Programme Information

Programme information

Saturday 30th January to Friday 5th February 2021

WEEK 5

THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: MOOD LIFTERS

Monday 1st to Friday 5th February, 8pm to 10pm

With festive celebrations a distant memory and with the country still living under heavy restrictions, the music for The Classic FM Concert this week has been selected because it will lift the spirits.

To begin the week of musical sunshine, on Monday 1st February, one of the most recognisable themes in classical music, synonymous with a galop through the wild west: Rossini’s overture to William Tell. After, Milos Karadaglic brings us a dash of warm Spanish heat with his recording of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, we hear one of Dvořák’s most joyful works, his Symphony No.8, and there’s a gentle row down the Thames, courtesy of Handel.

Classic FM is available across the UK on 100-102 FM, DAB digital radio and TV, on Global Player on your smart speaker (“play Classic FM”), iOS or Android device and at ClassicFM.com. 1 WEEK 5

SATURDAY 30TH JANUARY

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

Moira begins today’s concert with a stirring performance of the Grand March from Aida from the late great Richard Hickox with the London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus.

Elsewhere in the programme, there’s a great romance, with music from Wagner’s opera Tristan and Isolde, which tells the story of a doomed love between a Cornish knight and an Irish princess, a British favourite by Finzi, and we hear Glazunov’s arrangement of Chopin’s piano works, for the ballet Les Sylphides.

Giuseppe Verdi Grand March (From Aida) Richard Hickox conducts the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

Ludovico Einaudi Le Onde Piano: Ludovico Einaudi

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No.7 in A major Opus 92 John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique

Francisco Tarrega Recuerdos de la Alhambra Guitar: John Williams

Richard Wagner Tristan and Isolde – Prelude to Act I Claudio Abbado conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A major K.622 Emma Johnson directs the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from the clarinet

Gerald Finzi Eclogue Piano: Mark Bebbington Howard WIlliams conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Claude Debussy Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune Kurt Masur conducts the New York Philharmonic Orchestra

John Williams Seven Years in Tibet Cello: Yo-Yo Ma John Williams conducts a studio orchestra

Continued…

2 SATURDAY 30TH JANUARY

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

Continued…

Frédéric Chopin Les Sylphides Richard Bonynge conducts the National Philharmonic Orchestra

Alberto Giurioli Tutto e Bellissimo Piano: Alberto Giurioli Geoff Lawson conducts Ensemble Viridi

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

Andrew celebrates the sacred bond between stage and screen this evening, with a showcase of music from some of the great films that have been adapted to make successful musicals. So Hans Zimmer’s score for The Lion King features, as does Gershwin’s An American in Paris. Singin' in the Rain with music written by Nacio Herb Brown and Breakfast at Tiffany's that contained Henry Mancini's Oscar-winning song 'Moon River', are also included. Andrew also explores some of the recent film adaptations that have hit Broadway and the West End in recent years, including Amelie and Mrs. Doubtfire.

9pm to 10pm: DAVID MELLOR’S MELODIES

David Mellor marks 100 years since the birth of Mario Lanza, on the eve of the anniversary. During his tragically short life and career, Lanza made a mark as a Hollywood film star, and arguably the most famous tenor of his day. David plays some of his best loved recordings, including the song that made his name, ‘Be My Love’.

3 SUNDAY 31ST JANUARY

4pm to 7pm: JOHN HUMPHRYS

John marks the birthdays of two great composers, born exactly 140 years apart: Franz Schubert and Philip Glass. First, we hear a movement from one of the seven symphonies Schubert completed, his Symphony No.5, in a recording from Neville Mariner with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Later, Gidon Kremer is the soloist in Glass’ celebrated Violin Concerto, joined by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Christoph von Donhanyi.

John also features the Morriston Orpheus Choir, one of Wales’ leading male voice choirs, which turned 85 years old in 2020. We hear them sing the Joseph Parry hymn Aberystwyth.

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

Charlotte Hawkins shines the spotlight on pianist Ji Liu as her Young Classical Star this evening. Ji was born in Shanghai where he started playing the piano at the age of 3, and since then he has built a reputation as one of today's most promising young pianists. To date Ji Liu has released five albums, and last year was awarded Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

9pm to 10pm: SIR TREVOR McDONALD’S HEADLINERS (5 / 8)

Sir Trevor McDonald tells the stories of more headline-making musicians and composers.

Sir Trevor discovers that critics were originally not kind to one of the most iconic works of the 20th century; he explains why George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue made the headlines for the wrong reasons. He also plays a piece that was allegedly written in just six days, in a cave. Xian Xinghai’s Yellow River Piano Concerto started life as a cantata that used folk melodies as a protest against Japanese occupation.

Finally, Sir Trevor introduces us to a composer who bore the title “Chevalier” as an honorary champion fencer. Joseph Boulogne – known as Chevalier de Saint-Georges – is generally regarded at the first classical composer of African ancestry. We hear the second movement of his Violin Concerto in D.

4 MONDAY 1ST FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: MOOD LIFTERS – PART 1

To begin the week of musical sunshine, one of the most recognisable themes in classical music, synonymous with a galop through the wild west: Rossini’s overture to William Tell. After, Milos Karadaglic brings us a dash of warm Spanish heat with his recording of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, we hear one of Dvořák’s most joyful works, his Symphony No.8, and there’s a gentle row down the Thames, courtesy of Handel.

