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Donald Macleod uncovers key aspects of Liszt’s soul and identity
Franz Liszt was the original musical heartthrob - the most photographed man of the 19th century, who left a legacy of more than 700 compositions and in the course of his career made well over 1000 concert appearances. With his electrifying talent at the keyboard, he transformed the status of musician from servant to demigod. But he was also a man of complex character, who wore many masks and repeatedly reinvented himself. This week, Donald Macleod uncovers key slices of Liszt’s soul and identity.
Music Featured:
Prelude (No 1 from 12 Transcendental studies)Grand galop chromatique“Un sospiro” (from 3 Etudes de concert, S144 No 3)“La Campanella” (from Grandes Etudes de Paganini, S141 No 3)Mephisto Waltz No 1Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat major, S124GnomenreigenEn rêveRomance oubliée, S132Premiere année de pèlerinage, S160: Suisse (excerpt)Die LoreleiLes PreludesLiebestraum No 3 in A flat majorSalve ReginaDante Symphony S109 (iii. Magnificat)Les morts: OraisonLegendes, S175: St Francis of Assisi preaching to the birds10 Harmonies poetiques et religieuses: Benediction de dieu dans la solitude (excerpt)Christus, Part 3: ResurrexitMephisto Waltz No 4Der Doppelgänger (after Schubert’s Schwanengesang)Grandes études de Paganini, No 5 “La Chasse”, S141La lugubre gondola IIFuneral Odes, No 3 “Le triomphe funebre du Tasse”Consolation No 1 in E major, S172Kennst du das LandRakoczy March (from Hungarian Rhapsody No 15)Enfant, si j’etais roiIm Rhein, im schoenen StromeIsten Veled!Troisieme année de pèlerinage: Les jeux d’eau sur la villa d’EsteWiegenliedHungarian Rhapsody No 2 (orch. Doppler)
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Franz Liszt (1811-1886) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002454z
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod explores the life and music of African American composer Margaret Bonds
This week, Donald Macleod is joined by musicologist and pianist Dr Samantha Ege to delve into the life and music of African American pioneer composer, Margaret Bonds (1913-1972). Bonds was one of the most important composers and pianists of her time. She wrote several dozens of art songs, arranged many traditional spirituals, and composed large-scale cantatas. From her native Chicago where she was the first black performer to play with the Symphony Orchestra to the buzzing stages of New York where she set poetic gems to music, and at a time of racial discrimination and fight for civil rights, her story is one of determination, friendship, and absolute dedication to music-making. As such the programme does include some language of the period.
Music Featured:
JoyTrad, arr Bonds: Little David Play on Your HarpThe PastureSpiritual Suite; No 1, The Valley of the BonesTo a Brown Dead GirlTrad, arr Bonds: Lord, I Just Can’t Keep from Cryin’Florence Price: Fantasie Nègre No 1 in E minorFlamencoTangamericanSimon Bore the Cross Trad, arr Bonds: Didn’t It RainThe Negro Speaks of RiversThree Dream PortraitsTrad, arr Bonds: Ezek’el Saw the WheelFour SongsTrad, arr Bonds: Peter, Go Ring dem BellsSpiritual Suite; No 2, The BellsThe Ballad of the Brown KingTrad, arr Bonds: Joshua Fit da Battle of Jericho (arr for voice and chamber ensemble by P. Spray)Trad, arr Bonds: I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be FreeTrad, arr Bonds: He’s Got the Whole World in His HandsTrad: Wade in the WaterSpiritual Suite; No 3, Troubled WaterMontgomery VariationsFugal DanceWhen the Dove Enters InSongs of the SeasonsCredoTrad, arr Bonds: Hold On (arr for voice and chamber ensemble by P. Spray)Simon Bore the Cross (mvt VIII)
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Julien Rosa for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Franz Liszt (1811-1886) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0023y4n
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Kate Molleson delves into the life and music of the “Yankee Maverick”, Charles Ives.
Charles Ives is considered a leading American composer of the early 20th century. Known for many musical innovations, his was a unique voice, a pioneer who combined elements of Western and American music traditions. He’s also been called a Yankee Maverick and much of his creative life was spent in obscurity. Marking the 150th anniversary since his birth, Kate Molleson shines the spotlight on the life and music of Charles Ives. This journey begins in Danbury where Ives grew up, going on to study at Yale, then working in Insurance in New York, and coming to a close in the mid twentieth century. In those final decades, and largely due to ill health, Ives had stopped composing. Ironically, it was at this point when his creative endeavours had ceased, that his music started to generate much interest.
