The BBC has announced that it has a sustainable plan for the future of the BBC Singers, in association with The VOCES8 Foundation.
The threat to reduce the staff of the three English orchestras by 20% has not been lifted, but it is being reconsidered.
See the BBC press release here.

Radio-Lists Home Now on R3 Database Contact

RADIO-LISTS: BBC RADIO 3
Unofficial Weekly Listings for BBC Radio 3 — supported by bbc.co.uk/programmes/



SATURDAY 08 FEBRUARY 2025

SAT 00:30 Through the Night (m0027czd)
Bach from Stockholm

The Swedish Radio Choir and conductor Fredrik Malmberg perform Bach's Cantata No 140 and Mass in G, BWV 236, from Oscar's Church, Stockholm. Penny Gore presents.

12:31 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV.140
Jesenka Balic Zunic (violin), Kathrin Lorenzen (soprano), Magnus Wennerberg (tenor), Lars Johansson Brissman (bass), Cappella Suecia, Swedish Radio Choir, Fredrik Malmberg (conductor)

12:58 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Mass in G major, BWV.236
Eleonora Poignant (soprano), Anna Graca (alto), Carl Unander-Scharin (tenor), Karl Soderstrom (bass), Swedish Radio Choir, Cappella Suecia, Fredrik Malmberg (conductor)

01:25 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Goldberg Variations, BWV.988
Glenn Gould (piano)

02:08 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Brandenburg Concerto no 5 in D major, BWV.1050
Per Flemstrom (flute), Andrew Manze (violin), Andreas Staier (harpsichord), Risor Festival Strings

02:31 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Symphony no 7 in A major, Op 92
Danish National Chamber Orchestra, Adam Fischer (conductor)

03:13 AM
Ernst von Dohnanyi (1877-1960)
Piano Quintet no 2 in E flat minor, Op 26
Tatrai Quartet, Erno Szegedi (piano)

03:38 AM
Sigismondo d'India (c.1582-1629), Jacopo Sannazaro (lyricist)
Interdette speranz'e van desio (Forbidden dreams and hopeless love)
Consort of Musicke

03:46 AM
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (c.1739-1799)
Ballet music (L'amant anonyme)
Tafelmusik Orchestra, Jeanne Lamon (conductor)

03:53 AM
Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908)
Introduction and tarantella Op 43 for violin and piano
Razvan Stoica (violin), Andrea Stoica (piano)

03:58 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Valse Triste - from Kuolema, Op 44, no 1
CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)

04:03 AM
Christoph Graupner (1683-1760)
Flute Concerto in F major, GWV 323
Bolette Roed (recorder), Arte dei Suonatori

04:13 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
3 Studies for piano, Op 104b
Sylviane Deferne (piano)

04:21 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Adagio and fugue for strings in C minor, K.546
Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Andrew Manze (conductor)

04:31 AM
Fredrik Pacius (1809-1891)
Overture from the Hunt of King Charles
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste (conductor)

04:38 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Ballade no 2 in F major, Op 38
Zbigniew Raubo (piano)

04:46 AM
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Let mine eyes run down with tears, Z.24
Grace Davidson (soprano), Aleksandra Lewandowska (soprano), Damien Guillon (counter tenor), Samuel Boden (tenor), Matthew Brook (bass), Collegium Vocale Gent, Philippe Herreweghe (director)

04:55 AM
Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921), arr. Eugene Ysaye
Caprice for violin and piano, arr. Ysaye after Saint-Saens
Minami Yoshida (violin), Jean Desmarais (piano)

05:04 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Concerto da Camera in G minor, RV.107
Camerata Koln

05:13 AM
Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613), arr. Peter Maxwell Davies
2 Motets arr. Maxwell Davies for brass quintet
Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble

05:22 AM
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Kindertotenlieder
Zandra McMaster (mezzo soprano), Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Ari Rasilainen (conductor)

05:48 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Three Romances Op 94
Hyong-Sup Kim (oboe), Ja-Eun Ku (piano)

06:00 AM
Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)
String Quartet no 1 in E minor, 'From My Life'
Pavel Haas Quartet


SAT 06:30 Breakfast (m0027m19)
Start your weekend the Radio 3 way, with Saturday Breakfast

Join Emma Clarke to wake up the day with a selection of the finest classical music.

To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Breakfast."


SAT 09:00 Saturday Morning (m0027m1c)
Internationally acclaimed pianist, Alice Sara Ott, performs live

Described by the New York Times as "a force for change in classical music", pianist Alice Sara Ott drops into the Saturday Morning studio at the start of her European tour and plays live from her latest album, featuring John Field's complete nocturnes.
Plus, Tom Service plays the best classical music alongside the latest stories in the arts world.


SAT 12:00 Earlier... with Jools Holland (m002687v)
Jools's musical selection for a Saturday lunchtime

Jools shares his lifelong passion for classical music. With fascinating guests each week who bring their own favourite music and occasionally perform live in Jools's studio.

This week, Jools is joined by record producer Hugh Padgham, with music by Mozart, Debussy, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Grieg.


SAT 13:00 Music Matters (m0027m1f)
Jenni Murray's Women Composers

Why women, why now?

Women have always composed - but, far more than with their male contemporaries, obstacles have been thrown in their way. In this new series, Jenni Murray explores some of the avenues women composers have taken to overcome these challenges, offering insight into their music and illuminating the cultural and human stories which resonate today, as well as celebrating the music itself with a vibrant playlist of some of the very best music by women.

1: Why women, why now? To ask whether or why we still need to talk about “women composers" in the 21st Century, and to look at some of the historical reasons why women's voices have often not been heard and the progress made over the past couple of decades, Jenni is joined by Master of the King's Music Errollyn Wallen.

The playlist includes classics by Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Amy Beach and Ethel Smyth, alongside gems from contemporary composers Joan Tower and Sally Beamish, plus gaming music by Michiru Yamane and a film score by Laura Karpman - a barnstorming track from 2023 superhero movie The Marvels.

Producer: Graham Rogers

To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Music Matters"


SAT 14:00 Record Review (m0027m1j)
Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor in Building a Library with Katy Hamilton and Andrew McGregor

Andrew McGregor with the best new recordings of classical music.

1405
Emily MacGregor explores an exciting selection of new releases.

1500
Building a Library
Katy Hamilton chooses her favourite version of Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor

Felix Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49, was written in 1839. Along with the famous Octet it is one of his most popular chamber works. When fellow-composer Robert Schumann reviewed the work he declared Mendelssohn to be "the Mozart of the nineteenth century, the brightest musician, who most clearly understands the contradictions of the age and is the first to reconcile them."

1545
Record of the Week: Andrew’s top pick.

To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Record Review”


SAT 16:00 Sound of Cinema (m0027m1l)
Warsaw Concertos – Film music from Poland

Matthew Sweet speaks to actor and director Jesse Eisenberg about using Chopin's music in his latest film "A Real Pain" - the story of two cousins touring Poland to honour their grandmother. Matthew also explores the wider impact Polish music and musicians have had on the world of film music - from Bronislaw Kaper's music for the 1954 monster classic "Them!" to Wojciech Kilar's award-winning scores for "The Pianist" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula".

To listen on most smart speakers, just say: "Ask BBC Sounds to play Sound of Cinema.”


SAT 17:00 This Classical Life (m0027m1n)
Jess Gillam with... Julian Bliss

Jess Gillam meets clarinettist Julian Bliss, known for his classical performances as well as jazz arrangements - he cites Benny Goodman as an influence. Jess and Julian swap music choices from the likes of Richard Strauss, Thomas Adès, Colin Stetson and Jamiroquai.


SAT 18:00 Opera on 3 (m00120v7)
Verdi's La Traviata

Lisette Oropesa stars in Verdi's tragic masterpiece at the Royal Opera House, with Liparit Avetisyan and Christian Gerhaher. Presented by Georgia Mann.

La Traviata is so well known and loved these days that it's easy to forget how revolutionary it was: an opera telling the real-life story of a Parisian courtesan only a few years after her death. Verdi wanted it staged in contemporary dress, but that was a step too far for the operatic establishment of his day. Richard Eyre's perennial Royal Opera production is firmly set in Verdi's time, and this revival is illuminated by three star principals making their UK debuts in the roles. Cuban-American soprano Lisette Oropesa sings the courtesan Violetta Valéry who's made her way from poverty to the highest echelons of society - but finds her life empty and fears she has a terminal illness. The young poet Alfredo Germont, sung by Armenian tenor Liparit Avetisyan, offers her the chance of true love and happiness, however short-lived. But he's underestimated the horrified opposition of his father Giorgio - German baritone Christian Gerhaher singing the role for the very first time.

Violetta Valéry ..... Lisette Oropesa (soprano)
Alfredo Germont ..... Liparit Avetisyan (tenor)
Giorgio Germont ..... Christian Gerhaher (baritone)
Flora, Violetta's friend ..... Stephanie Wake-Edwards (mezzo-soprano)
Annina, Violetta's maid ..... Renata Skarelyte (mezzo-soprano)
Gastone, Vicomte de Letorières ..... Egor Zhuravskii (tenor)
Doctor Grenvil ..... Blaise Malaba (bass)
Baron Douphol ..... Yuriy Yurchuk (baritone)
Marquis D'Obigny ..... Jeremy White (bass)
Giuseppe ..... Andrew Macnair (tenor)
Messenger ..... Dominic Barrand (bass-baritone)
Servant ..... Thomas Barnard (bass-baritone)
Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Conductor Antonello Manacorda


SAT 21:30 Music Planet (m0027m1s)
Love songs: Luzmira Zerpa in session

As Valentine’s Day approaches, Lopa Kothari picks her favorite love songs from across the world, including a melancholic ballad from Quito and a spicy track from Marlene Dietrich and Rosemary Clooney. And, taking up the role of chief romantic serenader, Venezuelan singer-songwriter Luzmira Zerpa joins Lopa in the studio to perform a special love-themed session on voice and cuatro. A pivotal member of the London group Family Atlantica, Luzmira’s music blends traditional folkloric music from Latin America with afrobeat, blues and psychedelic sounds.

Produced by Silvia Malnati
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3

To listen on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Music Planet.'


SAT 22:30 New Music Show (m0027m1v)
Mark Andre's ...selig ist...

Tom Service presents a recording of French composer Mark Andre's ...selig ist..., a major new work for piano and electronics performed by Pierre Laurent Aimard and SWR Experimental Studio at Donaueschingen Festival in October. Also tonight: music from Linda Catlin Smith's Dirt Road for violin and percussion performed by violinist Larissa O'Grady and Caitríona Frost at last year's Lovely Music Festival in Dundalk; Øyvind Torvund's quirky and evocative symphonic poem Forest Morning recorded by the BBC Symphony Orchestra; a rarely heard postcard piece from American pioneer James Tenney performed by the Harmonic Space Orchestra in Huddersfield; and scintillating electroacoustic sounds from British composer Manuella Blackburn with a track from her latest release Interruptions.

To listen using most smart speakers, just say “Ask BBC Sounds to play New Music Show”



SUNDAY 09 FEBRUARY 2025

SUN 00:30 Through the Night (m0027m1x)
Dreams and Visions: Estonian music from the Baltic Sea Festival

The Tallinn Chamber Orchestra under Tõnu Kaljuste presents a programme of Estonian music from well known pieces by Arvo Pärt to a premiere by Allison Kruusmaa commissioned for this year's Baltic Sea Festival. Jonathan Swain presents.

