Programme information

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1 Programme information Saturday 1 June to Friday 7 July 2017 WEEK 27 A CLASSIC FM EXCLUSIVE THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: INDEPENDENCE DAY Tuesday 4 th July, 8pm to 10pm Join us on Classic FM as we celebrate American Independence Day with an exclusive concert from one of the USA s most acclaimed ensembles, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In the centrepiece of the concert, broadcast tonight for the first time on UK radio, Austrian pianist Till Fellner performs Beethoven s Piano Concerto No.2. This feast for the ears is presented by Jane Jones.

2 WEEK 27 SATURDAY 1 JULY 5pm: SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES with ANDREW COLLINS Tonight on Classic FM, Andrew Collins turns to the wrong side of the law with a crime movie special. Among the highlights, we ll hear the scores for prison classics like The Green Mile by Thomas Newman, and gangster favourites including The Godfather by Nino Rota. Andrew will also dedicate a section of the show to the brilliant Italian composer Ennio Morricone, with scores such as The Untouchables, Bugsy and Once Upon A Time in America. 7pm: ALEX JAMES S DATE NIGHT Alex delves into Classic FM s Big Book of Classical Music to celebrate important dates from more than a thousand years of music history, all occurring in the week ahead. He ll mark the world premiere of Sibelius s Suomi in 1900 a piece better known as Finlandia and celebrate the birthday of British conductor Paul Daniel. In this week in history, German conductor Carlos Kleiber was born (1930); composer Georges Bizet got a gong (1857); and fellow composer Franz Liszt injured himself after falling down a flight of stairs. Alex tells you the stories behind these events, and more, this Saturday night. 9pm: BACKSTAGE PASS with ANNE-MARIE MINHALL Anne-Marie Minhall continues Classic FM s celebration of the finest ensembles across the UK and this week, the Halle Orchestra is under the spotlight. Anne-Marie explores the formation of Manchester s finest orchestra, discovers the history behind their home the Bridgewater Hall and selects her concert highlights for their 2017/18 season. Recordings include Elgar s Pomp & Circumstance March No.4 and The Banks of Green Willow by George Butterworth, both conducted by current music director Sir Mark Elder.

3 SUNDAY 2 JULY 7pm: DAVID MELLOR After the recent deaths of the esteemed conductors Jeffrey Tate and Jiří Bělohlávek, David will look back at their long and very successful careers. He will play the critically acclaimed recordings of Jiří Bělohlávek conducting the music of Dvorak and Martinu, plus there will be performances from the English Chamber Orchestra playing the music of Haydn, under the baton of Jeffrey Tate. 9pm: EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CLASSICAL MUSIC with CATHERINE BOTT Catherine Bott tackles a question from Classic FM listener Peter Paniccia who asks: If you want to learn more about Russian composers, where should you begin? Expect Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Rachmaninov along with a few surprises, as Catherine takes us on a journey of musical discovery to capture the spirit, history and beauty of a great musical nation.

4 MONDAY 3 JULY 8pm: THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: GAME, SET AND MATCH This morning, in leafy Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world began its 2017 season so tonight, Classic FM celebrates with music that will have you fetching the racquet from the attic and starching the tennis whites in anticipation. We ll be hearing from composers who were keen tennis players themselves, such as Debussy, who was as much a rival with Ravel on the court as he was in the concert hall. Other composers at home on grass include Benjamin Britten a fine all-round sportsman and George Gershwin, who frequently played Arnold Schoenberg on his private court. We ll also be looking at players this year who are tipped to perform well, offering them musical encouragements from their homeland. To start, Jane Jones plays Mozart s overture to Cosi Fan Tutte, which was premiered in Vienna s Burgtheatr in This grand architectural jewel in Europe s crown had been converted from a tennis court, just 40 years earlier. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Cosi fan Tutte Overture Rene Jacobs conducts Concerto Cologne George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue Piano: Fazil Say Kurt Masur conducts the New York Philharmonic Orchestra Benjamin Britten The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Libor Pesek conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Claude Debussy Suite Bergamasque Piano: Pascal Roge Maurice Ravel Daphnis & Chloe - Suite No.2 Lorin Maazel conducts the New York Philharmonic Orchestra Christoph Willibald Gluck Flute Concerto in G major Flute: Emmanuel Pahud Giovanni Antonini conducts the Basel Chamber Orchestra Enrique Granados Valses Poeticos Guitar: Julian Bream Malcolm Arnold 4 Scottish Dances Bryden Thomson conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra

5 TUESDAY 4 JULY 8pm: THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: INDEPENDENCE DAY A CLASSIC FM EXCLUSIVE Join us on Classic FM as we celebrate American Independence Day with an exclusive concert from one of the USA s most acclaimed ensembles, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. This feast for the ears, presented by Jane Jones, begins with Mozart s energetic Symphony No.35 ( Haffner ), performed with gusto under their musical director Manfred Honeck. In the centrepiece of the concert, broadcast tonight for the first time on UK radio, Austrian pianist Till Fellner performs Beethoven s Piano Concerto No.2, after which we hear Brahms s Symphony No.1 a mighty work, affectionately referred to as Beethoven s tenth symphony by a contemporary critic. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.35 in D major ( Haffner ) Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat major Piano: Till Fellner Johannes Brahms Symphony No.1 in C minor Manfred Honeck conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra live in concert

6 WEDNESDAY 5 JULY 8pm: THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: THE PERFECT PLACE Tonight, Jane Jones joins thousands of composers throughout history, as she asks: What makes a perfect piece of classical music? Could it be drama and action? If so, Wagner s Ride of the Valkyries surely deserves the crown, but then there s the calmness and simplicity of Satie s Gymnopedie No.1 to contest that theory. A perfect piece surely needs an iconic opening, and no more is this prevalent than in Elgar s perennial Cello Concerto. We ll hear that work, which continues to deliver long after the first few bars, in a stunning recording by Heinrich Schiff and the Halle Orchestra under Mark Elder. Handel mastered the wow factor in his anthem Zadok the Priest, and Mozart, whose writing for orchestra and soloist alike is so iconic, is surely the definition of perfection in music. To finish, Jane demonstrates what happens when old works are given a fresh re-birth, which is exactly how Max Richter interpreted Vivaldi s Four Seasons. Rather than hiding the already-perfect aspects of the original work, his popular Recomposed brings them to the fore, in a recording that s full of energy and optimism. George Frideric Handel Zadok the Priest Organ: Simon Johnson Andrew Carwood conducts the Cathedral Choristers of Great Britain, and St Paul's Cathedral Choir Edward Elgar Cello Concerto Cello: Heinrich Schiff Mark Elder conducts the Halle Orchestra Richard Wagner Ride of the Valkyries Georg Solti conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Horn Concerto No.1 in D major Horn: Alessio Allegrini Claudio Abbado conducts Orchestra Mozart Erik Satie Gymnopedie No.1 Nigel Kennedy leads the English Chamber Orchestra from the violin Franz Schubert Symphony No.8 in B minor (Reconstructed version by Mario Venzago) Mario Venzago conducts the Kammerorchester Basel Max Richter / Antonio Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons Concerto No.2 (Summer) Violin: Daniel Hope Andre de Ridder conducts the Kammerorchester Berlin

7 THURSDAY 6 JULY 8pm: THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: VLADIMIR ASHKENAZY AT 80 To celebrate the 80 th birthday of one of today s most celebrated musicians, Catherine Bott devotes two hours to the extraordinary output of Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy from across the years. We ll hear him as both soloist and conductor in a series of recordings, including Borodin s Symphony No.1 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Tchaikovsky s Violin Concerto with soloist Esther Yoo and the Philharmonia Orchestra, of which he was appointed Conductor Laureate in Also on the programme, one of the fruits of his many legendary collaborations, with Brahms s stunning Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano performed by the man himself alongside friends Barry Tuckwell and Itzhak Perlman. Frederic Chopin Fantaisie-Impromptu in C# minor Piano: Vladimir Ashkenazy Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto In D major Violin: Esther Yoo Vladimir Ashkenazy conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra Johannes Brahms Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano in E-flat Horn: Barry Tuckwell Violin: Itzhak Perlman Piano: Vladimir Ashkenazy Alexander Borodin Symphony No.1 in E-flat major Vladimir Ashkenazy conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

8 FRIDAY 7 JULY 8pm: THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: THE VAN CLIBURN COMPETITION A CLASSC FM EXCLUSIVE Tonight, Catherine Bott brings us all the action from the final of the prestigious International Van Cliburn Piano Competition, held in Fort Worth, Texas, last month. In a Classic FM exclusive, we ll hear the impressive performance of Dvorak s Piano Quintet in A major, which won Yekwon Sunwoo the $50,000 gold medal. The concert opens with Rachmaninov s sublime Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, which saw American pianist Kenneth Broberg scoop silver, and Beethoven s Piano Concerto No.4, performed by Rachel Cheung, who narrowly missed out on bronze. All three incredible soloists are accompanied by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, under their Director Leonard Slatkin. You ll be able to hear the tension in the room as these youngsters pour their hearts into the most important performance of their lives, so make sure you join Catherine Bott for every nail-biting note! Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major Piano: Rachel Cheung Sergei Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Piano: Kenneth Broberg Antonin Dvorak Piano Quintet in A major Piano: Yekwon Sunwoo Phil Coulter Home Away from Home Piano: Barry Douglas