step in our musical journey today.
1010 Song of the Day – harnessing the magic of words, music and the human voice.
1030 Playlist reveal – a sequence of music suggested by you in response to our starter today.
1100 Essential Five – another musical gift, written as a present for a composer's friend.
1130 Slow Moment – time to take a break for a moment's musical reflection.
THU 12:00 Composer of the Week (m0012rg1)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
A Race to the Finish
Donald Macleod looks at Mozart’s last year, as the composer took on a monstrous workload.
Five years before Mozart’s premature death aged 35, the composer felt at the top of his game. He was performing regularly in Vienna and his music was beloved throughout the city. However, the Austro-Turkish War between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire would soon have a negative impact on Mozart’s prospects, along with changing musical taste in the Austrian capital. The nobility had more important things to do than hold concerts and commission new music. Money was in shorter supply. As a composer for hire, Mozart had to change tack and write chamber music for publication and for performance in middle class homes, rather than concertos for the nobility.
In this programme Donald Macleod looks at Mozart’s last year. Indebted, insecure, worried, but creatively fertile, Mozart was hustling for concert subscribers while fretting about finding the money to support his family. He essayed a new style of church music: unadorned, devotional, easily understood, with touching directness and simplicity. We also see Mozart meeting his older colleague, Joseph Haydn, for the final time, the senior composer presciently announcing to his friend that they would never meet again. Did Mozart feel the end coming? Does this explain his frantic urge to compose in his last 12 months?
Ave verum corpus, K. 618
Anna Maria Panzarella, soprano
Nathalie Stutzmann, contralto
Christoph Prégardien, tenor
Nathan Berg, bass-baritone
Les Arts Florissants Chorus
Les Arts Florissants
Williams Christie, conductor
Six German Dances, K. 600
No. 1 in C Major
No. 3 in B-Flat Major
No. 6 in D Major
Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Willi Boskovsky, conductor
Kyrie in D minor, K. 341
English Baroque Soloists
Monteverdi Choir
John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major, Op. 17, K. 595
I. Allegro
English Chamber Orchestra
Murray Perahia, piano, conductor
String Quintet No. 6 in E flat major, K. 614
I. Allegretto di molto
IV. Allegro
Hausmusik London
THU 13:00 Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert (m0000yw7)
Schubert Plus at Aldeburgh
Schubert, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky
The recent Radio 3 Big Chamber Weekend at Snape Maltings brought together current members of the Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme to celebrate the music of Schubert alongside works by other major composers. In this third concert violinist Aleksey Semenenko is joined by pianist Inna Firsova in Schubert’s Grand Duo for violin and piano, a relaxed and assured work by a 19-year-old truly finding his feet as a composer of instrumental music. Beethoven’s sonata, composed sixteen years earlier, is similarly genial, yet at the same time shot through with brilliance and wit. By contrast, Tchaikovsky’s Meditation is a melody of typically deep and Romantic soulfulness.
Introduced by Petroc Trelawny.
Beethoven: Violin Sonata in G, Op. 30 No. 3
Tchaikovsky: Méditation from Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42
Schubert: Grand Duo in A, D574
Aleksey Semenenko (violin)
Inna Firsova (piano)
Concert recorded in the Britten Studio, Snape, on 28 October 2018
THU 14:00 Afternoon Concert (m0012rg3)
Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake suite
Seasonal music from Tchaikovsky, Otto Nicolai and Josef Suk, as well as Vivaldi's Gloria and Haydn's 'Drumroll' Symphony.
A concert from Radio France's state-of-the-art studios in Paris pairs Tchaikovsky with Soviet composer Georgy Sviridov; music for strings by American composer Caroline Shaw teases the ear; and there's also room for much-loved works by Nicolai, Vivaldi and Haydn
Presented by Ian Skelly
2.00pm
Nicolai
Christmas Overture
BBC Concert Orchestra
Barry Wordsworth, conductor
Caroline Shaw
Entr’acte for strings
Calidore String Quartet
Suk
A Winter’s Tale
BBC Philharmonic
Vassily Sinaisky, conductor
3.00pm
Tchaikovsky
Sérénade mélancolique in B flat minor, op. 26
Sviridov
Snow is Falling, chamber cantata
Tchaikovsky
Suite from Swan Lake, op. 20a
Ji Yoon Park, violin
Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra
Mikko Franck, conductor
Vivaldi
Gloria in D, RV 589
Les Arts Florissants
Paul Agnew, conductor
Haydn
Symphony no.103 in E flat, ‘Drumroll’
BBC Philharmonic
Ben Gernon, conductor
THU 17:00 New Generation Artists (m0012rg5)
Winter Showcase: Timothy Ridout and the Consone Quartet
New Generation Artists Winter Showcase: Georgia Mann celebrates the prodigious musical talents of the current members of Radio 3's young artist scheme. In this second programme of the series, the period instruments of the Consone Quartet explore one of Mendelssohn's early works in a performance from Wigmore Hall. Also today, the viola player Timothy Ridout teams up with the pianist Eric Lu in the BBC studios for a noble account of Schubert's evergreen 'Arpeggione' sonata and the fresh-voiced soprano Katharina Konradi sings Schubert at the Schubertiade Hohenems in Austria.
