Programme information Saturday 20 January to Friday 26 January 2018 WEEK 04 THE SOUND OF MUSIC with HOWARD GOODALL in conversation with ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER Saturday 20 January, 9pm to 10pm In the third programme of this six-part series celebrating the history of musical theatre, Howard Goodall is joined by Andrew Lloyd Webber (above), who shares the classical works that have had a particular influence on him. We ll hear a number of personal musical revelations from the composer s life, including why he s such a big fan of Puccini s opera Tosca, and his meeting Dmitri Shostakovich, who attended an early performance of Jesus Christ Superstar. Classic FM is available across the UK on 100-102 FM, DAB digital radio and TV, at ClassicFM.com and on the Classic FM app. 1
WEEK 04 SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 5pm to 7pm: SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES with ANDREW COLLINS The nominations for the 90 th Academy Awards are announced next week, honouring the best films of 2017. Tonight, Andrew Collins makes his predictions by casting his eyes and ears over the front-runners, including music from Dunkirk by Hans Zimmer, Get Out by Michael Abels, The Shape of Water by Alexandre Desplat and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri by Carter Burwell. 7pm to 9pm: COWAN S CLASSICS with ROB COWAN Join Rob Cowan for his new Saturday evening series: Cowan s Classics. This week s Beyond the Hall of Fame focuses on Mozart, featuring his Ave Verum Corpus a popular work in Classic FM s annual poll before turning to a lesser known work, the composer s beautiful Adagio in C. Rob s Artist of the Week is the pianist Murray Perahia, and he ll also be shining a spotlight on a great voice of the 20 th century, the tenor Joseph Schmidt. 9pm to 10pm: THE SOUND OF MUSIC with HOWARD GOODALL in conversation with ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER In the third programme of this six-part series celebrating the history of musical theatre, Howard Goodall is joined by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who shares the classical works that have had a particular influence on him. We ll hear a number of personal musical revelations from the composer s life, including how the third movement of Prokofiev s Piano Sonata No.7 has given him a lifelong love of the 7/8 time signature. Lloyd Webber also explains why he s such a big fan of Puccini s opera Tosca, and recalls meeting Dmitri Shostakovich, who attended an early performance of Jesus Christ Superstar. The conversation then turns to composing for dance shows, as Howard and Andrew share their memories of writing for choreographed scenes within musicals, with specific references to Cats and Bend It Like Beckham. 2
SUNDAY 21 JANUARY 3pm to 5pm: CHARLOTTE HAWKINS Join Charlotte Hawkins for her new Sunday afternoon show on Classic FM. This afternoon, she ll be offering a selection of Classic FM favourites and new discoveries, with a particular focus on young artists as demonstrated in her Artist of the Week: Noa Wildschut. 7pm to 9pm: DAVID MELLOR Join David Mellor as he celebrates the art of legendary conductor Leopold Stokowski in this special two-hour programme. He ll be drawing on a brand new 20-disc box set, featuring some of Stokowski s best recordings, including Elgar s Enigma Variations. There s also evocative ballet music by Tchaikovsky in sparkling recordings by the great man, alongside Cesar Franck s rarelyheard but thrilling Symphony in D minor. 9pm to 10pm: EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CLASSICAL MUSIC with CATHERINE BOTT Today is the 77 th birthday of the baritone and conductor Placido Domingo, and to mark the occasion, Catherine Bott asks: Which musicians are known for excelling at more than one musical skill? In the line-up are violinist-turned-conductor Neville Marriner and contralto Natalie Stutzmann, who now spends more time on the podium than singing. Catherine will also explore the art of directing an orchestra from the keyboard, as mastered by Daniel Barenboim and Mitsuko Uchida, and she explains how soprano Arleen Auger s vocal phrasing may have been so adept because she began her career as a violinist so that each musical talent informed the other. 3
MONDAY 22 JANUARY MONTH HOLST Tonight, Classic FM celebrates the brilliant orchestral writing and distinctive sound of one of Britain s best-loved composers, Gustav Holst, as another week of Great Composers Month concerts gets underway. Classic FM presenter Jane Jones plays Holst s monumental The Planets in a seminal recording by Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, paired with his delicate Brook Green and St Paul s Suites. Written in his 20s, Holst s Symphony in F nicknamed The Cotswolds is both romantic and pastoral, and is dedicated to the pathways and familiar countryside of his childhood upbringing. Holst s music has been ingrained in the national conscience across generations, as heard in the official song for the Rugby World Cup, The World in Union, which is performed by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and closes tonight s concert. St Paul s Suite Opus 29 No.2 Christopher Hogwood conducts the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra The Planets Opus 32 Simon Rattle conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Women of the Berlin Radio Chorus Brook Green Suite Imogen Holst conducts the English Chamber Orchestra Symphony in F major Opus 8 The Cotswolds Douglas Bostock conducts the Munich Symphony Orchestra The World in Union Soloist: Kiri Te Kanawa Andre Previn conducts the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus 4
