SATURDAY 17 MAY 2025

SAT 00:30 Through the Night (m002bsld)
Mitsuko Uchida: Schoenberg, Beethoven and Brahms

Schoenberg's Theme and Variations opens this concert from the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, followed by Mitsuko Uchida in Beethoven's third piano concerto, and Brahms's youthfully conceived Serenade no 1 in the second half. Jonathan Swain presents.

12:31 AM
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
Theme and Variations, Op 43b
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski (conductor)

12:44 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Concerto no 3 in C minor, Op 37
Mitsuko Uchida (piano), Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski (conductor)

01:23 AM
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
Piano Pieces, Op 19 no 2 (encore)
Mitsuko Uchida (piano)

01:24 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Serenade no 1 in D, Op 11
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski (conductor)

02:10 AM
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Flute Sonata in G major, Wq.133/H.564 'Hamburger Sonata'
Wilbert Hazelzet (flute), Andreas Staier (fortepiano)

02:18 AM
Anton Webern (1883-1945)
Passacaglia, Op 1
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Osmo Vanska (conductor)

02:31 AM
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)
In convertendo, grand motet
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis Vocal Ensemble, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis Instrumental Ensemble, Jorg-Andreas Botticher (conductor), Jorg-Andreas Botticher (harpsichord)

02:58 AM
Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)
Viola Sonata in E minor
Lise Berthaud (viola), Xenia Maliarevitch (piano)

03:21 AM
John Foulds (1880-1939)
Holiday Sketches, Op 16
Cynthia Fleming (violin), Katharine Wood (cello), BBC Concert Orchestra, Ronald Corp (conductor)

03:37 AM
Chan Ka Nin (b.1949)
Four seasons suite
Ottawa Winds, Michael Goodwin (conductor)

03:49 AM
Anton Milling (18th century)
Concerto for Viola da Gamba and Strings in D minor
Teodoro Bau (viola da gamba), Aira Maria Lehtipuu (violin), Kore Orchestra

03:59 AM
Paul Jeanjean (1874-1928)
Prelude and Scherzo for bassoon and piano
Balint Mohai (bassoon), Monika Michel (piano)

04:08 AM
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
Candide: Glitter and be gay
Tracy Dahl (soprano), Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)

04:13 AM
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643)
Toccata sopra i pedali dell'Organo e senza
Angela Tomanic (organ)

04:20 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Oboe Concerto in G minor
Hans-Peter Westermann (oboe), Camerata Koln

04:31 AM
Elfrida Andree
Concert Overture in D major
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Chloe van Soeterstede (conductor)

04:43 AM
Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Sarcasmes Op 17
Roger Woodward (piano)

04:52 AM
John Blow (1649-1708)
Venus and Adonis (dance extracts)
Consort of Musicke, Anthony Rooley (director)

04:59 AM
Imogen Holst (1907-1984)
Leiston Suite for brass quartet
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins (conductor)

05:05 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
String Quartet in G minor, Op 74, No 3 'Rider' (2nd movt)
Artis Quartet

05:11 AM
Philip Glass (b.1937)
Music in similar motion for ensemble
Ricercata Ensemble, Ivan Siller (director)

05:24 AM
Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Scottish fantasy, Op 46
James Ehnes (violin), Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)

05:54 AM
Plamen Djourov (b.1949)
Alto Saxophone Concerto
Boris Petrov (alto saxophone), Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Plamen Djourov (conductor)

06:17 AM
Ilja Zeljenka (1932-2007)
Sinfonietta No 2
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mario Kosik (conductor)


SAT 06:30 Breakfast (m002c1v0)
Kickstart your day with the best classical music

Emma Clarke presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’


SAT 09:00 Saturday Morning (m002c1v2)
Sir John Tomlinson chats with Tom Service

Tom plays classical music to start your weekend.

Sir John Tomlinson talks to Tom on a stroll in the grounds at Glyndebourne ahead of Wagner's Parsifal which opens tonight, plus director Jetske Mijnssen takes us through what has gone into making this new production so special.

Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant and composer and pianist Mark Springer also join Tom to talk about their new album with the Sacconi String Quartet, titled 'Sleep of Reason'. A unique artist collaboration which takes inspiration from the work of Goya, Neil and Mark talk to Tom about how this inspired the album.

Plus the continuation of 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, A Taste of Trapped Sun by Northern Irish composer Anselm McDonnell reflects on the 2016 signing of The Paris Agreement. With a text by Tim MacGabhann it’s performed by the BBC Singers.

To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Saturday Morning”.


SAT 12:00 Earlier... with Jools Holland (m002c1v4)
The pianist and bandleader picks his favourite classical music

Jools shares his lifelong passion for classical music and the beautiful connections with jazz and blues. With fascinating guests each week, who bring their own favourite music and occasionally perform live in Jools's studio.

Today, Jools's choices include music by CPE Bach, Aaron Copland and Caroline Shaw, with performances by Nicolas Altstaedt and Benny Goodman. His guest is the singer and songwriter Sam Brown who introduces music she loves by Debussy, Prokofiev and Karl Jenkins.

To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Earlier with Jools Holland".


SAT 13:00 Music Matters (m002c1v6)
Harmony in Neurodiversity

Gavin Higgins and Elizabeth Watts

Neurodivergence is more prevalent among musicians than the general population. Soprano Elizabeth Watts, who has ADHD, explores how neurodiversity influences the lives and creativity of fellow musicians. She is joined by composer Gavin Higgins, who has Tourette’s Syndrome and OCD, for a candid conversation about how their unique ways of thinking shape their experiences in music and life. Along the way, they share meaningful pieces that reflect their personal journeys.

Both Gavin and Elizabeth share music that, for them, are musical depictions of the constant activity inside their minds. Gavin reflects on a piece that resonated with him in his youth, when playing his instrument became a vital coping mechanism for behaviours he struggled to manage. He also brings a work he finds especially calming due to its repetitive rhythms and static harmony.

Adding a scientific lens to the discussion, Professor Catherine Loveday offers explanations and insights into the relationship between neurodiversity and musical creativity.

A Tandem Production for BBC Radio 3


SAT 14:00 Record Review (m002c1v8)
Schubert's Piano Sonata in C minor D.958 in Building a Library with Allyson Devenish and Andrew McGregor

Andrew McGregor with the best new recordings of classical music.

1405
Soosan Lolavar joins Andrew for a look at some of the week's new releases.

1500
Building a Library
Allyson Devenish picks her favourite recording of Schubert's Piano Sonata in C minor D.958.

Franz Schubert's last three piano sonatas were written during the final months of his life, between the spring and autumn of 1828. Their grand scale and complexity was at odds with 19th Century fashion for small-scale piano works, so they remained neglected for many years, but the sonatas are now considered among the most important of Schubert's mature masterpieces. The C minor sonata is by turns bold, dramatic and melancholy, with nostalgia for Schubert's beloved Mozart.

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 (m002c1vb)
Joe Hisaishi

Matthew Sweet celebrates the life and work of Studio Ghibli composer, Joe Hisaishi. Tune in for some of his most beloved music, with classic soundtracks including Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Joe Hisaishi will make his BBC Proms debut this year, performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.

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


SAT 17:00 This Classical Life (m00236ck)
Jess Gillam with... Alice Zawadzki

Jess Gillam shares music with vocalist, violinist Alice Zawadzki. With music by Schubert, Hooverphonic and Bartok plus the voices of Ella Fitzgerald and Hamlet Gonashvili.


SAT 18:00 Opera on 3 (m002c1vg)
Strauss's Salome

Live from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and starring Elza van den Heever as the Princess Salome and Peter Mattei as John the Baptist. Salome, based on Oscar Wilde's salacious reworking of the Biblical story, made Strauss's name as a major opera composer, not least because of the shock factor: when it reached the New York Met in 1907, two years after its première, the audience was so scandalised that it was promptly banned! It wasn't seen there again for 27 years.

Presented from the Met by Debra Lew Harder, with commentator Ira Siff.

Richard Strauss: Salome

Salome ..... Elza van den Heever (soprano)
Jochanaan (John the Baptist) ..... Peter Mattei (baritone)
King Herod ..... Gerhard Siegel (tenor)
Herodias, Salome's mother ..... Michelle DeYoung (mezzo-soprano)
Narraboth ..... Piotr Buszewski (tenor)
Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra
Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin

To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Opera on 3".


SAT 20:15 New Generation Artists (m002c1vj)
Julius Asal and Leonkoro Quartet play Brahms

R3 New Generation Artists play two minor-key masterpieces by Brahms, for solo piano and string quartet.

Brahms: Piano Sonata No 3 in F minor, Op 5
Julius Asal (piano)

Brahms: String Quartet No 1 in C minor, Op 51 No 1
Leonkoro Quartet


SAT 21:30 Music Planet (m002c1vl)
Gaelic Psalms in Three Tracks

Lopa Kothari presents three traditional Scottish songs picked by ethnomusicologist and English Concertina player Frances Wilkins to illustrate the rich and ancient tradition of Gaelic Psalms singing. Currently based on the Isle of Skye and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, Wilkins has spent her career both performing and researching traditional Scottish music, specialising on the evolution of Gaelic Psalms in modern musical landscapes. Her selections shine a light on how this form of unaccompanied singing has developed from its beginnings in the 1700s into a more complex musical style, embedding elements from other sound worlds and cultures.