Schubert: An die Nachtigall, D 497
Katharina Konradi (soprano), Daniel Heide (piano)
Schubert: Sonata in A minor D.821 'Arpeggione'
Timothy Ridout (viola), Eric Lu (piano)
Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E flat
Consone Quartet
Schubert: An mein Herz (Schulze), D. 860
Schubert: Strophe aus 'Die Götter Griechenlands' (Schiller), D.677
Schubert: Der Traum (Hölty), D. 213
Schubert: Die junge Nonne (Craigher), D. 828
Katharina Konradi (soprano), Eric Schneider (piano)
Rebecca Clarke: Allegretto for viola
Timothy Ridout (viola), James Baillieu (piano)
Established two decades ago, Radio 3's New Generation Artists scheme is acknowledged internationally as the foremost programme of its kind. It exists to offer a platform for artists at the beginning of their international careers; each year six musicians join the scheme for two years, during which time they appear at the UK's major music festivals and venues, enjoy dates with the BBC orchestras and have the opportunity to record in the BBC studios. The artists are also encouraged to form artistic partnerships with one another and to explore a wide range of repertoire, not least the work of contemporary, women and diverse composers. Not surprisingly, the list of alumni reads like a Who’s Who of the most exciting musicians of the past two decades.
THU 18:15 Words and Music (b08vy8d3)
Canada: From Sea to Sea to Sea
William Hope and Jane Perry with readings that reflect how Canada has been shaped by the arrival of settlers from all parts of the world through the ages. The writers featured include Margaret Atwood, Wayne Keon, Alice Munro, Émile Nelligan and Rita Joe and the music includes the sound of ice, an old Toronto Klezmer suite, Buffy St Marie singing about Now That the Buffalo's Gone and the work of composers including Violet Archer, Marjan Mozetich, John Greer, Joni Mitchell and Talivaldis Kenins.
A Mari usque ad Mare – From Sea to Sea – is the official motto of Canada, but in recent years it has been suggested that this should be changed to From Sea to Sea to Sea to reflect the significance of its Arctic as well as Pacific and Atlantic regions. Just over a thousand years ago, the Inuit arrived in Canada’s Arctic regions having moved eastwards from Siberia via Alaska. In Inuit mythology, Sedna is the goddess of the sea. We hear an excerpt from Derek Charke’s Tundra Songs, while Tanya Tagaq tells the tale of Sedna’s creation. Charke travelled to Iqaluit, capital of Nunavut, in 2007 and recorded sounds of the ice creaking and the region’s wildlife which he then incorporated into the piece.
Shanawdithit was the last known living member of the Beothuk people of Newfoundland. Born in 1801, she died of tuberculosis in 1829 after spending some time living in the household of a Scottish emigrant - Joan Crate imagines the last months of Shanawdithit's life.
The majority of those seeking a new life in Canada will put their feet on Canadian soil for the first time at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The airport code is YYZ which is also the title of an instrumental piece by Canadian prog rock trio Rush. The opening motif repeats the airport’s code in Morse: -.--/-.--/--.. While Joni Mitchell’s song Chinese Café/Unchained Melody is a nostalgic look back at her teenage years in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Producer: Torquil MacLeod
READINGS
Margaret Atwood Death of a Young Son by Drowning
Alootook Ipellie How Noisy They Seem
Joan Crate Shawnadithit (Last of the Beothuks)
Emile Nelligan (Marc di Saverio - translator) The Golden Ship
Alice Munro The View From Castle Rock
Michael Ondaatje Wells
Elizabeth Bishop The Moose
Billy Collins Canada
Thomas King Coyote Goes To Toronto
Wayne Keon I'm Not In Charge Of This Ritual
Rita Joe I Lost My Talk
Margaret Noori N'gii Zhibiiamaag Niijaanisag Chigamigong
6:15 PM
Talivaldis Kenins
Partita for Strings on Lutheran Chorales (1983)
Performer: I Musici De Montréal, Yuli Turovsky (Conductor).
CBC SMCD5131. Tr1.
Margaret Atwood
Death of a Young Son by Drowning, read by Jane Perry
6:19 PM
Derek Charke
Tundra Songs
Performer: Kronos Quartet, Tanya Tagaq.
CMC CMCCD21015. Tr6.
Alootook Ipellie
How Noisy They Seem, read by William Hope
6:28 PM
Marjan Mozetich
Songs of Nymphs - III. Ritual
Performer: Erica Goodman (harp).
BIS CD649BIS. Tr3.
Joan Crate
Shawnadithit (Last of the Beothuks), read by Jane Perry
6:33 PM
Malcolm Forsyth
Songs from the Q'Appelle Valley - The Bride's Farewell
Performer: The Hannaford Street Silver Band, Stephen Chenette (Conductor).
CBC SMCD5136. Tr3.
Emile Nelligan (Marc di Saverio - translator)
The Golden Ship, read by William Hope
6:39 PM
John Greer
Studies and Rambles of Wasagewanoqua - From Sault Ste. Marie en Bateau!
Performer: Caroline Schiller (soprano), Kristina Szutor (piano).
