Programme information Saturday 20th March to Friday 26th March 2021 WEEK 12 THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING on CLASSIC FM Saturday 20th March, 7am to 7pm On Saturday 20th March, to mark the first day of astronomical spring and to celebrate new life and beginnings, Classic FM is broadcasting a day of special programmes. From 7am, Alan Titchmarsh brings the sunshine with three hours of beautiful music, including Vaughan Williams’ pastoral 5 Variants of ‘Dives & Lazarus’ and Vivaldi’s Spring. Bill Turnbull plays the finest inspiring music from 10am, including Binge’s Sailing By, followed by Alexander Armstrong from 1pm, who selects his favourite joyful and relaxing music to celebrate the first day of spring. From 4pm, in Moira Stuart’s Hall of Fame Concert, Moira presents a programme of uplifting favourites to celebrate the start of the new season, including Butterworth’s pastoral The Banks of Green Willow, alongside music from Classic FM’s Composer in Residence Debbie Wiseman. 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 12 SATURDAY 20TH MARCH 7am to 10am: ALAN TITCHMARSH Join Alan for three hours of beautiful music perfect for the first day of astronomical spring, including Vaughan Williams‘ pastoral 5 Variants of ‘Dives & Lazarus’ and Vivaldi’s Spring played by Nigel Kennedy. 10am to 1pm: BILL TURNBULL Bill invites listeners to join him for three hours of uplifting and inspiring music to welcome the first day of astronomical spring. There’s a gentle journey down the river with Binge’s Sailing By, and Spanish sunshine with Rodrigo’s Fantasia Para un Gentilhombre, alongside Bill’s selection of old favourites and new discoveries. 1pm to 4pm: ALEXANDER ARMSTRONG Alexander selects his favourite joyful and relaxing music to celebrate the first day of spring. There’s a balmy journey through the French countryside with Debussy’s Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, and a Mozart aria that never fails to raise a smile. 4pm to 7pm: MOIRA STUART’S HALL OF FAME CONCERT To mark the first day of astronomical spring, Moira presents a programme of suitably uplifting music to celebrate new life and new beginnings. There are favourites old and new, including Butterworth’s pastoral The Banks of Green Willow, which uses folk melodies including the traditional ballad Bonnie Annie, and music by Classic FM’s Composer in Residence, Debbie Wiseman, which in 2020 was one of the highest climbers in the Classic FM Hall of Fame. Elsewhere, there are performances from two of the 20th century’s greatest soloists; Julian Bream plays Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, and Daniel Barenboim plays Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21. George Butterworth The Banks of Green Willow Richard Hickox conducts the London Symphony Orchestra Ralph Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending Violin: Sarah Chang Bernard Haitink conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra George Bizet Pearl Fishers – Duet Tenors: Bonaventura Bottone & Wllard White Carl Davis conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Continued… 2 SATURDAY 20TH MARCH 4pm to 7pm: MOIRA STUART’S HALL OF FAME CONCERT Continued… Joaquin Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez Guitar: Julian Bream Simon Rattle conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Vittorio Monti Czardas Maxim Vengerov directs Virtuosi from the violin Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Capriccio Italien Opus 45 Neeme Järvi conducts the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Concerto in E major BWV.1042 Daniel Lozakovich directs the Bavarian Radio Chamber Orchestra from the violin Edward Elgar Serenade in E minor for Strings Opus 20 Giuseppe Sinopoli conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No.21 in C major K.467 Daniel Barenboim directs the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from the keyboard Debbie Wiseman The Glorious Garden – Myrtle Violin: Jack Liebeck Debbie Wiseman conducts the National Symphony Orchestra Sergei Prokofiev Symphony No.1 in D major Opus 25 Seiji Ozawa conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra 7pm to 9pm: SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES with ANDREW COLLINS It's awards season in the world of movies and although cinemas have been closed to most around the world, films have still managed to make their way on to screens at home. So, the buzz around the Golden Globe Awards and 93rd Academy Awards has Andrew rolling out the red carpet. He picks his favourite award-worthy soundtracks and ones to watch including Mank by duo Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Trial of the Chicago 7 by Daniel Pemberton, Nomadland featuring music by Ludovico Einaudi, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom by Branford Marsalis and The Midnight Sky by Alexandre Desplat. 