Programme information
Saturday 27th February to Friday 5th March 2021
WEEK 9
Photo on julianlloydwebber.com | photo credit: Simon Fowler
JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER’S RISING STARS
Sunday 28th February, 9pm to 10pm
Join Julian Lloyd Webber for the first episode in an exciting new series on Classic FM, where the former cellist and conductor showcases 30 of the very best musicians under the age of 30; quite simply – these are the stars of the future, if they’re not already stars of the present.
Over the next five weeks, Julian shares his favourite recordings from a wide range of musicians, from cellists to organists and composers to trumpeters, celebrating them at a time when it has never been more difficult for them to show their talents on stage.
To begin, a pianist who at the age of 28 is already a veteran of the concert platform: Benjamin Grosvenor. There’s a sparkling performance of Rodrigo’s Concierto d’Aranjuez from 20-year-old guitarist Junhong Kuang, and the debut recording by an internet sensation, violinist Esther Abrami.
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 9
SATURDAY 27TH FEBRUARY
4pm to 7pm: MOIRA STUART’S HALL OF FAME CONCERT
The programme begins with two great British favourites: Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No.1, followed by Jerusalem by Hubert Parry, who was born on this day in 1848 in Bournemouth. There’s a range of star soloists on offer, as Daniil Trifonov plays Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 and Tasmin Little performs Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. Then, love is in the air with Craig Armstrong’s music for the 1996 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.
Edward Elgar Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 in D major Opus 39 Vernon Handley conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra
Hubert Parry Jerusalem Paul Daniel conducts the Orchestra of Opera North and the Leeds Festival Chorus
Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 in B-flat minor Opus 23 Piano: Daniil Trifonov Valery Gergiev conducts the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre
Arturo Marquez Danzon No.2 Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela
Franz Lehar The Merry Widow – Overture Richard Bonygne conducts the National Philharmonic Orchestra
Craig Armstrong Romeo and Juliet – Balcony Scene Paul Bateman directs the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from the keyboard
Antonin Dvořák ‘Song to the Moon’ (from the opera Rusalka) Soprano: Renée Fleming Georg Solti conducts the London Symphony Orchestra
Max Bruch Scottish Fantasy Opus 46 Violin: Tasmin Little Vernon Handley conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Jean Sibelius Andante Festivo Andrew Davis conducts the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Continued…
2 SATURDAY 27TH FEBRUARY
4pm to 7pm: MOIRA STUART’S HALL OF FAME CONCERT
Continued…
Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No.4 in A major Opus 90 (‘Italian’) John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Frédéric Chopin Ballade No.1 in G minor Opus 23 Piano: Peter Donohoe
George Frideric Handel Water Music Suite No.2 in D major Marc Minkowski conducts Les Musiciens du Louvre
7pm to 9pm: SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES with ANDREW COLLINS
Andrew laces up his hiking boots and digs out his waterproofs for a programme that gets us back to nature. The natural world is brought to life thanks to Ilan Eshkeri's soundtrack to the latest David Attenborough series A Perfect Planet, Alex Wurman's score to March of the Penguins, and the evocative score to Blue Planet II by Hans Zimmer.
Andrew also picks his favourite tracks from films that celebrate all things land and sea, including a deep-dive into the ocean with Thomas Newman's soundtrack to Finding Nemo, a journey to the Himalayas with Dario Marianelli's Everest score and there's a nod to our feathered friends in Rio 2 composed by John Powell.
9pm to 10pm: DAVID MELLOR’S MELODIES
David celebrates the greatest chamber music melodies. He features Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata and Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence, written on a trip to the Tuscan capital in the summer of 1890. David also plays a Borodin work that he considers to be the best string quartet ever written, and was famously repurposed in the Broadway musical Kismet.
3 SUNDAY 28TH FEBRUARY
4pm to 7pm: JOHN HUMPHRYS
John provides the perfect musical escapism this afternoon, with an acclaimed recording of Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ symphony from the Malmo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Trevino. He also features another Welsh Male Voice Choir, this week from Swansea, as the Pontarddulais Choir perform the traditional Welsh folk song, Sosban Fach. Finally, there’s a piece of music chosen by you, as John plays a work that first sparked a love of classical music in a listener.
