Programme information

Saturday 18th September to Friday 24th September 2021

WEEK 38

Photo credit: Mark Allan

THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: CLASSIC FM LIVE

Thursday 23rd September, 8pm to 10pm

John presents a very special broadcast of Classic FM Live, which returned to the Royal Albert Hall for the first time in almost two years (on Wednesday 22nd September).

The spectacular celebration of classical music features favourites from the Classic FM Hall of Fame. Among the soloists on the night is Khatia Buniatishvili, who plays Rachmaninov’s enduringly romantic Piano Concerto No.2. They are joined by the Chineke! Orchestra (pictured), conducted by Damon Gupta, who perform the beautiful Ballade in A minor by Coleridge-Taylor and Tchaikovsky’s exhilarating 1812 Overture.

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 38

SATURDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER

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

As students across the country begin a new university term, Moira celebrates three extraordinarily talented young musicians who made their mark on the concert stage from an early age.

Julian Bliss, who is also a skilled instrument designer, plays Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, before Benjamin Grosvenor shines in Chopin’s romantic Piano Concerto No.1.

Later, one of the most in-demand soloists in the country, Nicola Benedetti – who also dedicates her time to supporting young music education – plays a former number one in the Classic FM Hall of Fame: Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1.

Jean Sibelius Finlandia Opus 26 Andrew Davis conducts the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A major K.622 Clarinet: Julian Bliss Mario Vengazo conducts the Royal Northern Sinfonia

Ralph Vaughan Williams 5 Variants of ‘Dives & Lazarus’ Andrew Manze conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Leo Delibes Flower Duet (From Lakmé) Sopranos: Karine Deshayes & Patricia Petibon Yves Abel conducts the Lyon Opera Orchestra

Ronald Binge The Watermill Oboe: Ruth Scott Ronald Corp conducts the New London Orchestra

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

Modest Mussorgksy A Night on the Bare Mountain José Serebrier conducts the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Continued…

2 SATURDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER

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

Continued…

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

Max Bruch Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor Opus 26 Violin: Nicola Benedetti Jakub Hrůša conducts the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Joseph Haydn Symphony No.101 in D major Colin Davis conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

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

Andrew features a collection of scores from films with inspiring landscapes. There’s music from the highest peaks on earth with Dario Marianelli's soundtrack to Everest; sounds of the highlands with Julie Fowlis and Patrick Doyle's score to the Disney animation Brave and the incredible scenery of the Great Barrier Reef in Thomas Newman’s Finding Nemo.

There's also time to trek the desert with Lawrence of Arabia scored by Maurice Jarre and visit New Zealand, famous for its diverse landscapes in The Lord of the Rings, composed by Howard Shore.

9pm to 10pm: DAVID MELLOR’S MELODIES

To celebrate the return of Classic FM Live to London’s Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday, David features some of his favourite live recordings. He includes a live performance of the ‘Aria’ from Bach’s Goldberg Variations by the great John Ogden, as well as the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Constantin Silvestri playing Tchaikovsky’s ‘Manfred’ symphony.

3 SUNDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER

4pm to 7pm: JOHN HUMPHRYS

John features a new release from pianist Vikingur Olafsson, once described as “Iceland’s Glenn Gould”. His latest album celebrates the music of Mozart, alongside some of his lesser known contemporaries. John chooses Olafsson’s sparkling new recording of Piano Sonata No.16, a work by Mozart that wasn’t published in the great composer’s lifetime.

Then, John includes a performance from the first solo tenor in more than 20 years to debut at number one in the official classical album chart: the phenomenal Freddie de Tommaso.

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

Guitarist Alexandra Whittingham is Charlotte's Young Classical Star. After studying at the world-renowned Chetham's School of Music, Alexandra went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music and graduated with first class honours. She has gained more than 190,000 YouTube subscribers and released her debut album in May, My European Journey, which topped the Classical Charts. Charlotte features a piece performed by Alexandra written by the Victorian composer Catharina Pratten.

9pm to 10pm: MOIRA STUART MEETS… (3 / 16)

Moira continues the second season of her acclaimed interview series, speaking with some of the most well-known names from the worlds of sport, arts, entertainment and politics. She discusses their career defining moments and memories, as they choose the classical music that is important to them. The guest is TBC.

4 MONDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER

8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: LEEDS INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION – THE WINNER’S CIRCLE

Following the finals of the Leeds International Piano Competition over the weekend, John presents a programme showcasing the talents of past finalists from the competition’s 60-year history.

There’s a sparkling performance of Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in F major from 1972 winner Murray Perahia, who went on to win three Grammy Awards. Then, 1975 silver award holder Mitsuko Uchida plays Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.11.

Another competitor, Myung-Whun Chung, shows his versatility in the role of conductor with the Bastille Opera Orchestra playing a suite of highlights from Bizet’s Carmen; Kathryn Stott plays Mendelssohn with long-time collaborator Yo-Yo Ma and there’s Chopin from 2018 winner Eric Lu.