Music Featured: Memories (excerpt)Four Ragtime Dances for Theatre Orchestra, No 1 (Allegro moderato)String Quartet No 1 ‘From the Salvation Army’ (excerpt)Variations on ‘America’Psalm 67, God Be Merciful Unto UsSymphony No 1 (excerpt)March No 6, with “Here’s to Good Old Yale”The Circus BandAdeste FidelesFeldeinsamkeitMistsSymphony No 2 (excerpt)Central Park in the DarkThe Children’s HourThe Unanswered QuestionGeneral William Booth Enters into HeavenTom Sails Away (Three Songs of War)Orchestral Set No 1 ‘Three Places in New England’ (Putnam’s Camp)Sonata for Violin and Piano No 3 (Adagio - Cantabile)Symphony No 4 (excerpt)At the RiverSerenityPiano Sonata No 2: Concord, Mass., 1840-60 (Thoreau)A Symphony. New England Holidays (excerpt)Two Little FlowersRomanzo di Central ParkViolin Sonata No 2A Christmas CarolThree Quarter Tone Pieces (Allegro)Symphony No 4 (Allegretto)SunrisePiano Sonata No 2: Concord, Mass., 1840-60 (The Alcotts)Symphony No 3 ‘The Camp Meeting’
Presented by Kate MollesonProduced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Charles Ives (1874-1954) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0023nw8
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod and Leah Broad survey the life and work of British composer Dorothy Howell
This week Donald Macleod is joined by the award-winning author Leah Broad to explore the story of the British composer Dorothy Howell, who shot to fame aged 21 after the triumphant premiere of her orchestral work ‘Lamia’ at the Proms. By the mid-1920s she was regarded as one of the leading women composers of the day, performing in prestigious venues across the UK and regularly appearing on radio programmes in the earliest days of broadcasting. But she faced challenges from the 1930s onwards that left her disillusioned, and by the end of her life she wanted to destroy all but a handful of her works. Luckily family intervened, but even so Howell’s music almost disappeared from view - until recently.
Music Featured:
SpindriftHumoresque for OrchestraSonata for violin and piano (1st mvt)Two FrogsFive Studies for pianoBoat Song for pianoLamiaFive StudiesRosalindThe Little Round House, The BearsKoong SheePhantasy for violin and pianoThe Tortoiseshell CatPot PourriMy White LadyThe MooringsIf you will come to CortePiano Concerto in D minorMazurkaTwo Pieces for Muted StringsPuppydog’s TalesPrelude 1 in F minorPrelude 2 in CPrelude 3 in A flatRecuerdos Preciosos No 1 and 2The Rock OvertureSonata for violin and piano (2nd & 3rd mvts)To Sine in WinterSonata for pianoThree Divertissements
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Megan Jones for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Dorothy Howell (1898-1982) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0023f35
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod showcases the life and music of Christoph Willibald Gluck
Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) arguably did more to transform opera than any composer of his generation: thinking deeply about how text and music should work together, and trying to strip away fripperies to ensure it was urgent, powerful and arresting. His radical approaches made him one of the most influential composers in history - and yet today, he’s known in the concert hall almost exclusively for one work: his masterpiece “Orpheus and Eurydice”. This week, Donald Macleod puts that right: showcasing Gluck’s dazzling and enchanting music from across his life - whilst also showing off his most famous work.
Music Featured:
Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Orfeo ed Eurydice)Non hai cor per un'impresa (Ipermestra, Wq 7)Sperai vicino il lido (Demofoonte, Wq 3)Se in campo armato (La Sofonisba, Wq 5)Nobil onda (La Sofonisba, Wq 5)Orfeo ed Euridice (excerpts)M'opprime, m'affanna (La Sofonisba, Wq 5)Qual ira intempestiva … Oggi per me non sudi; Oggi per me sudi (La Contesa de'numi, Wq 14)Trio Sonata no I in C Major (1st mvt)Ciascun siegua il suo stile...Maggior follia non v'e (La Semiramide riconosciuta, Wq 13)Misera, dove son…; Ah! non son io (Ezio, Wq 15)Dance of the Furies (Orphee et Eurydice: Act 2, Scene 1)Tremo fra dubbi miei (La Clemenza di Tito, Wq 16) (Act 3)Son lungi e non mi brami (Le Cinesi, Wq 18)Berenice che fai (Antigono, Wq 21)Don Juan (selection)Divinités du Styx (Alceste, Wq 37)O Del Mio Dolce Ardor; Le Belle Immagini (Paride ed Elena, Wq 39)Vous essayez en vain - Par la crainte; Adieu, conservez dans votre âme (Iphigénie en Aulide, Wq 40)Gluck (arr Schubert) Rien de la nature (Echo et Narcisse)Armide (Act 5 opening)Iphigenie en Tauride, Wq 46 (excerpts)De ProfundisOrphee et Eurydice (1774 Paris edition): Act 3 (finale)
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Steven Rajam for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022znr
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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We often think of composers as solitary geniuses, scribbling away at their masterpieces, working alone. But this isn’t always the case. Gustav Holst, most famous for composing The Planets, struggled all his life with neuritis, a condition that made his arms feel like “jelly overcharged with electricity.” It was frequently impossible for him to play or even write, so, to bring his vision of our solar system to life, he needed help. This week, Donald Macleod charts Holst’s interplanetary expedition and discovers the unsung heroes who placed him amongst the stars.