Elsewhere in the show, Lopa plays Isaan music from Thailand and a track from a new reissue of Algerian Kabyle music, plus a resurfaced recording of Zulu guitar music from the '60s.

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 (m002c1vn)
Tectonics Glasgow 2/2: Hilda Dianda, Barbara Monk Feldman, Baudouin Oosterlynck

Kate Molleson presents more highlights from Tectonics Glasgow, the annual two-day festival staged at City Halls and curated by Ilan Volkov in association with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Tonight, we hear improvisations from Norwegian jazz musician Kjetil Moster and Jorgen Traeen, the world premieres of two orchestral works by Barbara Monk Feldman and Eleonor cully Boehringer, plus UK premieres of Gloria Coate's immersive percussion work, Ecology 2, and Ludus 1 by Hilda Dianda.

JORGEN TRAEEN & KJERTIL MOSTER
Improvisation
Kjetil Moster (saxophone / clarinet / electronics / amplifier)
Jorgen Traeen (modular synthesizer / sampler / electronics)

WALTER ZIMMERMANN
Riuti: Rodungen und Wuestungen (1981)
Jennifer Torrence (percussion)

BARBARA MONK FELDMAN
The Northern Shore (World Premiere)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ilan Volkov (conductor)

BAUDOUIN OOSTERLYNCK
Ronron (1976) & In Resonances (1978)
Benedicte Davin (vocalist and visual artist)

ELEONOR CULLY BOEHRINGER
Sink / Seep (World Premiere)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ilan Volkov (conductor)

GLORIA COATES
Ecology 2 (1978)(UK Premiere)
Jennifer Torrence (percussion)

MARIA CECILIA VILLANUEVA
Cielo Gris for solo flute (2023)
Richard Craig (flute)

HILDA DIANDA
Ludus 1 (UK premiere)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ilan Volkov (conductor)

SUNDAY 18 MAY 2025

SUN 00:30 Through the Night (m002c1vq)
French Fancies

The Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Yi Zhang play the music of Bizet, Debussy, Faure and Franck. John Shea presents.

12:31 AM
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
Jeux d'enfants, Op 22
Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Yi Zhang (conductor)

12:42 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Danse sacrée et Danse profane, L. 103
Yuying Chen (harp), Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Yi Zhang (conductor)

12:53 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
La fille aux cheveux de lin, from 'Préludes, Book 1'
Yuying Chen (harp)

12:56 AM
Gabriel Faure (1845 - 1924), orch. Henri Rabaud
Dolly Suite, op. 56
Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Yi Zhang (conductor)

01:14 AM
Cesar Franck (1822-1890)
Symphony in D minor, Op 48
Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Yi Zhang (conductor)

01:52 AM
Erik Satie (1866-1925), arr. Makoto Goto
Je te veux
Pianoduo Kolacny (piano duo)

01:56 AM
Erik Satie (1866-1925)
Trois morceaux en forme de poire
Pianoduo Kolacny (piano duo), Steven Kolacny (piano), Stijn Kolacny (piano)

02:14 AM
Ernest Chausson (1855-1899)
Poeme, Op.25 (version for violin, string quartet and piano)
Philippe Graffin (violin), Jorgen Larsen (piano), Skampa Quartet

02:31 AM
Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745)
Te Deum in D major, ZWV 146
Martina Jankova (soprano), Isabel Jantschek (soprano), Wiebke Lehmkuhl (contralto), Krystian Adam Krzeszowiak (tenor), Felix Rumpf (bass), Dresden Chamber Choir, Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra, Vaclav Luks (conductor)

03:00 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Trio for piano and strings in E flat major, Op 70 no 2
Altenberg Trio Vienna

03:32 AM
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
Sonata da Chiesa in E minor (Op.1 No.2)
London Baroque

03:37 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
3 Characteristic Pieces
Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble, Vassil Kazandjiev (conductor)

03:47 AM
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968)
Capriccio diabolico for guitar, Op 85
Goran Listes (guitar)

03:57 AM
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Triumphal March from "Sigurd Jorsalfar"
Danish Radio Concert Orchestra, Roman Zeilinger (conductor)

04:07 AM
Bartolome de Selma y Salaverde (1580-1640)
Canzona terza
Accentus Austria, Thomas Wimmer (director)

04:13 AM
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
Scaramouche
James Anagnoson (piano), Leslie Kinton (piano)

04:23 AM
Georges Auric (1899-1983), arr. Philip Lane
Suite from 'Passport to Pimlico'
BBC Philharmonic, Rumon Gamba (conductor)

04:31 AM
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Sinfonia for 2 violins and continuo in D major, H.585
Les Adieux

04:40 AM
Marc-Andre Hamelin (b.1961)
Variations on a Theme by Paganini for piano
Marc-Andre Hamelin (piano)

04:51 AM
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
3 Psaumes de David for chorus, Op 339
Elmer Iseler Singers, Elmer Iseler (conductor)

05:00 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), transc. Joseph Petric
Adagio and rondo for glass harmonica/accordion, flute, oboe, vla & vcl, K617
Joseph Petric (accordion), Moshe Hammer (violin), Marie Berard (violin), Douglas Perry (viola), David Hetherington (cello)

05:11 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), arr. Samuil Feinberg
Largo from Trio Sonata in C major (BWV.529) arr. Feinberg for piano
Sergei Terentjev (piano)

05:20 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV.226
Danish National Radio Choir, Stefan Parkman (conductor)

05:28 AM
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
Wind Serenade in D minor, Op 44
I Solisti del Vento, Etienne Siebens (conductor)

05:52 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828), Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (author)
Gesang der Geistern über den Wassern, Op 167
Estonian National Male Choir, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Juri Alperten (director)

06:02 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Piano Sonata no 3 in B minor, Op 58
Jakub Kuszlik (piano)


SUN 06:30 Breakfast (m002c2pf)
Embrace the morning calm of classical music and birdsong

Mark Forrest presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford with birdsong and the best in classical music. This week's dawn chorus features the tawny owl with music including Elgar and Elton Hayes. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’


SUN 09:00 Sunday Morning (m002c2ph)
Your perfect Sunday soundtrack

Sarah Walker with three hours of classical music to reflect, restore and refresh.

Today, Sarah shares a grand concerto by Handel designed to be performed outdoors, one of Purcell’s most expressive melodies, a lively part song by Saint-Saëns, and a piece that reminds her of a Sunday Morning broadcast from Iceland at the start of the year.

There’s also encouragement to venture out into the sunshine in one of Percy Grainger’s lively arrangements of Country Gardens, and a work by Howard Skempton with rich orchestration that, for Sarah, comes directly from the heart.

Plus, a song by Schubert that’s a homage to the poet’s ‘beloved moon’...

A Tandem Production for BBC Radio 3


SUN 12:00 Private Passions (m002c2pk)
Philip Hoare

Philip Hoare is an award-winning writer whose books often describe the lure of the sea, the strange and beautiful creatures that live in it and the inspiration artists have found in its murky depths.

His book Leviathan won the Samuel Johnson Prize: it drew on his lifelong obsession with whales, which began with the gigantic skeletons in the Natural History Museum and continued with his own encounters with them at sea.

His most recent book, William Blake and the Sea Monsters of Love, traces Blake’s enduring influence on numerous poets, writers, film-makers and musicians. He’s also written about Noel Coward, the British socialite Stephen Tennant and the Netley Military Hospital on Spike Island, near Southampton.

His musical choices including Prokofiev, Britten and Copland.

Producer Clare Walker


SUN 13:30 Music Map (m002c2pm)
A journey to Vaughan Williams' Lark Ascending

As part of BBC Mental Health & Wellbeing Season, Sara Mohr-Pietsch is your guide on a journey towards a serenely beautiful classical favourite: Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending.

Along the way, Sara will find inspiration from birds in the music of Mozart, Schumann, Rameau and Einojuhani Rautavaara; she also explores music expressing consolation in pieces by John Dowland and Cecile Chaminade, and music which invokes a sense of calm by Massenet and Pauline Oliveros.

To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers), just say: "Ask BBC Sounds to play Music Map."


SUN 15:00 Choral Evensong (m002br1w)
Trinity College, Cambridge

Last Wednesday's service from the Chapel of Trinity College, Cambridge on the Feast of Matthias the Apostle.

Introit: Gaudeamus omnes (Byrd)
Responses: Byrd
Psalm 80 (Marlow, after Gibbons)
First Lesson: 1 Samuel 16 vv1-13a
Office hymn: Let the round world with songs rejoice (Deus tuorum militum)
Canticles: Evening Canticles in A minor (David Maw)
Second Lesson: Matthew 7 vv15-27
Anthem: Laudibus in sanctis (Byrd)
Hymn: The highest and the holiest place (St James)
Voluntary: Fantazia of foure parts (Gibbons)

Steven Grahl (Director of Music)
Augustine Cox (Organ Scholar)

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


SUN 16:00 Jazz Record Requests (m002c2pp)
Annie Ross & The World's Greatest Jazz Band

Alyn Shipton presents jazz records of all styles as requested by you including music from The World's Greatest Jazz Band, Annie Ross, Dizzy Gillespie, Terry Lightfoot & Anna Pancaldi.