12:31 AM
Ester Mägi (1922-2021)
Vesper
Tallin Chamber Orchestra, Tonu Kaljuste (conductor)

12:37 AM
Kaija Saariaho (1952 - 2023)
Terra Memoria
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tonu Kaljuste (conductor)

12:54 AM
Alisson Kruusmaa (b.1992)
And If I Had a Dream
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tonu Kaljuste (conductor)

01:05 AM
Marianne Martinez (1744-1812)
Il Primo amore
Yena Choi (soprano), Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tonu Kaljuste (conductor)

01:17 AM
Heino Eller (1887-1970)
Homeland Tune
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tonu Kaljuste (conductor)

01:21 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Greater Antiphons
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tonu Kaljuste (conductor)

01:33 AM
Erkki-Sven Tüür (b.1959)
Deep Dark Shine
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tonu Kaljuste (conductor)

01:44 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tonu Kaljuste (conductor)

01:51 AM
Erkki-Sven Tüür (b.1959)
Illusions
Tallin Chamber Orchestra, Tonu Kaljuste (conductor)

01:55 AM
Percy Grainger (1882-1961)
Molly on the Shore
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tonu Kaljuste (conductor)

01:59 AM
Cyrillus Kreek (1889-1962)
Blessed is the Man
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer (conductor)

02:03 AM
Eric Ewazen (b.1954)
Andante from Concerto for Marimba and Strings
Heigo Rosin (percussion), Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Risto Joost (conductor)

02:14 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Magnificat for chorus
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tonu Kaljuste (conductor)

02:21 AM
Eduard Tubin (1905-1982)
Festive Overture
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer (conductor)

02:31 AM
Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Cello Sonata in C major, Op 119
Claudio Bohorquez (cello), Ana Maria Campistrus (piano)

02:54 AM
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Timon of Athens, the man-hater - incidental music, Z.632
Lynne Dawson (soprano), Gillian Fisher (soprano), Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor), Paul Elliott (tenor), Michael George (bass), Stephen Varcoe (bass), Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner (conductor)

03:15 AM
Susan Spain-Dunk (1880-1962)
Stonehenge
BBC Concert Orchestra, Anna-Maria Helsing (conductor)

03:35 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Komm, heiliger Geist – chorale-prelude for organ, BWV.652
Bine Katrine Bryndorf (organ)

03:45 AM
Zoltan Jeney (1943-2019)
Bird Tempting
Gyor Girls' Choir, Miklos Szabo (conductor)

03:52 AM
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999)
Wind Octet, Op 65
BBC National Orchestra of Wales

04:03 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Arabesque in C, Op 18
Hans Leygraf (piano)

04:09 AM
Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)
Arabesque
Shirley Brill (clarinet), Piotr Spoz (piano)

04:12 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918), arr. Nancy Allen
Mojca Zlobko (harp)

04:16 AM
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Variations for Brass Band
Hannaford Street Silver Band, Bramwell Tovey (conductor)

04:31 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Symphony No 23 in D major, K.181
RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Marko Munih (conductor)

04:42 AM
Dario Castello (1602-1631)
Sonata XII, a due soprani e trombone
Musica Fiata Koln

04:50 AM
Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
Canon and Gigue
La Scintilla Orchestra, Riccardo Minasi (conductor)

04:56 AM
Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825-1889), arr. David Stanhope
Fantasy and variations on a Cavatina from 'Beatrice di Tenda' by Bellini
Geoffrey Payne (trumpet), Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Michael Halasz (conductor)

05:03 AM
Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625), William Walton (1902-1983)
Drop, Drop, Slow Tears
Gabrieli Consort, Paul McCreesh (director)

05:09 AM
Edward MacDowell (1860-1908)
Suite for large orchestra in A minor, Op 42
Eastman-Rochester Orchestra, Howard Hanson (conductor)

05:29 AM
Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
Piano Trio in G minor, Op 17
Erika Radermacher (piano), Eva Zurbrugg (violin), Angela Schwartz (cello)

05:57 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Serenade for string orchestra in C major Op 48
Danish Radio Concert Orchestra, Hannu Koivula (conductor)


SUN 06:30 Breakfast (m0027k6y)
Classical music to start your day


SUN 09:00 Sunday Morning (m0027k70)
Your perfect Sunday soundtrack

Sarah Walker chooses three hours of attractive and uplifting music to complement your morning.

Sarah’s selections include incidental music from Purcell and Vaughan WIlliams, while accordion player Ksenija Sidorova brings us a Czech Fairy Tale.
.
There's music from stunning Concertos by Brahms, Chopin and Tailleferre, and we continue to celebrate BBC Radio 3’s 25 for 25: Sounds of the Century – with another brand-new commission celebrating one of the biggest events of the 21st century so far.

Plus Ravel announces the dawn...

A Tandem Production for BBC Radio 3


SUN 12:00 Private Passions (m0027k72)
Ursula Jones

Ursula Jones is “nothing short of a musical icon” – at least according to the Royal Philharmonic Society, who made her an honorary member last year at the age of 92. She has devoted her life to music, and has long championed the work of young performers – she gave Daniel Barenboim his first break as a conductor in London, when he was just 23.

Ursula was born in Lucerne in 1932, where her father was one of the founders of the Lucerne Festival, so famous musicians, including the likes of Richard Strauss, were never far away.

She came to London in 1954 and worked as a secretary for the Philharmonia Orchestra, moving on to co-found the English Chamber Orchestra in 1960. She married the eminent trumpet player Philip Jones, and later managed his Brass Ensemble.

Music isn’t her only fascination: she completed a doctorate in archaeology at the age of 60, and in 2021 she cycled 100km to raise money for the charity Brass for Africa.

Ursula's choices include music by Britten, Mozart and Handel.


SUN 13:30 Music Map (m0027k74)
A musical journey to Ravel's La Valse

Sara Mohr-Pietsch takes her musical travelogue towards Ravel's dazzling short orchestral work, La Valse, composed as a celebration of the old-school waltzes of Strauss's Vienna but which may also have reflected the horror of the First World War. Along the way, Sara stops to hear Johann Strauss's On The Blue Danube, Chopin's Minute Waltz, Leonard Bernstein's Overture to West Side Story, Straussiana by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Cecile Chaminade's Valse Romantique and much more besides.


SUN 15:00 Choral Evensong (m0027bqs)
Rugby School

Last Wednesday's service from the Chapel of Rugby School.

Introit: God be in my head (Philip Moore)
Responses: Sasha Johnson Manning
Psalms 27, 28, 29 (Hopkins, Wolstenholme, Goss, Attwood, Ley)
First Lesson: Baruch 5 vv1-9
Office hymn: Lead us, heavenly father, lead us (Mannheim)
Canticles: Murrill in E
Second Lesson: Mark 1 vv1-11
Anthem: Great is the Lord (Elgar)
Voluntary: Seven Pieces (Final) Op 27 No 7 (Dupré)

Richard Tanner (Director of Music)
Ian Wicks (Organist)
Benedict Tanner (Organ Scholar)

To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Choral Evensong”.


SUN 16:00 Jazz Record Requests (m0027k76)
Stan Tracey - Lalo Schifrin - Trio AAB - Laura Cole - Victoria Spivey

Alyn Shipton presents jazz records of all styles as requested by you including music from pianists Stan Tracey and Laura Cole, blues singer Victoria Spivey, saxophonists Gerry Mulligan and Johnny Hodges, Trio AAB, Lalo Schifrin plus a track from the new album from American pianist Renee Rosnes. Get in touch: jrr@bbc.co.uk or use #jazzrecordrequests on social.

To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Jazz Record Requests”


SUN 17:00 The Early Music Show (m0027k78)
Early Music Today

Presenter Hannah French talks to Sir Simon Rattle on his recent 70th birthday about his knowledge and passion for early music, given his long association with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

She also chats to internationally renowned recorder player Lucie Horsch about her recent work on the Frans Brüggen Project - an album to mark what would have been Brüggen's 90th birthday last year. With help from Brüggen’s widow and daughter, Lucie was able to play and record repertoire on 14 of the precious historic recorders from from the Golden Age of recorder making (1680s to 1740s) that are part of Brüggen's personal collection.

Hannah also pays tribute to harpsichordist Colin Tilney - a stalwart of the late 20th Century early music scene, who died in December; and to Claire van Kampen - composer, arranger, musical director, playwright and artistic advisor at Shakespeare's Globe, who passed away last month.

Plus Hannah will have all the latest Early Music news, looking forward to next month's REMA International Day of Early Music and the forthcoming new release of music by Palestrina in his 500th anniversary year by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge.

To listen to this programme using most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Early Music Show".


SUN 18:00 Words and Music (m0027k7b)
A Day at the Races

As Formula One marks its 75th anniversary season, Words and Music brings you every kind of competition imagined on the racetrack. From Ian Fleming and Jules Verne’s magical motorcars, to record-breaking racehorses and a clash with Ben-Hur in a Roman hippodrome.
We’ll hear Franz Berwald’s musical take on a footrace, John Adams’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine and one of Beethoven's 12 Minuets using a Ready, Set, Go motif. And there's Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, which was chosen as the main title for Gran Turismo 6, and a composition by Formula One’s very own race car driver Charles Leclerc.

Readers: Alistair Petrie and Cecilia Appiah
Producer: Sam Nixon
Production Co-ordinator: Julie Downing

READINGS:
Victor Appleton – Tom Swift and his Electric Runabout
Ian Fleming – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Eleanor M. Ingram – From The Car Behind
Georg Ebers – Serapis
Donald Walker - Walker’s Manly Exercises
Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games
Fred D’Aguiar – Saloon One and Two
Banjo Paterson – Lay of the Motorcar
Percy MacKaye – The Automobile
Kozma Prutkov – The Heron and the Racing Rig
Richard Williams – A Race With Love and Death
Kevin Crossley-Holland – Odin and Hrungnir, from The Penguin Book of Norse Myths
Lew Wallace – Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Kassia St. Claire – A Race to the Future
Howard R. Garis – Dick Hamilton’s Touring Car
Jules Verne – Master of the World
John Masefield – The Racer
Laura Hillenbrand – Seabiscuit: The True Story of Three Men and a Racehorse
A.E. Housman – A Shropshire Lad 19: The time you won your town the race


SUN 19:15 Sunday Feature (m0027k7d)
Hepworth and the Cornish Landscape

Hepworth loved walking out into the wild Cornish landscape, and even before she moved there in 1939, she was aware of comparisons made between her abstract work and ancient stone megaliths. But how much closer did living in St Ives bring her to this ancient and fiercely independent county? Was this avant-garde artist welcomed, or did she remain an outsider?

Artists Lally MacBeth and Matthew Shaw live in Cornwall and created the Stone Club to celebrate pre-historic sites. Now their passion for dolmans, stone circles and standing stones leads them to reverse the gaze – to look at Hepworth sculptures in the light of ancient sites, comparing her work with the megaliths carved by the hand of sculptors over four thousand years ago.

Hepworth moved to Cornwall, with her second husband Ben Nicholson and four children, to escape the threat of bombing in London. She stayed for the rest of her life, an extraordinary decision for someone who wanted to be recognised internationally. But from this tiny fishing village she made megalithic monuments which would be exported across the world - to the UN in New York, and to London, and Paris.

Lally and Matthew enlist the knowledge and passion of Andy Norfolk, ancient stone expert and Hepworth fan, and James Kitto, photographer and President of CASPN (the Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network), to visit The Merry Maidens and Mên-an-Tol.

They visit the Trewyn Studios in St Ives to look at the tools Barbara Hepworth used to make her sculptures and to talk to Tate Curator of Exhibitions, Katie Norris. They also hear stories of her working practise from acclaimed sculptor Brian Wall, one of her studio assistants back in the 1950s.

Finally, they watch the ceremony for initiating new bards at the Gorsedh Kernow in Callington, seeing close up a ritual that Hepworth herself went through in 1968. Sue Hill, of Wildworks in Redruth, and Kurt Jackson, poet and landscape painter, describe the sensation of being barded and recognised by Cornwall for their passion and their art.

Producer Sara Jane Hall
With musical sourced by Danny Webb.

A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 3


SUN 20:00 Drama on 3 (m0027k7g)
Saint Joan of the Anthropocene

In Saint Joan of the Anthropocene, Linda Marshall Griffiths reimagines Bernard Shaw’s classic play Saint Joan - setting the narrative in a contemporary context where Saint Joan is a young British climate activist. The drama is inspired by Greta Thunberg and Fridays For Future; a youth-led global climate strike movement.

One of the biggest questions for a young activist is: how far should I go? If nothing changes, even as politicians promise change will come, then what do I do?

A genius may appear only once in a generation, but perhaps all those young people who understand what the world could look like, can become a new kind of genius that makes Joan's vision real.

SAINT JOAN ..... Safia Oakley-Green
ROBERT ..... Cel Spellman
SENATOR WARWICK ..... Toby Jones
AIDE/ MUM/ COUNSEL ..... Jenny Platt
DAD/ JUDGE/ UK SECRETARY OF STATE.....Rupert Hill
KIT/ SEAN ..... Tachia Newall
HANNAH/ EMERGENCY OPERATOR ..... Kiara Kiandra
PROSECUTOR/ FIREMAN/ M15 AGENT ..... Esh Alladi
ENSEMBLE ..... Louis Brown, Ethan Cale, Katie Fletcher, Leah Gwendolyn,
Naomi Riccia, Una Togher, Elsa Tuxworth, Samuel Tweats

Directed by Nadia Molinari
Technical Production and Sound Design by Sharon Hughes
Production Co-ordinator Lorna Newman

A BBC STUDIOS AUDIO PRODUCTION FOR BBC RADIO 3


SUN 21:35 New Generation Artists (m0027k7j)
Pianist Giorgi Gigashvili plays Bach

Bach from Bristol: Giorgi Gigashvili plays Bach's Partita No 6 in E minor.
The Georgian pianist, a current Radio 3 New Generation Artist, gave this typically characterful performance as part of a lunchtime concert at St George's, Bristol in February 2024.

Bach's Partita No 6 in E minor, BWV. 830
Giorgi Gigashvili (piano)

Debussy: Romance - Silence ineffable
Johanna Wallroth (soprano), Simon Lepper (piano)


SUN 22:00 Ultimate Calm (m0024r12)
Ólafur Arnalds: Series 3

Musical peace and quiet ft. Kelly Lee Owens

This journey into calm is dedicated to two of the most valuable things in the world - peace and quiet. Icelandic pianist and composer Ólafur Arnalds allows the music to speak for itself today, with plenty of spacious selections.

Ólafur shares pieces that use pauses and silences, giving us ample time to sit and reflect in the gentle quiet, from musicians like Helena Basilova, Jónsi and JJJJJerome Ellis.