Music Featured:
The Planets, Op 32Toccata, H 153Symphony in F Major, Op 8, H 47 “The Cotswolds” (2nd mvt, Elegy, Molto adagio & 3rd mvt, Scherzo, Presto - Allegretto)Sita, Op 23, H 89 (Interlude)The Mystic Trumpeter, Op 18 Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, Op 26 (3rd Group, H99) The Hymn of Jesus, Op37 / H 140 (Hymn II, Hymn III, Hymn IV) 5 Partsongs, Op 12, H 61 St Paul’s Suite, Op 29, No 2 Ballet music from 'The Perfect Fool' H150 (Op 39)Sāvitri, Op 25 (I - VI)Ode to Death, Op 38, H 144 Suite No 2 for Military Band in F major, Op 28 No 2, H106 Choral Symphony, Op 41 (2nd mvt, Song and Bacchanal)Scherzo for Orchestra, H192 Hammersmith - Prelude and Scherzo, H178, Op 52 Egdon Heath Op 47 (1st mvt, Adagio - Poco Allegro - Andante maestoso) Brook Green Suite The Planets, Op 32 (Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity) arr. for two pianos
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Alice McKee for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Gustav Holst (1874-1934) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022sj0
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Kate Molleson explores the twists and turns of Schoenberg’s life
Is there a more controversial, infamous figure in 20th Century music than Arnold Schoenberg? Arguably no other twentieth-century composer’s ideas have been more influential among composers since, however his music is still neglected and misunderstood by programmers and audiences. Schoenberg was a revolutionary - one of the founders of musical Modernism - but he also recognised the importance of musical tradition. His music defined the times in which he lived, and whether you see Schoenberg as the most important innovator in 20th century music, or as a heretic who led his followers to an artistic dead end, he was absolutely dedicated to art – both musical and visual. This week, Kate Molleson explores the twists and turns of Schoenberg’s life, and tracks the composer’s changing relationship with art through the prism of 5 different visual works, from an image which terrified and obsessed Schoenberg as a child, through the composer’s own paintings, and one of his practical twelve-tone selection dials, to a portrait of Schoenberg painted while he was in exile in America, by his friend and fellow composer George Gershwin.
Music Featured:
Strauss (arr. Schoenberg): Roses from the South2 Gesange, Op , No 1 “Dank”4 Lieder, Op 2, No 1 “Erwartung”Pelleas und Melisande, Op 5 (Langsam)Verklarte nacht, Op 46 little piano pieces (No 6)Mahler (by Schoenberg and Webern): Das Lied von der Erde (No 3, Of Youth)Gurrelieder (excerpt)String Quartet No 2, Op 10 (3rd mvt, Langsam, 'Litanei')Erwartung (excerpt)Friede auf ErdenDe ProfundisPierrot Lunaire, Op 21 (Act II excerpt)Die eiserne Brigade (The Iron Brigade)Bach (orch. Schoenberg): Gott Schopfer, heiliger Geist, BWV 631Suite for piano, Op 25 (2nd mvt, Gavotte & 3rd mvt, Musette)Suite, Op 29 (3rd mvt, Theme and Variations)Accompaniment Music to a Film Scene, Op 34Songs for male chorus, Op 35 (No 6 Verbundenheit "Man hilft zur Welt dir kommen")Die Jakobsleiter (Ob rechts, ob links)Kol Nidre, Op 39Moses und Aron (Act II excerpt)Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra (after Handel)Prelude to GenesisSuite for string orchestra (2nd mvt, Adagio)Brahms (orch. Schoenberg): Piano Quartet No 1 in G Minor, Op 25 (2nd mvt, Intermezzo)Chamber Symphony No 2, Op 38bA Survivor from Warsaw, Op 46Notturno
Presented by Kate MollesonProduced by Sam Phillips for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022k1r
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod examines Bruckner’s lifelong struggle to become the great composer we know today
From our modern perspective, it can be difficult to appreciate why it took so long for Anton Bruckner to be recognised as one of the leading musical voices of the 19th century. His spectacular symphonies regularly pack out concert halls today but his own era took many decades to warm up to his music. Only in his sixties did Bruckner begin to achieve the popularity he deserved and, even then, he retained a reputation as a bit of an oddball. Colleagues were disturbed by his unsophisticated manners, unquestioning religious devotion and peculiar personal habits. His tendency to see enemies all around regularly tested his relationships. His romantic choices were routinely disastrous.
