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Home , Howard Shelley, Nareh Arghamanyan, Riccardo Chailly, Stephen Hough

Programme information

Saturday 15th May to Friday 21st May 2021

WEEK 20

MOIRA STUART’S HALL OF FAME CONCERT

Saturday 15th May, 4pm to 7pm

The programme begins with the perfect music for an early summer afternoon, courtesy of Mendelssohn. The plays his overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written when the composer was only 17 years old, before two star soloists, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Salvatore Accardo, share the stage for Bach’s Concerto for 2 Violins.

Elsewhere, there’s a cheerful Mozart aria and a full performance of Beethoven’s majestic Symphony No.7 by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

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1 WEEK 20

SATURDAY 15TH MAY

4pm to 7pm: MOIRA STUART’S HALL OF FAME CONCERT

The programme begins with the perfect music for an early summer afternoon, courtesy of Mendelssohn. The Philharmonia Orchestra plays his overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written when the composer was only 17 years old, before two star soloists, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Salvatore Accardo, share the stage for Bach’s Concerto for 2 Violins.

Elsewhere, there’s a cheerful Mozart aria and a full performance of Beethoven’s majestic Symphony No.7 by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

Felix Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Overture conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra

Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto in D minor for 2 Violins BWV.1043 Violins: Anne-Sophie Mutter and Salvatore Accardo English Chamber Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ‘Sull’aria’ (From The Marriage of Figaro) Sopranos: Patrizia Ciofi and Véronique Gens René Jacobs conducts Concerto Cologne

Samuel Barber Adagio for Strings Marin Alsop conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Claude Debussy Suite Bergamasque : Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No.7 in A major Opus 92 Vasily Petrenko conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

George Gershwin Walking the Dog Iain Sutherland conducts the Iain Sutherland Concert Orchestra

Gerald Finzi 5 Bagatelles Opus 23 Clarinet: Robert Plane Howard Griffiths conducts the Royal Northern

Antonín Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor Opus 104 Cello: Jacqueline du Pré conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra 2 SATURDAY 15TH MAY

7pm to 9pm: SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES with ANDREW COLLINS

In the first of a two-part mini-series, Andrew picks out the music from films that have a big anniversary in 2021. Turning 10 years old are Captain America: The First Avenger, scored by Alan Silvestri and Patrick Doyle's music for Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Rango, composed by Hans Zimmer. Craig Armstrong's score to Romeo + Juliet hits the 25-year milestone, as does The English Patient by Gabriel Yared, whose score won the Academy Award in 2001. John Williams' music to Hook also marks its 30th year, alongside Beauty and the Beast by Alan Menken and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves by Michael Kamen.

9pm to 10pm: DAVID MELLOR’S MELODIES

Join David for an evening dedicated to the conductor and arranger John Wilson, as he selects some of the finest recordings, performing some of the best loved tunes from the golden age of musicals and films.

Included is the sparkling MGM Overture, which features many nostalgic melodies and moments from musicals including Oklahoma and Carousel.

3 SUNDAY 16TH MAY

4pm to 7pm: JOHN HUMPHRYS

John celebrates the birthday of the American conductor , by playing a recording that sees him in charge of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the orchestra he led for twelve seasons. John lights cannons, rather than candles, with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.

He also features a track from the latest album by the Russian Anna Vinnitskaya, which features the ballades and impromptus of Chopin. John selects the Impromptu No.3 in G flat.

7pm to 9pm: SMOOTH CLASSICS AT SEVEN with CHARLOTTE HAWKINS

The Turkish pianist Can Çakmur is Charlotte's Young Classical Star this week. At 24 years old, he has already performed worldwide including recitals at the , Tokyo Opera City, Glasgow Concert Hall and a number of renowned music festivals. 2019 saw the release of his debut album to great critical acclaim and he has recently been named as Young Artist of the Year 2021 at the International Awards.

9pm to 10pm: MUSIC FOR MONARCHY with DEBBIE WISEMAN (6 / 6)

In the final programme in the series charting the history of regal music, Classic FM’s Composer in Residence Debbie Wiseman, examines the role of those who worked in the Royal Chapel.

Debbie explores the contribution of the prominent musicians of the Chapel during the Tudor and Elizabethan eras, including Thomas Tallis who managed to navigate the religious and political upheaval of the era by composing music for everyone. Debbie plays Tallis’ motet, If Ye Love Me.

There’s also music from Henry Purcell, who showed astonishing ingenuity serving three successive monarchs and a much less familiar version of Zadok the Priest, composed by Henry Lawes for the coronation of James II.

4 MONDAY 17TH MAY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: HIDDEN PIANO CONCERTOS – PART 1

All this week, John is showcasing lesser-known piano concertos, those which have slipped under the radar compared to their contemporaries.

To begin the week-long series, Howard Shelley plays Clementi’s Piano Concerto in C, which is the composer’s sole surviving piano concerto from a set written in the 1780s. It’s preceded by a symphony by the composer with whom he took part in a staged ‘piano duel’ for the entertainment of Emperor Joseph II: Mozart. Andrew Manze conducts the NDR Radiophilharmonie in a recent recording of Mozart’s Symphony No.40. Elsewhere, Natalie Clein plays an Elgar rarity and there’s a riotous suite by Khachaturian.