Plus we’ll visit the musical safe haven of the Welsh electronic musician and producer Kelly Lee Owens. Kelly shares the song that brings her ultimate calm - a lengthy track of swirling synths that always gives her the time and space to dream, switch off and find peace.

Produced by Kit Callin & Derick Armah
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3 and Radio 3 Unwind


SUN 23:00 The Night Tracks Mix (m001f5x2)
Music for late-night listening

Sara Mohr-Pietsch with a magical sonic journey for late-night listening. Subscribe to receive your weekly mix on BBC Sounds.


SUN 23:30 Unclassified (m0027k7m)
A Sonic Tryst

Join Elizabeth Alker with a selection of fresh music from genre-defying artists as we journey through landscapes of ambient and experimental sounds. We’ll hear a brand new piece from Erland Cooper, specially commissioned by Radio 3 for '25 for 25: Sounds of the Century', which pays tribute to David Attenborough’s eight-decade-long career; classically-trained composer, performer, and producer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith continues her exploration of the sound-worlds offered by modular and analogue synths with her new song ‘Into Your Eyes’, which touches on, in her words, “the fragile edge of love that embraces destruction”; and there’ll be the chance to hear a brilliant track from the much-anticipated forthcoming album by experimental collective NYX.

Produced by Geoff Bird
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3.

To listen on most smart speakers just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play Unclassified'.



MONDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2025

MON 00:30 Through the Night (m0027k7p)
Beethoven and Mendelssohn from St Peter's Church, Thônex in Switzerland.

Beethoven Septet in E flat and Mendelssohn Octet in E flat at Thônex Schubertiades. Jonathan Swain presents.

12:31 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Septet in E flat, Op 20
Damien Bachmann (clarinet), Donatien Bachmann (bassoon), Francois Rieu (horn), Pierre Fouchenneret (violin), Mathis Rochat (viola), Sebastian Braun (cello), Michel Veillon (double bass)

01:09 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Octet in E flat, Op 20
Pierre Fouchenneret (violin), Gilles Apap (violin), Amia Janicki (violin), Maria Jurca (violin), Mathis Rochat (viola), Darryl Bachmann (viola), Christoph Croise (cello), Sebastian Braun (cello)

01:40 AM
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
Piano Sonata in C minor
Sylviane Deferne (piano)

01:54 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Triple Concerto for violin, piano and orchestra in C major, Op 56
Arve Tellefsen (violin), Truls Mork (cello), Havard Gimse (piano), Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Rolf Gupta (conductor)

02:31 AM
Grace Williams (1906-1977)
Symphony no 2
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Martyn Brabbins (conductor)

03:12 AM
Carl Czerny (1791-1857)
Piano Sonata no 9 in B minor, Op 145 'Grande fantaisie en forme de Sonate'
Stefan Lindgren (piano)

03:45 AM
William Byrd (1543-1623)
O Lord, how vain, for voice and 4 viols
Emma Kirkby (soprano), Rose Consort of Viols

03:52 AM
Pancho Vladigerov (1899-1978)
Aquarelles, for clarinet and piano, Op 37
Dancho Radevski (clarinet), Mario Angelov (piano)

04:00 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849), transcr. Zoltan Kocsis
Nocturne in E flat, Op 55 no 2 arr. for flute, cor anglais and harp
Anita Szabo (flute), Bela Horvath (cor anglais), Julia Szlvasy (harp)

04:06 AM
John Stanley (1712-1786)
Trumpet Voluntary
Stanko Arnold (trumpet), Ljerka Ocic-Turkulin (organ)

04:09 AM
Percy Grainger (1882-1961)
The Gum-Suckers' March, no 4 from In a Nutshell suite for orchestra
Symphony Nova Scotia, Georg Tintner (conductor)

04:14 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Rhapsody in G minor, Op 79 no 2
Robert Silverman (piano)

04:21 AM
Francesco Durante (1684-1755)
Concerto per quartetto for strings no 5 in A major
Concerto Koln

04:31 AM
Carl Nielsen (1865-1931)
Pan og Syrinx (Pan and Syrinx) Op 49 FS.87
Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Michael Schonwandt (conductor)

04:39 AM
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 in C sharp minor
Ladislav Fantzowitz (piano)

04:49 AM
William Mathias (1934-1992)
A May magnificat for double chorus, Op 79 no 2
BBC Singers, Stephen Cleobury (conductor)

04:59 AM
Marin Marais (1656-1728)
La Sonnerie de Sainte-Genevieve du Mont de Paris
Ricercar Consort, Henri Ledroit (conductor)

05:07 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Petite Suite
Royal Academy of Music Brass Soloists

05:15 AM
Stan Golestan (1875-1956)
Arioso and Allegro de concert
Gyozo Mate (viola), Balazs Szokolay (piano)

05:24 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Concerto No.23 in A major, K.488
Joanna MacGregor (piano), Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Susanna Malkki (conductor)

05:49 AM
Heinrich Schutz (1585-1672)
4 sacred pieces, SWV.282, SWV.22, SWV.308, SWV.386.
Cologne Chamber Chorus, Collegium Cartusianum, Peter Neumann (conductor)

06:04 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Nocturnes for orchestra
NFM Chorus, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Katowice, Jose Maria Florencio (conductor)


MON 06:30 Breakfast (m0027k2b)
Morning classical

Petroc Trelawny presents Radio 3's award-winning classical breakfast show with music that captures the mood of the morning, including BBC Radio 3’s 25 for 25: Sounds of the Century – a series of brand new commissions celebrating and commemorating some of the biggest events of the 21st century so far. This week, in Birds of Paradise for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and violinist Freya Goldmark, Orcadian composer Erland Cooper reflects on the natural world in the 21st century and pays tribute to David Attenborough, whose landmark series Planet Earth and Life of Mammals brought it to record numbers of viewers in the early 2000s.

Email your requests to 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk. To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Breakfast.”


MON 09:30 Essential Classics (m0027k2d)
The very best of classical music

Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with familiar favourites alongside new discoveries and musical surprises.

1000 Playlist starter – listen and send us your ideas for the next step in our musical journey today.

1030 Song of the Day – harnessing the magic of words, music and the human voice.

1115 Playlist reveal – a sequence of music suggested by you in response to our starter today.

1145 Slow Moment – time to take a break for a moment's musical reflection.

1230 Album of the Week

To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”


MON 13:00 Classical Live (m0027k2g)
Live from London's Wigmore Hall

Tom McKinney with an afternoon of specially recorded music from across the world. Includes cellist Sol Gabetta and pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout live from London's Wigmore Hall, playing Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn.

Elsewhere, Tom begins a week-long celebration of Poland and the United States of America—classical music played in the concert halls of Warsaw and Santa Fe—selecting Emilie Mayer's Symphony No.7, performed in Warsaw by the Basel Chamber Orchestra, and Liszt's Piano Concerto No.2, with soloist Kevin Chen alongside the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. Tom also selects highlights from the 2023 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, including Dvořák's 'American' String Quartet No.12.

***

1pm

Live from Wigmore Hall, presented by Hannah French

Johannes Brahms
Cello Sonata No.2 in F major, Op.99

Felix Mendelssohn
Cello Sonata No. 2 in D major, Op.58

Sol Gabetta (cello)
Kristian Bezuidenhout (piano)

***

2pm

Fanny Mendelssohn
Overture in C major
Basel Chamber Orchestra
Antonio Viñuales Pérez (conductor)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Fantasia in C minor, K. 475
Juho Pohjonen (piano)

Antonín Dvořák
String Quartet No.12 in F major, Op.96 'American'
Miami String Quartet
Benny Kim (violin)
Cathy Meng Robinson (violin)
Scott Lee (viola)
Keith Robinson (cello)

***

3pm

Emilie Mayer
Symphony No.7 in F minor
Basel Chamber Orchestra
Antonio Viñuales Pérez (conductor)

Franz Liszt
Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major
Kevin Chen (piano)
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
Antoni Wit (conductor)

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live'


MON 16:00 Composer of the Week (m001qvv6)
José Maurício Nunes Garcia (1767-1830)

The Father of Brazilian Classical Music

Kate Molleson delves into José Garcia’s early beginnings as the grandson of slaves.

Composer of the Week shines the spotlight on the Afro-Brazilian composer José Maurício Nunes Garcia. Hailed by some as the Father of Brazilian Classical Music, and compared by others to Mozart and Haydn, this series delves into the life and music of this once hugely prolific and popular composer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, both his parents were children of slaves. Thanks to his exceptional musical talents, Garcia was able to move from his poverty-stricken beginnings to the very top of his society. He became master of music at the cathedral. Later, when the Portuguese Court established themselves in the city, Garcia was appointed master of music at the Chapel Royal and court composer. Kate Molleson is joined by Professor Marcelo Hazan from the University of South Carolina and Professor Kirsten Schultz from Seton Hall University who help her explore Garcia’s incredible life story and music.

A hugely influential teacher of music from early on, Garcia established his own free music school and was invited into the homes of the elite to teach their daughters. His trajectory wasn’t always plain sailing however and he frequently encountered racism. When it came to Garcia entering the Priesthood in the early 1790s, he had to undergo a number of tests to prove his worth, including providing impeccable references to offset the official concerns about his family background. Garcia was ordained, and with his musical skills finally recognised by the Church and Portuguese Court, he became the go-to composer for Saints' Days, royal occasions, and other commissions. However, many European musicians who came to Rio de Janeiro were not keen to be conducted by someone of his race. Eventually, Brazil gained independence from the Portuguese Empire and Garcia’s royal employers were returned to Portugal, leaving Garcia struggling during turbulent times.

In this first programme, Kate Molleson explores the city where José Garcia was born in 1767. Rio de Janeiro had been appointed the capital of Brazil a few years earlier, and with the development of the country’s economy through gold mining, and later agriculture, there was a huge reliance upon the slave trade. Both Garcia’s grandmothers were slaves and from very early on he used his skills in music to help support his family. The options for Garcia’s future were few, and he saw the Priesthood as a means to a better life. Sacred music would be the main area in which Garcia would compose throughout his life, and he eventually became a Priest in the early 1790s.

Missa pastoril para a noite de natal (Kyrie eleison)
Ex Cathedra
Jeffrey Skidmore, director

Tenuisti manum dexteram meam
Apollini et Musis
Jörg Strodthoff, organ
Vinzenz Weissenburger, conductor

Missa pastoril para a noite de natal (excerpt)
Katie Trethewey, soprano
Elizabeth Drury, soprano
Martha McLorinan, alto
Greg Skidmore, bass
Adrian Horsewood, bass
Nick Ashby, bass
Ex Cathedra
Jeffrey Skidmore, director

Fantasy No 1
Mário Trilha, fortepiano

Fantasy No 2
Mário Trilha, fortepiano

Lição No 7 da Segunda Parte
Mário Trilha, fortepiano

Tota Pulchra es Maria
Vox Brasiliensis Chorus
Vox Brasiliensis Orchestra
Ricardo Kanji, conductor

Zemira, Overture
Vox Brasiliensis Orchestra
Ricardo Kanji, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock


MON 17:00 In Tune (m0027k2k)
Wind down from work with classical music

Soprano Soraya Mafi joins Sarah Walker to talk about her role as Pamina in Opera North's production of Mozart's "The Magic Flute" which opens this week, and sings live in the studio.


MON 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m0027k2m)
Classical music to inspire you

Take 30 minutes out with a stirring sequence of moving classical music. This mixtape opens with Björk's Overture from Selmasongs, before moving effortlessly on through piano music by Howells, violin virtuosity from Tchaikovsky and the intensity of Erbarme dich from JS Bach's St Matthew Passion. Next is Caroline Shaw's And the swallow, written in response to the Syrian refugee crisis, followed by the second movement of Florence Price's Violin Concerto No 1. The mix closes with the triumphant main theme of John Williams's Jurassic Park film score.

Producer: Christina Kenny


MON 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m0027k2p)
Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 from Belfast

Conductor Alpesh Chauhan joins the Ulster Orchestra at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, beginning with Mendelssohn's poetically inspired overture "Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage", premiered in 1828, after words from the poet Goethe.

Ukrainian violinist Aleksey Semenenko then takes to the stage in a performance of Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, one of the composer's most enduring and popular works, and a tour de force for the soloist. After its premier in 1866 the work was revised with the help of the violinist Joseph Joachim, after which the final version was completed and is what we use today.

Before the Schumann, a work by the 19th century French composer and pianist Louise Farrenc- Overture No. 2 in Eb Major. The work was written in 1834 and is a standalone concert overture, and is not based on any literary inspirations- rather it is a purely musical work in sonata form.

To finish, Schumann's Symphony No. 4 in D minor, a work completed in 1841 and then revised ten years later. Only a year before, the composer had been focussed on writing songs, producing some of his finest work including Liederkreis and Dichterliebe, and now a year later he turned his attention back to writing orchestral music. His wife, Clara, wrote in her diary in 1831 that she could hear him writing the 4th Symphony, and remarked that it would be "... another work that is emerging from the depths of his soul."