Music Featured:
Mass No 2 in Em (Kyrie)Symphony No 2 in C minor (1872 first Version, ed. W. Carragan) (2nd mvt, Scherzo. Schnell)Requiem in D Minor, (No 2, Sequentia; Dies irae)Symphony No 9 in D Minor, (1st mvt Feierlich, misterioso)Symphony No 8 in C minor (1890 Version, ed. Novak): (2nd mvt, Scherzo, Allegro moderato - Trio, Langsam)Ave Maria WAB 6Symphony No 1 in C Minor (1877 Rev. Linz Version, Ed. Nowak), (1st mvt, Allegro)Mass in F Minor, (3rd mvt, Credo)Symphony No 6 in A major (ed. Novak) (3rd mvt, Scherzo, Nicht schnell - Trio, Langsam)Symphony No 2 in C minor (1877 version) (2nd mvt, Andante)Symphony No 3 in D minor ‘Wagner Symphony' (1873 version) (4th mvt, Finale, Allegro – Etwas langsamer – Erstes Zeitmaß)String Quintet in F major, (4th mvt, Finale, Lebhaft bewegt)Prelude in D MinorTe Deum in C major (opening)Symphony No 7 in E Major (arr. Hermann Behn), (3rd mvt, Scherzo, Sehr schnell)Ave Maria, WAB 7 (Arr. for Horn Ensemble)Symphony No 7 in E Major (Ed. Haas), (2nd mvt, Adagio, Sehr feierlich und sehr langsam)Te Deum in C major (No 5, In te domini speravi)Virga Jesse, WAB 52Symphony No 8 in C minor (ed. Novak) (1st mvt, Allegro moderato)Symphony No 8 in C minor (ed. Haas): (4th mvt, Finale, Feierlich, nicht schnell)
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Chris Taylor for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022c5f
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod explores the life and work of the 18th century composer Joseph Bologne
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of a musician also remarkable for his sporting prowess. Joseph Bologne’s story throws a light on the political turbulence affecting France in the 18th century, and on the legacy of colonialism and slavery.
Bologne is celebrated as the first composer of African descent to attain widespread acclaim in Europe.
Donald is joined by Olivette Otele, distinguished Professor of the Legacies and Memory of Slavery at SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
Music Featured:
String Quartet in G minor, Op 1, No 3 (2nd mvt, Rondeau)Symphonie Concertante in A major, Op 10, No 2Violin Concerto in D major, Op 3, No 1Symphony in G major, Op 11, No 1Quartetto concertans No 4 in F major (2nd mvt, Rondeau)String Quartet in D major, Op 1, No 6Lolli: Violin Concerto No 2 in C major, Op 2 (1st & 3rd mvt)Violin Concerto in A major, Op 5, No 2 (1st mvt, Allegro Moderato)Symphonie Concertante in C major, Op 9, No 1Violin Concerto in G major, Op 8, No 2 (3rd mvt, Rondeau)Keyboard Sonata No 2 in A major with obbligato violin (1st mvt, Allegro moderato)Ernestine (Scena)Symphonie Concertante in E flat, Op 13, No 1L’Amant anonyme (excerpt)Quartetto concertans No 3 in C major (2nd mvt, Rondeau: Moderato)Symphonie Concertante, Op 6 No 2 in B-flat major, G 038Violin Concerto in C major, Op 5 No 1 (2nd & 3rd mvts)Haydn: Symphony No 85 in B-flat major, Hob I:85, "La reine" (The Queen): (1st mvt, Adagio - Vivace)String Quartet in G minor, Op 14 No 6 (1st & 2nd mvts)String Quartet in C minor, Op 1 No 4 (2nd mvt, Rondeau)Concertante Quartet in G minor, Op 15 No 2Violin Concerto in A major, Op 7 No 1Symphonie Concertante in F major, Op 10 No 1String Quartet in C Major, Op 1 No 1 (2nd mvt, Rondeau: Tempo di minuetto; Grazioso)
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Iain Chambers for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George (1745-1799) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0021jym
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod explores the world of Ethel Smyth through five love affairs
British composer Dame Ethel Smyth was one of the early 20th century’s most original cultural voices. A prodigious musical talent who was best known for her operas, she was a force of nature, an unapologetic eccentric who didn’t suffer fools gladly, and a rule-breaking, trail-blazing feminist. Alongside music, she was an accomplished sportswoman, and her driven and playful nature - as well as her endurance - would not only shape her career but her personal life too. This week, Donald Macleod explores Smyth’s story through what she termed her “passions” – the key all-consuming relationships that changed the course of her life, and how they were a necessary force for her creativity.
Music Featured:
Fête Galante (Overture/Sarabande)Aus der Jugendzeit!Kom, süsser TodLieder, Op 4 No 2, SchlummerliedViolin Sonata (3rd mvt, Romanze)Variations on an Original Theme (of an Exceedingly Dismal Nature)String Quintet, Op 1 (3rd-5th mvts)Piano Suite in E major 2nd mvt, Bourree)Piano Trio (3rd mvt, Scherzo)4 Songs (No 2, The Dance)Serenade in D major (3rd & 4th mvts)Der Wald (excerpt)The Wreckers OvertureLieder, Op 4 No 4 “Nachtreiter”Klavierstück in E majorCello Sonata in C minor (1st & 2nd mvts)The Wreckers, Act II (Prelude “On the Cliffs of Cornwall” (arr. for winds) )Mass in D (Gloria)Fête Galante (excerpt)Violin Sonata (2nd mvt)March of the Women The Boatswain’s Mate (excerpts)Possession (Three Songs, No 2)String Quartet in E minor (3rd & 4th mvts)Soul’s Joy, Now I am GoneTwo Interlinked French Melodies from Entente CordialeOdelette (Four Songs, No 1)Mass (Sanctus / Benedictus)The Prison (Nos 14-16)Double Concerto for Horn and Violin (2nd mvt, Elegy)
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00219n7
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Kate Molleson sheds light on the forgotten composer, Silvestre Revueltas
Silvestre Revueltas was a blazingly energetic and politically charged musician, a whirlwind of a composer who lived through a time of great political and creative upheaval in Mexico. The French writer André Breton was stunned when he visited the country and found not one unified identity, but many strikingly different cultures existing side by side with all of their clashing values, creeds, and customs. This kaleidoscopic and sometimes jarring world is the musical universe of Revueltas, one of a generation of artists who, along with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, tried to encompass a true sense of Mexican identity in their works after the country’s revolution. In his personal life Revueltas also lived a life of fiery extremes, before succumbing to an early death exasperated by alcoholism. This week, Kate Molleson tries to shed some light on this forgotten composer, guiding us through the rhythms of Silvestre Revueltas’s colourful life with the help of Professor Alejandro Madrid of Harvard University. They track Revueltas’s moves from revolutionary Mexico, to prohibition-era America, to the trenches of the Spanish Civil War, and back to his homeland. Although most of Revueltas’s works date from the final decade of his short life, it is music which bursts with energy, colour, and humour. It is music which speaks with irony and passion about politics and people, about both the joys and hardships of life. It is music that speaks of Mexico.