Johann Sebastian Bach Keyboard Concerto in F major BWV.1057 Murray Perahia directs the Academy of St Martin in the Fields from the keyboard

Georges Bizet Carmen Suite Myung-Whun Chung conducts the Bastille Opera Orchestra

Felix Mendelssohn Song Without Words in D major Opus 109 Cello: Yo-Yo Ma Piano: Kathryn Stott

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No.11 in F major K.413 Piano: Mitsuko Uchida Jeffrey Tate conducts the English Chamber Orchestra

Frédéric Chopin Prelude in D-flat major Opus 28 No.15 (‘Raindrop’) Piano: Eric Lu

Ludwig van Beethoven Triple Concerto in C major Opus 566 Violin: Christian Tetzlaff Cello: Tanja Tetzlaff Piano: Lars Vogt Royal Northern Sinfonia

5 TUESDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER

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

John marks the birthday of Gustav Holst, born on this day in 1874, with a performance of one of his lesser-known works. Though he himself described it as one of his “early horrors”, Holst’s Suite de Ballet is full of his characteristic folk-inspired melodies and dances.

Elsewhere in the programme, there’s a Borodin favourite, Schubert’s Symphony No.6 played by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and a 16th century motet – but with a 20th century twist.

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

Joseph Haydn Keyboard Concerto in D major Hob.XVIII:11 Leif Ove Andsnes directs the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra from the keyboard

Cristobal de Morales Parce mihi Domine Saxophone: Jan Garbarek Hilliard Ensemble

Gustav Holst Suite de Ballet Opus 10 Richard Hickox conducts the Northern Sinfonia

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

Edvard Grieg Wedding Day in Troldhaugen Opus 65 No.6 Piano: Leif Ove Andsnes

Franz Schubert Symphony No.6 in C major D.589 Claudio Abbado conducts the Chamber Orchestra of Europe

6 WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER

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

John presents an evening of midweek mood lifters – the perfect mix of relaxing music to ease the working week.

Beginning with a fairy-tale-inspired overture by Rossini, followed by more stories to be told in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, played by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the great Herbert von Karajan.

There’s also elevating Bach, a sunny favourite by Tarrega and highlights from Show Boat by Jerome Kern.

Gioachino Rossini La Cenerentola – Overture Carlo Rizzi conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Jay Ungar The Ashokan Farewell Major JR Perkins conducts the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines

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

Francisco Tarrega Recuerdos de la Alhambra Guitar: Thibaut Garcia

Antonio Vivaldi Violin Concerto in D major RV.208 Rachel Podger directs Brecon Baroque from the violin

Johann Sebastian Bach Partita No.4 in D major BWV.828 – Allemande Piano: Charles Owen

Jerome Kern Show Boat – Symphonic Selection Carl Davis conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

7 THURSDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER

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

John presents a very special broadcast of Classic FM Live. The classical concert returned to the Royal Albert Hall for the first time in almost two years in front of a sell- out audience, on Wednesday 22nd September.

The spectacular celebration of classical music features favourites from the Classic FM Hall of Fame. Among the soloists on the night is Khatia Buniatishvili, who plays Rachmaninov’s enduringly romantic Piano Concerto No.2.

They are joined by the Chineke! Orchestra, conducted by Damon Gupta, who perform the beautiful Ballade in A minor by Coleridge-Taylor and Tchaikovsky’s exhilarating 1812 Overture.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart The Marriage of Figaro – Overture

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Ballade in A minor

Sergei Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor Opus 18 Piano: Khatia Buniatishvili

Edvard Grieg Peer Gynt Suite No.1 – Morning Mood

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture Opus 49

Damon Gupta conducts the Chineke! Orchestra

8 FRIDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER

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

John celebrates the birthday of John Rutter, one of the country’s most celebrated living composers, with a beautiful performance of his Suite Lyrique. This follows a critically acclaimed recording of Beethoven’s mighty ‘Emperor’ Concerto, written whilst Vienna was under siege, from Stephen Hough, and music from the 2019 Vienna New Year’s Concert.

Concluding the programme is a piece that almost never came to be. Schumann had almost exclusively written for piano until his wife, fellow composer Clara, encouraged him to write a symphony, writing in her diary “his imagination cannot find sufficient scope on the piano... my highest wish is that he should compose for orchestra”. Her wish came true and Schumann composed his Symphony No.1 in the space of just four days. John selects a recording from the Staatskapelle Berlin under Daniel Barenboim.

Johann Strauss Jr Where the Lemons Blossom Opus 364 Andris Nelsons conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Ave Verum Corpus K.618 Stephen Cleobury conducts the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat major Opus 73 (‘Emperor’) Piano: Stephen Hough Hannu Lintu conducts the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra

John Rutter Suite Lyrique Harp: Catrin Finch John Rutter conducts Sinfonia Cymru

Leo Delibes Coppelia – Waltz Kent Nagano conducts the Lyon Opera Orchestra

Robert Schumann Symphony No.1 in B-flat major Opus 38 Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin

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