During the interval, John Toal will be in conversation with our soloist, Aleksey Semenenko

Mendelssohn- Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, Op. 27
Bruch- Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26
Farrenc- Overture No.2 in Eb Major, Op. 24
Schumann Symphony No.4 in D Minor, Op. 120

Ulster Orchestra
Aleksey Semenenko, violin
Alpesh Chauhan, conductor

Presented by John Toal


MON 21:45 The Essay (m0020r6h)
Michael Longley's Life of Poetry

The Early Years

The poet Michael Longley, who died on 22nd January 2025 at the age of 85, was described by Seamus Heaney as 'a keeper of the artistic estate, a custodian of griefs and wonders.' He devoted a lifetime to the art of poetry and won numerous poetry prizes.

In Episode 1 of this series of The Essay, first broadcast in 2024 and recorded to mark his 85th birthday, he talked with presenter Olivia O'Leary about his home town of Belfast and his love of jazz, saying that, 'Good poetry for me combines two things: meaning and melody.' He also loved the classics, which he studied at Trinity College Dublin, where he met his wife, Edna, a distinguished literary critic. He was one of a group of young poets that emerged from Northern Ireland in the 1960s and he describes the mutual support, rivalry and excitement of that time.

He reads his poems Elegy for Fats Waller and an extract from his poem River and Fountain from a new collection, Ash Keys: New Selected Poems (Cape Poetry), published to mark his 85th birthday on 27th July 2024. He also reads Bookshops from his collection Angel Hill and Poem from The Slain Birds.

Presenter: Olivia O'Leary
Producer: Claire Cunningham
Executive Producer: Regan Hutchins

Michael Longley's Life of Poetry is a Rockfinch production for BBC Radio 3.


MON 22:00 Night Tracks (m0027k2r)
Blissful sounds for night owls

Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.


MON 23:30 'Round Midnight (m0027k2t)
Gregory Porter’s 4/4

‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.

Gregory Porter is an American vocalist who has captured fans of jazz and beyond with his rich and soulful tone. He has won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album twice and has released several internationally acclaimed albums featuring original compositions and warming takes on jazz classics.

This week, Gregory is sharing some of the albums that have inspired his musical journey so far – four tracks, four nights, in a feature we call 4/4. Tonight he chooses a timeless record by free jazz vocalist Leon Thomas.

Plus, there's music from Sasha Berliner, Jonny Nash and Suzanne Kraft, and Juliana Day.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight.'



TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2025

TUE 00:30 Through the Night (m0027k2w)
Lieder in Spain

From the 2023 Schubertiade in Vilabertran, Spain, soprano Dorothea Röschmann and pianist Wolfram Rieger perform a programme of lieder by Schumann, Mahler and Wagner. Jonathan Swain presents.

12:31 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Gedichte der Königin Maria Stuart, Op 135
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Wolfram Rieger (piano)

12:41 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Liederkreis, Op 39
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Wolfram Rieger (piano)

01:10 AM
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Rheinlegendchen, from 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn'
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Wolfram Rieger (piano)

01:13 AM
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Das irdische Leben, from 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn'
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Wolfram Rieger (piano)

01:16 AM
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht? from 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn'
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Wolfram Rieger (piano)

01:19 AM
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Lob des hohen Verstands, from 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn'
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Wolfram Rieger (piano)

01:22 AM
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Verlorne Müh, from 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn'
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Wolfram Rieger (piano)

01:25 AM
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen, from 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn'
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Wolfram Rieger (piano)

01:34 AM
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Wesendonck Lieder
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Wolfram Rieger (piano)

01:56 AM
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Es muss ein wunderbares sein
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Wolfram Rieger (piano)

01:58 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Die Lotosblume, Op 25, from 'Myrthen'
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Wolfram Rieger (piano)

02:01 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Mühseligen, Op 74 no 1
Grex Vocalis, Carl Hogset (director)

02:06 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Cello Concerto in A minor, Op 129
Andreas Brantelid (cello), Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Eri Klas (conductor)

02:31 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata no 32 in C minor, Op 111
Tatjana Ognjanovic (piano)

02:59 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Cantata - 'Ich hatte viel Bekummernis' BWV 21
Antonella Balducci (soprano), Frieder Lang (tenor), Fulvio Bettini (baritone), Chorus of Swiss-Italian Radio, Ensemble Vanitas Lugano, Diego Fasolis (conductor)

03:34 AM
Boris Papandopulo (1906-1991)
Trio Sonata
Zagreb Guitar Trio

03:47 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
String Quartet in G minor 'Rider', Op 74 no 3
Ebene Quartet

04:08 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker
RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Marko Munih (conductor)

04:16 AM
Ruth Watson Henderson (b.1932)
Two Love Songs
Elmer Iseler Singers, Claire Preston (piano), Lydia Adams (director)

04:21 AM
Karol Rathaus (1895-1954)
Prelude and Gigue in A major for orchestra, Op 44
Polish National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Joel Suben (conductor)

04:31 AM
Clement Janequin (c.1485-1558)
Escoutez tous gentilz (La bataille de Marignon/La guerre)
King's Singers

04:38 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Overture from Die Zauberflote, K.620
Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Richard Bradshaw (conductor)

04:46 AM
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Lyric Pieces Book 3, Op 43
Cristina Ortiz (piano)

05:00 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune
Andrew Nicholson (flute), BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Thierry Fischer (conductor)

05:12 AM
Josquin des Prez (c1440 - 1521)
Qui habitat in adjutorio Altissimi, for 24 voices
BBC Singers, Stephen Cleobury (conductor)

05:21 AM
Daniel Bacheler (c.1572-1619)
Pavan for lute
Nigel North (lute)

05:26 AM
Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871-1927)
String Quartet no 4 in A minor, Op 25
Yggdrasil String Quartet

06:01 AM
Alexander Scriabin (1871-1915)
Piano Concerto in F sharp minor, Op 20
Alexei Volodin (piano), Sinfonia Varsovia, Robert Trevino (conductor)


TUE 06:30 Breakfast (m0027m4b)
Ease into the day with classical music

Petroc Trelawny presents Radio 3's award-winning classical breakfast show with music that captures the mood of the morning. Email your requests to 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk. To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Breakfast.”


TUE 09:30 Essential Classics (m0027m4d)
Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music.

Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites.

1000 Playlist starter – listen and send us your ideas for the next step in our musical journey today.

1030 Song of the Day – harnessing the magic of words, music and the human voice.

1115 Playlist reveal – a sequence of music suggested by you in response to our starter today.

1145 Slow Moment – time to take a break for a moment's musical reflection.

1230 Album of the Week

To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”


TUE 13:00 Classical Live (m0027m4g)
The BBC Philharmonic Live in Concert

Tom McKinney with specially recorded music from across the UK, Europe and the United States. He features works from the 2023 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, including Schubert's 'Trout' Quintet.

For his Artist's Spotlight, Tom selects cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, showcasing a recent concert performance of J.S. Bach's Cello Suites.

Elsewhere, the BBC Philharmonic performs Polish music live from MediaCityUK, including Weinberg's Flute Concerto No.2 with soloist and BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Elizaveta Ivanova.

Also in the programme: BBC Radio 3’s 25 for 25: Sounds of the Century – a series of brand-new commissions celebrating and commemorating some of the biggest events of the 21st century so far. Today, Orcadian composer Erland Cooper reflects on the natural world in the 21st century, paying tribute to Sir David Attenborough, whose landmark series 'Planet Earth' and 'Life of Mammals' brought nature to record numbers of viewers in the early 2000s. Violinist Freya Goldmark joins the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra to perform 'Birds of Paradise'.

***

1pm

Antonio Vivaldi
L'Inverno ('Winter') from 'The Four Seasons', Op.8
Jennifer Gilbert (violin)
Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival Ensemble

Franz Schubert
Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 'Trout'
Joel Link (violin)
Hezekiah Leung (viola)
Camden Shaw (cello)
Edgar Meyer (double bass)
Haochen Zhang (piano)

***

2pm

Radio 3’s 25 for 25 – 2002
Erland Cooper
Birds of Paradise (Tribute to David Attenborough)
Freya Goldmark (violin)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Jack Sheen (conductor)

Johann Sebastian Bach
Cello Suite No.2 in D minor, BWV 1008
Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello)

***

2.30pm

BBC Philharmonic live from MediaCityUK, presented by Tom McKinney

Felix Mendelssohn
Athalie, Op.74: Overture

Witold Lutosławski
Little Suite

Mieczysław Weinberg
Flute Concerto No.2, Op.148
Elizaveta Ivanova (flute)

Mieczysław Weinberg
Rhapsody on Moldovian themes, Op.41 No.1
BBC Philharmonic
Clemens Schuldt (conductor)

***

3.30pm

Fryderyk Chopin
17 Polish Songs, Op.74: IX. 'Melody'
Ensemble Dialoghi

Fryderyk Chopin
17 Polish Songs, Op.74: XIII. 'Nie ma, czego trzeba' (I want what I have not)
Ensemble Dialoghi

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live'


TUE 16:00 Composer of the Week (m001qvvy)
José Maurício Nunes Garcia (1767-1830)

Preacher and Teacher

Kate Molleson explores Garcia’s trajectory to the ultimate role as master of music at the cathedral in Rio de Janeiro.

Composer of the Week shines the spotlight on the Afro-Brazilian composer José Maurício Nunes Garcia. Hailed by some as the Father of Brazilian Classical Music, and compared by others to Mozart and Haydn, this series delves into the life and music of this once hugely prolific and popular composer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, both his parents were children of slaves. Thanks to his exceptional musical talents, Garcia was able to move from his poverty-stricken beginnings to the very top of his society. He became master of music at the cathedral. Later, when the Portuguese Court established themselves in the city, Garcia was appointed master of music at the Chapel Royal and court composer. Kate Molleson is joined by Professor Marcelo Hazan from the University of South Carolina and Professor Kirsten Schultz from Seton Hall University who help her explore Garcia’s incredible life story and music.

A hugely influential teacher of music from early on, Garcia established his own free music school and was invited into the homes of the elite to teach their daughters. His trajectory wasn’t always plain sailing however and he frequently encountered racism. When it came to Garcia entering the Priesthood in the early 1790s, he had to undergo a number of tests to prove his worth, including providing impeccable references to offset the official concerns about his family background. Garcia was ordained, and with his musical skills finally recognised by the Church and Portuguese Court, he became the go-to composer for Saints' Days, royal occasions, and other commissions. However, many European musicians who came to Rio de Janeiro were not keen to be conducted by someone of his race. Eventually, Brazil gained independence from the Portuguese Empire and Garcia’s royal employers were returned to Portugal, leaving Garcia struggling during turbulent times.

José Garcia had to undertake a number of tests in order to enter the priesthood. His standing in Rio de Janeiro was such that he received excellent references from some of the most elite families. A few years later, around 1794, he established a free music school in the city. Soon, all the future musical talent of Rio de Janeiro would be trained in music by Garcia, for free. Garcia did recoup some form of reward in other ways. When the city or the cathedral wished to commission a new work for an event, Garcia was able to undercut his rival composers bidding for the same work, by employing his own students as musicians and pocketing their fees for himself. By the late 1790s the master of music at the cathedral was ill, and Garcia succeeded him in 1798. Garcia now held the top music job in the city.

Immutemur Habitu
Ensemble Turicum
Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Sinfonia fúnebre
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Emilie Godden, conductor

Tenuisti Manum
Ensemble Turicum
Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Crux Fidelis
Ensemble Turicum
Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Popule Meus
Ensemble Turicum
Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Francisco Manuel da Silva
Brazilian National Anthem
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Peter Breiner, conductor

José Garcia
Fantasy No 6
Mário Trilha, fortepiano

Requiem Mass (excerpt)
Doralene Davis, soprano
Betty Allen, mezzo-soprano
William Brown, tenor
Matti Tuloisela, baritone
Morgan State College Choir
Helsinki Philharmonic orchestra
Paul Freeman, conductor

Dies Sanctificatus
Ensemble Turicum
Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Produced by Luke Whitlock


TUE 17:00 In Tune (m0027m4k)
Classical artists live in session

Live music and interviews from the world's finest classical musicians.


TUE 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m0027m4m)
Expand your horizons with classical music

Take time out with a 30-minute soundscape of classical favourites.


TUE 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m0027m4p)
La Voix humaine with Danielle de Niese

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales are joined by their Principal Guest Conductor, Jaime Martín, to perform two French stage works. In the first half we hear Ravel's Mother Goose, a work which draws on classic children's fairy tales and began life as a piano duet for children. Tonight it will be heard in its final version, after Ravel had orchestrated and reworked the piece for a full ballet production. After the interval, soprano Danielle de Niese portrays the unnamed, spurned lover in a semi-staged performance of Poulenc's devastatingly brilliant one-act opera, La Voix humaine. The opera is based on Cocteau's play of the same name, and features the one-sided conversation of a woman on the phone with her ex-lover; as their past history is revealed, so too are the depths of her despair.

Presented by Verity Sharp, recorded in Hoddinott Hall on January 30th.