Music Featured:
Toccata (sin fuga)Esquinas (1931 version)Tierra p’a las macetasPieza para doce instrumentosLa Noche de los Mayas – Suite (1st & 2nd mvts)ColorinesBatikCuauhnahuacString Quartet No 4 “Musica der Feria”PlanosRedes (exerpts)VentanasJanitzioMusica para Charlar I.Canto a muchacha negraEl Renacuajo PaseadorSecond Little Serious pieceHomenaje a Federico García LorcaCaminosItinerariosCinco canciones de ninosEste era un reyOcho x radio3 SonetosLa Noche de los Mayas – Suite (3rd & 4th mvts)La Coronela (excerpt)Sensemaya
Presented by Kate MollesonProduced by Sam Phillips for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00213ln
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod shines a light on charming and often enigmatic composer, Thomas Linley Jnr
English composer, Thomas Linley the Younger was destined to become one of the brightest musical stars of eighteenth century. No less a person than Mozart, who was also a personal friend, hailed him as a ‘true genius’. Even so, Linley’s life was troubled. He and his siblings were ruthlessly driven by their ambitious father. He saw his beloved sister become fodder for the celebrity-hungry gossip mongers of the British press and must have wondered if he might be next. He was forced to navigate a dangerous atmosphere of prurience and moral suspicion about the private lives of ‘theatre people’ like himself. A cloud of mystery hovers over Tom’s shocking and early death at the age of just 22. Donald Macleod is joined by Linley’s biographer, Tony Scotland, to shine a light on this charming and often enigmatic composer, alongside music by Tom and his circle.
Music Featured:
Linley the Younger: Music for The Tempest (No 1, Arise! ye spirits of the storm)Geminiani: Violin Sonata in D Major, Op 5, No 4 (1st & 2nd mvts)Linley the Younger: The Song of Moses (extracts)Boyce: Symphony No 7 in B flat majorNardini: Sonata No 1 for 2 Violins in G MajorLinley the Younger: To heal the wound a bee had madeLinley the Younger: Sonata in A majorLinley the Younger: A Lyric Ode on the Fairies, Aerial Beings and Witches of Shakespeare (excerpt)Linley the Elder(arr. Borutzki): The Lark Sings High in the CornfieldLinley the Younger: Ye nymphs of Albion's beauty-blooming isle (extracts)Linley the Younger: In yonder groveLinley the Younger: Violin Concerto in F majorLinley the Younger: Overture to The DuennaLinley the Younger: A Lyric Ode on the Fairies, Aerial Beings and Witches of Shakespeare (extracts from parts 1 & 2)Linley the Younger: Let God ariseLinley the Elder: Think not my love, when secret griefLinley the Younger: A Lyric Ode on the Fairies, Aerial Beings and Witches of Shakespeare (Overture)Linley the Younger: Daughter of Heav'n, fair art thou! 'Darthula'William Linley: Down in the gleamy valeLinley the Younger, Music for The Tempest (excerpt)
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Chris Taylor for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Thomas Linley Jnr (1756-1778) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0020pnj
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod explores key figures in Richard Strauss’s life
This week, Donald Macleod explores key figures in the life of Richard Strauss, including his librettist, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, his “domineering and difficult, yet devoted” wife, the soprano Pauline de Ahna, his “frenemy” Gustav Mahler as well as Strauss’s uncomfortably close relationship with the High Command of the Third Reich. Donald also examines the larger-than-life characters that populated the world of the composer’s imagination.