TUESDAY 23 JANUARY MONTH BRAHMS The unmistakable sound of one of the leading composers of the Romantic period Johannes Brahms dominates tonight in Great Composers Month on Classic FM. Presenter Jane Jones plays his passionate Symphony No.2 performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski, along with his gargantuan Piano Concerto No.2, with soloist Nelson Freire. The rousing Academic Festival Overture opens tonight s concert, and pianist Maria João Pires is on hand to provide a moment of beautiful calm with his Intermezzo in B-flat minor. Academic Festival Overture Opus 80 Ivan Fischer conducts the Budapest Festival Orchestra Intermezzo in B-flat minor Opus 117 No.2 Piano: Maria João Pires Symphony No.2 in D major Opus 73 Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat major Opus 83 Piano: Nelson Freire Riccardo Chailly conducts the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra 5
WEDNESDAY 24 JANUARY MONTH TCHAIKOVSKY It s Tchaikovsky s turn to take centre stage tonight, as Jane Jones presents two hours of his best-loved works. In a concert spanning all degrees of emotion, there s his Piano Concerto No.1 performed by superstar pianist Lang Lang, and Tchaikovsky s Symphony No.5, with Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Maxim Vengerov treats us to Tchaikovsky s beautiful Serenade Melancolique, and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra perform his Capriccio Italien with gusto. Piano Concerto No.1 in B-flat minor Opus 23 Piano: Lang Lang Daniel Barenboim conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Serenade Melancolique Opus 26 Violin: Maxim Vengerov Mstislav Rostropovich conducts the London Symphony Orchestra Symphony No.5 in E minor Opus 64 Vasily Petrenko conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Capriccio Italien Opus 45 Mariss Jansons conducts the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra 6
THURSDAY 25 JANUARY MONTH HANDEL A true giant of the Baroque era George Frideric Handel is man of the moment tonight on Classic FM, as Catherine Bott presents two hours of his musical works. There s fresh, crisp playing from the City of London Sinfonia and Boston Baroque in pieces such as his Arrival of the Queen of Sheba and Concerto Grosso in A major, and outstanding singers including Renee Fleming and Cecilia Bartoli performing some of his most touching arias. Handel s works truly stand the test of time, and are highly adaptable, as heard in Alison Balsom s transcription of the Oboe Concerto No.1, and Handel s delightful The Harmonious Blacksmith, performed on the piano by Murray Perahia. Arrival of the Queen of Sheba Andrew Watkinson conducts the City of London Sinfonia Ombra mai fu Soprano: Renee Fleming Harry Bicket leads the English Concert from the Harpsichord Water Music Suite No.1 in F major Roger Norrington conducts the London Classical Players Suite No.5 in E major ( The Harmonious Blacksmith ) Piano: Murray Perahia Organ Concerto in F major HWV.295 Organ: Simon Preston Trevor Pinnock conducts the English Concert Concerto Grosso in A major Opus 6 No.11 Martin Pearlman directs Boston Baroque Sarabande Piano: Luc Beausejour Oboe Concerto No.1 in B-flat major HWV.301 Trumpet: Alison Balsom Trevor Pinnock conducts the English Concert Trio Sonata in G minor Opus 5 No.5 The Brook Street Band Lascia ch io pianga Soprano: Cecilia Bartoli Christopher Hogwood conducts the Academy of Ancient Music 7
FRIDAY 26 JANUARY MONTH FAURE Join Catherine Bott as she invites you to escape with two hours of evocative music by, this Great Composers Month on Classic FM. From the ethereal orchestral writing heard in his Pelleas and Melisande Suite, to his tender piano music, there s an evening of familiar sounds and new discoveries to enjoy. The centrepiece of tonight s concert is a stunning performance of Faure s most wellknown work, the Requiem, performed by chamber choir Tenebrae and the London Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble. Pavane Opus 50 Howard Shelley conducts the Vasteras Sinfonietta Requiem Opus 48 Soloists: Grace Davidson, Gordan Nikolitch Nigel Short conducts the London Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble and Tenebrae Berceuse Opus 16 Cello: Andreas Brantelid Piano: Bengt Forsberg Pelleas and Melisande Suite Opus 80 Robin Ticciati conducts the German Symphony Orchestra of Berlin Nocturne No.1 in E-flat minor Opus 33 Piano: Charles Owen Cantique de Jean Racine Opus 11 Laurence Equilbey conducts the Orchestre National de France and Accentus Masques et Bergamasques Opus 112 Neville Marriner conducts the Academy of St Martin in the Fields Ballade for Piano and Orchestra Opus 19 Piano: Robert Casadesus Leonard Bernstein conducts the New York Philharmonic Orchestra 8