Felix Mendelssohn Hebrides Overture Opus 26 (‘Fingal’s Cave’) Christian Thielemann conducts the Philharmonic Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.40 in G minor K.550 Andrew Manze conducts the NDR Radiophilharmonie

Muzio Clementi Piano Concerto in C major Howard Shelley directs the St Gall Symphony Orchestra from the keyboard

Aram Khachaturian Masquerade Suite Neeme Järvi conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Edward Elgar La Capricieuse Opus 17 Cello: Natalie Clein conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

François Devienne Symphonie Concertante No.6 in G major Opus 76 Patrick Gallois conducts the Swedish Chamber Orchestra

5 TUESDAY 18TH MAY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: HIDDEN PIANO CONCERTOS – PART 2

John turns his attentions to the music of Emilie Mayer, a German composer who was celebrated during her lifetime, but whose works fell into relative obscurity in the 20th century. Ewa Kupiec is the soloist in her Piano Concerto, which comes after Sibelius’ Andante Festivo – first performed at the wedding of a niece of the composer.

After, there’s a moving choral favourite by Allegri and a peaceful pastoral scene by Hamilton Harty.

Ludwig van Beethoven Leonore Overture No.2 Opus 72 Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra

Gregorio Allegri Miserere Andrew Nethsingha conducts the Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge

Jean Sibelius Andante Festivo Andrew Davis conducts the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Emilie Mayer Piano Concerto in B-flat major Piano: Ewa Kupiec Sebastian Tewinkel conducts the Neubrandenburg Philharmonie

Dmitri Shostakovich Jazz Suite No.2 conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Herbert Hamilton Harty With the Wild Geese Alexander Gibson conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra

6 WEDNESDAY 19TH MAY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: HIDDEN PIANO CONCERTOS – PART 3

John celebrates another under-appreciated work, Danzi’s Piano Concerto in E-flat. Best known now for his music for wind chamber groups, Danzi mixed in circles with the biggest names through his lifetime, including Mozart, Beethoven and Weber.

Elsewhere, the Basel Symphony Orchestra play Fauré’s most well-known work; Bizet showcases French folk tunes in L’Arlesienne Suite No.1, and Alisa Weilerstein plays Bruch’s beautiful Kol Nidrei.

Gabriel Fauré Pavane Opus 50 Ivor Bolton conducts the Basel Symphony Orchestra

Georges Bizet L’Arlesienne Suite No.1 conducts the London Symphony Orchestra

Franz Danzi Piano Concerto in E-flat major Opus 4 Piano: Nareh Arghamanyan Howard Griffiths conducts the Munich Chamber Orchestra

Joseph Haydn Symphony No.104 Howard Shelley conducts the Swiss-Italian Orchestra

Max Bruch Kol Nidrei Opus 47 Cello: Alisa Weilerstein Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle

Catrin Finch Celtic Concerto Harp: Catrin Finch conducts Sinfonia Cymru

7 THURSDAY 20TH MAY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: HIDDEN PIANO CONCERTOS – PART 4

Continuing his showcase of lesser-known piano concertos, John turns to one of the biggest names, Mozart, but selects a rarely performed concerto, thanks to its impractical requirement: three . The stage is shared by soloists Tomer Lev, Daniel Borovitzky and Berenika Glixman in a new recording of Mozart’s Concerto for 3 Pianos, which was written for a wealthy patron to play with her two daughters.

Before then, Chloe Hanslip sparkles in an extract from Shostakovich’s score to the 1955 Soviet film The Gadfly and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra plays Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No.1.

Dmitri Shostakovich The Gadfly – Romance Violin: Chloe Hanslip Paul Mann conducts the London Symphony Orchestra

Edvard Grieg Peer Gynt Suite No.1 Sakari Oramo conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Concerto for 3 Pianos and Orchestra in F major K.242 Pianos: Tomer Lev, Daniel Borovitzky and Berenika Glixman English Chamber Orchestra

Franz Schubert Symphony No.6 in C major D.585 Claudio Abbado conducts the Chamber Orchestra of Europe

Woldemar Bargiel Adagio for Cello & Orchestra Cello: Christoph Eschenbach conducts the German Chamber Orchestra

Edward Elgar The Wand of Youth Suite No.1 Opus 1a Mark Elder conducts the Hallé Orchestra

8 FRIDAY 21ST MAY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: HIDDEN PIANO CONCERTOS – PART 5

John concludes the week-long celebration of under-appreciated piano concertos, with the final spot going to Dvořák’s Piano Concerto in G minor, which the composer himself admitted paled in comparison to his cello and violin concertos, saying that he must “think of other things”. plays it in its more popular reworking by pianist Vilem Kurz, accompanied by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Elsewhere in the programme, there’s Beethoven’s Romance No.2 performed by Classic FM’s Artist in Residence, Maxim Vengerov – and the premiere recording of Farrenc’s Symphony No.1, which has seen renewed popularity in recent years.

Aaron Copland Fanfare for the Common Man conducts the Philharmonic Orchestra

Philip Lane Suite of Cotswold Folkdances Gavin Sutherland conducts the City of London Sinfonia

Antonin Dvořák Piano Concerto in G minor Opus 33 Piano: Stephen Hough Andris Nelson conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Ludwig van Beethoven Romance No.2 in F major Opus 50 Violin: Maxim Vengerov conducts the London Symphony Orchestra

Gerald Finzi Romance in E-flat major Opus 11 Howard Griffiths conducts the Royal Northern Sinfonia

Louise Farrenc Symphony No.1 in C minor Opus 32 Christoph Konig conducts the European Soloists of Luxembourg

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