CENTREDISQUES CMCCD20214. Tr15.
Alice Munro
from The View From Castle Rock, read by Jane Perry
6:44 PM
Geddy Lee, Neil Peart
YYZ
Performer: Rush.
Mercury ?800 048-2. Tr3.
Michael Ondaatje
Wells, read by William Hope
6:47 PM
Srul Irving Glick
The Old Toronto Klesmer Suite
Performer: Angèle Dubeau (violin), La Pietà.
ANALEKTA ANS10. Tr1.
Elizabeth Bishop
from The Moose, read by Jane Perry
6:52 PM
Benjamin Britten
Canadian Carnival, Op.19
Performer: Radio Symphonie Orchester Berlin, Peter Gülke (Conductor).
KOCH 310342. Tr3.
Billy Collins
Canada, read by William Hope
7:08 PM
Joni Mitchell, Alex North, Hy Zaret
Chinese Café/Unchained Melody
Performer: Joni Mitchell.
Nonesuch ?79817-2. CD2 Tr6.
Thomas King
Coyote Goes To Toronto, read by Jane Perry
7:15 PM
Violet Archer
Sinfonietta
Performer: CBC Vancouver Chamber Orchestra, John Avison (Conductor).
CMC CMCCD8502. CD2 Tr3.
Wayne Keon
I'm Not In Charge Of This Ritual, read by William Hope
7:22 PM
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Now That The Buffalo's Gone
Performer: Buffy Sainte-Marie, Art Davis (Bass).
Vanguard ?VMD 79142. Tr1.
Rita Joe
I Lost My Talk, read by Jane Perry
Margaret Noori
N'gii Zhibiiamaag Niijaanisag Chigamigong, read by William Hope
7:26 PM
Alexina Louie
Changes
Performer: Louise Bessette.
CBC MVCD1064. Tr11.
THU 19:30 BBC Proms (m0012rg8)
2021
Semyon Bychkov conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra
Another chance to hear the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Semyon Bychkov, at the 2021 BBC Proms performing Mendelssohn's 'Scottish' Symphony and Schumann's Piano Concerto with soloist Kirill Gerstein.
Presented by Ian Skelly
Ludwig van Beethoven: Overture ‘Coriolan’
Robert Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor
INTERVAL: Ian Skelly takes an oblique view of the music in tonight's programme.
Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 3 in A minor, 'Scottish' (40 mins)
Kirill Gerstein (piano)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Semyon Bychkov (conductor)
Russian-American pianist Kirill Gerstein returns to the BBC Proms following his thrilling 2017 performance of Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto, rekindling his partnership with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the holder of the orchestra’s Günter Wand Conducting Chair, Semyon Bychkov.
THU 21:30 BBC Proms (m0012rgb)
2021
Organ Recital
From the BBC Proms 2021: celebrated organist Peter Holder pays tribute to centenary composer Saint-Saëns with his Fantaisie No 1 in E flat major.
Presented by Georgia Mann, from the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Meyerbeer, transcr. W. T. Best Le prophète - Coronation March
Bach Fantasia & Fugue in C minor, BWV 537
Widor Symphony No. 5 - Allegro vivace (1st movt)
Saint-Saens Fantaisie No. 1 in E flat major
Liszt Fantasy & Fugue on ‘Ad nos, ad salutarem undam’
Peter Holder, organ
Peter Holder pays tribute to centenary composer Saint-Saëns in a programme that recreates elements of the composer’s legendary performances on the Royal Albert Hall organ in the opening season of 1871 and in 1880. His wide-ranging programme includes Liszt’s largest organ work, written for the ‘piano melodium’ (an organ–piano hybrid), and the opening movement from the most celebrated of French master Widor’s ten symphonies for organ.
THU 22:45 The Essay (m0012rgd)
The Meaning of Ritual
Rituals and the Life Cycle
Rituals marking key life events, such as births and deaths, are probably among the oldest we know. Yet, says the writer Madeleine Bunting, during her own lifetime some of these rituals have changed enormously, becoming far more individualistic than they used to be. Others – in particular, those marking the transition to adulthood such as confirmation or bar mitzvah – are now only observed by a small minority and have not been widely replaced.
Taking in a West African perspective, Madeleine welcomes the demise of certain rituals – yet, she asks, does it mean that communities have also lost something precious?
This BBC Radio 3 series explores aspects of ritual throughout this week, including public and private Christmas rituals, and asks what the Covid pandemic has taught us about their significance.
The series producer is Kristine Pommert for CTVC.
THU 23:00 The Night Tracks Mix (m0012rgg)
Music for the evening
Sara Mohr-Pietsch with a magical sonic journey for late-night listening. Subscribe to receive your weekly mix on BBC Sounds.
THU 23:30 Unclassified (m0012rgj)
Christmas, Unclassified
Elizabeth Alker explores and deconstructs the sonic palette of Christmas, making a fantasy winter ensemble out of a new generation of unclassifiable composers.
