Programme information
Saturday 31st July to Friday 6th August 2021
WEEK 31
JOHN HUMPHRYS
Sunday 1st August, 4pm to 7pm
John celebrates the month of August with two new releases from very different ends of the classical music spectrum. First, Krystian Zimmerman performs one of Beethoven’s most celebrated works, his Concerto No.5, ‘Emperor’. The award-winning Polish pianist has recently joined forces with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra to record all of the great composer’s piano concertos.
Then John introduces us to music from Japanese classical guitarist Shin-ichi Fukuda and fellow composer Toru Takemitsu, featuring Takemitsu’s arrangement of a British classic; Yesterday, by the Beatles.
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 31
SATURDAY 31ST JULY
4pm to 7pm: MOIRA STUART’S HALL OF FAME CONCERT
Moira celebrates Mozart, the most popular composer in the Classic FM Hall of Fame, by playing three of his 16 entries in the chart which show the range of his styles and talents.
Daniel Barenboim plays Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21, popularly known as the ‘Elvira Madigan’ concerto, and Andrew Manze conducts the NDR Radiophilharmonie in a recent recording of Mozart’s Symphony No.40, which some historians suggest the composer never heard played. There’s also a moving performance of Ave Verum Corpus sung by Tenebrae.
Elsewhere, there’s a fiery dance courtesy of Marquez and a live Royal Albert Hall recording of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ sonata by Valentina Lisitsa.
Aaron Copland Fanfare for the Common Man Antal Dorati conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No.21 in C major K.467 Daniel Barenboim directs the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from the keyboard
Edvard Grieg Peer Gynt Suite No.1 Sakari Oramo conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Debbie Wiseman The Glorious Garden – Sweet Pea Debbie Wiseman conducts the National Symphony Orchestra
Arturo Marquez Conga del Fuego Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Ave Verum Corpus K.618 Nigel Short conducts Tenebrae and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Johannes Brahms Symphony No.1 in C minor Opus 68 Riccardo Chailly conducts the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No.14 in C-sharp minor Opus 27 (‘Moonlight’) Piano: Valentina Lisitsa
Continued…
2 SATURDAY 31ST JULY
4pm to 7pm: MOIRA STUART’S HALL OF FAME CONCERT
Continued…
Franz Lehar The Vilja Song (From The Merry Widow) Soprano: Renée Fleming Jeffrey Tate conducts the English Chamber Orchestra & London Voices
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.40 in G minor K.550 Andrew Manze conducts the NDR Radio Philharmonie
7pm to 9pm: SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES with ANDREW COLLINS
Andrew features some of the most popular soundtracks to magical films. He starts with the enchanted world of Harry Potter, with witchcraft and wizardry brought to life by the music of John Williams. There’s also Joe Hisaishi’s score to Spirited Away; The Illusionist composed by Philip Glass; Doctor Strange composed by Michael Giacchino and Stardust by Ilan Eshekeri. Andrew also celebrates the films that go behind the curtain, including The Prestige scored by David Julyan and Now You See Me 2 composed by Brian Tyler.
9pm to 10pm: DAVID MELLOR’S MELODIES
David begins a series of programmes celebrating the summer festival season. He starts with a selection of music that includes Joseph Callejah singing the nostalgic music of Mantovani, and highlights from the 2021 Vienna Summer Night Concert.
3 SUNDAY 1ST AUGUST
4pm to 7pm: JOHN HUMPHRYS
John celebrates the month of August with two new releases from very different ends of the classical music spectrum.
First, Krystian Zimmerman performs one of Beethoven’s most celebrated works. The award-winning Polish pianist has recently joined forces with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra to record all of the great composer’s piano concertos. John chooses the most well-loved, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5, ‘Emperor’.
Then, he introduces us to the Japanese classical guitarist Shin-ichi Fukuda. Fukada has released more than 60 albums, including one featuring the music of fellow composer Toru Takemitsu. From it, John features Takemitsu’s arrangement of a British classic; Yesterday, by the Beatles.