Ravel: Mother Goose (ballet)
Poulenc: La Voix humaine

Danielle de Niese (soprano)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Jaime Martín (conductor)

To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play In Concert"


TUE 21:45 The Essay (m0020prq)
Michael Longley's Life of Poetry

Poems of World War 1

The Irish poet Michael Longley, who died on 22nd January 2025, was described by Seamus Heaney as 'a keeper of the artistic estate, a custodian of griefs and wonders.' He devoted a lifetime to the art of poetry and won numerous poetry prizes.

In the second episode of this series of The Essay, first broadcast in 2024, he talked with presenter Olivia O'Leary about his World War 1 poems, many of which were inspired by his own father's experience of having fought in the war, although he rarely talked about it. Michael's poems link the Great War and the Northern Ireland Troubles.

He reads his poems Citation, Harmonica, The Sonnets and Wounds from the collection Ash Keys: New Selected Poems (Cape Poetry), published to mark his 85th birthday on 27th July 2024.

Presenter: Olivia O'Leary
Producer: Claire Cunningham
Executive Producer: Regan Hutchins

Michael Longley's Life of Poetry is a Rockfinch production for BBC Radio 3.


TUE 22:00 Night Tracks (m0027m4r)
Meditative music for late night solace

Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.


TUE 23:30 'Round Midnight (m0027m4t)
Fresh from The Ensō Ensemble

‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.

Gregory Porter returns to share his second 4/4 album pick, tonight selecting something from the catalogue of the great Miles Davis.

Plus, music from Pee Wee Ellis, Lewis Daniel and Meg Furze.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight.'



WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2025

WED 00:30 Through the Night (m0027m4w)
Liszt's Faust Symphony

Ivor Bolton conducts the Basel Symphony Orchestra in Liszt's choral symphony inspired by Goethe's drama 'Faust'. Jonathan Swain presents.

12:31 AM
Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)
Psalm XXIV, LB 36
Ilker Arcayürek (tenor), Basler Madrigalisten, Babette Mondry (organ), Basel Symphony Orchestra, Ivor Bolton (conductor)

12:35 AM
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
The Lark Ascending
Pekka Kuusisto (violin), Basel Symphony Orchestra, Ivor Bolton (conductor)

12:51 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), arr. Anders Hillborg
Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639, chorale prelude
Pekka Kuusisto (violin), Basel Symphony Orchestra, Ivor Bolton (conductor)

12:55 AM
Traditional Finland
Folk song
Pekka Kuusisto (violin)

12:59 AM
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
A Faust Symphony, S.108
Ilker Arcayürek (tenor), Basler Madrigalisten, Babette Mondry (organ), Basel Symphony Orchestra, Ivor Bolton (conductor)

02:14 AM
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869), transc. Franz Liszt
Danse des sylphes, S.475 transc. for piano from "La Damnation de Faust"
Wanda Landowska (piano)

02:19 AM
Ferenc Farkas (1905-2000)
5 Ancient Hungarian dances for wind quintet
Academic Wind Quintet

02:31 AM
John Williams
Horn Concerto
Radovan Vlatkovic (horn), Croatian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra, Enrico Dindo (conductor)

02:57 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
String Quartet in E minor, Op 59 no 2, 'Rasumovsky'
Artis Quartet

03:28 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Suite No 2 in F major, HWV.427
Christian Ihle Hadland (piano)

03:38 AM
Jacopo Da Bologna (c.1340-1386)
Aquila altera
Millenarium

03:45 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Kyrie in G minor, RV.587
Hungarian Radio Children's Chorus, Budapest, Hungarian Radio Chorus, Budapest, Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Budapest, Soma Dinyes (conductor)

03:56 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Andante Festivo for strings and timpani
Danish Radio Concert Orchestra, Hannu Koivula (conductor)

04:01 AM
Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
2 Songs: When Night Descends in silence; Oh stop thy singing maiden fair
Fredrik Zetterstrom (baritone), Tobias Ringborg (violin), Anders Kilstrom (piano)

04:10 AM
Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)
Quintet in F major for flute, oboe, violin, viola and continuo, Op 11 no 3
Wilbert Hazelzet (flute), Les Adieux

04:19 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Sonata in C major, K.545
Young-Lan Han (piano)

04:31 AM
Blaz Arnic (1901-1970)
Overture to the Comic Opera, Op 11
RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Anton Nanut (conductor)

04:38 AM
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962)
Sicilienne
Henry-David Varema (cello), Heiki Matlik (guitar)

04:41 AM
Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787)
Symphony in A major, K.24
La Stagione Frankfurt, Michael Schneider (conductor)

04:54 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828), arr. Max Reger
Am Tage aller Seelen, D.343
Dietrich Henschel (baritone), National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Semkow (conductor)

05:01 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Images I
Roger Woodward (piano)

05:17 AM
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), arr. Stanislaw Wiechowicz
6 Lieder, Op 18 (arranged for choir)
Polish Radio Chorus, Wlodzimierz Siedlik (conductor)

05:28 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Symphony no 8 in F major, Op 93
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Richard Hickox (conductor)

05:54 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
String Quartet No. 63 in B flat, Hob. III:78 'Sunrise'
Pacific Quartet Vienna

06:18 AM
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
Spiritus Sanctus vivificans vite, antiphon for solo voice
Sequentia


WED 06:30 Breakfast (m0027m3n)
Sunrise classical

Petroc Trelawny presents Radio 3's award-winning classical breakfast show with music that captures the mood of the morning. Email your requests to 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk. To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Breakfast.”


WED 09:30 Essential Classics (m0027m3q)
The very best of classical music

Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with familiar favourites alongside new discoveries and musical surprises.

1000 Playlist starter – listen and send us your ideas for the next step in our musical journey today.

1030 Song of the Day – harnessing the magic of words, music and the human voice.

1115 Playlist reveal – a sequence of music suggested by you in response to our starter today.

1145 Slow Moment – time to take a break for a moment's musical reflection.

1230 Album of the Week

To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”


WED 13:00 Classical Live (m0027m3s)
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.4 in Concert

Linton Stephens with specially recorded music from across the UK, Europe and the United States. Includes Poulenc's Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano, and Chopin's Barcarolle in F-sharp major, specially recorded at the 2023 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras is in the Artist's Spotlight on Classical Live, performing Bach's Cello Suites in concert from Girona.

Elsewhere, Linton continues a week-long celebration of the music and performing culture of Poland, selecting a centrepiece performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.4 by soloist Francesco Piemontesi, recorded in Warsaw. Linton also chooses a performance by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra of Franz Liszt's symphonic poem 'Mazeppa'.

***

1pm

Fryderyk Chopin
Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op.60
Garrick Ohlsson (piano)

Francis Poulenc
Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano
Robert Ingliss (oboe)
Julia Harguindey (bassoon)
Katia Skanavi (piano)

Johann Sebastian Bach
Cello Suite No.6 in D major, BWV 1012
Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello)

***

2pm

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No.4 in G major, Op.58
Francesco Piemontesi (piano)
Basel Chamber Orchestra
Antonio Viñuales Pérez (conductor)

Franz Liszt
Mazeppa, S.100
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
Antoni Wit (conductor)

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live'


WED 15:00 Choral Evensong (m0027m3v)
St Peter Bolton-le-Moors

From the Parish Church of St Peter Bolton-le-Moors with the Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholars.

Introit: Love divine, all loves excelling (Rorem)
Responses: Radcliffe
Psalms 65, 66, 67 (Taylor, Lloyd, Bairstow)
First Lesson: 1 Samuel 1 vv19b-28
Office hymn: The God of love my shepherd is (University)
Canticles: Brewer in D
Second Lesson: Luke 2 vv41-52
Anthem: Love bade me welcome (Judith Weir)
Hymn: God is love, let heaven adore him (Blaenwern)
Voluntary: Flourish for an occasion (Harris)

Andrew Earis (Director of Music)
Harry Mobbs (Associate Choral Leader)
Elin Rees (Organist)

Recorded 1 February.

To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Choral Evensong”.


WED 16:00 Composer of the Week (m001qvxp)
José Maurício Nunes Garcia (1767-1830)

Arrival of the Portuguese Court

Kate Molleson delves into Garcia’s personal life when he broke his priestly vows of celibacy.

Composer of the Week shines the spotlight on the Afro-Brazilian composer José Maurício Nunes Garcia. Hailed by some as the Father of Brazilian Classical Music, and compared by others to Mozart and Haydn, this series delves into the life and music of this once hugely prolific and popular composer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, both his parents were children of slaves. Thanks to his exceptional musical talents, Garcia was able to move from his poverty-stricken beginnings to the very top of his society. He became master of music at the cathedral. Later, when the Portuguese Court established themselves in the city, Garcia was appointed Master of Music at the Chapel Royal and court composer. Kate Molleson is joined by Professor Marcelo Hazan from the University of South Carolina and Professor Kirsten Schultz from Seton Hall University who help her explore Garcia’s incredible life story and music.

A hugely influential teacher of music from early on, Garcia established his own free music school and was invited into the homes of the elite to teach their daughters. His trajectory wasn’t always plain sailing however and he frequently encountered racism. When it came to Garcia entering the Priesthood in the early 1790s, he had to undergo a number of tests to prove his worth, including providing impeccable references to offset the official concerns about his family background. Garcia was ordained, and with his musical skills finally recognised by the Church and Portuguese Court, he became the go-to composer for Saints' Days, royal occasions, and other commissions. However, many European musicians who came to Rio de Janeiro were not keen to be conducted by someone of his race. Eventually, Brazil gained independence from the Portuguese Empire and Garcia’s royal employers were returned to Portugal, leaving Garcia struggling during turbulent times.

Today, Kate Molleson explores a pivotal moment: the Portuguese Court arrives in Rio de Janeiro under British naval escort, fleeing Napoleon. The city would now change dramatically, as thousands began to arrive from Europe. The prince regent quickly established a police system, which would take an active role in redefining the city, requisitioning houses for arriving courtiers, expanding and developing the city, and also carrying out a policy of Europeanisation too. Many musicians from Europe started to arrive, and this had an influence upon the music of José Garcia, who had now been appointed master of the music to the royal chapel. This elevation in Garcia’s career came at a time of changes in his personal life too. Garcia had begun a relationship with Severiana Rosa de Castro, with whom he’d have six children. A serious risk for Garcia, considering his vows of celibacy as a priest.

Justus cum ceciderit
Ensemble Turicum
Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Judas Mercator pessimus
Apollini et Musis
Jörg Strodthoff, organ
Vinzenz Weissenburger, conductor

Missa pastoril para a noite de natal (excerpt)
Katie Trethewey, soprano
Elizabeth Drury, soprano
Martha McLorinan, alto
Greg Skidmore, bass
Adrian Horsewood, bass
Nick Ashby, bass
Ex Cathedra
Jeffrey Skidmore, director

Overture in D major
Vox Brasiliensis Orchestra
Ricardo Kanji, conductor

Marcos António Portugal
Cuidados, tristes cuidados
Sandra Medeiros, soprano
David Gordon, harpsichord

José Garcia
Beijo a mão que me condena
Tiago Pinheiro de Oliveira, tenor
Rosana Lanzelotte, fortepiano

Laudate pueri
Ensemble Turicum
Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Produced by Luke Whitlock


WED 17:00 In Tune (m0027m3y)
Music news and live classical music

Live music and interviews from the world's finest classical musicians.


WED 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m0027m40)
Take 30 minutes out with a relaxing classical mix

Take time out with a 30-minute soundscape of classical favourites.


WED 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m0027m42)
The English Concert at Wigmore Hall

Trevor Pinnock directs The English Concert in a programme inspired by the box office hit that was Corelli's Concerti grossi in Handel's London. Handel then ran with the Corelli model, importing other Italian influences to Georgian Britain. They're joined by Clara Espinosa Encinas for Handel's Oboe Concerto in G minor, and Lucy Crowe for some ravishing vocal works.

Recorded at Wigmore Hall last month, and presented by Andrew McGregor

Corelli: Concerto grosso in C minor, Op.6'3
Handel: Oboe Concerto in G minor, HWV.287
Handel: Salve Regina, HWV.241

Interval

Handel: Concerto grosso in D major, HWV.323
Handel: Silete venti, HWV.242

Clara Espinosa Encinas (oboe)
Lucy Crowe (soprano)
The English Concert
Trevor Pinnock (director)

To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert"


WED 21:45 The Essay (m0020pns)
Michael Longley's Life of Poetry

Poems of the Troubles

The Irish poet Michael Longley, who died on 22nd January 2025, was described by Seamus Heaney as 'a keeper of the artistic estate, a custodian of griefs and wonders.' He devoted a lifetime to the art of poetry and won numerous poetry prizes.

In 1968, violence erupted in Northern Ireland, the beginning of 30 years of the Troubles. In the third episode of this series of The Essay, first broadcast in 2024, he talked about writing poems that remembered some of those who were victims of the the violence and his most famous poem, Ceasefire, which looks to Homer's great epic poem The Iliad as it reflects on the cost of peace.