7pm to 9pm: SMOOTH CLASSICS AT SEVEN with CHARLOTTE HAWKINS
Charlotte's Young Classical Star is the Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov. Described by The Independent as "the most perfectly accomplished pianist of his generation", Behzod has already performed with world-renowned orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His latest album, released last month, is a collection of works by Debussy, Chopin and Mussorgsky.
9pm to 10pm: JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER’S RISING STARS (1 / 5)
Join Julian Lloyd Webber for the first episode in an exciting new series on Classic FM, where the former cellist and conductor showcases 30 of the very best musicians under the age of 30; quite simply – these are the stars of the future, if they’re not already stars of the present.
Over the next five weeks, Julian shares his favourite recordings from a wide range of musicians, from cellists to organists and composers to trumpeters, celebrating them at a time when it has never been more difficult for them to show their talents on stage.
To begin, a pianist who at the age of 28 is already a veteran of the concert platform, holds multiple awards, and in 2011 was named one of the ‘Top 10 Britons of the Year’ by The Daily Telegraph: Benjamin Grosvenor. There’s also a sparkling performance of Rodrigo’s Concierto d’Aranjuez from 20 year old guitarist Junhong Kuang, and the debut recording by an internet sensation, violinist Esther Abrami.
4 MONDAY 1ST MARCH
8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: A ST DAVID’S DAY CELEBRATION
John marks St David’s Day with an evening of music written by Welsh composers, inspired by the Cambrian countryside and performed by some of the talented musicians that Wales has produced.
To begin, a traditional Welsh lullaby, Suo Gân, before a performance by one of Wales’ most commercially successful exports, Katherine Jenkins, and a suite by Grace Williams, who was the first British woman to score a feature film. Elsewhere, there’s beautiful music for harp by former Soft Machine rocker Sir Karl Jenkins, a tribute to Welsh folk music by Vaughan Williams, and star soloist Bryn Terfel takes to the stage.
Traditional Suo Gân Iain Sutherland conducts the Iain Sutherland Concert Orchestra
Traditional Lisa Lan Soprano: Katherine Jenkins Nicholas Dodd conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra
Grace Williams Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes Andrew Penny conducts the Royal Ballet Sinfonia
George Frideric Handel ‘Where’er you walk’ Bass-baritone: Bryn Terfel Charles Mackerras conducts the Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Ralph Vaughan Wiliams Prelude founded on Welsh Hymn Tune ‘Rhosymedre’ Richard Hickox conducts the Royal Northern Sinfonia
Sir Karl Jenkins Over the Stone Harp: Catrin Finch Karl Jenkins conducts the London Symphony Orchestra
Arwel Hughes Fantasia in A minor Owain Arwel Hughes conducts Camerata Wales
Traditional All Through the Night Tenor: Aled Jones Iain Tilley conducts the New Zealand Sinfonietta
Continued…
5 MONDAY 1ST MARCH
8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: A ST DAVID’S DAY CELEBRATION
Continued…
Alun Hoddinott Folksong Suite Andrew Penny conducts the Royal Ballet Sinfonia
Claude Debussy Arabesque No.1 in E major Harp: Osian ellis
Edward German Welsh Rhapsody Alexander Gibson conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Paul Mealor Peace Nigel Short conducts Tenebrae
6 TUESDAY 2ND MARCH
8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: BOHEMIAN TALES
To mark Bedřich Smetana’s birthday, John presents an evening of Czech-inspired music. To begin, one of his most celebrated works; the overture to The Bartered Bride, which is often considered to be the first great Czech opera, followed by Mozart’s ‘Prague’ symphony, which was premiered in the capital on the great composer’s first visit there, at a concert described by Mozart as “one of the happiest of my life”.
There’s also a piano concerto by Mozart’s successor at the court of Emperor Franz II, Koželuch, and a set of variations written by Dvořák in response to a challenge from a friend.