Giachino Rossini William Tell – Overture Herbert von Karajan conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Joaquin Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez Guitar: Milos Karadaglic Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts the London Phiilharmonic Orchestra

Antonin Dvořák Symphony No.8 in G major Opus 88 Libor Pešek conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Leo Delibes Flower Duet Sopranos: Hei-Kyung Hong and Jennifer Larmore Jesus Lopez Cobos conducts the Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra

George Frideric Handel Water Music Suite No.2 in D major Marc Minkowski conducts Les Musiciens du Louvre

Augusta Holmes La Nuit et L’amour Pierre Bleuse conducts the Lyon Opera Orchestra

Christoph Willibald Gluck Flute Concerto in G major Flute: Emmanuel Pahud Giovanni Antonini conducts the Basel Chamber Orchestra

5 TUESDAY 2ND FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: MOOD LIFTERS – PART 2

John continues the celebration the most uplifting music. He opens tonight’s programme with a new recording – Johann Strauss Jr’s By the Beautiful Blue Danube, performed at the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s traditional New Year’s Day Concert under Riccardo Muti, though this year without an audience.

Later, Rolando Villazon sings Verdi’s ‘La donna e mobile’, which the composer knew would become such a huge hit that he swore the soloist to secrecy before its premiere. There are also two nods to Mozart; the first in the form of the Flute & Harp Concerto by the man himself, later Tchaikovsky’s intended tribute to the great composer: Serenade for Strings.

To end the programme, an exciting symphony by William Grant Still, nicknamed the “Dean of Afro-American Composers”, who was the first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra. We hear his ‘Autochthonous’ symphony, in the world premiere recording by the Fort Smith Symphony conducted by John Jeter.

Johann Strauss Jr By the Beautiful Blue Danube Opus 314 Riccardo Muti conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Flute & Harp Concerto in C major K.299 Flute: James Galway Harp: Catrin Finch Sinfonia Varsovia

Giuseppe Verdi ‘La donna e mobile’ (From Rigoletto) Tenor: Rolando Villazon Gianandrea Noseda conducts the Orchestra Teatro Regio Torino

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings in C major Opus 48 Neeme Järvi conducts the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Vittori Monti Czardas Maxim Vengerov directs Virtuosi from the violin

William Grant Still Symphony No.4 (‘Autochthonous’) John Jeter conducts the Fort Smith Symphony

6 WEDNESDAY 3RD FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: MOOD LIFTERS – PART 3

There’s more music to keep listeners smiling this evening, beginning with Glinka’s raucous overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla, which Pushkin himself was due to write the libretto for, before his death in an infamous duel.

Later in the programme, you’ll hear Mendelssohn’s joyful journey through the highlands, as John Eliot Gardiner conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in a critically acclaimed recording of his ‘Scottish’ symphony. There’s also a lesser-known concerto by a close friend of Mozart, and a sizzling performance of Marquez’s Danzon No.2 from Gustavo Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela.

Mikhail Glinka Ruslan and Ludmilla – Overture James DePriest conducts the Malmo Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Marquez Danzon No.2 Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela

Josef Mysliveček Keyboard Concerto No.2 in F major Piano: Claire Hammond Nicholas McGegan conducts the Swedish Chamber Orchestra

Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No.3 in A minor Opus 56 (‘Scottish’) John Eliot Gardiner conducts the London Symphony Orchestra

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

Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol Opus 34 Neeme Järvi conducts the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Johann Christian Bach Sinfonia Concertante in C major T.289 No.4 Flute: Rachel Brown Oboe: Frank de Bruine Simon Standage conducts the Academy of Ancient Music

7 THURSDAY 4TH FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: MOOD LIFTERS – PART 4

John presents another programme of musical mood lifters. Mozart gets things off to a characteristically joyful start, with the overture to The Marriage of Figaro, which was so successful at its premiere that the audience demanded five encores. Following this, Seiji Ozawa conducts the Mito Chamber Orchestra in Beethoven’s sunny Symphony No.1, dedicated to one of the composer’s earliest supporters.

Later, Peter Donohoe plays the Concerto Symphonique No.4 by multi-talented composer, pianist and publisher Henry Litolff, and there’s a look ahead to spring with music by Strauss the Younger.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart The Marriage of Figaro – Overture Christian Benda conducts the Prague Sinfonia

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No.1 in C major Opus 21 Seiji Ozawa conducts the Mito Chamber Orchestra

Henry Litolff Concerto Symphonique No.4 in D minor Opus 102 Piano: Peter Donohoe Andrew Liitton conducts the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Johann Strauss Jr. Voices of Spring 410 Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Cello Concerto in A major Steven Isserlis directs the German Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra from the cello

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

8 FRIDAY 5TH FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: MOOD LIFTERS – PART 5

John concludes his week-long showcase of only the most uplifting music with one of Handel’s most famous melodies, the Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, before the great Dmitri Hvorostovsky sings Rossini’s pièce de résistance, ‘Largo al factotum’, and the Academy of Ancient Music play Haydn’s whimsical ‘Clock’ symphony.

Elsewhere, cannons fire in a Tchaikovsky favourite, and the Labeque sisters share the stage in Mendelssohn’s Concerto for 2 Pianos, which the composer wrote when he was only 14 for himself and his own sister to perform.

George Frideric Handel Arrival of the Queen of Sheba City of London Sinfonia

Gioachino Rossini ‘Largo al factotum’ (From The Barber of Seville) Tenor: Dmitri Hvorostovsky Ion Marin conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra

Joseph Haydn Symphony No.101 in D major (‘Clock’) Richard Egarr conducts the Academy of Ancient Music

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture Opus 49 Georg Solti conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Felix Mendelssohn Concerto for 2 Pianos & Orchestra in E major Piano: Katie and Marielle Labeque Semyon Bychkov conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra

Charles Marie Widor Toccata (From Organ Symphony No.5) Organ: Peter Hurford

Chevalier de Meude-Monpas Violin Concerto No.4 in D major Rachel Barton Pine directs the Encore Chamber Orchestra from the violin