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 (m001svrk)
Early Music in Derbyshire

The National Trust's Senior Curator John Chu takes Hannah French around two stunning properties in Derbyshire: Hardwick Hall & Kedleston Hall to explore the musical links in the buildings, furnishings and art works.

Plus, your weekly edition of Early Music News from Mark Seow.


SUN 18:00 Words and Music (m002c2ps)
A Swiss journey

"In Switzerland, they had brotherly love. They had 500 years of democracy and peace. And what did that produce? The cuckoo clock." The words of Orson Welles' character Harry Lime in the film The Third Man. Today's Words and Music brings us a richer picture of the country's history and landscape hearing from literary travellers including Wordsworth and Mary Shelley, as well as early Thomas Cook tourists, plus translations of writing by some key Swiss authors and musical evocations from composers including Rossini's William Tell overture.

Our readers are Ellie Piercy and Peter Wight

Producer: Luke Mulhall


SUN 19:15 Sunday Feature (m002c2pv)
Queer Gothic

Recorded on location at Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham, Sarah Waters explores the queer roots of gothic literature and architecture.

Not only was Horace Walpole the author of the first gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, in 1764 but he also built Strawberry Hill House - his own fantasy gothic villa, a white fairytale-looking castle with turrets, arches, cloisters and extravagant interior design to match. As Sarah explores the house, she is joined by Dr Dale Townshend, Professor of Gothic Literature at the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies, and writer Holly James Johnston who created the LGBTQ+ Strawberry Hill House tour project.

While they explore this most unusual house, we also hear from:
Dr Caroline Gonda from St Catharine's college Cambridge,
Historian Dr Anthony Delaney,
Writer and academic Terry Castle,
Queer horror aficionado and film programmer Michael Blyth.

With the Castle of Otranto, Walpole also created the first gothic novel - an outlandish story of terror and horror, ghosts and supernatural happenings. Transgressive, over-the-top, critical of traditional hierarchies and family structures, queerness found a home in the gothic from the very beginning. It's one of the most enduring and appealing genres and Sarah traces these early expressions of excess, of lustful monks, creepy castles, monsters, and lesbian vampires through to 20th century horror films.

Extracts from Carmilla, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2003; Christabel, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2001; The Monk, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1985, The Castle of Otranto first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1996.

Readings by Barnaby Edwards

Producer: Victoria Ferran
Exec Producer: Susan Marling

A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 3


SUN 20:00 Brass Banding with Hannah Peel (m002c2px)
Archives and love songs

Hannah meets archivist Tim Mutum, who holds an impressive collection of brass band LPs, and hears one of his favourite pieces. She travels across the globe to discover New Zealand’s thriving banding scene, and plays a piece inspired by the national pride of both New Zealand and Wales. Plus, an expressive love song from Ivor Novello award-winning composer Gavin Higgins, a recent composition from Martin Green inspired by brass banding’s strong mining history, and a rearrangement of Debussy’s Sunken Cathedral.

Produced by Olivia Swift
A Reform Radio production for BBC Radio 3


SUN 21:00 20th Century Radicals (m002c2pz)
Xenakis: Birds, Buildings and the Horror of War

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore introduce BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. This is a story about a hundred years of change. Of war. Of oppression. Of steps towards equality. Of censorship. Of rapid, inescapable technological advancement. Of machines. Of transport. Of science... And it's the story of how art and music responded, the story of the composers who defined the 20th century, who created 'modern' musical art which would shock, appall and fascinate in equal measure, changing the way we listen for ever.

In this episode, Kate explores the violent, architectural music of Iannis Xenakis, leading to a full performance of his “abstract ballet” ‘Antikthon’. In doing so, we travel from the war-torn streets of Greece in the 1940s, to the heart of a '50s Paris riding The New Wave. Along the way, we enter the heat and ritual of ancient Greece and Pythagorean theory, and pay visits to the studios of the architect Le Corbusier and the musique concrète pioneer Pierre Schaeffer.

Produced by Sam Phillips
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”


SUN 22:00 Ultimate Calm (m002b61y)
Hania Rani: Series 4

Let loose with freeing harmonies ft. Julia Holter

Let loose with Polish composer, pianist and vocalist Hania Rani, as she shares a selection of uplifting music inspired by freedom and liberation. Hania shares pieces by Julius Eastman, Ganavya and Arve Henriksen and reflects on interpretation and improvisation in music.

Plus, we hear from the American singer-songwriter, composer and academic Julia Holter on the piece of music that always grounds her and moves her out of a place of anxiety, conjuring up a sense of freeness and experimentation.

Produced by Kit Callin
A Reduced Listening production


SUN 23:00 The Night Tracks Mix (m001cgkw)
Music for the darkling hour

Hannah Peel with a magical sonic journey for late-night listening.


SUN 23:30 Unclassified (m002c2q1)
Fractured Harmonics

Join Elizabeth Alker with a selection of fresh music from genre-defying artists as we journey through landscapes of ambient and experimental sounds. Along the way, we'll hear from emerging independent producers whose work plays with orchestral textures and classical form as well as the latest sounds from a new generation of contemporary composers who look to embrace the spirit of rock, pop and electronica.

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 19 MAY 2025

MON 00:30 Through the Night (m002c2q3)
Alina Ibragimova with the German Symphony Orchestra, Berlin

Alina Ibragimova joins the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin for Beethoven's Violin Concerto, plus music by Farrenc and Beethoven's contemporary, Voříšek. Presented by John Shea.

12:31 AM
Louise Farrenc (1804-1875)
Overture in E minor, Op 23
German Symphony Orchestra, Berlin, Vaclav Luks (conductor)

12:38 AM
Jan Vaclav Hugo Vorisek (1791-1825)
Symphony in D major, Op 23
German Symphony Orchestra, Berlin, Vaclav Luks (conductor)

01:08 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Violin Concerto in D major, Op 61
Alina Ibragimova (violin), German Symphony Orchestra, Berlin, Vaclav Luks (conductor)

01:52 AM
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
Piano Quintet in A major, Op 81
Menahem Pressler (piano), Orlando Quartet

02:25 AM
Johann Bach (1604-1673)
Sei nun wieder zufrieden
Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier (director)

02:31 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Symphony no 2 in B flat major D.125
Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Staffan Larson (conductor)

03:03 AM
Gabriel Faure (1845 - 1924)
La Bonne Chanson, Op 61
Isabel Pfefferkorn (mezzo soprano), Christian Altenburger (violin), Hyunjong Reents-Kang (violin), Jurg Dahler (viola), Stephanie Meyer (cello), Cornelia Herrmann (piano)

03:29 AM
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Folk sketches for small orchestral ensemble
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jan Krenz (conductor)

03:33 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Sonata a quattro in C major
Ensemble Zefiro

03:45 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Romeo and Juliet - fantasy overture
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Maksymiuk (conductor)

04:02 AM
Leos Janacek (1854-1928)
Pohádka (Fairy Tale)
Samuel Niederhauser (cello), Shih-Yu Tang (piano)

04:15 AM
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Rejoice in the Lord alway, Z 49 (Bell Anthem)
Alex Potter (counter tenor), Samuel Boden (tenor), Matthew Brook (bass), Collegium Vocale Gent, Philippe Herreweghe (director)

04:24 AM
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Norwegian Dance, Op 35, No 1 (Allegro marcato)
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Ole Kristian Ruud (conductor)

04:31 AM
Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857)
Kamarinskaya (fantasy for orchestra)
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Kazuhiro Koizumi (conductor)

04:38 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Nachtlied
Bavarian Radio Chorus, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Katowice, Alexander Liebreich (conductor)

04:48 AM
Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837)
Rondo in B minor, Op 109
Stefan Lindgren (piano)

04:57 AM
Sulho Ranta (1901-1960)
Finnish Folk Dances - suite for orchestra Op 51
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste (conductor)

05:06 AM
Lars-Erik Larsson (1908-1986)
Violin Sonatina in G minor, Op.3
Arve Tellefsen (violin), Lucia Negro (piano)

05:20 AM
Aaron Copland
El Salón México
San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas (conductor)

05:32 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 (cantata)
The Sixteen, Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra, Ton Koopman (conductor)

06:02 AM
Carl Nielsen (1865-1931)
Wind Quintet, Op.43
Ariart Woodwind Quintet


MON 06:30 Breakfast (m002c1wy)
Ease into the day with classical music

Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford, 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, A Taste of Trapped Sun by Northern Irish composer Anselm McDonnell reflects on the 2016 signing of The Paris Agreement. With a text by Tim MacGabhann it’s performed by the BBC Singers.

You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’


MON 09:30 Essential Classics (m002c1x0)
The ideal mix of classical music

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

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 (m002c1x2)
The Cardinall’s Musick live from London's Wigmore Hall

Mark Forrest showcases the best performances by BBC orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.

We begin the programme with a live concert from London’s Wigmore Hall. United Kingdom-based vocal ensemble The Cardinall’s Musick present spellbinding polyphony created in Mary, the Mother of God's, honour by some of the greatest Iberian composers of the age.

Elsewhere we have music from the Barber Lunchtime Concert Series, held in Birmingham. Countertenor Hugh Cutting and lute player Daniel Murphy join together in a programme entitled 'Heartstrings', exploring love songs from composers such as Girolamo Frescobaldi and John Dowland.

Mark also has a spotlight on Robert and Clara Schumann throughout the week. Today, the centrepiece is Robert Schumann's vibrant and youthful Symphony No. 1 in B flat performed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.

