Programme information

Saturday 24 February to Friday 2 March 2018

WEEK 09

Photo credit: Ray Burmiston

ALAN TITCHMARSH

SATURDAY BREAKFAST Saturday 24 Feburary, 7am to 10am

Alan provdes the perfect weekend wake-up call.

THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: THE GLORIOUS GARDEN Wednesday 28 February, 8pm to 10pm

Join Jane Jones for the first play of The Glorious Garden, a collection of brand new compositions inspired by poems written by Alan. He has teamed up with Debbie Wiseman, Classic FM’s Composer-in-Residence, to produce the essential music for gardening, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra.

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 09

SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY

5pm to 7pm: SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES with ANDREW COLLINS

Ahead of the Academy Awards next weekend, Andrew Collins offers a wealth of Oscars trivia and tonight, he takes a look at the big winners, losers and surprises since the ceremony began.

John Williams has 51 nominations to his name – but which film did he win his first Oscar for, and who is the most-nominated individual in the history of the Awards? There are several directors on the current Best Director shortlist who are nominated for their debut feature, including Jordan Peele (Get Out) and Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), but who is the most recent debut director to pick up the award, and in what year?

Put on your red carpet finery and get ready for two hours of fun facts and great film scores from the 1930s to present day, including Dances With Wolves, Mutiny on the Bounty and The Godfather.

7pm to 9pm: COWAN’S CLASSICS with ROB COWAN

Rob Cowan selects two hours of old favourites, new discoveries, and rarely-played performances.

For this week’s Sure Shot, Rob Cowan features the Danish composer Carl Nielsen, with a wonderful recording by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. He’s also championing his Artist of the Week, soprano Dame Emma Kirkby, with a selection of her finest recordings.

For Beyond the Hall of Fame, Rob has chosen a popular favourite by contemporary composer Ludovico Einaudi as the springboard, and will recommend a lesser-known piece for fans of I Giorni.

9pm to 10pm: TURNING POINTS

The new series on Classic FM, in partnership with the Honda Jazz, explores the moments that changed classical music history, and this week we look at the superstar performers and composers such as Franz Liszt and Niccolo Paganini, who sold out venues to adoring fans.

George Gershwin also makes an appearance, with the story behind his song that sold more than a million copies, and made him his first million! Tune into Classic FM for tales of idols and innovators – with great music to match.

Note: The presenter will be announced shortly.

2 SUNDAY 25 FEBRUARY

3pm to 5pm: CHARLOTTE HAWKINS

This afternoon, Charlotte will be offering a selection of Classic FM favourites and new discoveries, with a particular focus on young artists – as demonstrated in her Young Classical Star. This afternoon, Charlotte shines the spotlight on the emerging British composer Rebecca Dale. With her own works featuring on the acclaimed album The Lost Songs of St. Kilda, and an award-winning symphonic suite for choir and orchestra titled I’ll Sing, there’s a lot of musical talent to uncover!

7pm to 9pm: DAVID MELLOR

Tonight, David Mellor celebrates the extraordinary output of Hollywood’s favourite composer, John Williams. He’ll be celebrating the man both as conductor of prestigious ensembles and as composer, with selections from his iconic film scores.

The great film score composer isn’t just known for his soundtracks such as Harry Potter and Star Wars. David plays some of the orchestral music which has been specially commissioned for major events and ceremonies across America, featuring top performers such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

9pm to 10pm: EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CLASSICAL MUSIC with CATHERINE BOTT

On 1st March, it’s World Book Day and Catherine Bott looks ahead to the celebration of literature by exploring the relationship between classical music and books.

She’ll feature a selection of specific works or composers which feature in some of our favourite stories – such as Pablo de Sarasate’s performance in the Sherlock Holmes tale The Red-Headed League. Catherine will also focus on authors who were keen classical music fans, such as Anthony Burgess, who wrote a piece based on the spoken rhythm of A Clockwork Orange.

3 MONDAY 26 FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: THE SIR KARL JENKINS CLASSICAL MUSIC AWARD

In a few weeks’ time, some of the most promising young musicians will gather at ’s Arts Club to perform in front of members of the public and an expert panel, in the hope of becoming the winner of the next Sir Karl Jenkins Classical Music Award.

Tonight, in celebration of this prestigious award which is now in its fifth year, Classic FM showcases musicians who are ‘on the rise’, including cellist Jamal Aliyev, last year’s winner. He plays the composition written especially for him by Sir Karl, titled Appassionata, ‘In the old style’. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5 (‘Emperor’) is performed by 29 year-old pianist Sunwook , and Scottish guitarist Sean Shibe performs a beautiful fantasia by John Dowland. Presented by Jane Jones.