Bedřich Smetana The Bartered Bride - Overture Darrell Ang conducts the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.38 in D major K.504 (‘Prague’) Riccardo Muti conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Julius Fučík Danube Legends Opus 233 Neeme Järvi conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Leopold Koželuch Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat major Howard Shelley directs the London Mozart Players from the keyboard
Antonín Dvořák Symphonic Variations Pus 78 Ivan Fischer conducts the Budapest Festival Orchestra
7 WEDNESDAY 3RD MARCH
8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET
This evening’s concert features a suite of music from Bizet’s opera Carmen, which premiered on this day in 1875 to a famously disastrous reception. Before then, the Cologne Piano Duet play Czerny’s Concerto for Piano Duet, one of over a thousand pieces written by this extraordinarily productive composer.
Later, there’s a fiery scherzo by Clara Schumann performed by Sophie Pacini, and Respighi’s 3 Botticelli Pictures, inspired by three paintings by the Italian master: Spring, Adoration of the Magi, and Birth of Venus.
Edward Elgar Introduction & Allegro for Strings Opus 47 English Chamber Orchestra
Carl Czerny Concerto for Piano Duet Opus 153 Cologne Piano Duet Florian Merz conducts the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra
Georges Bizet Carmen Suite No.2 Pablo Gonzalez conducts the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
Antonio Vivaldi ‘Nulla in Mundo Pax Sincera’ Soprano: Emma Kirkby Christopher Hogwood conducts the Academy of Ancient Music
William Boyce Symphony No.4 In F major Trevor Pinnock conducts The English Concert
Clara Schumann Scherzo No.2 in C minor Opus 14 Piano: Sophie Pacini
Ottorino Respighi 3 Botticelli Pictures Geoffrey Simon conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra
8 THURSDAY 4TH MARCH
8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: WORLD BOOK DAY
John celebrates World Book Day with a programme of music inspired by great works of literature. Shakespeare is represented through comedy and tragedy: Mendelssohn’s overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Coleridge-Taylor’s Othello Suite feature.
Elsewhere, Seiji Ozawa conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in a complete recording of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a musical telling of four of the One Thousand and One Nights. There’s also music from the 1995 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, and Tchaikovsky sets Pushkin’s words to song.
Felix Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Overture Edward Gardner conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Patrick Doyle My Father’s Favourite Piano: Patrick Doyle
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade Opus 35 Seiji Ozawa conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Franz Schubert Ave Maria D.839 Tenor: Luciano Pavarotti Kurt Herbert Adler conducts the National Philharmonic Orchestra
Claude Debussy Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune Pierre Boulez conducts the Cleveland Orchestra
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Othello Suite Opus 79 Adrian Leaper conducts the RTE Concert Orchestra
Debbie Wiseman Wilde Debbie Wiseman conducts a studio orchestra
Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky Lensky’s Aria (From Eugene Onegin) Tenor: Rolando Villazon Michel Plasson conducts the Munich Radio Orchestra
Franz Liszt Mephisto Waltz No.1 Herbert von Karajan conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
9 FRIDAY 5TH MARCH
8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: CLASSIC SIXTIES
John turns back the clock this evening for an evening of 1960s nostalgia – with a classical twist.
The centrepiece of the programme is The Doors Concerto, which features some of the band’s best-loved hits, rearranged for violin and orchestra by Jaz Coleman, and performed by the violin’s enfant terrible, Nigel Kennedy, who Coleman says “reincarnate[ed] the soul of Jim Morrison on a single string”. To compliment the work, there’s a theme from one of the most iconic films of the decade, and Miloš Karadaglić plays his own arrangement of Simon and Garfunkel’s 1965 single The Sound of Silence.
Ennio Morricone The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – Main Theme Ennio Morricone conducts a studio orchestra
Paul Simon The Sound of Silence Guitar: Miloš Karadaglić 12 Ensemble
The Doors & Jaz Coleman The Doors Concerto Violin: Nigel Kennedy Peter Scholes conducts the Prague Symphony Orchestra
David Bowie Space Oddity Piano: Rick Wakeman
Leonard Bernstein West Side Story – Symphonic Dances Leonard Bernstein conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Jon Lord Evening Song Piano: Jon Lord Clark Rundell conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
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