7pm to 9pm: SMOOTH CLASSICS AT SEVEN with CHARLOTTE HAWKINS
Charlotte's Young Classical Star is the South Korean violinist Bomsori. As a soloist, Bomsori has appeared at numerous venues worldwide, including the Musikverein Golden Hall in Vienna, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow and Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg. In June, she released her solo debut album on Deutsche Grammophon, Violin on Stage, which includes works written for or inspired by opera and ballet.
9pm to 10pm: ROBERT RINDER’S CLASSICAL PASSIONS (5 / 6)
Broadcaster and criminal barrister Robert Rinder continues his series celebrating composers and musicians who, as well as being responsible for some of the most passionate and poignant music ever made, are also members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Robert’s focus for the programme is joy and celebration and he begins with an award- winning film composer. Angela Morley helped to popularise light music in the UK and also became the first openly transgender composer to be nominated for an Academy Award. Robert features her score to the 1978 film, Watership Down.
Then there’s music from one of history’s most famous composers. Handel not only wrote music for celebrations from coronations to riverside parties, but was a celebrity of his day, known for his big appetite and short temper. Little is known about his close relationships, but Handel never married, and socialised in circles where homosexuality was an open secret. As did Saint-Saëns, who held lavish and decadent parties, at which he would sometimes perform in drag. Robert includes a piece which perfectly captures the mood of such an occasion, the Baccanale from his opera Samson and Delilah.
4 MONDAY 2ND AUGUST
8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: CLASSICAL LEGENDS WEEK – PART 1 of 5
All this week, John pays tribute to the great classical legends from the 20th century; the soloists and conductors who made an impact and influenced musicians and fans alike across the globe.
Celebrations commence with Brahms’s triumphant Academic Festival Overture, performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by John Barbirolli. Barbirolli is credited with confirming the reputation of many of Europe’s greatest orchestras and was even nicknamed ‘Glorious John’ by Vaughan Williams.
There’s an appearance from another of Britain’s greatest conductors, Neville Marriner, as he conducts the orchestra he founded in Schubert’s Symphony No.2, alongside a moving Beethoven Romance from Isaac Stern, whose 100-year anniversary was celebrated in 2020. Pablo Casals then plays his own popular transcription of the Catalan lullaby Song of the Birds.
Johannes Brahms Academic Festival Overture Opus 80 John Barbirolli conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Johann Nepomuk Hummel Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major Trumpet: Maurice André Jean-Pierre Wallez conducts the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris
Ludwig van Beethoven Romance No.1 in G major Opus 40 Violin: Isaac Stern Seiji Ozawa conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Franz Schubert Symphony No.2 in B-flat major D.125 Neville Marriner conducts the Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Traditional (Arr.Pablo Casals) Song of the Birds Pablo Casals directs the Prades Festival Orchestra from the cello
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No.18 in D major K.576 Piano: Alicia de Larrocha
Richard Wagner Siegfried Idyll Georg Solti conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
5 TUESDAY 3RD AUGUST
8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: CLASSICAL LEGENDS WEEK – PART 2 of 5
John begins his second night featuring recordings from 20th century musicians who achieved legendary status, with Dmitri Mitropoulos. Mitropoulos was famed for his remarkable memory, which allowed him to conduct without a score.
There’s a performance by one of the greatest pianists of all time, Artur Rubinstein, who played in public for a phenomenal eight decades. John selects a recording of him as soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.23, before Claudio Abbado conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in Beethoven’s unmistakable Symphony No.5.
Elsewhere, Paul Tortelier plays peaceful Fauré, and conductor Adrian Boult takes to the stage.