***

Live from Wigmore Hall, introduced by Hannah French.

Tomás Luis de Victoria
Alma Redemptoris mater a8
Ave maris stella
Ave Maria

Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla
Missa Ego flos campi: Kyrie; Gloria

Francisco Guerrero
Ave Maria a4

Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla
Missa Ego flos campi: Credo

Francisco de Peñalosa
Adoro te Domine Jesu Christe

Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla
Missa Ego flos campi: Sanctus; Agnus Dei

Plainchant
Ite missa est

Francisco Guerrero
Virgo prudentissima
Ave virgo sanctissima

Sebastián de Vivanco
Magnificat octavi toni

The Cardinall’s Musick
Andrew Carwood (conductor)

***

Robert Schumann
Symphony No. 1 in B flat, Op. 38 ('Spring')
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (conductor)

Joseph Haydn
Keyboard Trio No. 27 in A flat, Hob. XV:14
Esther Hoppe (violin)
Christian Poltéra (cello)
Hiroko Sakagami (piano)

Thomas Campion
I care not for these ladies
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Vincent d’Indy
Madrigal (2.00)
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Girolamo Frescobaldi
Se l’aura spira
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Robert Johnson
Have you seen the bright lily grow?
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

John Dowland
Can she excuse my wrongs?
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Trad. Irish
Siúil a Rún
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Robert Schumann
Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op. 52
Munich Chamber Orchestra
Jörg Widmann (conductor)

Maurice Ravel
Sonatine
Elisabeth Brauss (piano)

To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live”


MON 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002c1x4)
Leos Janacek (1854-1928)

On the Cusp

Kate Molleson explores the struggles of Janáček's long-awaited breakthrough era.

Leoš Janáček was a true Czech original. He heard music in the way people talk on the streets, loved the local and made it universal - pouring his “speech melodies” into pioneering, devastating operas, and writing some of the most intimate confessionals in instrumental music. His life also came with a major plot twist – after years of toiling away unappreciated, he suddenly found fame in his 60s. Instead of winding down, Janáček revved up. All this week, Kate Molleson explores his maverick spirit, his fierce passions, and the phenomenal flood of inspiration of his twilight years.

Today, we catch up with Janacek in the 1910s. It’s a time of grief, war, creative listlessness, and feeling out of the loop. But at the age of 62, that’s all about to change...

Sinfonietta (i. Fanfare)
London Symphony Orchestra
Simon Rattle, conductor

The Wild Duck
Cappella Amsterdam
Daniel Reuss, conductor

In the Mists (ii. Molto adagio)
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano

Zdenka Variations (arr Wesly for winds)
Calefax Wind Ensemble

The Fiddler’s Child
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ilan Volkov, conductor

Songs of Hradčany (The Weeping Fountain)
Netherlands Chamber Choir
Tannie Willemstijn, soprano
Pameijer Elenore, flute
Reinbert de Leeuw, conductor

Jenůfa, Act II: Jenůfa’s Prayer
Karita Mattila, soprano (Jenůfa)
London Phiharmonic Orchestra
Yutaka Sado, conductor

Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West


MON 17:00 In Tune (m002c1x6)
Live music at drivetime

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


MON 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002c1x8)
Switch up your listening with classical music

Take 30 minutes back for yourself with an inspirational mix of classical and classical-adjacent tracks.

From the Baroque genius of JS Bach to a contemporary choral classic by Caroline Shaw, reimagined for strings. From Olafur Arnald's poignant Saman, performed on the harp, to the music by Schubert that inspired the Succession theme. You'll hear performances from vocal legends Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Jason Max Ferdinand singers, rousing folk music, plus music by Gershwin, Handel and Debussy.

Producer: Christina Kenny for BBC Audio.


MON 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002c1xb)
Paul Lewis in recital

The acclaimed pianist Paul Lewis plays Beethoven's Sonata in C minor (Op 10 No 1), Mozart's Sonata in C (K 330), Brahms' 3 Intermezzi (Op 117) and Schubert's Sonata in G (D 894).

Recorded in Queen Elizabeth Hall at London's Southbank Centre, 4th May 2025
Presented by Ian Skelly

Beethoven: Piano Sonata in C minor, Op 10 No 1
Mozart: Piano Sonata in C, K 330

Interval Music:
Brahms: 4 Songs, Op 17: I. Es tönt ein voller Harfenklang
Schubert: Psalm 23, D.706: Gott ist mein Hirt
Brahms (Einförmig ist der Liebe Gram (13 Canons, Op 113 No 13)
Pygmalion
Raphael Pichon (conductor)

Brahms: 3 Intermezzi, Op 117
Schubert: Piano Sonata in G, D 894

Paul Lewis (piano)


MON 21:45 The Essay (m001lzgq)
Death in Trieste

1. The Strange Case of Signor Gioanni

Murder! In hotel room ten, with a rope and a knife. By a fellow guest. If this were Cluedo, we’d have given the game away. But it’s true crime, turned cultural history. And travelogue: Seán Williams follows in the footsteps of the most famous art historian of all time. The German Johann Winckelmann – killed in Italy, in June 1768.

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seán uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann’s end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It’s a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today – where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric – Seán asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

The programme was made with the help of the Venice Centre for Digital and Public Humanities, Università Ca' Foscari; Marzia Vidulli, Museo Winckelmann, Trieste; Grand Hotel Duchi D'Aosta, Trieste; Villa Albani-Torlonia, Rome; the University of Sheffield and Marcello Cattaneo.

In Part One, we learn about the incognito couple involved in the murder.


MON 22:00 Night Tracks (m002c1xd)
Blissful sounds for night owls

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


MON 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002c1xg)
Alice Zawadzki sits in

Violinist and vocalist Alice Zawadzki sits in for Soweto Kinch this week on ‘Round Midnight. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.

London based violinist, vocalist and composer Alice Zawadzki is sitting in Soweto all this week. Widely celebrated for her originalist and musically expansive compositions, Alice draws on poetry, folk, and improvisational music from a range of traditions. She has worked with small and large ensembles both nationally and internationally, and with fellow jazz talents including Fred Thomas, Misha Mullov-Abbado, Kit Downes, and SHABAKA.

From Monday to Thursday, Alice welcomes drummer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Momoko Gill as her Flowers guest. Momoko will be spotlight some of the contemporary artists that inspire her. As well as being a rising solo artist, Momoko is one half of duo project An Alien Called Harmony with poet/rapper Nadeem Din-Gabisi. She has also worked with artists including Tirzah, Alabaster DePlume and Coby Sey.

Starting off her week, Momoko gives her first bouquet to an in-demand UK saxophonist and woodwind-player.

Plus, there's music from Heidi Vogel, Tigran Hamasyan, and corto.alto.

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

TUESDAY 20 MAY 2025

TUE 00:30 Through the Night (m002c1xj)
Ravel, Saint-Saëns and Rimsky-Korsakov

French pianist Bertrand Chamayou performs Saint-Saëns' Second Piano Concerto with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and Russian conductor Tugan Sokhiev. The programme also features Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade and Ravel's Alborada del gracioso. John Shea presents.

12:31 AM
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Alborada del gracioso
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Tugan Sokhiev (conductor)

12:39 AM
Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921)
Piano Concerto no 2 in G minor, Op 22
Bertrand Chamayou (piano), Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Tugan Sokhiev (conductor)

01:02 AM
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Pavane pour une infante défunte
Bertrand Chamayou (piano)

01:09 AM
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
Scheherazade, Op 35, symphonic suite
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Tugan Sokhiev (conductor)

01:57 AM
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
Sleep my beauty (cradle song from "May Night")
Joanne Kolomyjec (soprano), Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)

02:01 AM
Maria Herz (1878-1950)
Concerto for Harpsichord or Fortepiano, String Orchestra and Flute, Op 15
Nadja Saminskaja (piano), Ronny Spiegel (violin), Yuta Takase (violin), Daphne Unseld (viola), Fedor Saminski (cello), Nikola Major (double bass), Christian Madlener (flute)

02:31 AM
Guillaume de Machaut (c.1300-1377)
La Messe de Nostre Dame
Oxford Camerata, Jeremy Summerly (conductor)

03:01 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Suite for Solo Cello no 6 in D major, BWV.1012
Guy Fouquet (cello)

03:33 AM
Oskar Morawetz (1917-2007)
Overture to a Fairy Tale
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Uri Mayer (conductor)

03:44 AM
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Romance oubliée
Morten Carlsen (viola), Sergej Osadchuk (piano)

03:49 AM
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
Au fond du temple saint (from 'The Pearl Fishers')
Mark Dubois (tenor), Mark Pedrotti (baritone), Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Raffi Armenian (conductor)

03:55 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
From Preludes, Op 28: nos 11-15
Krzysztof Jablonski (piano)

04:05 AM
Ole Buck (b.1945), John Keats (author)
Two Faery Songs - "O shed no tear"; "Ah! Woe is me!"
Danish National Radio Choir, Kaare Hansen (conductor)

04:12 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Prelude and fugue in G major for organ, Op 37 no 2
Jan Kalfus (organ)

04:20 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Concerto in A major, RV 335, 'The Cuckoo'
Elizabeth Wallfisch (baroque violin), Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer (director)

04:31 AM
Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921)
Danse macabre, Op 40
Ouellet-Murray Duo (duo)

