Programme information

Saturday 13th February to Friday 19th February 2021

WEEK 7

SMOOTH CLASSICS AT SEVEN with CHARLOTTE HAWKINS

Sunday 14th February, 7pm to 9pm

To mark St Valentine’s Day, Charlotte has two hours of perfect romantic and relaxing music. Highlights include Pachelbel’s Canon in D, the piece that Charlotte walked down the aisle to, a classical rendition of ‘My Love’ by Paul McCartney and music from Craig Armstrong’s score to Love Actually.

Charlotte features Tianwa Yang as her Young Classical Star. The Chinese violinist began learning to play at the age of four, and quickly moved on to the competition circuit. Yang recorded her first album at the age of 13, featuring Paganini's 24 Caprices, making her the youngest musician ever to do so. She followed that with her European debut in 2001, and since then, she has gone on to perform at Berlin Philharmonic Hall, with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Neubrandenburg Philharmonic.

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 7

SATURDAY 13TH FEBRUARY

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

The programme begins with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, inspired by the composer’s fascination with Goethe’s writing, which he described as having a “great power over me”, before Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on an Elizabethan courtly melody.

Moira then moves from Greensleeves to green fingers, as she features Paul Reade’s music to The Victorian Kitchen Garden, ahead of an award winning 2020 recording of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.1 from young star Benjamin Grosvenor; and a Mozart aria sung by Joyce DiDonato, who celebrates her birthday today.

Ludwig van Beethoven Egmont Overture Opus 84 Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela

Ralph Vaughan Wiliams Fantasia on Greensleeves Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Paul Reade The Victorian Kitchen Garden: Suite Clarinet: Emma Johnson Harp: Skaila Kanga

Joseph Haydn Cello Concerto No.1 in C major Steven Isserlis directs the German Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra from the cello

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

Erik Satie Gymnopedie No.3 Flute: Klauspeter Seibel conducts the London Symphony Orchestra

Frédéric Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor Opus 11 Piano: Benjamin Grosvenor Elim Chan conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Bedrich Smetana Vltava (From Má vlast) Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Continued…

2 SATURDAY 13TH FEBRUARY

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

Continued…

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ‘Voi che sapete’ (From The Marriage of Figaro) Soprano: Joyce di Donato Kazushi Ono conducts the Lyon Opera Orchestra

James Horner Braveheart – For the Love of a Princess London Symphony Orchestra

Antonín Dvořák Symphony No.8 in G major Opus 88 José Serebrier conducts the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

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

On the eve of Valentine's Day, Andrew takes the opportunity to select the greatest film love themes. He features the music of the star-crossed lovers in Nino Rota's Romeo + Juliet, and the iconic score to Titanic by . We also hear the perennial classic 'Moon River' by Henry Mancini, as heard in Breakfast at Tiffany's and Aaron Zigman's moving score to The Notebook.

9pm to 10pm: DAVID MELLOR’S MELODIES

David dedicates the programme to magnificent melodies of Central and South America. He features music from the king of the tango, Astor Piazzolla, and Brazilian composer’s Heitor Villa-Lobos’ exciting work The Little Train of Caipira. David also shines the spotlight on one of his favourite orchestras, the Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela.

3 SUNDAY 14TH FEBRUARY

4pm to 7pm: JOHN HUMPHRYS

John plays the opening movement from one of the best known violin concertos; Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D. Written on the shores of Lake Geneva, where the composer had retreated to seek inspiration, the fresh air of the Alps appeared to help the creative process, as Tchaikovsky completed the work in just one month. Hilary Hahn is the soloist, joined by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Vasily Petrenko.

John also features A Prayer for Wales, performed by Godre'r Aran Male Voice Choir, and plays more of the pieces that ignited his listeners’ interest in .

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

To mark St Valentine’s Day, Charlotte has two hours of perfect romantic and relaxing music. Highlights include Pachelbel’s Canon in D, the piece that Charlotte walked down the aisle to, a classical rendition of ‘My Love’ by Paul McCartney and music from Craig Armstrong’s score to Love Actually.

Charlotte features Tianwa Yang as her Young Classical Star. The Chinese violinist began learning to play at the age of four, and quickly moved on to the competition circuit. Yang recorded her first album at the age of 13, featuring Paganini's 24 Caprices, making her the youngest musician ever to do so. She followed that with her European debut in 2001, and since then, she has gone on to perform at Berlin Philharmonic Hall, with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Neubrandenburg Philharmonic.

9pm to 10pm: SIR TREVOR McDONALD’S HEADLINERS (7 / 8)

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

It’s hard to imagine headlines that were worse than those which followed the premiere of Rachmaninov’s Symphony No.1. It was under-rehearsed, the conductor was drunk, and Rachmaninov himself fled the performance early. Sir Trevor demonstrates that it deserved better, with a performance from the Russian National Orchestra under Mikhail Pletnev.

He also features music from the original classical “rock star”. The term “Lisztomania” was coined to describe the legions of fans who would steal locks of Liszt’s hair and swoon in his presence. Leif Ove Andsnes plays his Liebestraum No.3.

Then, Sir Trevor pays tribute to one of the greatest tenors and film stars of the mid-20th century, Mario Lanza, who was born just over 100 years ago, but died at the age of only 38. We hear Lanza perform his signature song, ‘Be My Love’.

4 MONDAY 15TH FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET

As voting for the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2021 is well underway, John dedicates the week of concerts to the current top 300, as chosen by listeners in 2020.

Opening the programme, the only entry by William Walton to feature in the chart, Crown Imperial, composed for the ill-fated coronation of King Edward VIII, before an out of this world symphony by Mozart.