As well as Ceasefire, he reads his poems The Troubles, The Ice-cream Man, and All of these People from the collection Ash Keys: New Selected Poems (Cape Poetry), published to mark his 85th birthday on 27th July 2024.

Presenter: Olivia O'Leary
Producer: Claire Cunningham
Executive Producer: Regan Hutchins

Michael Longley's Life of Poetry is a Rockfinch production for BBC Radio 3.


WED 22:00 Night Tracks (m0027m44)
Nocturnal music to bewitch the senses

Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.


WED 23:30 'Round Midnight (m0027m46)
New Marshall Allen

‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.

American star singer Gregory Porter shares another record that moves him in 4/4. Tonight he chooses a masterful release by vocal great Abbey Lincoln.

Plus, music from Glebe, Helen Galvin, and Rosa Brunello.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight.'



THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2025

THU 00:30 Through the Night (m0027m48)
Sacra Partitura: the beginnings of Italian Baroque

The early music group Ensemble Daimonion traces the evolution of Italian musical composition from the Renaissance to the Baroque. Jonathan Swain presents.

12:31 AM
Dario Castello (1602-1631)
Sonata nona from Sonate in stil moderno, libro primo
Ensemble Daimonion

12:37 AM
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704)
Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum, Psalm 127
Ensemble Daimonion

12:48 AM
Biagio Marini (c.1594-1663)
Sonata a 3 - La Foscarina - from Affetti musicali, Op 1
Ensemble Daimonion

12:54 AM
Cipriano de Rore (1516-1565)
Io canterei damor from Primo libro di madrigali a 4 voci
Ensemble Daimonion

12:58 AM
Tarquinio Merula (1595-1665)
Credidi from Salmi et Messa Concertata, Op 18
Ensemble Daimonion

01:03 AM
Nicola Matteis Sr. (c. 1650-after 1713)
Passagio rotto - Fantasia for violin
Ensemble Daimonion

01:08 AM
Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697)
De profundis clamavi, Psalm 130
Ensemble Daimonion

01:22 AM
Giovanni Picchi (1572-1643)
Canzon seconda per violino e fagotto
Ensemble Daimonion

01:26 AM
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594)
Pulchra es
Ensemble Daimonion

01:31 AM
Dario Castello (1602-1631)
Sonata decima from Sonate in stil moderno, libro secondo
Ensemble Daimonion

01:37 AM
Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Quemadmodum desiderat cervus, BuxWV 92
Ensemble Daimonion

01:44 AM
Gioanpietro Del Buono (fl.1641-1657)
Sonata sopra Ave Maris Stella (encore)
Ensemble Daimonion

01:46 AM
Maddalena Laura Lombardini Sirmen (1745-1818)
String Quartet no 1 in E flat major, Op 3
Eos Quartet

01:57 AM
Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936), Carlo Zangarini (lyricist)
Stornellatrice
Victoria de los Angeles (soprano), Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional, Pedro de Freitas Branco (conductor)

01:59 AM
Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936)
Trittico Botticelliano
Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Peter Santa (conductor)

02:21 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Concerto for 4 violins, cello and orchestra in F major, RV.567
Paul Wright (violin), Natsumi Wakamatsu (violin), Sayuri Yamagata (violin), Staas Swierstra (violin), Hidemi Suzuki (cello), Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer (conductor)

02:31 AM
Krasimir Kyurkchiyski (1936-2011)
Variations on a theme by Handel
Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Dimitar Manolov (conductor)

02:51 AM
Louis Spohr (1784-1859)
Nonet for wind quintet, string trio and double bass in F, Op 31
Budapest Chamber Ensemble, Andras Mihaly (conductor)

03:21 AM
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Concerto in D minor for 2 pianos and orchestra
Lutoslawski Piano Duo (soloist), Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Maksymiuk (conductor)

03:40 AM
Alexander Gretchaninov (1864-1956)
Cherubic Hymn from Liturgia Domestica
Bulgarian Svetoslav Obretenov Choir, Bulgarian National Radio Chamber Orchestra, Georgi Robev (conductor)

03:48 AM
Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
Variations on a theme by Robert Schumann for piano in F sharp minor, Op 20
Angela Cheng (piano)

03:57 AM
Dobrinka Tabakova (b.1980)
Pirin for viola
Maxim Rysanov (viola)

04:06 AM
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
Andante molto, 3rd movement from the Symphonic Suite "Roma"
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oliver Dohnanyi (conductor)

04:13 AM
Francesco Corbetta (1615-1681)
Folias
Simone Vallerotonda (guitar)

04:20 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Gentle Morpheus, son of night (Calliope's song) from 'Alceste'
Emma Kirkby (soprano), Academy of Ancient Music, Andrew Manze (director)

04:31 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Academic Festival Overture, Op 80
Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tamas Vasary (conductor)

04:41 AM
Robert Hacomplaynt (c.1455-1528)
Salve Regina (a 5)
BBC Singers, Stephen Cleobury (conductor)

04:53 AM
Peter Warlock (1894-1930)
Serenade (to Frederick Delius on his 60th birthday)
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Roy Goodman (conductor)

05:00 AM
Nicolas Chedeville (1705-1782)
Recorder Sonata in G minor, Op 13 no 6
Ensemble 1700, Dorothee Oberlinger (director)

05:08 AM
Vaino Raitio (1891-1945)
Maidens on the Headlands - symphonic poem
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste (conductor)

05:15 AM
Augusta Holmes (1847-1903)
Fleur de Neflier
BBC Singers, Annabel Thwaite (piano), Hilary Campbell (conductor)

05:18 AM
Bernhard Henrik Crusell (1775-1838)
Clarinet Concerto no 1 in E flat major, Op 1
Kullervo Kojo (clarinet), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ulf Soderblom (conductor)

05:41 AM
Dora Pejacevic (1885-1923)
Life of Flowers, Op 19
Ida Gamulin (piano)

06:02 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Symphony No.5 in D major, Op 107 'Reformation'
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Paavo Berglund (conductor)


THU 06:30 Breakfast (m0027m9s)
Boost your morning with classical

Petroc Trelawny presents Radio 3's award-winning classical breakfast show with music that captures the mood of the morning. Email your requests to 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk. To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Breakfast.”


THU 09:30 Essential Classics (m0027m9v)
A feast of great music

Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites.

1000 Playlist starter – listen and send us your ideas for the next step in our musical journey today.

1030 Song of the Day – harnessing the magic of words, music and the human voice.

1115 Playlist reveal – a sequence of music suggested by you in response to our starter today.

1145 Slow Moment – time to take a break for a moment's musical reflection.

1200 “25 for 25: Sounds of the Century” – a series of brand new commissions celebrating and commemorating some of the biggest events of the 21st century so far. In Birds of Paradise for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and violinist Freya Goldmark, Orcadian composer Erland Cooper reflects on the natural world in the 21st century and pays tribute to David Attenborough, whose landmark series Planet Earth and Life of Mammals brought it to record numbers of viewers in the early 2000s.

1230 Album of the Week

To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”


THU 13:00 Classical Live (m0027m9x)
Smetana's 'Má vlast' on Historical Instruments

Tom McKinney with specially recorded music from across the UK, Europe and the United States. Includes Maurice Ravel's fiendishly difficult piano suite 'Gaspard de la nuit', played by soloist Juho Pohjonen, as well as Ernest Chausson's Concert in D major for piano, violin and string quartet: both performances captured at the 2023 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

Jean-Guihen Queyras is in the Artist's Spotlight on Classical Live; Tom chooses a recent concert performance by Queyras of J.S. Bach's Cello Suites.

Elsewhere, Tom celebrates the musical culture of Poland with exclusive concert recordings from the Chopin and his Europe International Music Festival. Tom selects a complete performance of 'Má vlast', Bedřich Smetana's cycle of six symphonic poems inspired by the legends and landscapes of Bohemia. It's performed in a critically acclaimed new interpretation on period instruments by the Prague Baroque ensemble Collegium 1704 under founder and director Václav Luks.

***

1pm

Johann Sebastian Bach
Cello Suite No.1 in G major, BWV 1007
Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello)

Maurice Ravel
Gaspard de la nuit
Juho Pohjonen (piano)

Ernest Chausson
Concert in D major, Op.21
Paul Huang (violin)
Zoltán Fejérvári (piano)
Miami String Quartet

***

2.30pm

Bedřich Smetana
Má vlast:
I.Vyšehrad (The High Castle)
II. Vltava
III. Šárka
IV. Z českých luhů a hájů (From Bohemian Fields and Groves)
V. Tábor
VI. Blaník
Collegium 1704
Václav Luks (conductor)

Grażyna Bacewicz
Overture
BBC Concert Orchestra
Bramwell Tovey (conductor)

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live'


THU 16:00 Composer of the Week (m001qvxb)
José Maurício Nunes Garcia (1767-1830)

Rivalry at Court

Kate Molleson sees José Garcia forced to make way for a new composer, Marcos Portugal.

Composer of the Week shines the spotlight on the Afro-Brazilian composer José Maurício Nunes Garcia. Hailed by some as the Father of Brazilian Classical Music, and compared by others to Mozart and Haydn, this series delves into the life and music of this once hugely prolific and popular composer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, both his parents were children of slaves. Thanks to his exceptional musical talents, Garcia was able to move from his poverty-stricken beginnings to the very top of his society. He became master of music at the cathedral. Later, when the Portuguese Court established themselves in the city, Garcia was appointed master of music at the Chapel Royal and court composer. Kate Molleson is joined by Professor Marcelo Hazan from the University of South Carolina and Professor Kirsten Schultz from Seton Hall University who help her explore Garcia’s incredible life story and music.

A hugely influential teacher of music from early on, Garcia established his own free music school and was invited into the homes of the elite to teach their daughters. His trajectory wasn’t always plain sailing however and he frequently encountered racism. When it came to Garcia entering the Priesthood in the early 1790s, he had to undergo a number of tests to prove his worth, including providing impeccable references to offset the official concerns about his family background. Garcia was ordained, and with his musical skills finally recognised by the Church and Portuguese Court, he became the go-to composer for Saints' Days, royal occasions, and other commissions. However, many European musicians who came to Rio de Janeiro were not keen to be conducted by someone of his race. Eventually, Brazil gained independence from the Portuguese Empire and Garcia’s royal employers were returned to Portugal, leaving Garcia struggling during turbulent times.

In today's programme, the Portuguese Court is now firmly established in Rio de Janeiro. They begin a series of changes within the city in order to make it more European. The prince regent was keen that a new royal theatre should be built, and he also sent for certain musicians to come to Brazil, including the composer Marcos Portugal. This newcomer began to take over Garcia’s duties at the court. This was a difficult period for Garcia, and he had to take out a loan to ensure he could continue to support his growing family, including his mother, his partner, and six children.

In Monte Oliveti
Apollini et Musis
Jörg Strodthoff, organ
Vinzenz Weissenburger, conductor

Josef Haydn
Piano Sonata No. 62 in E flat, Hob. WVI: 52 (Finale)
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano

José Garcia
Lição No 8 da Primeira Parte
Mário Trilha, fortepiano

Lição No 4 da Segunda Parte
Mário Trilha, fortepiano

Lição No 8 da Segunda Parte
Mário Trilha, fortepiano

Laudate dominum
Ensemble Turicum
Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Requiem Mass (excerpt)
Doralene Davis, soprano
Betty Allen, mezzo-soprano
William Brown, tenor
Matti Tuloisela, baritone
Morgan State College Choir
Helsinki Philharmonic orchestra
Paul Freeman, conductor

Creed No 9 in B flat (excerpt)
Darlene Cluff, soprano
Keely J. Rhodes, mezzo-soprano
Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, tenor
Peter Hamilton, bass
University of Texas Chamber Singers
University of Texas Chamber Orchestra
James Morrow, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock


THU 17:00 In Tune (m0027mb0)
Live classical music for your drive

Live music and interviews from the world's finest classical musicians.


THU 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m001n83n)
Classical music for focus or relaxation

Take time out with a soundscape of classical music including Eric Coates' overture The Merrymakers, Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromtu in C sharp minor which inspired the song "I'm always chasing rainbows" and the lilting waltz from Bernstein's Divertimento. Also in the mix are Byrd's Vigilate for 5 voices, Bach's "Awake, we are called by the voice of the watchmen" arranged for solo organ, a minuet for strings by Mozart and Rachel Portman's music for the film 'Emma'.

Producer: Ian Wallington


THU 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m0027mb3)
Barber’s Violin Concerto

The BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Domingo Hindoyan in Gabriela Ortiz, Copland’s stirring Symphony No.3, plus violinist Tessa Lark joins for Barber’s sunny violin concerto.

Live at the Barbican.

Gabriela Ortiz: Kauyumari
Samuel Barber: Violin Concerto

Interval

Aaron Copland: Symphony No 3

Tessa Lark (violin)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Domingo Hindoyan (conductor)

Drums thunder, trumpets sound and a nation finds its voice. Everyone knows Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, but not many people know its second life as part of Copland’s magnificent Third Symphony: a masterpiece as big and as brave as America itself. But that’s just one side of the American dream. Barber’s glorious Violin Concerto is as popular as it is poetic – and with good reason.
It’s a typically expansive programme from Domingo Hindoyan, the charismatic Venezuelan conductor who’s been making waves as principal conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Joining him is violinist Tessa Lark, another artist with a burning urge to communicate. A visionary new masterpiece by Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz blows open the doors of perception.