04:38 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Divertimento for 2 flutes and cello in C major, Hob.4.1, 'London trio' no 1
Les Ambassadeurs

04:47 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Suite Champetre, Op 98b
Danish Radio Concert Orchestra, Hannu Koivula (conductor)

04:55 AM
Johann Rosenmuller (1619-1684)
Beatus vir qui timet Dominum
David Cordier (counter tenor), Johanna Koslowsky (soprano), Konrad Junghanel (lute), Wilfried Jochens (tenor), Stephan Schreckenberger (bass), Carsten Lohff (organ), Cantus Colln, Konrad Junghanel (conductor)

05:08 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann in E flat major, Op 23
Saskia Giorgini (piano), Claudio Martínez Mehner (piano)

05:26 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Rondo in C major, K.373
James Ehnes (violin), Mozart Anniversary Orchestra

05:32 AM
Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Sea Pictures, Op 37
Kristina Hammarstrom (mezzo soprano), Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Tadaaki Otaka (conductor)

05:56 AM
Antoine Reicha (1770-1836)
Oboe Quintet in F major, Op 107
Les Adieux

06:24 AM
Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
Canon and Gigue in D major
Geoffrey Lancaster (harpsichord), Tasmanian Symphony Chamber Players, Barbara Jane Gilby (director)


TUE 06:30 Breakfast (m002c0hr)
Wake up with classical music

Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’


TUE 09:30 Essential Classics (m002c0ht)
Refresh your morning with classical music

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

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 (m002c0hx)
Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 2 from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Mark Forrest showcases the best performances by BBC orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.

This week on Classical Live, we have music from the Barber Lunchtime Concert Series, held in Birmingham. Pianist Elisabeth Brauss performs Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a, ‘Les Adieux’, which explores the themes of farewell, absence, and return.

Mark also has a spotlight on Robert and Clara Schumann throughout the week. Today, the centrepiece is Robert Schumann's uplifting Symphony No. 2 performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and conductor Ryan Wigglesworth. Plus, there's another chance to catch this week's featured new composition in the Radio 3 series marking key historical events from the first twenty-five years of the century.

Carl Maria von Weber
Overture to 'Der Freischütz', Op. 77
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Elim Chan (conductor)

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a, ‘Les Adieux’
Elisabeth Brauss (piano)

Edward Elgar
Cello Concerto
Dai Miyata (cello)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor)

Radio 3's 25 for 25: 2016
Anselm McDonnell
A Taste of Trapped Sun
BBC Singers

Robert Schumann
Symphony No. 2
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor)

Luigi Boccherini
String Trio in G, G 102, Op. 34/2
Concerto 1700

Mel Bonis
Le songe de Cleopatre
BBC Philharmonic
Corinna Niemeyer (conductor)

Maurice Ravel/Alexandre Tharaud
Pavane pour une infante defunte / La Valse
Alexandre Tharaud (piano)

Fanny Mendelssohn
Overture in C Major
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Simone Menezes (conductor)

To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live”


TUE 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002c0j1)
Leos Janacek (1854-1928)

A New Muse

Kate Molleson tells the story of the encounter which upturned Janáček’s life and music.

Leoš Janáček was a true Czech original. He heard music in the way people talk on the streets, loved the local and made it universal - pouring his “speech melodies” into pioneering, devastating operas, and writing some of the most intimate confessionals in instrumental music. His life also came with a major plot twist – after years of toiling away unappreciated, he suddenly found fame in his 60s. Instead of winding down, Janáček revved up. All this week, Kate Molleson explores his maverick spirit, his fierce passions, and the phenomenal flood of inspiration of his twilight years.

Today, Janáček comes full circle, buying a cottage in his Moravian birthplace and reconnecting with his rural roots. And he meets Kamila Stösslová, the woman who would suddenly become the intense obsession and creative catalyst of these final years.

Moravian Folk Poetry in Song, JW V/2 (No 2 - Constancy)
Iva Bittová, vocals
Pavel Fischer, vocals
Škampa Quartet

On the Overgrown Path (i. Our Evenings, ii. A Blown Away Leaf)
Stephen Hough, piano

Diary of One Who Disappeared (Nos 19-22)
Ian Bostridge, tenor
Thomas Adès, piano

Katya Kabanova: Act II Scene 2: " "Jste to vy, Katěrino Petrovno?"…."Choď si, dívka, do času"
Amanda Majeski (Katya)
Simon O’Neill (Boris)
Magdalena Kožená (Varvara)
Ladislav Elgr (Kudrjas)
London Symphony Orchestra
Simon Rattle, conductor

The Cunning Little Vixen Act II: “Fox Goldenstripe…..That’s how it is!”
Lilian Watson (Vixen Sharp Ears)
Diana Montague (Fox Goldenstripe)
Gillian Knight (Owl)
Mary King (Jay)
Pat Purcell (Woodpecker)
Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Simon Rattle, conductor

Quartet No 1 ‘Kreutzer Sonata’ (1st and 2nd movements)
Belcea Quartet

Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West


TUE 17:00 In Tune (m002c0j6)
Experience classical music live in session

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


TUE 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m001nnz8)
Classical music to inspire you

A 30-minute soundscape of classical music featuring William Walton's epic score to Henry V, music from Bach and Mozart, and relax into the evening with Mussorgsky's Dawn on the Moscow River Prelude from Khovanshchina.

Produced by Calantha Bonnissent


TUE 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002c0jb)
Belshazzar’s Feast

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is joined by pianist Steven Osborne for a programme including Gershwin, Bernstein and Walton.

Recorded last week at The Lighthouse, Poole, and presented by Martin Handley.

Bernstein: West Side Story: Symphonic Dances
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

Interval

Walton: Belshazzar’s Feast

Steven Osborne (piano)
Andrew Hamilton (baritone)
Bournemouth Symphony Chorus
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
David Hill (conductor)

Adapted from Bernstein's iconic West Side Story, his nine-movement symphonic dances take listeners on a whistle-stop tour of the music the composer penned for his retake of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet story. Andrew Hamilton in the baritone in Walton's cantata - a work the composer set at the BBC's behest to Osbert Sitwell's libretto of the biblical story at which the Babylonian king Belshazzar commits sacrilege. Together with, Bernstein's curtain-raiser, Walton's jazzy depiction of the fall of Babylon sandwiches Gershwin's ode to African-American jazz and American popular song and dance: his concerto-like work piano, Rhapsody in Blue, with soloist Steven Osborne.

Ask your smart speaker to play 'Radio 3 In Concert'.


TUE 21:45 The Essay (m001lzd3)
Death in Trieste

2. The Trial

Murder! In hotel room ten, with a rope and a knife. By a fellow guest. If this were Cluedo, we’d have given the game away. But it’s true crime, turned cultural history. And travelogue: Seán Williams follows in the footsteps of the most famous art historian of all time. The German Johann Winckelmann – killed in Italy, in June 1768.

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seán uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann’s end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It’s a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today – where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric – Seán asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

Part 2: Sean explores the detail and the speed of the trial reported across Europe.


TUE 22:00 Night Tracks (m002c0jg)
Meditative music for late night solace

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


TUE 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002c0jk)
A timeless track from 4hero

Violinist and vocalist Alice Zawadzki sits in for Soweto Kinch this week on ‘Round Midnight. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.

Multi-instrumentalist Momoko Gill is back with the second artist she would like to give Flowers to. Tonight it’s the turn of one the UK’s jazz trumpet virtuosos.

Also in the programme, music from Rosie Frater-Taylor, Robert Mitchell, and Jon Balke.

WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 2025

WED 00:30 Through the Night (m002c0jp)
Chopin, Sibelius and Mendelssohn from Slovenia

The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and its conductor Lio Kuokman perform Sibelius's much loved Finlandia and are then joined by pianist Dejan Lazić for Chopin's Piano Concerto no 2 in F minor, written when the composer was around 20 years old. The concert concludes with the Symphony no 5 by Felix Mendelssohn, 'Reformation'. John Shea presents.