After, we hear one of the chart’s three new entries last year, ’ moving score to Seven Years in Tibet, played by his long-time collaborator Yo-Yo Ma, and there’s a critically acclaimed recording of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3 by Daniil Trifonov.

William Walton Crown Imperial David Willcocks conducts Philharmonia Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.41 in C major K.551 (‘Jupiter’) Charles Mackerras conducts the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

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

Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor Opus 30 Piano: Daniil Trifonov Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra

Jean Sibelius The Swan of Tuonela Opus 22 No.3 Cor Anglais: Jukka Hirvikangas Osmo Vänskä conducts the Lahti Symphony Orchestra

5 TUESDAY 16TH FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET

To begin tonight’s showcase of the Classic FM Hall of Fame, John whisks us away to Rome with Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien, inspired by a trip the composer took with his brother. After, a Karl Jenkins favourite, before the great sing’s Marietta’s Lied, from Korngold’s opera The Dead City, with libretto by his father, Julius Korngold, which only entered the chart in 2016.

Star soloists Renaud Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon and Emmanuel Pahud then come together for a sparkling performance of Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, and Herbert von Karajan directs the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in a full performance of Brahms’ Symphony No.4, which re-entered the chart in 2020.

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky Capriccio Italien Opus 45 Neeme Järvi conducts the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Karl Jenkins Palladio London Philharmonic Strings

Erich Wolfgang Korngold Marietta’s Lied (From The Dead City) Soprano: Kiri te Kanawa Stephen Barlow conducts the London Symphony Orchestra

Camille Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals Violin: Renaud Capuçon Cello: Gautier Capuçon Flute: Emmanuel Pahud Studio Musicians

Johannes Brahms Symphony No.4 in E minor Opus 98 Herbert von Karajan conduct the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Morten Lauridsen O Magnum Mysterium Harry Christophers conducts The Sixteen

6 WEDNESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET

Continuing the celebration of music in the Classic FM Hall of Fame, John bookends the programme with two great Czech musical exports that feature in the current chart. First, Smetana’s tribute to the country’s longest river, the Vltava, and later we hear Novák’s Slovak Suite, played in full by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Libor Pešek.

Elsewhere, there’s a contemporary favourite by the youngest composer in the Classic FM Hall of Fame, Alberto Giurioli, and Jack Liebeck plays Snow Drop from The Glorious Garden by , Classic FM’s Composer in Residence.

Bedřich Smetana Vltava (from Má vlast) David Parry conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra

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

Max Bruch Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor Opus 26 Violin: Itzhak Perlman conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Christobal de Morales Parce mihi Domine Jan Gabarek directs the Hilliard Ensemble

Franz Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 in C-sharp minor Piano: Arcadi Volodos

George Frederic Handel Organ Concerto in F major HWV.295 (‘Cuckoo and the Nightingale’) Organ: Simon Preston Trevor Pinnock conducts The English Concert

Debbie Wiseman The Glorious Garden – Snow Drop Violin: Jack Liebeck Debbie Wiseman conducts the National Symphony Orchestra

Vítězslav Novák Slovak Suite Libor Pešek conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

7 THURSDAY 18TH FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET

John continues his week-long showcase of music from the Classic FM Hall of Fame. The programme begins with Borodin, and the multi-talented composer and scientist’s highest entry in the chart: In the Steppes of Central Asia

The centrepiece of the evening is Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5, which reached its highest ever chart position in 2020. We hear it in a stunning recording by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela directed by Gustavo Dudamel.

Later, there’s a dance from one of the 11 ballets in the Hall of Fame: Delibes’ Coppélia, and Lang Lang plays Nigel Hess’ Piano Concerto, commissioned by the HRH Prince of Wales in memory of the Queen Mother.

Alexander Borodin In the Steppes of Central Asia Valery Gergiev conducts the Kirov Orchestra

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5 in E minor Opus 64 Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela

Nigel Hess Piano Concerto Piano: Lang Lang Christopher Warren-Green conducts the London Chamber Orchestra

Hubert Parry ‘I Was Glad’ conducts the London Symphony Orchestra and chorus

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

Léo Delibes Coppélia – Mazurka Kent Nagano conducts the Lyon Opera Orchestra

8 FRIDAY 19TH FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET

John completes his survey of the current Classic FM Hall of Fame, with a piece that has featured in every chart since the very beginning: ‘Simple Gifts’ from Copland’s Appalachian Spring. Other highlights include a virtuosic violin duet by Bach, and Addinsell’s moving music from the 1941 film Dangerous Moonlight.

The centrepiece though, is Beethoven’s mightiest work – the ‘Choral’ symphony – which in 2020 was the highest ever entry for Beethoven in the chart, just missing out on the top spot by one place. Bernard Haitink leads the forces of the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, joined by 4 star soloists in a recording from London’s Barbican in 2006.

Aaron Copland ‘Simple Gifts’ (From Appalachian Spring) John Williams conducts the Boston Pops Orchestra

Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto in D minor for 2 violins BWV.1043 Violins: Bojan Čičić & Rachel Podger Brecon Baroque

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No.9 in D minor Opus 125 (‘Choral’) Soprano: Twyla Robinson Mezzo-Soprano: Karen Cargill Tenor: John MacMaster Bass: Gerald Finley Bernard Haitink conducts the London Symphony Orchestra and Choir

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

Richard Addinsell Warsaw Concerto (From Dangerous Moonlight) Piano: Daniel Adni Kenneth Alwyn conducts the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

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