Expect haunting organs from Scottish composer, Claire M Singer; chimes and bells from German techno producer, Pantha Du Prince; the cockles-warming hum of tape hiss, and frigid fingers on guitar strings, courtesy of Jessica Pratt; and the arresting, stark sound of voices filling a cold and cavernous room, with Voces8’s reimagining of an Icelandic hymn. Merry Christmas, Unclassified style.
Produced by Frank Palmer
A Reduced Listening Production for Radio 3
FRIDAY 24 DECEMBER 2021
FRI 00:30 Through the Night (m0012rgl)
Christmas Symphonies by Ivan Nebesnyi and Myroslav Skoryk
Two masters of contemporary Ukrainian classical music created splendid symphonic interpretations of the most beloved carols – koliadkas and schedrivkas, where the melodies and expression of Ukrainian music tradition are combined with the heritage of European classical music. Jonathan Swain presents.
12:31 AM
Ivan Nebesnyi (b.1971)
Christmas Symphonies
National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Volodymyr Sirenko (conductor)
01:07 AM
Myroslav Skoryk (1938-2020)
Symphony of Carols
National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Volodymyr Sirenko (conductor)
01:45 AM
Andrew Ford (b.1957)
Wassails and Lullabies
Anne Cooke (soprano), Matthew Baker (bass), Ian Cleworth (percussion), Rebecca Lagos (percussion), Brian Nixon (percussion), Sydney Philharmonia Motet Choir, Antony Walker (conductor)
02:04 AM
Traditional
Three Carols
Brass Consort Koln
02:13 AM
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis for double string orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Davis (conductor)
02:31 AM
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
Piano Trio No.4 in E Minor, Op.90 'Dumky'
Beaux Arts Trio
03:05 AM
Heikki Suolahti (1920-1936)
Sinfonia Piccola (1935)
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Kari Tikka (conductor)
03:26 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Kallion kirkon kellosavelma (The Bells of Kallio Church) (Op.56b)
Finnish Radio Chamber Choir, Eric-Olof Soderstrom (conductor)
03:29 AM
Charles Gounod (1818-1893),Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Meditation sur le premier prelude de Bach (Ave Maria)
Kyung-Ok Park (cello), Myung-Ja Kwun (harp)
03:35 AM
Peter Cornelius, Ivor Atkins (arranger)
Three Kings
Russell Braun (baritone), Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir, John Rutter (conductor)
03:37 AM
Traditional German, John Rutter (arranger)
Still, still, still
Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir, John Rutter (conductor)
03:39 AM
Traditional,Anonymous
Traditional: El noi de la Mare (instr) & Anon: Ons is gheboren een uutvercoren
Zefiro Torna
03:45 AM
Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921)
Dream Scene from "Hansel und Gretel"
Engelbert Humperdinck (piano)
03:53 AM
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Wie nahte mir der Schlummer...Leise, leise – from Act II of Der Freischütz
Charlotte Margiono (soprano), Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Kenneth Montgomery (conductor)
04:02 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), Markus Theinert (arranger)
The Nutcracker Suite, op 71a
Brass Consort Koln
04:10 AM
Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
Sir Roger de Coverley - Christmas dance vers. string orchestra
BBC Concert Orchestra, David Hill (conductor)
04:15 AM
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
Keyboard Sonata in D minor no 9 L.412
Dejan Lazic (piano)
04:19 AM
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Trio des Ismaelites from L'enfance du Christ
Nora Shulman (flute), Virginia Markson (flute), Judy Loman (harp)
04:26 AM
Michael Praetorius (1571-1621)
In dulci jubilo
Paul Hoxbro (recorder), Fionian Chamber Choir, Alice Granum (director), Unknown (tabor)
04:31 AM
Traditional English, Victor Davies (arranger)
The Holly and the Ivy
Elmer Iseler Singers, Gianetta Baril (harp), Elmer Iseler Singers (conductor)
04:34 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Symphony No 5 in B flat major K 22
Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra, Ernest Bour (conductor)
04:42 AM
Jeno Hubay (1858-1937)
Preghiera for violin and piano
Ferenc Szecsodi (violin), Istvan Kassai (piano)
04:47 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Bassoon Concerto in E minor RV 484
Aleksander Radosavljevic (bassoon), RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Gunter Pichler (conductor)
04:58 AM
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725)
Oh di Betlemme altera poverta for soprano and orchestra
Mona Julsrud (soprano), Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Roy Goodman (conductor)
05:16 AM
Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936)
Lyric poem in D flat major, Op 12
West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Verbitsky (conductor)
05:27 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Piano Concerto no 2 in D minor, Op 40
Victor Sangiorgio (piano), West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Verbitsky (conductor)
05:52 AM
Peter Warlock (1894-1930)
Bethlehem Down vers. chorus
BBC Singers, BBC Concert Orchestra, David Hill (conductor)
05:57 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Piano Sonata No 32 in C minor, Op 111
Kotaro Fukuma (piano)
06:25 AM
Carlos Salzedo (1885-1961)
Concert Variations on "O Tannenbaum"
Judy Loman (harp)
FRI 06:30 Breakfast (m0012qzh)
Friday - Petroc's classical rise and shine
Petroc Trelawny presents Radio 3's classical breakfast show, featuring listener requests and the Friday poem.