12:31 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Finlandia, Op 26
RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Lio Kuokman (conductor)

12:40 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Piano Concerto no 2 in F minor, Op 21
Dejan Lazić (piano), RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Lio Kuokman (conductor)

01:13 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Fantasy in D minor, K 397
Dejan Lazić (piano)

01:19 AM
Dmitry Shostakovich (1906-1975)
March Allegretto, from 'Three Fantastic Dances', Op 5
Dejan Lazić (piano)

01:21 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Symphony no 5 in D minor, Op 107, 'Reformation'
RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Lio Kuokman (conductor)

01:49 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Cantata 'Christ lag in Todesbanden', BWV 4
Balthasar-Neumann-Chor, Pythagoras-Ensemble, Thomas Hengelbrock (conductor)

02:07 AM
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
Allegro moderato (Song without words), Op 8, no 1
Sylviane Deferne (piano)

02:13 AM
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Daphnis & Chloe - Suite no 2
Romanian National Radio Orchestra, Romanian National Radio Choir, Iosif Conta (conductor)

02:31 AM
Josef Suk (1874-1935)
Křečovice Mass for chorus, strings and organ in B flat major
Marie Matejkova (soprano), Ilona Satylova (alto), Jiri Vinklarek (tenor), Michael Mergl (bass), Miluska Kvechova (organ), Czech Radio Choir, Pilzen Radio Orchestra, Stanislav Bogunia (conductor)

02:56 AM
Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837)
Piano Quintet in E flat minor, Op 87
Wouter Vossen (violin), Tomoko Akasaka (viola), Chiara Enderle Samatanga (cello), Lars Olaf Schaper (double bass), Diana Ketler (piano)

03:18 AM
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
String Serenade in E major, Op 22
Festival Strings Lucerne, Daniel Dodds (conductor)

03:46 AM
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725)
Oh di Betlemme altera poverta for soprano and orchestra
Mona Julsrud (soprano), Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Roy Goodman (conductor)

04:04 AM
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Aufforderung zum Tanz : rondo brillant for piano Op 65
Artur Schnabel (piano)

04:14 AM
Johannes Ockeghem (1410-1497)
Intemerata Dei mater
Hilliard Ensemble

04:22 AM
Joseph Canteloube (1879-1957)
Brezairola - from Songs of the Auvergne
Yvonne Kenny (soprano), Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Kamirski (conductor)

04:26 AM
Uuno Klami (1900-1961)
A Folk Song
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Erik Cronvall (conductor)

04:31 AM
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Concerto for 3 oboes in B flat major
Peter Westermann (oboe), Michael Niesemann (oboe), Piet Dhont (oboe), Musica Antiqua Koln, Reinhard Goebel (director)

04:40 AM
Bernat Vivancos (b.1973)
Salve d'ecos
Latvian Radio Choir, Sigvards Klava (conductor)

04:49 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata no 30 in E major, Op 109
Cedric Tiberghien (piano)

05:08 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Schicksalslied for chorus and orchestra, Op 54
RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, RTV Slovenia Chamber Choir, Marko Munih (conductor)

05:23 AM
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
String Quartet in E minor
Artis Quartet

05:45 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
La Mer
Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Eivind Aadland (conductor)

06:10 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Eine Leichenfantasie D.7
Christoph Pregardien (tenor), Andreas Staier (piano)


WED 06:30 Breakfast (m002c0n8)
Start your day with classical music

Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’


WED 09:30 Essential Classics (m002c0nb)
A classical soundtrack for your morning

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

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 (m002c0nd)
Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto from Lucerne

Mark Forrest showcases the best performances by BBC orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.

This week on Classical Live, we have music from the Barber Lunchtime Concert Series, held in Birmingham. Countertenor Hugh Cutting and lute player Daniel Murphy join together in a programme entitled 'Heartstrings', exploring love songs from composers such as Barbara Strozzi and Thomas Campion.

Mark also has a spotlight on Robert and Clara Schumann throughout the week. Today, we hear the BBC Singers perform Robert Schumann's Sechs Lieder, Op. 33 plus the centrepiece is Clara Schumann's energetic Piano Concerto performed by pianist Beatrice Rana, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Quartet in G major K.80 for strings
Chaos Quartet

Johann Sebastian Bach
Ouverture in G minor BWV1070 (attrib)
Rachel Podger (violinist)
BBC Philharmonic

Robert Schumann
Sechs Lieder, Op. 33
BBC Singers
Grace Rossiter (conductor)

Clara Schumann
Piano Concerto
Beatrice Rana (piano)
Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor)

Barbara Strozzi
Che si puó fare?
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Joaquín Rodrigo
Adela
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Robert Schumann
‘Wenn ich in deine Augen seh’ from Dichterliebe
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Thomas Campion
Never weather-beaten sail
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel arr. Anna Magdalena Bach
‘Bist du bei Mir’ from Diomedes
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Colin Hay
I just don’t think I’ll ever get over you
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Arvo Pärt
Spiegel im Spiegel
Alina Ibragimova (violin)
Alasdair Beatson (piano)

To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live”


WED 15:00 Choral Evensong (m002c0ng)
Croydon Minster

From Croydon Minster.

Introit: An Easter Sequence (Offertory) (Leighton)
Responses: Radcliffe
Office hymn: At the Lamb’s high feast we sing (Salzburg)
Psalm 99 (How)
First Lesson: Hosea 13 vv4-14
Canticles: Stanford in A
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15 vv50-58
Anthem: Sing ye to the Lord (Bairstow)
Hymn: Lord of the dance (Trad, arr. Bertalot)
Voluntary: Psalm Prelude Set 2, Op 32 No 3 (Sing unto him a new song) (Howells)

Justin Miller (Director of Music)
Stephen Disley (Interim Sub Organist)

Recorded 12 May.

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


WED 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002c0nj)
Leos Janacek (1854-1928)

Eternal Youth

Kate Molleson follows Janacek’s eventful 70th birthday year.

Leoš Janáček was a true Czech original. He heard music in the way people talk on the streets, loved the local and made it universal - pouring his “speech melodies” into pioneering, devastating operas, and writing some of the most intimate confessionals in instrumental music. His life also came with a major plot twist – after years of toiling away unappreciated, he suddenly found fame in his 60s. Instead of winding down, Janáček revved up. All this week, Kate Molleson explores his maverick spirit, his fierce passions, and the phenomenal flood of inspiration of his twilight years.

Today, Janáček turns 70, with fuss, festivities and adventures abroad (whereas his 60th had been virtually ignored). He claims to feel as young as ever, but in his music, he can’t help being nostalgic.

March of the Blue Birds
Michael Hasel, flute
Hendrik Heilmann, piano

Říkadla - Nursery Rhymes (excerpt)
Cappella Amsterdam
Radio Blazers Ensemble
Daniel Reuss, conductor

Lachian Dances (3. Bellows Dance. 4. Ancient II, 5. Celadna Dance, 6. The Saws)
Filarmonie Brno
Jiří Bělohlávek, conductor

Mládí
Orsino Ensemble
Peter Sparks, clarinet

On the Overgrown Path (No 9 – In Tears)
Thomas Adès, piano

Pohádka – Fairytale
Laura van der Heijden, cello
Jâms Coleman, piano

Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West


WED 17:00 In Tune (m002c0nl)
Drivetime classical

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


WED 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002c0nn)
The eclectic classical mix

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


WED 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002c0nq)
Antonio Pappano conducts the LSO in Bernstein, Walker and Walton

Symphonies by George Walker and William Walton, and Leonard Bernstein's Serenade inspired by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, with solo violinist Carolin Widmann. Widmann is the perfect soloist for what she calls Bernstein's "homage to love" - she did a double degree in music and philosophy! The London Symphony Orchestra's Chief Conductor Antonio Pappano frames it with two highly charged symphonies. In 2015 George Walker was in his mid-90s when a white supremacist killed nine African Americans at a Bible study class in Charleston, South Carolina - and he was moved to write what Pappano calls his "enraged, sad and poignant" Fifth Sinfonia. Walton's First Symphony emerged from the wreckage of a love affair, and - as Pappano says - "all his frustration, despair, bitterness is in this music".

George Walker: Sinfonia No 5, ‘Visions’
Leonard Bernstein: Serenade (after Plato's 'Symposium')
with Carolin Widmann (violin)
William Walton: Symphony No 1

London Symphony Orchestra
Conductor Antonio Pappano

To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert".


WED 21:45 The Essay (m001lzhk)
Death in Trieste

3. I, Wincklemann

Murder! In hotel room ten, with a rope and a knife. By a fellow guest. If this were Cluedo, we’d have given the game away. But it’s true crime, turned cultural history. And travelogue: Seán Williams follows in the footsteps of the most famous art historian of all time. The German Johann Winckelmann – killed in Italy, in June 1768.

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seán uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann’s end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It’s a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today – where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric – Seán asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

Part Three: the life of Johann Winckelmann and the Roman freedom's that inspired his greatest work.


WED 22:00 Night Tracks (m002c0ns)
Nocturnal music to bewitch the senses

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


WED 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002c0nv)
Something soulful from Sullivan Fortner

Violinist and vocalist Alice Zawadzki sits in for Soweto Kinch this week on ‘Round Midnight. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.

Momoko Gill returns to celebrate another artist and living legend that she takes influence from. This evening, it’s the turn of an innovative Chicago-based guitarist.

Plus, there’s music from Patchwork Jazz Orchestra, Dinosaur, and Jaubi.

THURSDAY 22 MAY 2025

THU 00:30 Through the Night (m002c0nx)
Gershwin and Rachmaninov

The Santa Cecilia Orchestra performs Gershwin's Cuban Overture, Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances and are joined by Daniil Trifonov for Mason Bates's Piano Concerto. John Shea presents.