To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert.


THU 21:45 The Essay (m0020px5)
Michael Longley's Life of Poetry

Poems of Mayo

The Irish poet Michael Longley, who died on 22nd January 2025, was described by Seamus Heaney as 'a keeper of the artistic estate, a custodian of griefs and wonders.' He devoted a lifetime to the art of poetry and won numerous poetry prizes.

In this episode of The Essay, first broadcast in 2024, he described his refuge from the city streets of Belfast in County Mayo, in one of the most remote and beautiful parts of the west of Ireland. He had been writing about its nature and landscape for over 50 years and it provided endless inspiration for poems. In more recent years he recognised the threat of climate change and he expresses the hope that younger generations will take greater care of the world.

He reads his poems The Leveret, Remembering Carrigskeewaun, Stonechat and The Comber from his collection Ash Keys: New Selected Poems (Cape Poetry), published to mark his 85th birthday on 27th July 2024, and Merlin from his collection The Slain Birds.

Presenter: Olivia O'Leary
Producer: Claire Cunningham
Executive Producer: Regan Hutchins

Michael Longley's Life of Poetry is a Rockfinch production for BBC Radio 3.


THU 22:00 Night Tracks (m0027mb5)
Harmonious music for nighttime listening

Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.


THU 23:30 'Round Midnight (m0027mb7)
An Allexa Nava First-Play

‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.

Gregory Porter is back tonight with a fourth and final album from his record collection, for 4/4. Concluding his selections, Gregory goes for a release from key inspiration, Nat King Cole.

Plus, music from Zakir Hussain, Ella Fitzgerald, and Macha Gharibian.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight.'



FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2025

FRI 00:30 Through the Night (m0027mb9)
Basel Early Music Festival 2021

Neapolitan influences with the Chiave d'Arco Baroque Orchestra and director Sigiswald Kuijken. Jonathan Swain presents.

12:31 AM
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725)
Concerto Grosso in D minor No. 5 - Sinfonia
Chiave d'Arco Baroque Orchestra, Sigiswald Kuijken (director)

12:39 AM
Francesco Durante (1684-1755)
Concerto No. 2 in G minor
Chiave d'Arco Baroque Orchestra, Sigiswald Kuijken (director)

12:52 AM
Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762)
Concerto grosso No.4 in D minor, op. 7
Chiave d'Arco Baroque Orchestra, Sigiswald Kuijken (director)

01:04 AM
Leonardo Leo (1694-1744)
Concerto for Four Violins, Strings and Basso continuo in D
Chiave d'Arco Baroque Orchestra, Sigiswald Kuijken (director)

01:19 AM
Francesco Scarlatti (1666-after 1741)
Concerto Grosso No. 4 in E minor
Chiave d'Arco Baroque Orchestra, Sigiswald Kuijken (director)

01:25 AM
Charles Avison (1709-1770)
Concerto grosso No. 12 in D, after D. Scarlatti
Chiave d'Arco Baroque Orchestra, Sigiswald Kuijken (director)

01:39 AM
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725)
Sinfonia No. 14 in G - excerpt
Chiave d'Arco Baroque Orchestra, Sigiswald Kuijken (director)

01:41 AM
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
Sonata in E minor, K.81 arranged for recorder and harpsichord
Bolette Roed (recorder), Joanna Boslak-Gorniok (harpsichord)

01:48 AM
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725)
Stabat Mater (1723)
Valeria Popova (soprano), Penka Dilova (mezzo soprano), Tolbuhin Children's Chorus, Bulgarian National Radio Sinfonietta, Dragomir Nenov (conductor)

02:31 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
String Quartet No. 2 in F, Op 22
Sebastian String Quartet

03:07 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, op. 58
Jakub Kuszlik (piano)

03:34 AM
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Hymn and Triumphal March, from Aida
WDR Radio Orchestra, Rasmus Baumann (conductor)

03:41 AM
George Enescu (1881-1955)
Konzertstuck in F for viola and piano
Gyozo Mate (viola), Balazs Szokolay (piano)

03:50 AM
Francesco Soriano (1548-1621)
Dixit Dominus
BBC Singers, Bo Holten (conductor), Unknown (organ)

03:58 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Horn Concerto no 1 in D major, K412
Premysl Vojta (horn), Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lukasz Borowicz (conductor)

04:06 AM
Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755-1824)
Serenade for 2 violins in A major, Op 23 no 1
Angel Stankov (violin), Yossif Radionov (violin)

04:15 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828), Friedrich Schiller (author)
Der Pilgrim, D.794
Christoph Pregardien (tenor), Andreas Staier (pianoforte)

04:20 AM
Toivo Kuula (1883-1918)
Festive March Op 13
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, George de Godzinsky (conductor)

04:31 AM
Jan van Gilse (1881-1944)
Concert Overture in C minor
Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jac van Steen (conductor)

04:41 AM
Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959)
3 Czech dances for piano
Anastasia Vorotnaya (piano)

04:50 AM
Michael Haydn (1737-1806)
Cantata: Lauft, ihr Hirten allzugleich (Run ye shepherds, to the light)
Wolfgang Brunner (director), Salzburger Hofmusik

04:59 AM
Alexander Albrecht (1885-1958)
Quintet for piano, flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon
Bratislava Wind Quintet, Pavol Kovac (piano)

05:08 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Sonata in C major, K.545
Young-Lan Han (piano)

05:18 AM
Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Suite for chamber orchestra
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jan Krenz (conductor)

05:26 AM
Ludvig Norman (1831-1885)
String Quartet in E major, Op 20
Berwald Quartet

05:49 AM
Antoine Reicha (1770-1836)
Trio for French horns Op 82
Jozef Illes (french horn), Jan Budzak (french horn), Jaroslav Snobl (french horn)

05:59 AM
Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Scottish fantasy, Op 46
James Ehnes (violin), Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)


FRI 06:30 Breakfast (m0027lkc)
Get going with classical

Petroc Trelawny presents Radio 3's award-winning classical breakfast show with music that captures the mood of the morning, including BBC Radio 3’s 25 for 25: Sounds of the Century – a series of brand new commissions celebrating and commemorating some of the biggest events of the 21st century so far. This week, in Birds of Paradise for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and violinist Freya Goldmark, Orcadian composer Erland Cooper reflects on the natural world in the 21st century and pays tribute to David Attenborough, whose landmark series Planet Earth and Life of Mammals brought it to record numbers of viewers in the early 2000s.

Email your requests to 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk. To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Breakfast.”


FRI 09:30 Essential Classics (m0027lkf)
Your perfect classical playlist

Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, featuring new discoveries, some musical surprises and plenty of familiar favourites.

1000 Playlist starter – listen and send us your ideas for the next step in our musical journey today.

1030 Song of the Day – harnessing the magic of words, music and the human voice.

1115 Playlist reveal – a sequence of music suggested by you in response to our starter today.

1145 Slow Moment – time to take a break for a moment's musical reflection.

1230 Album of the Week

To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”


FRI 13:00 Classical Live (m0027lkh)
Classical Love

Tom McKinney with specially recorded music from across the UK, Europe and the United States. Includes Mozart's glorious Divertimento in E-flat major, captured at the 2023 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

Tom also continues his showcase of cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, who is in the Artist's Spotlight on Classical Live, choosing a recent concert performance of J.S. Bach's Cello Suites.

Elsewhere, Tom celebrates the musical culture of Poland with exclusive concert recordings from the Chopin and his Europe International Music Festival. Today, for Valentine's Day, Tom selects works inspired by or dedicated to composers' beloveds. Includes Robert Schumann's Humoreske in B-flat, written while the composer was, in his words, 'rhapsodizing' about his wife Clara, as well as a centrepiece performance of Chopin's Piano Concerto No.2, composed by a young Fryderyk idealising over a fellow student at the Warsaw School of Music.

***

1pm

Fryderyk Chopin
Nocturne in A-flat major, Op.32 No.2

Robert Schumann
Humoreske in B-flat major, Op.20
Bartosz Skłodowski (piano)

Johann Sebastian Bach
Cello Suite No.3 in C major, BWV 1009
Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello)

***

2pm

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Divertimento in E-flat major, K.563
Cho-Liang Lin (violin)
Yura Lee (viola)
Mark Kosower (cello)

***

3pm

Fryderyk Chopin
Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor, Op.21
Eric Lu (piano)
KBS Symphony Orchestra
Pietari Inkinen (conductor)

Fryderyk Chopin
Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op.64 No.2
Eric Lu (piano)

Grażyna Bacewicz
Sonata for Piano (unpublished)
I. Allegro. Allegro ma non troppo
II. Andante misterioso. Allegretto
III. Vivace
Bartosz Skłodowski (piano)

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live'


FRI 16:00 Composer of the Week (m001qvwn)
José Maurício Nunes Garcia (1767-1830)

Decline into Poverty

Kate Molleson sees Garcia struggle after the Portuguese Court abandons Brazil.

Composer of the Week shines the spotlight on the Afro-Brazilian composer José Maurício Nunes Garcia. Hailed by some as the Father of Brazilian Classical Music, and compared by others to Mozart and Haydn, this series delves into the life and music of this once hugely prolific and popular composer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, both his parents were children of slaves. Thanks to his exceptional musical talents, Garcia was able to move from his poverty-stricken beginnings to the very top of his society. He became master of music at the cathedral. Later, when the Portuguese Court established themselves in the city, Garcia was appointed master of music at the Chapel Royal and court composer. Kate Molleson is joined by Professor Marcelo Hazan from the University of South Carolina and Professor Kirsten Schultz from Seton Hall University who help her explore Garcia’s incredible life story and music.

A hugely influential teacher of music from early on, Garcia established his own free music school and was invited into the homes of the elite to teach their daughters. His trajectory wasn’t always plain sailing however and he frequently encountered racism. When it came to Garcia entering the Priesthood in the early 1790s, he had to undergo a number of tests to prove his worth, including providing impeccable references to offset the official concerns about his family background. Garcia was ordained, and with his musical skills finally recognised by the Church and Portuguese Court, he became the go-to composer for Saints' Days, royal occasions, and other commissions. However, many European musicians who came to Rio de Janeiro were not keen to be conducted by someone of his race. Eventually, Brazil gained independence from the Portuguese Empire and Garcia’s royal employers were returned to Portugal, leaving Garcia struggling during turbulent times.

The last decade in José Garcia’s life was difficult. In 1821 King John VI returned to Portugal with much of his court, taking most of the treasury funds with him. Financially, Brazil was in free fall, and the king’s son Pedro was forced to remove benefits and stipends. Garcia found his income severely cut, and he petitioned Pedro to reinstall his income, or at least give him a salary for all the free music teaching he undertook. Pedro declined, and Garcia decided to close his music school for good. Pedro declared Brazil’s independence in 1822, and with financial and social upheaval in the years to follow, Garcia faded from view in the city where he’d held the top music jobs at both court and cathedral. He died in poverty in 1830.

Fantasy No 4
Arnaldo Cohen, piano

Sigismund Neukomm
Trost in Tränen
Stella Doufexis, soprano
Graham Johnson, piano

José Garcia
Missa de Nossa Senhora da Concição (excerpt)
Darlene Cluff, soprano
Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, tenor
Phillip D. Hill, baritone
University of Texas Chamber Singers
University of Texas Chamber Orchestra
James Morrow, conductor

Lição No 3 da Segunda Parte
Mário Trilha, fortepiano

Lição No 6 da Segunda Parte
Mário Trilha, fortepiano

Requiem Mass (excerpt)
Doralene Davis, soprano
Betty Allen, mezzo-soprano
William Brown, tenor
Matti Tuloisela, baritone
Morgan State College Choir
Helsinki Philharmonic orchestra
Paul Freeman, conductor

Domine Tu Mihi Lavas Pedes
Apollini et Musis
Jörg Strodthoff, organ
Vinzenz Weissenburger, conductor

Sepulto Domino
Ensemble Turicum
Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Inter Vestibulum
Ensemble Turicum
Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Produced by Luke Whitlock


FRI 17:00 In Tune (m0027lkl)
Classical artists live in the studio

Live music and interviews from the world's finest classical musicians.


FRI 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m0027lkn)
The perfect classical half hour

Take time out with a 30-minute soundscape of classical favourites.


FRI 19:30 Friday Night is Music Night (m0027lkq)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Korea

Let the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra whisk you away for a night of classic West End musicals under the baton of conductor Ben Palmer, joined by star vocalists Ben Forster and Hiba Elchikhe. The toe-tapping favourites include songs from musicals including Oklahoma, Les Misérables, West Side Story, Frozen, Beauty & The Beast and more - all performed by the ever-versatile BBC SSO.

Recorded on Friday 6 December 2024 at Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, South Korea. Presented by Katie Derham.