Email 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk
FRI 09:00 Essential Classics (m0012qzk)
Georgia Mann
Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with familiar favourites alongside new discoveries and musical surprises.
0915 Playlist starter – listen and send us your ideas for the next step in our musical journey today.
1010 Song of the Day – harnessing the magic of words, music and the human voice.
1030 Playlist reveal – a sequence of music suggested by you in response to our starter today.
1100 Essential Five – our last pick of a piece given as a gift by its composer.
1130 Slow Moment – time to take a break for a moment's musical reflection.
FRI 12:00 Composer of the Week (m0012qzm)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
The Mystery of the Requiem
Donald Macleod looks at the surviving glimpses of Mozart’s last months and their furious creative intensity.
Five years before Mozart’s premature death aged 35, the composer felt at the top of his game. He was performing regularly in Vienna and his music was beloved throughout the city. However, the Austro-Turkish War between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire would soon have a negative impact on Mozart’s prospects, along with changing musical taste in the Austrian capital. The nobility had more important things to do than hold concerts and commission new music. Money was in shorter supply. As a composer for hire, Mozart had to change tack and write chamber music for publication and for performance in middle class homes, rather than concertos for the nobility.
The sheer concentration of Mozart’s creative efforts during his final year is hard to convey. From contemporary accounts we see a man consumed by his work. He never stopped composing, even in the midst of a game of billiards. He produced two ground-breaking operas during these months, finishing one in just 18 days. Mozart also wrote some of his most beloved music during this time, including the opera La Clemenza di Tito and his Clarinet Concerto. Plus, he received a commission for a new Requiem that remained shrouded in mystery until as recently as 1964.
Fantasia in F minor for mechanical organ, K. 608 (arr. for wind quintet)
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet
La Clemenza di Tito, K. 621 (Act I: Quintetto con poro)
Anne Sofie von Otter (Sextus)
Catherine Robbin (Annius)
Sylvia McNair (Servilia)
Cornelius Hauptmann (Publio)
Júlia Várady (Vitellia)
Monteverdi Choir
English Baroque Soloists
John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
Michael Collins, clarinet
Russian National Orchestra
Mikhail Pletnev, conductor
Requiem in D minor, K. 626 (completed by F.X. Sussmayr) (Introit: Requiem aeternam; Kyrie eleison; Offertory: I)
Miriam Allan, soprano
Anne Buter, mezzo-soprano
Marcus Ullmann,
Martin Snell, tenor
Gewandhaus Chamber Choir
Leipzig Chamber Orchestra
Morten Schuldt-Jensen, conductor
FRI 13:00 Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert (m0000yzn)
Schubert Plus at Aldeburgh
Schubert and Mahler
The recent Radio 3 Big Chamber Weekend at Snape Maltings brought together current members of the Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme to celebrate the music of Schubert alongside works by other major composers. In this final concert the Amatis Piano Trio and viola-player Eivind Ringstad perform the single movement that survives from the youthful Mahler's unfinished Piano Quartet, and are joined by double bass player Adam Wynter in one of the most popular of all Schubert's chamber works, the delightfully evergreen 'Trout' Quintet.
Introduced by Petroc Trelawny.
Mahler: Piano Quartet in A minor
Schubert: Piano Quintet in A, D667 (Trout)
Amatis Piano Trio
Eivind Ringstad (viola)
Adam Wynter (double bass)
Concert recorded in the Britten Studio, Snape, on 28 October 2018
FRI 14:00 Afternoon Concert (m0012qzp)
Cologne's WDR Big Band Wishes a Jazzy Christmas for Everybody
An enticing festive cocktail of Christmassy jazz and Haydn from Germany as well as seasonal Tchaikovsky from Manchester and a deep, deep glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster.
Your Christmas Eve afternoon brings 'Winter Daydreams' from Tchaikovsky, the 'Miracle' that is the last in this week's series of Haydn symphonies, and a deep dive in cold, dark water to see if we can spot a legendary beast. All this, plus swinging festive hits coming one after another, courtesy of the WDR Big Band from Cologne.
Presented by Ian Skelly
2.00pm
Thea Musgrave
Loch Ness – A postcard from Scotland
Ben Thomson, tuba
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Donald Runnicles, conductor
Tchaikovsky
Symphony no.1 in G minor ‘Winter Daydreams’
BBC Philharmonic
Vassily Sinaisky, conductor
3.00pm
The WDR Big Band Wishes a "Jazzy Christmas for Everybody"
Toe-tapping jazzy arrangements of festive Christmas favourites including ‘Let it snow’, ‘It’s the most beautiful time of the year’ and ‘Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer’
WDR Big Band Cologne
Ansgar Striepens, conductor
Haydn
Symphony no.96 in D ‘Miracle’
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Zubin Mehta, conductor
FRI 16:30 The Listening Service (m000cm52)
Parapapampam
The office party... unwelcome relatives... indigestion... alcoholic overindulgence... hideous decorations... Among all the inevitable woes that accompany the festive season, yuletide music is surely one of the most annoying and pervasive. But what are its origins, its essential ingredients and intrinsic worth? And has the commercial always been a major element of most Christmas music? On a mission to find out, Tom Service has been listening to a lot of it, so you don't have to. Including contributions from Judith Flanders, author of 'Christmas: a Biography' and some of those whose perennial Christmas hits invariably provide the season's soundtrack.