Music Featured:
Der Rosenkavalier, Op 59 (Act 1, Introduction)Le bourgeois gentilhomme, suite for orchestra, Op 60 (1. Overture)Elektra, Op 58 (Scene 6, ‘Was willst du, fremder Mensch?’)Arabella, Op 79 (Act 2, love duet “Sie sehn nicht aus wie jemand, den das alles da interessiert.”)Der Rosenkavalier, Op 59 (Act 3, Finale)Guntram, Op 25 (Act 2, Overture)Morgen (Tomorrow), Op 27 No 4Ein Heldenleben, Op 40 (No 3, Das Helden Gefährtin)Intermezzo, Op 72 (Act I, Sc 1 “Anna, Anna! Wo bleibt denn nur die dumme Gans?”)Symphonia Domestica, Op 53 (2b, Wiegenlied; 3, Adagio)Four Last Songs, Op posth (No 4, Im Abendrot)Salome, Op 54 (“Wie schön ist die Prinzessin Salome heute nacht!”)Symphony No 2 in F minor, Op 12 (2nd mvt, Scherzo)Also sprach Zarathustra, Op 30 (8, The Dance Song; 9. Song of the Night Wanderer)An Alpine Symphony, Op 64 (13, On the Summit; 14, Vision; 15, Mists Rise)Salome, Op 54 (Sc 4, “Ah! Du wolltest mich deinen Mund nicht küssen lassen, Jochanaan!”)Das Bächlein (The Little Brook), Op 88 No 1Die schweigsame Frau (The Silent Woman), Op 80 (Act 1, “Ha!” “Was ist?” “Mir fällt etwas ein!”)Friedenstag (Peace Day), Op 81 (extract)Metamorphosen, study for 23 solo strings, TrV 290Le bourgeois gentilhomme, Op 60 (3. The Fencing Master)Ariadne auf Naxos, Op 60 – Prologue (conclusion)Don Juan, Op 20Daphne, Op 82 (Transformation scene, ‘Ich komme, ich komme’)Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op 28
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Chris Barstow for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Richard Strauss (1864-1949) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0020hsy
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod explores the life and music of American composer, Lou Harrison
Lou Silver Harrison was an American, multi-faceted composer who died in 2003. In his music he explored a synthesis of Asian and Western influences, just intonation, and writing for percussion ensemble. He also involved himself in the arts as a performer, dancer, instrument maker, critic, puppeteer, poet, painter and much more. Harrison’s interest in Asian cultures began when he was very young, and remained a significant influence on his work for the rest of his life He enjoyed working with Gamelan percussion and instruments from Korea or China. With his partner William Colvig, Harrison also made his own instruments including an American Gamelan, for which he composed multiple works. Harrison took lessons with Henry Cowell and Arnold Schoenberg, and also collaborated with John Cage in exploring the possibilities of percussion ensembles. His career as a composer developed in the world of dance and theatre, supplementing his income as a critic and, later, as a teacher.
Music Featured:
The Heart Sutra (Tial, Sariputro, ciuj Darmoj)Waltz in C (New York Waltzes)First Concerto for Flute and PercussionSuite for Symphonic Strings (excerpt)Largo OstinatoPrelude for GrandpianoJohn Cage & Lou Harrison: Double MusicBlaze of Day (Finale: Solstice)Piano Sonata No 3 (excerpt)Symphony No 2 “Elegiac” (excerpt)Hesitation Waltz (New York Waltzes)Waltz in A (New York Waltzes)Suite No 2The Marriage at the Eiffel Tower (Overture)The Only Jealousy of Emer (excerpt)Suite for Cello and HarpBeverly’s Troubadour Piece, for harp and percussionSuite for Symphonic Strings (Nocturne)Four Strict Songs (Here is Holiness)Concerto in slendroPacifika Rondo (excerpt)Easter CantataA Waltz for Evelyn HinrichsenMusic for Bill and MeYoung Caesar (excerpts)Suite for violin and American Gamelan (excerpt)Double Concerto for Javanese gamelan, violin and cello (excerpt)Third Symphony (Largo ostinato)Piano Concerto with selected orchestra (excerpt)O you whom I often and silently come where you areGrand Duo (Polka)Fourth Symphony ‘Last Symphony’ (Largo)Vestiunt SilvePipa ConcertoMass to St Anthony (Gloria)
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Lou Harrison (1917-2003) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00209q6
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Kate Molleson explores five windows onto Dvořák’s soul
Antonín Dvořák was one of the most heartfelt tunesmiths in classical music - a man who not only brought the sound of Czech folklore to the world, but also had an indelible impact on the musical nationhood of America. As a character he was sometimes shy, sometimes melancholy, routinely homesick and deeply passionate. This week, Kate Molleson explores five windows onto Dvořák’s soul, aspects of life that were really central to his convictions and his music.