Ralph Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis Dmtri Mitropoulos conducts the New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No.23 in A major K.488 Piano: Artur Rubinstein Alfred Wallenstein conducts the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No.5 in C minor Opus 67 Claudio Abbado conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Gabriel Fauré Élégie Opus 24 Cello: Paul Tortelier Michel Plasson conducts the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Frédéric Chopin Ballade No.1 in G minor Opus 23 Piano: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Arnold Bax Tintagel Adrian Boult conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra
6 WEDNESDAY 4TH AUGUST
8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: CLASSICAL LEGENDS WEEK – PART 3 of 5
The celebration of great classical legends continues with a great English conductor as Sir Charles Groves, beloved for his support of young musicians, takes to the stage with a rousing Walton fanfare. Then founding member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Leon Goossens, joins Yehudi Menuhin in Bach’s Concerto for Violin & Oboe.
Later in the programme, Mstislav Rostropovich plays Rachmaninov’s beautiful Vocalise, and Leon Fleisher, who for much of his career only used one hand, plays Chopin.
William Walton Orb & Sceptre Charles Groves conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto in C minor for Violin & Oboe BWV.1060 Violin: Yehudi Menuhin Oboe: Leon Goossens Bath Festival Orchestra
Johannes Brahms Symphony No.3 in F major Opus 90 Leonard Bernstein conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Sergei Rachmaninov Vocalise Opus 34 No.14 Cello: Mstislav Rostropovich Piano: Alexander Dedyukhin
Alexander Glazunov Scene de Ballet Opus 52 Gennadi Rozhdestvensky conducts the USSR Radio Symphony Orchestra
Frédéric Chopin Mazurka in C-sharp minor Opus 50 No.3 Piano: Leon Fleisher
7 THURSDAY 5TH AUGUST
8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: CLASSICAL LEGENDS WEEK – PART 4 of 5
In the next showcase of legendary figures from classical music, John celebrates one of the most esteemed string players of the 20th century.
Jacqueline du Pré, who made a worldwide impact despite her very short career, plays Haydn’s Cello Concerto No.1, joined by the English Chamber Orchestra and husband Daniel Barenboim. Later, a legend of conducting, Eugene Ormandy, is joined onstage by a living legend, 16-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Itzhak Perlman in Tchaikovsky’s mighty Violin Concerto.
Elsewhere, Vladimir Horowitz plays Liszt and there’s an appearance from the genre- defying André Previn.
Edward Elgar Introduction & Allegro for Strings Opus 47 Colin Davis conducts the London Symphony Orchestra
Joseph Haydn Cello Concerto No.1 in C major Cello: Jacqueline du Pré Daniel Barenboim conducts the English Chamber Orchestra
Franz Liszt Consolation No.3 Piano: Vladimir Horowitz
Richard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Suite Opus 59 André Previn conducts the London Symphony Orchestra
Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major Opus 35 Violin: Itzhak Perlman Eugene Ormandy conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra
8 FRIDAY 6TH AUGUST
8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: CLASSICAL LEGENDS WEEK – PART 5 of 5
John concludes his week-long showcase of musical legends with the most recorded conductor of all time; Herbert von Karajan, performing Rossini’s overture to William Tell with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – the orchestra he conducted for 34 years.
Other highlights include Debussy’s Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, conducted by Pierre Monteux, who most famously was the conductor at the notorious premiere of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring in 1913. There are variations on Gershwin’s song ‘I Got Rhythm’ performed by Earl Wild, who, in 1939, became the first pianist to perform a recital on American television.
To end the week’s festivities, Benjamin Britten conducts the English Chamber Orchestra in the music of Bach.
Gioachino Rossini William Tell – Overture Herbert von Karajan conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Antonio Vivaldi Four Seasons Opus 8 – Spring Yehudi Menuhin directs Camerata Lysy from the violin
Maurice Ravel Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte Piano: Van Cliburn
Claude Debussy Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune Pierre Monteux conducts the London Symphony Orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A major K.581 Clarinet: Thea King Gabrieli String Quartet
Franz Lehar ‘You Are My Heart’s Delight’ (From The Land of Smiles) Tenor: Fritz Wunderlich Carl Michalski conducts the Munich Symphony Orchestra
George Gershwin I Got Rhythm – Variations Piano: Earl Wild Arthur Fiedler conducts the Boston Pops Orchestra
Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.1 in F major BWV.1046 Benjamin Britten conducts the English Chamber Orchestra
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