David Papp (producer)
FRI 17:00 New Generation Artists (m0012qzr)
Winter Showcase: Maria Dueñas and William Thomas
New Generation Artists Winter Showcase: Georgia Mann introduces today some of the latest musical talents to join Radio 3's young artist scheme including the sensational 19-year-old Spanish violinist María Dueñas, recorded a few days ago playing Franck's romantic sonata and the sonorous voice of the bass, William Thomas singing Tchaikovsky. Also featured today is Rob Luft's moving tribute to the free improv guitarist Derek Bailey and the soprano Katharina Konradi in two exquisite rarities by Schubert.
John Parry: The Flying Dutchman
William Thomas (bass), Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Rob Luft: Suite for Derek Bailey
Rob Luft Quintet and the Amika String Quartet
Tchaikovsky: The mid stars shone
Tchaikovsky: Does the day reign
Tchaikovsky: Don Juan’s serenade
Tchaikovsky: I bless you forests
William Thomas (bass), Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Franck: Violin Sonata in A major
Maria Dueñas (violin), Evgeny Sinaiski (piano)
Schubert: Florio's scene from 'Lacrimas, D. 857/2
Schubert: Delphine's scene from 'Lacrimas, D. 857/1
Katharina Konradi (soprano), Eric Schneider (piano)
Ireland: The Holy Boy
Timothy Ridout )viola), James Baillieu (piano)
Rodrigo: Pastorcito Santo (3 Villancicos no.1)
Alessandro Fisher (tenor), Thibaut Garcia (guitar)
Established two decades ago, Radio 3's New Generation Artists scheme is acknowledged internationally as the foremost programme of its kind. It exists to offer a platform for artists at the beginning of their international careers; each year six musicians join the scheme for two years, during which time they appear at the UK's major music festivals and venues, enjoy dates with the BBC orchestras and have the opportunity to record in the BBC studios. Not surprisingly, the list of alumni reads like a Who’s Who of the most exciting musicians of the past two decades.
FRI 18:15 Words and Music (m0012qzt)
Seven Ages of Christmas
Readers Nina Sosanya and Robert Webb delve into a Christmas stocking of poetry and prose covering all ages. According to popular song, Christmas is "the most wonderful time of the year", but whether or not you agree might depend on your age. Taking our cue from Shakespeare's Seven Ages of Man, Words and Music explores the varying attitudes to Christmas for different age groups - from the baby in a manger to wide-eyed, Santa-obsessed youngsters; blasé teenagers to relationship-stymied 20 and 30 somethings; life-weary parents to grumpy old men and women. We hear from Jane Austen's Emma and Mr Knightly's reluctance to leave his fireside on Christmas Eve to visit friends, a cash-strapped teenage Adrian Mole, singletons Queenie and Bridget Jones, 11-year-old Anne of Green Gables overcome with wonder at her Christmas dress, eight-year-old Kevin, who finds himself unexpectedly Home Alone for Christmas, fastidious planner and cooking guide for so many of us Delia Smith, T.S. Eliot's Magi, and the ultimate Christmas humbug, Ebenezer Scrooge himself.
The musical soundtrack is packed with seasonal favourites, with carols ranging from a mediaeval lullaby through to Florence Price, Sally Beamish and John Rutter, and popular songs from Louis Armstrong and Mariah Carey. And as it’s Christmas Eve, there’s music especially written for this magical night by Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker); Corelli (Christmas Concerto); and Puccini (La Boheme).
From the contemplative and spiritual to raucous party fun, whatever your view of Christmas, there will be something that chimes with your festive outlook.
Producer: Graham Rogers
01 Alfred Burt
Star Carol
Performer: Simon & Garfunkel
Duration 00:01:13
02
00:01:10
Sarah Teasdale
Christmas Carol, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:00:55
03
00:02:06 Anon.
Coventry Carol
Choir: Tallis Scholars
Conductor: Peter Phillips
Duration 00:01:25
04
00:03:28
Nicholas Moore
On Christmas Eve, read by Robert Webb
Duration 00:00:45
05
00:03:56 Trad.
Away in a manger
Music Arranger: Graham Fitkin
Performer: Ruth Wall
Duration 00:01:45
06
00:05:07
Esther Freud
Hideous Kinky, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:01:58
07
00:07:13 Trad.