Karl Jenkins Palladio London Philharmonic Strings

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat major Opus 73 (‘Emperor’) Piano: Sunwook Kim Myung-Whun Chung conducts the Philharmonic Orchestra

Karl Jenkins Appassionata (‘In the old style’) Cello: Jamal Aliyev Piano: Jâms Coleman

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No.5 in A major K.219 Violin: Noa Wildschut

John Dowland Fantasia in G major Guitar: Sean Shibe

Ivor Novello We’ll Gather Lilacs Soprano: Kathryn Rudge Piano: James Baillieu

4 TUESDAY 27 FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: PARRY 170

Classic FM celebrates the 170th birthday of one of the UK’s finest composers, Charles Hubert Hastings Parry. In a concert containing his most familiar choral works – I Was Glad and Jerusalem – presenter Jane Jones also showcases his brilliant orchestral writing as the English Symphony Orchestra perform his Symphony No.1.

Parry was an expert on the music of J.S. Bach, publishing a definitive account of his life. Other composers who influenced him include Johannes Brahms and William Sterndale-Bennett, who taught Parry in his early years. The concert closes with Parry’s delightful Lady Radnor’s Suite, in a lively performance from the under Patrick Hawes.

Hubert Parry I Was Glad Organ: Roger Judd Timothy Byram-Wigfield conducts the Choir of St George’s Chapel, Windsor

Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto in D minor for 2 Violins BWV.1043 Violin: Rachel Podger Piano: Bojan Cicic

William Sterndale Bennett The Wood Nymphs: Overture Nicholas Braithwaite conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra

Hubert Parry Symphony No.1 in G major William Boughton conducts the English Symphony Orchestra

Johannes Brahms Intermezzo in B-flat minor Opus 117 No.2 Piano:

Hubert Parry Jerusalem Paul Daniel conducts the Orchestra of North and Leeds Festival Chorus

Hubert Parry Lady Radnor’s Suite Patrick Hawes conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra

5 WEDNESDAY 28 FEBRUARY

8pm to 10pm: THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: THE GLORIOUS GARDEN

Join Jane Jones for the first play of The Glorious Garden, a collection of brand new compositions inspired by poems written by Classic FM presenter and one of Britain’s best loved gardeners, Alan Titchmarsh.

Alan has teamed up with his friend and colleague Debbie Wiseman, Classic FM’s Composer-in-Residence, to produce the essential music for gardening. Alan has written a collection of beautiful and entertaining poems about 12 of his favourite plants and flowers. Debbie has then taken his words and composed the perfect musical accompaniment, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra.

To complement The Glorious Garden, which is released on Friday (2nd March), Jane features other works inspired by flora and fauna, including Paul Reade’s Victorian Kitchen Garden suite and Delius’ beautiful In a Summer Garden, performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Frederick Delius In a Summer Garden Richard Hickox conducts the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

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

Debbie Wiseman The Glorious Garden Narrator: Alan Titchmarsh Debbie Wiseman conducts the National Symphony Orchestra

Percy Grainger Paraphrase on Tchaikovsky’s Flower Waltz Piano: Penelope Thwaites

Giacomo Puccini Crisantemi conducts the Berlin Radio Symphony orchestra

6 THURSDAY 1 MARCH

8pm to 10pm: THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: GREAT ORCHESTRAS OF THE WORLD – THE BERLIN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Throughout March, Classic FM is championing the greatest orchestras in the world, with a stunning showcase of musicianship every weekday evening.

Tonight’s concert comes courtesy of the orchestra which lays claim to having the biggest ‘brand’ of them all: the Berlin Philharmonic. Through a selection of standalone recordings, presenter Catherine Bott charts the orchestra’s journey with some of its most distinguished conductors, beginning with .

Legendary pianist and conductor leads the orchestra from the piano in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21, and conducts Brahms’ Variations on a Theme of Haydn.

Franz von Suppe Light Cavalry – Overture Herbert von Karajan conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No.21 in C major K.467 Daniel Barenboim leads the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from the keyboard

Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade Opus 35 Herbert von Karajan conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Johannes Brahms Variations on a Theme of Haydn Opus 56a Claudio Abbado conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

7 FRIDAY 2 MARCH

8pm to 10pm: THE FULL WORKS CONCERT: GREAT ORCHESTRAS OF THE WORLD – THE GOTHENBURG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Tonight, Classic FM champions the Scandinavian orchestra that enjoys the prestigious title ‘The National Orchestra of Sweden’: the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.

The orchestra lept to the fore in the classical music sphere under their director Neeme Jarvi between 1982 and 2004, and we hear him conduct Scandi favourites including Sibelius’ Finlandia and Alfven’s Swedish Rhapsody No.1. The orchestra’s more recent principal conductor, , conducts Sibelius’ Symphony No.2, and the concert closes with a joyful performance of Piazzola’s Libertango, as the players of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra accompany trumpeter Alison Balsom.

Jean Sibelius Finlandia Opus 26 Neeme Jarvi conducts the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

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

Hugo Alfven Swedish Rhapsody No.1 Opus 19 (‘Midsummer Vigil’) Neeme Jarvi conducts the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Jean Sibelius Symphony No.2 in D major Opus 43 Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Astor Piazzolla Libertango Trumpet: Alison Balsom Edward Gardiner conducts the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

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