Music Featured:
Gypsy Songs Op 55 No 4: Songs my mother taught me (arr. for cellos by Kian Soltani)Berceuse (Two Piano Pieces, No 1)Symphony No 1 “Bells of Zlonice” (3rd mvt)Cypresses, Nos 1 and 2Symphony No 9 “From the New World” (2nd mvt)Sonatine (1st and 2nd mvts)Humoresque in G flat majorForget-me-not PolkaSilent Woods (From the Bohemian Forest)Serenade for Strings (1st and 2nd mvts)Rusalka (Act I, Song to the moon)The Wild DoveString Quartet No 12 in F major “American”, Op 96 (3rd mvt)Prelude in D majorOn the Holy Mountain (Poetic Tone Pictures)Stabat Mater (IV, Fac ut ardeat cor meum; V, Tui nati vulnerate)Symphony No 7 (2nd mvt)Requiem (Confutatis)Biblical Songs (Nos 1-5)‘Possibility’ (Moravian Duets, No 1)Slavonic Dances, Op 46 No 3‘My Home’ Overture, Op 62Serenade for Winds in D minor (1st and 2nd mvts)Piano Trio No 4 ‘Dumky’, Op 90 (2nd mvt)The Noonday WitchMiniature in D minor, Op 75 No 2String Quartet No 12 in F major “American”, Op 96 (4th mvt)Symphony No 7 (4th mvt)Scottish Dances, Op 41New World Symphony (Finale)Cello Concerto in B minor (2nd mvt)
Presented by Kate MollesonProduced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00202zx
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Orlando Gibbons
Orlando Gibbons’s life throws a light on the political turbulence affecting Britain in the early 17th century. As King James VI and I struggled to establish the concept of British identity, his court was blessed with one of England’s most talented musicians of the time, Orlando Gibbons.
Music Featured:
The Silver SwanO clap your handsOut of the DeepA Fancy (for Double Organ)Behold, thou hast made my daysWe praise thee, O FatherWhat Is Our life?I am the resurrectionHosanna to the Son of DavidHow art thou thralledFarewell all joysNow each flowery bank of MayGreat King of GodsPavan a 6Pavan and galliard Lord SalisburyFantasies in Three Parts Compos’d for Viols (No 6, No 8, No 9)This is the Record of JohnFantasia No 10 in C MajorNe’er let the SunYet if that ageTrust not too much fair youthLift Up Your HeadsFantasia No 1 for Two TreblesNay let me weepWilliam Byrd: Fair Britain IsleFantazia of Four Parts O God, the king of gloryIn Nomine for 5 ViolsFantasia No 2 for 3 ViolsGlorious and Powerful GodSee, see the word is incarnateO Lord, in thy wrathDrop, drop, slow tears (arr. P. Dearmer)Do not repine, fair sun – Parts I and IISing unto the Lord, O ye saintsO all true faithful heartsFantasia a 3 with Double Bass ViolFantasia for 6 ViolsGo from my WindowAlmighty and everlasting GodMagnificat (Short Service)Great Lord of LordsFantasia No 1 for the Great Double BassFantasia No 2 a 6The Hunt's Up (Peascod time)The Second Service (Morning): Te DeumFantasia No 4 a 6The Cryes of London I & IIBlessed are all they that fear the Lord
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Iain Chambers for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001zvhm And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod & Dr Jennifer Martyn explore the remarkable, tragic story of gifted violinist and composer, Amanda Maier
Amanda Maier was one of the 19th century’s most brilliant musicians, yet whose story was almost lost to history. Born in the small Swedish town of Landskrona, her virtuoso talent at the violin saw her rise to become one of Europe’s most in-demand performers: giving private and public concerts of major works by Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Bruch, as well as her own dazzling compositions. Maier was a friend of Grieg, Brahms, Clara Schumann and Ethel Smyth and her music was reviewed in newspapers across Europe. Tragically, ill health would see her pass away at the age of just 41 and her musical legacy slowly forgotten. This week, Donald Macleod is joined by musicologist and violinist Dr Jennifer Martyn to celebrate Amanda Maier's life and work - with performances of all her extant compositions alongside works by key figures in her life, including Edward Grieg, Carl Reinecke and Maier's husband, Julius Röntgen, with whom she enjoyed a close and loving relationship in music and in life.
Music Featured:
Violin Sonata in B minor (3rd mvt)Preludes in E major, G sharp minor, and E flat majorViolin Sonata in B minor (2nd mvt)Den sjuka flickans sång (“Song of a sick girl”)Carl Reinecke: Symphony No 2 “Hakon Jarl” (1st mvt)Piano Trio in E flat major (3rd and 4th mvts)Aftonklockan (“The Evening Clock”)Violin Sonata in B minor (1st mvt)Julius Röntgen: Serenade for Wind No 1, Op 14 (1st mvt)Piano Trio in E flat major (2nd mvt)Violin Concerto in D minorSången (“Song”)Nine Pieces for violin and pianoPiano Trio in E flat major (1st mvt)Karol Lipinski: Violin Concerto No 2 “Militaire” (2nd mvt)Nacht-mittags Potpourri (St Nicholas-Schwank)St Nicholas-Schwank (excerpt)String Quartet in A minor (2nd and 3rd mvts)Grieg: Sarabande (Holberg Suite)Swedish Tunes and DancesAllegretto (Zwiegespräche)Piano Quartet in E minor (1st and 2nd mvts)Brahms: Violin Sonata No 3 (1st mvt)Zwiegespräche (excerpts)Piano Quartet in E minor (3rd and 4th mvts)
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Steven Rajam for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Amanda Maier-Röntgen (1853-1894) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001zmwn
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Donald Macleod surveys the life and music of Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
This week, Donald Macleod traverses the dramatic and vivid musical landscapes of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: a vital, fascinating, and perhaps under-appreciated figure in the evolution of the canon of western art music. His life alone was extraordinary: beginning as a cadet in the Tsar’s navy, it ended soon after the tumult of the 1905 revolution; the prospect of far greater upheaval, national and international, looming.