12:31 AM
George Gershwin (1898-1937)
Cuban Overture
Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Jakub Hrusa (conductor)

12:41 AM
Mason Bates (b. 1977)
Piano Concerto
Daniil Trifonov (piano), Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Jakub Hrusa (conductor)

01:10 AM
Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Symphonic Dances, Op 45
Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Jakub Hrusa (conductor)

01:45 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Aria: "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen" - from 'Die Zauberflöte'
Russell Braun (baritone), Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Richard Bradshaw (conductor)

01:50 AM
George Gershwin (1898-1937)
An American in Paris
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Jorge Mester (conductor)

02:09 AM
Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op 42
Duncan Gifford (piano)

02:31 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Cantata no 35 BWV.35 "Geist und Seele wird verwirret"
Jadwiga Rappe (alto), Concerto Avenna, Andrzej Mysinski (conductor)

02:55 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Sonata for Flute, Viola & Harp, L. 137
Tom Ottar Andreassen (flute), Jon Sonstebo (viola), Sidsel Walstad (harp)

03:13 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856), Heinrich Heine (lyricist)
Dichterliebe for voice and piano, Op 48
Ian Bostridge (tenor), Leif Ove Andsnes (piano)

03:42 AM
Dmitry Shostakovich (1906-1975)
String Quartet no 7 in F sharp minor, Op 108
Atrium Quartet

03:55 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Impromptus, Op 5 nos 5 & 6 (arr. for strings)
Camerata Zurich, Igor Karsko (conductor)

04:03 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
The Woman with the Alabaster box
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble

04:09 AM
Jozef Elsner (1769-1854)
Overture to the opera duo-drama "Echo w lesie" (The Echo in the Wood)
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Andrzej Straszynski (conductor)

04:16 AM
Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco (1675-1742)
Concerto a piu istrumenti in F major, Op 6 no 3
Il Tempio Armonico

04:24 AM
Erik Satie (1866-1925), transc. Kotaro Fukuma
Je te veux, valse
Kotaro Fukuma (piano)

04:31 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Waltz of the Flowers (from The Nutcracker)
RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Marko Munih (conductor)

04:38 AM
Orlande de Lassus (1532-1594)
Magnificat 'Praeter rerum seriem'
King's Singers

04:47 AM
Johan Svendsen (1840-1911)
Violin Romance in G major, Op 26
Julia Fischer (violin), Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Christopher Warren-Green (conductor)

04:55 AM
Bernart de Ventadorn (c.1130-1190)
Pois preyatz me, senhor
Eric Mentzel (tenor), Bois de Cologne

05:02 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Sonata in C major K.545
Vanda Albota (piano)

05:13 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Prelude (Introduction) from Capriccio - opera in 1 act, Op 85
Henschel Quartet, Soo-Jin Hong (violin), Soo-Kyung Hong (cello)

05:25 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Symphony no 1 in C major, Op 21
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste (conductor)

05:52 AM
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
String Quartet in F major
Vertavo Quartet

06:09 AM
Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760-1812)
Sonata for piano in B flat major, Op 35 no 1
Andreas Staier (fortepiano)


THU 06:30 Breakfast (m002c0h2)
Brighten your day with classical music

Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’


THU 09:30 Essential Classics (m002c0h4)
The very best of classical music

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.

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.

1230 Album of the Week.

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


THU 13:00 Classical Live (m002c0h6)
Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 3 from San Francisco

Mark Forrest showcases the best performances by BBC orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.

This week on Classical Live, we have music from the Barber Lunchtime Concert Series, held in Birmingham. Violist Timothy Ridout and pianist Jonathan Ware perform Franck's highly esteemed, four-movement Sonata in A major.

Mark also has a spotlight on Robert Schumann throughout the week. Today, we hear the RTVE Symphony Orchestra perform the serene and magical Nachtlied, Op. 108 and for our centrepiece, Schumann's heroic Symphony No. 3 performed by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and conductor Elim Chan.

Cesar Franck
Sonata in A major, arr. for viola & piano
Timothy Ridout (viola)
Jonathan Ware (piano)

Antonio Vivaldi
Concerto Grosso in A minor, RV 356, Op. 3/6
Swiss Orchestra
Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer (director)

Robert Schumann
Nachtlied, Op. 108
RTVE Symphony Orchestra
Christoph König (conductor)

Franz Schubert
String Quartet No. 13 in A minor (the Rosamunde Quartet), D. 804, Op. 29
Aris Quartett

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Sheherazade I. The Sea and Sinbad's Ship
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Alpesh Chauhan (conductor)

Carl Maria von Weber
Grand Duo Concertant, Op.48
Michael Collins (clarinet)
Michael McHale (piano)

Robert Schumann
Symphony No. 3
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Elim Chan (conductor)

Franz Liszt
La lugubre gondola No. 2, S. 200/2
Bertrand Chamayou (piano)

To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live”


THU 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002c0h8)
Leos Janacek (1854-1928)

Burn After Reading

Kate Molleson follows the sharp turns of Janáček’s escalating love triangle.

Leoš Janáček was a true Czech original. He heard music in the way people talk on the streets, loved the local and made it universal - pouring his “speech melodies” into pioneering, devastating operas, and writing some of the most intimate confessionals in instrumental music. His life also came with a major plot twist – after years of toiling away unappreciated, he suddenly found fame in his 60s. Instead of winding down, Janáček revved up. All this week, Kate Molleson explores his maverick spirit, his fierce passions, and the phenomenal flood of inspiration of his twilight years.

Today, Janáček’s infatuation with Kamila Stösslová goes up a gear, a certain letter causes havoc in his marriage, and he writes his ecstatic masterpiece, the Glagolitic Mass.

Glagolitic Mass: Intrada
Czech Philharmonic
Jiří Bělohlávek, conductor

The Excursions of Mr Broucek Suite (The Moon Waltz)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ilan Volkov, conductor

1905 Sonata
Lars Vogt, piano

Capriccio (ii Adagio, iii Allegretto)
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano)
Members of Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Glagolitic Mass: Slava; Veruju
Hibla Gerzmava, soprano
Stuart Neill, tenor
Jan Martiník, bass
Veronika Hajnová, mezzo-soprano
Aleš Bárta, organ
Czech Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra
Jiří Bělohlávek, conductor

Moravian Love Songs: No 10 ‘Love’
Tomáš Král, baritone
Ivo Kahánek, piano

Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West


THU 17:00 In Tune (m002c0hc)
Live classical performance and interviews

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


THU 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002c0hf)
Power through with classical music

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


THU 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002c0hh)
Sibelius' Fifth Symphony from Glasgow

“God, what beauty!”. Once upon a time in Finland, Sibelius saw a flight of swans and felt his imagination take wing. That’s the story behind the unforgettable horn theme that crowns his Fifth Symphony: music as astonishing, and as inevitable, as nature itself. Those vaulting horns are a spine-tingling way to end the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra's 2025/26 concert season. So what could be more natural than Chief Conductor Ryan Wigglesworth inviting Stefan Dohr, a legend among living horn players, to perform another Scandinavian masterpiece: the playful, utterly original concerto that the SSO's Composer in Association (and master-storyteller) Hans Abrahamsen wrote especially for him. Beethoven ties it all together, with wit, splendour and irrepressible life-force.

Broadcast live from City Halls, Glasgow with Kate Molleson presenting.

Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C major
Hans Abrahamsen: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra
interval
Beethoven: Overture 'Namensfeier', Op 115
Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E flat major

Stefan Dohr, horn
Ryan Wigglesworth, conductor
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

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


THU 21:45 The Essay (m001lzjb)
Death in Trieste

4. From the Depths

Murder! In hotel room ten, with a rope and a knife. By a fellow guest. If this were Cluedo, we’d have given the game away. But it’s true crime, turned cultural history. And travelogue: Seán Williams follows in the footsteps of the most famous art historian of all time. The German Johann Winckelmann – killed in Italy, in June 1768.

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seán uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann’s end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It’s a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today – where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric – Seán asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

Part Four: Venice and the echoes of Winckelmann's demise.


THU 22:00 Night Tracks (m002c0hk)
Bewitching sounds for after dark

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


THU 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002c0hm)
One from Jasper Høiby

Violinist and vocalist Alice Zawadzki sits in for Soweto Kinch this week on ‘Round Midnight. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.

All this week, Alice has been joined Momoko Gill as her guest for Flowers. Rounding off her week, Momoko has one more bunch to give out and this time it's to a celebrated Palestinian sound artist.

FRIDAY 23 MAY 2025

FRI 00:30 Through the Night (m002c0hp)
Strauss's Four Last Songs & Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony

Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund and conductor Tarmo Peltokoski perform with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. John Shea presents.

12:31 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Vier letzte Lieder, AV 150
Camilla Nylund (soprano), Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tarmo Peltokoski (conductor)

12:53 AM
Dmitry Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Symphony no 10 in E minor, Op 93
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tarmo Peltokoski (conductor)

01:45 AM
Dmitry Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Sonata for viola and piano, Op 147
Antoine Tamestit (viola), Markus Hadulla (piano)

02:15 AM
Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Piano Sonata no 3 in A minor, Op 28
Piotr Alexewicz (piano)

02:23 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949), Hugo von Hofmannsthal (librettist)
Das war sehr gut .../Dann aber, wie ich Sie gespurt hab' (from Arabella)
Joanne Kolomyjec (soprano), Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)

02:31 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Suite for orchestra no 3 in D major, BWV.1068
Erik Niord Larsen (oboe), Roar Brostrom (oboe), Ole Edvard Antonsen (trumpet), Lasse Rossing (trumpet), Jens Petter Antonsen (trumpet), Rolf Cato Raade (timpani), Risor Festival Strings, Andrew Manze (conductor)

02:53 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Images - set 2 for piano
Roger Woodward (piano)

03:07 AM
David Matthews (b.1943)
A Vision of the Sea
BBC Philharmonic, Juanjo Mena (conductor)

03:30 AM
Gabriel Faure (1845 - 1924), orch. Jon Washburn
Messe Basse
Henriette Schellenberg (soprano), Vancouver Chamber Choir, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Jon Washburn (conductor)