Zither Carol
Performer: David Rees-Williams Trio
Duration 00:01:50
08
00:09:07
John Irving
A Prayer for Owen Meaney, read by Robert Webb
Duration 00:01:09
09
00:10:16 Gustav Holst
In the bleak midwinter
Performer: Sheku Kanneh-Mason
Performer: Isata Kanneh-Mason
Duration 00:01:09
10
00:11:07
Alice Beer
December 24th
Duration 00:00:23
11
00:11:30 Franz Xaver Gruber
Stille Nacht
Choir: Taverner Choir
Conductor: Andrew Parrott
Duration 00:02:02
12
00:13:29
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:01:53
13
00:15:09 John Williams
Home Alone (Main title)
Conductor: John Williams
Duration 00:03:16
14
00:18:09
Todd Strasser (based on screenplay by John Hughes)
Home Alone, read by Robert Webb
Duration 00:01:57
15
00:20:08 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Trepak (The Nutcracker)
Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle
Duration 00:01:06
16
00:21:15 Gerald Finzi
The Salutation (Dies Natalis)
Performer: Amy Dickson
Orchestra: Aurora Orchestra
Conductor: Nicholas Collon
Duration 00:04:15
17
00:25:28
Marion Strobel
On Christmas, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:00:34
18
00:26:03 Sally Beamish
In the stillness
Choir: ORA
Conductor: Suzi Digby
Duration 00:02:01
19
00:28:03 Wheatus (artist)
Teenage Dirtbag
Performer: Wheatus
Duration 00:01:05
20
00:29:03
Sue Townsend
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾, read by Robert Webb
Duration 00:01:38
21
00:30:41 Johann Sebastian Bach
In dulci jubilo BWV751
Performer: Wilhelm Kempff
Duration 00:01:50
22
00:30:54
Sharyn November
Christmas, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:01:36
23
00:32:35 Florence Price
Song for Snow
Choir: VocalEssence
Conductor: Philip Brunelle
Duration 00:01:55
24
00:34:30 Chilly Gonzales (artist)
All I want for Christmas is you
Performer: Chilly Gonzales
Duration 00:00:57
25
00:35:06
Candice Carty-Williams
Queenie, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:01:50
26
00:36:59 The King's Men (artist)
All I want for Christmas is you
Performer: The King's Men
Duration 00:01:41
27
00:35:06
Candice Carty-Williams
Queenie, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:01:50
28
00:36:59 The King's Men (artist)
All I want for Christmas is you
Performer: The King's Men
Duration 00:01:41
29
00:38:34
Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones's Diary, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:01:56
30
00:40:28 Giacomo Puccini
La Boheme Act 2 (conclusion)
Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra
Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano
Duration 00:03:28
31
00:43:51
Jane Austen
Emma, read by Robert Webb
Duration 00:01:50
32
00:45:42 Arcangelo Corelli
Concerto Grosso in G minor Op.6 No.8 Christmas night 6th mvt
Performer: Amandine Beyer
Ensemble: Gli Incogniti
Duration 00:03:18
33
00:40:03
Shona Kerr-Hill
Christmas Shopping, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:00:32
34
00:49:36 Johnny Hawksworth
Ready to Serve (Delia Smith's Cookery Course)
Performer: Johnny Hawksworth
Duration 00:01:00
35
00:49:44
Delia Smith
Delia Smith's Christmas, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:00:58
36
00:50:45 John Rutter
Shepherds Pipe Carol
Choir: The Cambridge Singers
Ensemble: City of London Sinfonia
Conductor: John Rutter
Duration 00:02:26
37
00:00:53
Judith Holder
The Secret Diary of a Grumpy Old Woman, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:01:06
38
00:54:10 Trad.
Deck the Halls
Music Arranger: Craig Leon
Orchestra: London Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Christopher Warren‐Green
Duration 00:01:45
39
00:54:25
Pam Ayres
Goodwill To Men - Give Us Your Money, read by Robert Webb
Duration 00:01:22
40
00:55:53 Träd
God rest you merry gentlemen
Performer: Aimee Mann
Duration 00:01:10
41
00:56:56
Agatha Christie
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, read by Robert Webb
Duration 00:01:46
42
00:58:40 Victor Hely-Hutchinson
Carol Symphony 3rd mvt
Orchestra: Pro Arte Orchestra
Conductor: Barry Rose
Duration 00:03:31
43
01:02:08
Elizabeth Strout
Oh William!, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:00:56
44
01:03:03 Peter Cornelius
Three Kings
Choir: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Duration 00:02:22
45
01:05:25
T.S. Eliot
Journey of the Magi, read by Nina Sosanya
Duration 00:02:12
46
01:07:37 Felix Bernard
Winter Wonderland
Singer: Louis Armstrong
Orchestra: Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra
Duration 00:01:13
47
01:08:43
Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol, read by Robert Webb
Duration 00:01:59
48
01:10:45 Lowell Mason
Joy to the World
Performer: Ella Fitzgerald
Duration 00:00:12
49
01:10:56 Lowell Mason
Joy to the World
Music Arranger: Bill Meyers
Performer: Earth, Wind & Fire
Duration 00:01:55
FRI 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m0012qzw)
On Christmas Night
To mark the 21st anniversary of the reintroduction of the role of Royal Harpist, HRH The Prince of Wales joins Ian Skelly to introduce a special performance of Benjamin Britten’s popular collection of carols for harp and voices, A Ceremony of Carols. The sopranos and altos of the BBC Singers are joined by Catrin Finch, who in 2000 was the first holder of the title Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales – a role that had not previously been filled since the reign of Queen Victoria.
Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony of Carols
Benjamin Britten: A New Year Carol
Sopranos and Altos of the BBC Singers
Catrin Finch – harp
Grace Rossiter - conductor
In the second half of the programme, the BBC Singers celebrate the 60th anniversary of the publication of 'Carols for Choirs', the iconic anthology of Christmas carols published by Oxford University Press that has gone on to sell over a million copies worldwide. The BBC Singers also look ahead to the publication of 'Carols for Choirs 6' in 2023 with carols from the new volume by Britney Boykin and Reena Esmail.
Polish carol, arr. David Willcocks: Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
English traditional, arr. Elizabeth Poston: The Boar’s Head Carol
Hungarian traditional, arr. Zoltán Kodály: A Christmas Carol
English traditional, arr. David Willcocks: Blessed be that maid Mary
Arnold Cooke: O men from the fields
Hector Berlioz: The Shepherd's farewell
Brittney Boykin: Coventry Carol
Reena Esmail: The unexpected early hour
John Francis Wade, arr. David Willcocks: O come, all ye faithful
BBC Singers
Embassy Brass
Francesca Massey and Ashley Grote - organists
Bob Chilcott and Sir Stephen Cleobury - conductors
FRI 20:40 BBC Proms (m0012r00)
Proms at Christmas 2021
John Wilson conducts the Sinfonia of London
From the 2021 BBC Proms: Another chance to hear John Wilson conduct the Sinfonia of London in Strauss's Die Fledermaus Overture and Korngold's Symphony. Francesca Chiejina joins them for Berg's Seven Songs.
From the Royal Albert Hall, London
Presented by Petroc Trelawny.
Johann Strauss II: Die Fledermaus – overture
Alban Berg: Seven Early Songs
Maurice Ravel: La valse
INTERVAL: Petroc Trelawny talks to Gavin Plumley about Korngold and his world.
Erich Korngold: Symphony in F sharp
Francesca Chiejina, (soprano)
Sinfonia of London, John Wilson (conductor)
Another chance to hear The Sinfonia of London make its much-anticipated official concert debut under John Wilson, who re-established the ensemble in 2018. Following on from their award-winning recording, this orchestral ‘army of generals’ brings with it Korngold’s stirring, filmic Symphony in F sharp. It’s part of a musical bird’s-eye view of 19th- and 20th-century Vienna that also includes the overture to Die Fledermaus and Ravel’s dizzying La valse.
FRI 22:45 The Essay (m0012r02)
The Meaning of Ritual
The Reinvention of Ritual
In her final Essay, the writer Madeleine Bunting explores the work of the Korean-born philosopher Byung Chul-Han, who passionately argues that the decline of traditional ritual has potentially disastrous consequences. Ritual, he believes, creates a sense of belonging.
The rituals of Christmas make this very obvious: it is a time when even hardened sceptics feel able to enjoy traditions again, from the familiar pattern of Nine Lessons and Carols to family rituals around what you eat and when, or in what order you unwrap your presents. So, asks Madeleine, is it time we gave up on scornful attitudes towards ritual and started valuing it again?
This BBC Radio 3 series explores aspects of ritual throughout this week, taking in public and private Christmas rituals and asking what the Covid pandemic has taught us about their significance.
The series producer is Kristine Pommert for CTVC.
FRI 23:00 Late Junction (m0012r04)
A Christmas Eve session
What’re you doing Christmas Eve? After you’ve hung your stocking, cosy up and join Verity Sharp for a special improvised Late Junction collaboration session at Maida Vale with composer Mira Calix, cellist Mabe Fratti and the vocal ensemble Shards. Taking inspiration from Santa Claus himself, we’re delivering sonic gifts directly to your door with our festive gathering of nine musicians coming together in sound. Now, all we want for Christmas is you.
Mira Calix is an award-winning artist and composer who treats sound as a sculptural material, playing with sampling and processing techniques as well as field recordings and electronic rhythms. An established and esteemed sonic experimenter since the early 2000s, Calix creates sound installations and artworks for cultural institutions worldwide as well as scores for classical orchestration and collaborative projects. Her latest album ‘Absent Origin’, out on Warp last month, is an experiment in musical collage making and explores themes of political unrest.
Mabe Fratti is an experimental cellist and composer from Guatemala, currently living in Mexico City. A key part of the improvisation scene in Mexico, she combines her cello with her voice, synthesizers and field recordings to create emotive collages and soundscapes. Her music reflects her varied influences from Gregorian chants and Sephardi music to shoegaze and dream pop. Her latest album, ‘Será Que Ahora Podremos Entendernos?’ translates to ‘Will We be Able to Understand Each Other Now?’, and reflects on themes of communication, collaboration and understanding.
Shards is a London-based experimental vocal ensemble led by singer, composer and producer Kieran Brunt. Each singer in Shards brings something different to their collective sound, with the only necessity being an open mind for experimentation. They have collaborated with the likes of Terry Riley, Anna von Hausswolff and Nils Frahm, and for this collaboration will be an ensemble of seven. Their debut album Find Sound combined their voices with synths and percussion, creating miniature sonic paintings that explore the human voice.
Elsewhere in the show, Verity shares some wonky festive sounds and explores Christmas Eve traditions from around the world through sound.
Produced by Katie Callin
A Reduced Listening Production for BBC Radio 3