Bernstein: Candide Overture
Rodgers & Hammerstein: Oklahoma! Overture
Rodgers & Hammerstein: Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' from Oklahoma!)
Alan Menken: Colours of the Wind from Pocahontas
Andrew Lloyd Webber: Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera
Lopez & Lopez: Let It Go! from Frozen
Bernstein: On the town: 3 Dance Episodes

Interval

Alan Menken: Beauty and the Beast Overture
Alan Menken: If I Can't Love Her from Beauty and the Beast
Alan Menken: A Whole New World from Aladdin
Claude-Michel Schönberg: I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables
Rodgers & Hammerstein: Something Good from The Sound of Music
Bernstein: West Side Story: Symphonic Dances


FRI 21:45 The Essay (m0020q01)
Michael Longley's Life of Poetry

Poems of Love and Ageing

Irish poet Michael Longley, who died on 22nd January 2025, was described by Seamus Heaney as 'a keeper of the artistic estate, a custodian of griefs and wonders.' He devoted a lifetime to the art of poetry and won numerous poetry prizes.

He is recognised as a very fine love poet and in this episode of Michael Longley's Life of Poetry, first broadcast in 2024, he reads poems that address the gift of a decades-long love and marriage and the inevitability of ageing. After a lifetime dedicated to poetry, he says, 'I can't imagine that I would be alive now if I hadn't had poetry propelling me forward.'

He reads his poems The Pattern, The Linen Industry and Age from his collection Ash Keys: New Selected Poems (Cape Poetry), published to mark his 85th birthday on 27th July 2024, and Foam from his collection The Slain Birds.

Presenter: Olivia O'Leary
Producer: Claire Cunningham
Executive Producer: Regan Hutchins

Michael Longley's Life of Poetry is a Rockfinch production for BBC Radio 3.


FRI 22:00 Late Junction (m0027lks)
Percolate Junction

To fight the winter blues and push back idleness, Jennifer Lucy Allan rethinks the insipid coffee shop soundtrack with this fresh brew of experimental and adventurous music. As an inspiration for lyrics, as a source of heightened energy, as a locus of culture, the humble coffee bean and the various forms in which it is drunk have filtered into a range of music, from Delta blues to Black Flag, the hardcore punk band whose phenomenal stage energy was fuelled by the bandleader's addiction to cup after cup of coffee.

Plus, new music from the collaboration between Belgian guitarist Ignatz and New York-based noise artist Marcia Bassett, as well as viola excursions from the forthcoming album by Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh.

Produced by Silvia Malnati
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3


FRI 23:30 'Round Midnight (m0027lkv)
Córas Trio in Concert

Tonight Soweto presents music from Belfast’s Córas Trio, recorded live at the Jazz Promotion Network conference at the Bristol Beacon late last year.

The trio shared music from their debut, self-titled album, with original takes on traditional Irish reels, infusing them with jazz expression and improvisation.

Also in the programme, music from ARTEMIS, Sharada Shashidhar, and Sonny Stitt.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight.'




LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)

'Round Midnight 23:30 MON (m0027k2t)

'Round Midnight 23:30 TUE (m0027m4t)

'Round Midnight 23:30 WED (m0027m46)

'Round Midnight 23:30 THU (m0027mb7)

'Round Midnight 23:30 FRI (m0027lkv)

Breakfast 06:30 SAT (m0027m19)

Breakfast 06:30 SUN (m0027k6y)

Breakfast 06:30 MON (m0027k2b)

Breakfast 06:30 TUE (m0027m4b)

Breakfast 06:30 WED (m0027m3n)

Breakfast 06:30 THU (m0027m9s)

Breakfast 06:30 FRI (m0027lkc)

Choral Evensong 15:00 SUN (m0027bqs)

Choral Evensong 15:00 WED (m0027m3v)

Classical Live 13:00 MON (m0027k2g)

Classical Live 13:00 TUE (m0027m4g)

Classical Live 13:00 WED (m0027m3s)

Classical Live 13:00 THU (m0027m9x)

Classical Live 13:00 FRI (m0027lkh)

Classical Mixtape 19:00 MON (m0027k2m)

Classical Mixtape 19:00 TUE (m0027m4m)

Classical Mixtape 19:00 WED (m0027m40)

Classical Mixtape 19:00 THU (m001n83n)

Classical Mixtape 19:00 FRI (m0027lkn)

Composer of the Week 16:00 MON (m001qvv6)

Composer of the Week 16:00 TUE (m001qvvy)

Composer of the Week 16:00 WED (m001qvxp)

Composer of the Week 16:00 THU (m001qvxb)

Composer of the Week 16:00 FRI (m001qvwn)

Drama on 3 20:00 SUN (m0027k7g)

Earlier... with Jools Holland 12:00 SAT (m002687v)

Essential Classics 09:30 MON (m0027k2d)

Essential Classics 09:30 TUE (m0027m4d)

Essential Classics 09:30 WED (m0027m3q)

Essential Classics 09:30 THU (m0027m9v)

Essential Classics 09:30 FRI (m0027lkf)

Friday Night is Music Night 19:30 FRI (m0027lkq)

In Tune 17:00 MON (m0027k2k)

In Tune 17:00 TUE (m0027m4k)

In Tune 17:00 WED (m0027m3y)

In Tune 17:00 THU (m0027mb0)

In Tune 17:00 FRI (m0027lkl)

Jazz Record Requests 16:00 SUN (m0027k76)

Late Junction 22:00 FRI (m0027lks)

Music Map 13:30 SUN (m0027k74)

Music Matters 13:00 SAT (m0027m1f)

Music Planet 21:30 SAT (m0027m1s)

New Generation Artists 21:35 SUN (m0027k7j)

New Music Show 22:30 SAT (m0027m1v)

Night Tracks 22:00 MON (m0027k2r)

Night Tracks 22:00 TUE (m0027m4r)

Night Tracks 22:00 WED (m0027m44)

Night Tracks 22:00 THU (m0027mb5)

Opera on 3 18:00 SAT (m00120v7)

Private Passions 12:00 SUN (m0027k72)

Radio 3 in Concert 19:30 MON (m0027k2p)

Radio 3 in Concert 19:30 TUE (m0027m4p)

Radio 3 in Concert 19:30 WED (m0027m42)

Radio 3 in Concert 19:30 THU (m0027mb3)

Record Review 14:00 SAT (m0027m1j)

Saturday Morning 09:00 SAT (m0027m1c)

Sound of Cinema 16:00 SAT (m0027m1l)

Sunday Feature 19:15 SUN (m0027k7d)

Sunday Morning 09:00 SUN (m0027k70)

The Early Music Show 17:00 SUN (m0027k78)

The Essay 21:45 MON (m0020r6h)

The Essay 21:45 TUE (m0020prq)

The Essay 21:45 WED (m0020pns)

The Essay 21:45 THU (m0020px5)

The Essay 21:45 FRI (m0020q01)

The Night Tracks Mix 23:00 SUN (m001f5x2)

This Classical Life 17:00 SAT (m0027m1n)

Through the Night 00:30 SAT (m0027czd)

Through the Night 00:30 SUN (m0027m1x)

Through the Night 00:30 MON (m0027k7p)

Through the Night 00:30 TUE (m0027k2w)

Through the Night 00:30 WED (m0027m4w)

Through the Night 00:30 THU (m0027m48)

Through the Night 00:30 FRI (m0027mb9)

Ultimate Calm 22:00 SUN (m0024r12)

Unclassified 23:30 SUN (m0027k7m)

Words and Music 18:00 SUN (m0027k7b)




LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES ORDERED BY GENRE
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)

Drama

Drama on 3 20:00 SUN (m0027k7g)

Words and Music 18:00 SUN (m0027k7b)

Factual

Sunday Feature 19:15 SUN (m0027k7d)

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Music Matters 13:00 SAT (m0027m1f)

Sound of Cinema 16:00 SAT (m0027m1l)

The Essay 21:45 MON (m0020r6h)

The Essay 21:45 TUE (m0020prq)

The Essay 21:45 WED (m0020pns)

The Essay 21:45 THU (m0020px5)

The Essay 21:45 FRI (m0020q01)

Music

Late Junction 22:00 FRI (m0027lks)

Ultimate Calm 22:00 SUN (m0024r12)

Music: Classical

Breakfast 06:30 SAT (m0027m19)

Breakfast 06:30 SUN (m0027k6y)

Breakfast 06:30 MON (m0027k2b)

Breakfast 06:30 TUE (m0027m4b)

Breakfast 06:30 WED (m0027m3n)

Breakfast 06:30 THU (m0027m9s)

Breakfast 06:30 FRI (m0027lkc)

Classical Live 13:00 MON (m0027k2g)

Classical Live 13:00 TUE (m0027m4g)

Classical Live 13:00 WED (m0027m3s)

Classical Live 13:00 THU (m0027m9x)

Classical Live 13:00 FRI (m0027lkh)

Classical Mixtape 19:00 MON (m0027k2m)

Classical Mixtape 19:00 TUE (m0027m4m)

Classical Mixtape 19:00 WED (m0027m40)

Classical Mixtape 19:00 THU (m001n83n)

Classical Mixtape 19:00 FRI (m0027lkn)

Composer of the Week 16:00 MON (m001qvv6)

Composer of the Week 16:00 TUE (m001qvvy)

Composer of the Week 16:00 WED (m001qvxp)

Composer of the Week 16:00 THU (m001qvxb)

Composer of the Week 16:00 FRI (m001qvwn)

Earlier... with Jools Holland 12:00 SAT (m002687v)

Essential Classics 09:30 MON (m0027k2d)

Essential Classics 09:30 TUE (m0027m4d)

Essential Classics 09:30 WED (m0027m3q)

Essential Classics 09:30 THU (m0027m9v)

Essential Classics 09:30 FRI (m0027lkf)

In Tune 17:00 MON (m0027k2k)

In Tune 17:00 TUE (m0027m4k)

In Tune 17:00 WED (m0027m3y)

In Tune 17:00 THU (m0027mb0)

In Tune 17:00 FRI (m0027lkl)

Music Map 13:30 SUN (m0027k74)

Night Tracks 22:00 MON (m0027k2r)

Night Tracks 22:00 TUE (m0027m4r)

Night Tracks 22:00 WED (m0027m44)

Night Tracks 22:00 THU (m0027mb5)

Private Passions 12:00 SUN (m0027k72)

Radio 3 in Concert 19:30 MON (m0027k2p)

Radio 3 in Concert 19:30 TUE (m0027m4p)

Radio 3 in Concert 19:30 WED (m0027m42)

Radio 3 in Concert 19:30 THU (m0027mb3)

Record Review 14:00 SAT (m0027m1j)

Saturday Morning 09:00 SAT (m0027m1c)

Sunday Morning 09:00 SUN (m0027k70)

The Night Tracks Mix 23:00 SUN (m001f5x2)

This Classical Life 17:00 SAT (m0027m1n)

Through the Night 00:30 SAT (m0027czd)

Through the Night 00:30 SUN (m0027m1x)

Through the Night 00:30 MON (m0027k7p)

Through the Night 00:30 TUE (m0027k2w)

Through the Night 00:30 WED (m0027m4w)

Through the Night 00:30 THU (m0027m48)

Through the Night 00:30 FRI (m0027mb9)

Ultimate Calm 22:00 SUN (m0024r12)

Words and Music 18:00 SUN (m0027k7b)

Music: Classical: Chamber & Recital

New Generation Artists 21:35 SUN (m0027k7j)

Music: Classical: Choral

Choral Evensong 15:00 SUN (m0027bqs)

Choral Evensong 15:00 WED (m0027m3v)

Music: Classical: Early Music

The Early Music Show 17:00 SUN (m0027k78)

Music: Classical: Experimental & New

New Music Show 22:30 SAT (m0027m1v)

Unclassified 23:30 SUN (m0027k7m)

Music: Classical: Opera

Opera on 3 18:00 SAT (m00120v7)

Music: Easy Listening, Soundtracks & Musicals

Friday Night is Music Night 19:30 FRI (m0027lkq)

Sound of Cinema 16:00 SAT (m0027m1l)

Ultimate Calm 22:00 SUN (m0024r12)

Music: Jazz & Blues

Jazz Record Requests 16:00 SUN (m0027k76)

Music: Jazz & Blues: Jazz

'Round Midnight 23:30 MON (m0027k2t)

'Round Midnight 23:30 TUE (m0027m4t)

'Round Midnight 23:30 WED (m0027m46)

'Round Midnight 23:30 THU (m0027mb7)

'Round Midnight 23:30 FRI (m0027lkv)

Jazz Record Requests 16:00 SUN (m0027k76)

Music: World

Late Junction 22:00 FRI (m0027lks)

Music Planet 21:30 SAT (m0027m1s)

Night Tracks 22:00 MON (m0027k2r)

Night Tracks 22:00 TUE (m0027m4r)

Night Tracks 22:00 WED (m0027m44)

Night Tracks 22:00 THU (m0027mb5)

Religion & Ethics

Choral Evensong 15:00 SUN (m0027bqs)

Choral Evensong 15:00 WED (m0027m3v)