03:40 AM
Benjamin Godard (1849-1895)
Berceuse de Jocelyn
Henry-David Varema (cello), Cornelia Lootsmann (harp)

03:45 AM
Alonso Mudarra (c.1510-1580)
Claros y frescos rios
Montserrat Figueras (soprano), Hesperion XX, Jordi Savall (director)

03:51 AM
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
Overture Domov muj, Op 62
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Marian Vach (conductor)

04:02 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Sonata Partita no 10 in C major
Geert Bierling (organ)

04:11 AM
Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)
Quintet for flute, oboe, violin, viola & basso continuo in G major, Op 11 no 2
Les Adieux

04:20 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Four Mazurkas, Op 30
Jakub Kuszlik (piano)

04:31 AM
Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959)
Little Suite, 'Comedy on the Bridge', H.247a
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Jonathon Heyward (conductor)

04:38 AM
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Crisantemi (Chrysanthemums)
Moyzes Quartet

04:44 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Piangerò la sorte mia, from 'Giulio Cesare, HWV.17'
Julie Fuchs (soprano), La Scintilla Orchestra, Anna Gebert (conductor)

04:52 AM
Doreen Carwithen (1922-2003)
Sonatina for cello and piano
Andrei Ionita (cello), Lilit Grigoryan (piano)

05:03 AM
Gyorgy Orban (b.1947)
Cor mundum
Tallinn Music High School Chamber Choir, Evi Eespere (director)

05:09 AM
Lars-Erik Larsson (1908-1986)
Concertino for Piano and Strings, Op 45 no 12 (1957)
Marten Landstrom (piano), Uppsala Chamber Soloists

05:25 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
A Midsummer Night's Dream - incidental music, Op 61
Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Michael Schonwandt (conductor)

05:49 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata no 18 in E flat major, Op 31 no 3
Zhang Zuo (piano)

06:12 AM
Pieter van Maldere (1729-1768)
Sinfonia in G minor, Op 4 no 1
Academy of Ancient Music, Filip Bral (conductor)


FRI 06:30 Breakfast (m002c0tv)
The best classical music wake-up call

Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’


FRI 09:30 Essential Classics (m002c0tx)
Relax into the day with classical

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

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 (m002c0tz)
Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 4 from Cologne

Mark Forrest showcases the best performances by BBC orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.

This week on Classical Live, we have music from the Barber Lunchtime Concert Series, held in Birmingham. Pianist Elisabeth Brauss performs Schumann's Theme and variations in E flat major. Plus, countertenor Hugh Cutting and lute player Daniel Murphy join together in a programme entitled 'Heartstrings', exploring love songs.

Mark also has a spotlight on Robert and Clara Schumann throughout the week. Today, viola and piano duo Rosalind Ventris and Llyr Williams perform Clara Schumann's 3 Romances, Op. 22 and at 3pm, Schumann's Symphony No. 4 is performed by the WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne and conductor Marek Janowski.

Sergey Rachmaninov
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Op.43
Lise de la Salle (piano)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Anna Rakitina (conductor)

Robert Schumann
Theme and variations in E flat major Op.posth. for piano, ‘Ghost variations’
Elisabeth Brauss (piano)

Antonín Dvořák
Carnival Overture, Op. 92
Norwegian Radio Orchestra
Miguel Harth-Bedoya (conductor)

Clara Schumann
3 Romances, Op. 22
Rosalind Ventris (viola)
Llyr Williams (piano)

Max Bruch
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, op. 26
Vadim Gluzman (violin)
WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne
Marek Janowski, conductor

Georg Philipp Telemann
Concerto for Recorder and Flute in E minor, TWV 52:e1
Telemann Chamber Orchestra

The Beatles
Blackbird
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

John Dowland
Say, Love, if ever thou didst find
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Fleetwood Mac
Songbird
Hugh Cutting (counter tenor)
Daniel Murphy (lute)

Robert Schumann
Symphony No. 4.
WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne
Marek Janowski (conductor)

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor [1875-1912]
Petite Suite de Concert
BBC Concert Orchestra
Bramwell Tovey (conductor)

To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live”


FRI 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002c0v1)
Leos Janacek (1854-1928)

Fatal Attraction

Kate Molleson unpacks the dramatic final scenes of Janacek’s life.

Leoš Janáček was a true Czech original. He heard music in the way people talk on the streets, loved the local and made it universal - pouring his “speech melodies” into pioneering, devastating operas, and writing some of the most intimate confessionals in instrumental music. His life also came with a major plot twist – after years of toiling away unappreciated, he suddenly found fame in his 60s. Instead of winding down, Janáček revved up. All this week, Kate Molleson explores his maverick spirit, his fierce passions, and the phenomenal flood of inspiration of his twilight years.

Today, Janáček's relationship with Kamila reaches fever pitch, he pours his feelings into his extraordinary “Intimate Letters” Quartet, and he heads out on a holiday from which he’d never return…

Intimate Sketches: Waiting for You!
Lada Valešová, piano

From the House of the Dead Suite (iii. Holiday is Coming)
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Peter Breiner, conductor

Quartet No 2 ‘Intimate Letters’ 1st and 2nd movements
Takács Quartet

Quartet No 2 ‘Intimate Letters’ 3rd and 4th movements
Pavel Haas Quartet

On the Overgrown Path (No 7 - Good Night)
Bertrand Chamayou, piano

Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West


FRI 17:00 In Tune (m002c0v3)
Discover classical music and artists

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


FRI 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002c0v5)
Your daily classical soundtrack

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


FRI 19:30 Friday Night is Music Night (m0024xv4)
Great Yarmouth

The BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by George Jackson returns to the iconic Hippodrome in Great Yarmouth for a special Friday Night is Music Night concert celebrating the orchestra's long-standing Create Yarmouth residency. There’ll be songs from classic musicals performed by West End singing sensation Rachel John. The orchestra premieres two brand new commissions from locally-based young composers of the community arts group Freshly Greated, plus there'll be a taste of Fado – the passionate popular song from Portugal - with local singer Zara Maia. Naturally, there’ll be popular classics old and new, including The Dam Busters March, and a whole squadron of British favourites inspired by land, air and sea – as well as a spotlight on one of the BBC Concert Orchestra’s own stars, principal horn Andrew Littlemore.

Presented by Katie Derham and recorded at the Hippodrome, Great Yarmouth on 8 November 2024.

Coates: The Dam Busters March
Lerner & Loewe: Wouldn't It Be Loverly
Charles Stock & Adarsh Thomas : The Fallen Chevalier
Glière: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra - 2nd movement
Porter: Too Darn Hot
Price: Colonial Dance
Goodwin: 633 Squadron

INTERVAL

Arnold: English Dances: Set 1
Machado/Rodrigues, arr. Stephen Whibley: O gente da minha terra
Nininho Vaz Maia, arr. Stephen Whibley: A mi manera
Boyle: Wildgeese
Sonny King & Eleanor Yates: Never Turn Back
Vaughan Williams: Sea Songs: Quick March
Rodgers & Hammerstein: Getting To Know You
Rodgers & Hammerstein: Whistle A Happy Tune
Alford: Colonel Bogey March for Orchestra

Rachel John (singer)
Andrew Littlemore (horn)
Zara Maia (singer)
BBC Concert Orchestra
George Jackson (conductor)


FRI 21:45 The Essay (m001lzk5)
Death in Trieste

5. The Meaning of Nowhere

Murder! In hotel room ten, with a rope and a knife. By a fellow guest. If this were Cluedo, we’d have given the game away. But it’s true crime, turned cultural history. And travelogue: Seán Williams follows in the footsteps of the most famous art historian of all time. The German Johann Winckelmann – killed in Italy, in June 1768.

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seán uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann’s end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It’s a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today – where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric – Seán asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

Part Five: Seán reflects on the myriad conclusions about Winckelmann, his art, his sexuality, his legacy, and offers his own conclusions.


FRI 22:00 Late Junction (m002c0v8)
At home with Richard Dawson

Grab a brew and take a pew for a very special edition of Late Junction, as we head to Northumberland to pay a visit to the home of Geordie troubadour Richard Dawson.

A folk favourite, sonic storyteller, avant-garde experimenter and poignant worldbuilder, Rich’s music often makes epics out of the domestic, inhabiting the perspectives of intimate characters on emotional journeys. His latest album The End of the Middle digs deep into the inner workings of a family unit - in his own words, it is ‘stripped back, stark and naked’.

Jennifer Lucy Allan heads to Rich’s home just outside Newcastle to delve into his record collection with him, pulling out highlights from his huge and varied treasure trove, as well as a visit to his allotment for a quick bit of weeding and plenty of cups of tea. Rich shares selections and stories from his time working in Newcastle’s record shops, the music that has shaped him, and the voices that have stuck with him.

Produced by Kit Callin
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play Late Junction”


FRI 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002c0vb)
George Nelson’s Mixtape

Violinist and vocalist Alice Zawadzki sits in for Soweto Kinch this week on ‘Round Midnight. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.

Alice’s Friday night mixtape guest is the photographer, author, and lecturer George Nelson. George is the curator of leading London-based gig series Moment’s Notice, which has featured artists including Courtney Pine, Yazz Ahmed, and Bex Burch. The nights feature a first set of a trio and a duo, each performing entirely improvised music.

In the spirit of Moment’s Notice, tonight's mixtape features a selection of music by artists performing in duos and trios.