Music Featured:
Flight of the BumblebeeThe Tsar of Sultan Suite, Op 57 (3rd mvt, The Three Wonders)Symphony No 1, Op 1Capriccio Espangnol, Op 34 (excerpts)The Maid of Pskov: OvertureMussorgsky arr. Rimsky-Korsakov: Night on the Bare MountainLegend of Sadko, Op 5QuintetScheherazade, Op 35 (excerpt)The Golden Cloud Slept, Op 3, No 3Trombone Concerto in B flat majorSymphony No 3, Op 32 (3rd & 4th mvts)The Tatar Captivity, Op 18, No 2The Octave, Op 45, No 3Mussorgsky arr. Rimsky-Korsakov: Gopak from Sorochintsi FairRussian Easter Festival Overture, Op 36String Quartet in F major, Op 12 (3rd mvt)Mlada SuiteThe Snow Maiden: Prologue; Dance of the birdsAgainst the Cruel Crag from SadkoThe Invisible City of Kitzeh Suite (A Hymn to Nature)The Golden Cockerel SuiteFour Songs, Op 2 (No 2, The Nightingale and the Rose)
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Lyndon Jones for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001z5dz
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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Kate Molleson sets out so show us why Elizabeth Maconchy deserves much more of our attention
Elizabeth Maconchy is surely the greatest composer of string quartets ever to emerge in the British Isles; and yet her music is often ignored in favour of lesser works by more famous British composers. So says Maconchy’s biographer, Erica Siegel, who joins Kate Molleson to explore the life and works of this key figure in Britain and Ireland’s musical story. Across the week, Kate and Erica set out to show us why Maconchy deserves much more of our attention. We’ll hear stories of personal crises, public apathy and outrageous institutional sexism, and how Maconchy met each challenge with characteristic grace and perseverance. Her works fizz with invention and purpose and she described her own music as “impassioned argument”.
Music Featured:
String Quartet No 2 (4th mvt)Clarinet Quintet (3rd & 4th mvt)Four Shakespeare Songs (No 1, Come Away, Death)The Land - A Suite for OrchestraConcertino No 2 for Piano and String OrchestraString Quartet No 1 (4th mvt)Concertino for Piano and Chamber Orchestra (2nd mvt)Oboe QuintetSonata for Viola and PianoString Quartet No 3NocturneDialogue for Piano and Orchestra (2nd & 4 mvts)Two Dances from Puck FairString Quartet No 5 (2nd & 3rd mvt)Concertino for Bassoon and String OrchestraString Quartet No 7: (4th mvt, Scherzo I)Proud Thames OvertureThe Sofa (excerpts)The Departure (excerpts)Serenata ConcertanteThere is no roseTritticoEpyllionMorning, Noon and NightString Quartet No 13 'Quartetto Corto'
Presented by Kate MollesonProduced by Chris Taylor for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001yyf6
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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In 1773, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach sat down to record his life story. He’d been asked to write it down for a new book on German music and it made him one of the first composers to produce an autobiography. This week, Donald Macleod follows the composer’s story, using Bach’s own account as his guide. Bach’s words provide fascinating insights into the things he considered most important but it’s possible that what he chose to leave out is even more revealing.
Music Featured:
L'Aly Rupalich, Wq 117 No 27Symphony for Strings and Continuo in G major, Wq 182 No 1Fantasia for keyboard in C major, Wq 61 No 6Trio Sonata in B minor, Wq 143Keyboard Concerto in G major, Wq 3Symphony in G major, Wq 173 (1st mvt)Trio Sonata in A Minor, Wq 148Sonata in A minor, Wq 132 (1st mvt)Cello Concerto No 3 in A major, Wq 172 (2nd & 3rd mvts)Sonata in E minor, Wq 49 No 3Magnificat in D, Wq 215 (1, Magnificat anima mea Dominum; 5, Fecit potentiam; 10. Sicut erat in principio)Keyboard Sonata in E flat major, Wq 52 No 1( 2nd & 3rd mvts)Sonata in C minor ‘Sanguineus and Melancholicus’ Wq 161 No 1Phyllis and Thirsis, Wq 232 (excerpt)Sinfonia in B-Flat Major, Wq 182 No 2 (3rd mvt)30 Geistliche Gesänge mit Melodien, Book 2, Wq 198: (Nos 2 & 8)Die Israeliten in der Wüste, Wq 238 (extract from Part 1)Symphony in B minor, Wq 182 No 5Rondo in E Major, Wq 58 No 3Rondo in F Major, Wq 57 No 5Sonata in D Minor, Wq 57 No 4 (2nd mvt)Quartet in G Major, Wq 95 (3rd mvt)Heilig, Wq 217Keyboard Sonatina in D Major, Wq 109Freye Fantasie in F sharp minor, Wq 80
Presented by Donald MacleodProduced by Chris Taylor for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for CPE Bach (1714-1788) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001yr0r
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
- Visa fler