3 SATURDAY 20TH MARCH 9pm to 10pm: DAVID MELLOR’S MELODIES To mark St Patrick’s Day which fell earlier this week, David features some of his favourite Irish melodies. There’s a moving rendition of ‘Danny Boy’ and Malcolm Arnold’s Irish Dances, plus a medley of traditional Irish tunes performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra and Arthur Fiedler. 4 SUNDAY 21ST MARCH 4pm to 7pm: JOHN HUMPHRYS Spring may be officially underway, but John takes a stormy trip on one of music’s most famous rivers, as he features a stand-out recording of Smetana’s Vltava, from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Nikolaus Harnoncourt. There’s another piece chosen by a listener, as John discovers a work that first set someone on their classical music journey. 7pm to 9pm: SMOOTH CLASSICS AT SEVEN with CHARLOTTE HAWKINS Charlotte picks violinist Ray Chen as her Young Classical Star. The Taiwanese-born musician began learning violin at the age of four and by the age of eight he was invited to play solo with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra and performed at the opening celebration concert of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Since then, Ray Chen has recorded a number of studio albums on the Sony Classical label including the Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn and Mozart Violin Concertos. 9pm to 10pm: JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER’S RISING STARS (4 / 5) Julian Lloyd Webber continues his series on Classic FM, shining a spotlight on the finest young musicians; those musical talents that make up his “30 under 30.” Julian introduces an award-winning classical guitarist who, at the age of 28, is already on his third, critically acclaimed album. From his most recent release, Julian plays Sean Shibe’s performance of Bach’s Lute Suite No.1. He also features a young violinist who made his professional concerto debut at the age of seven. Now aged 20, Johan Dalene has been making waves on stages around the world. We hear his stunning recording of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Julian has an exclusive performance from the cellist Pablo Ferrandez, a musician described by Anne-Sophie Mutter as “truly special”. Julian selects Pablo’s recording of Rachmaninov’s Vocalise, ahead of the release of his new album later this week. 5 MONDAY 22ND MARCH 8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: NORTHERN LIGHTS John presents an evening of all-Nordic music, from the famous to the perhaps lesser known. To begin, Sibelius’ unmistakable Karelia Suite, which after its premiere the composer complained it had been too popular, as “you couldn’t hear a single note of the music – everyone was on their feet cheering and clapping”. There’s music by Denmark’s most successful musical export, Nielsen, and a piano concerto by Stenhammar, a Swedish composer who took guidance from both Sibelius and Nielsen. Iceland is represented too, via the tranquil music of Ólafur Arnalds. Jean Sibelius Karelia Suite Opus 11 Andrew Davis conducts the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Hugo Alfven Swedish Rhapsody No.1 Opus 19 (‘Midsummer Vigil’) Neeme Järvi conducts the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra Ólafur Arnalds Happiness Does Not Wait Angele Dubeau directs La Pieta from the violin Edvard Grieg Holberg Suite Opus 40 Seiji Ozawa conducts the Mito Chamber Orchestra Wilhelm Stenhammar Piano Concerto No.1 in B-flat minor Opus 1 Piano: Niklas Sivelov Mario Vengazo conducts the Malmo Symphony Orchestra Carl Nielsen Bohemian-Danish Folk Tune Gennadi Rozhdestvensky conducts the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra 6 TUESDAY 23RD MARCH 8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: A BARBER, A BIRTHDAY AND A BOHEMIAN The centrepiece of the programme this evening is Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No.2, which the composer wrote while on his honeymoon, out of a desire to impress and capture English audiences. John selects a sparkling performance by young pianist Jan LIsiecki, who celebrates his 26th birthday today. Elsewhere, John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique in Schubert’s Symphony No.5, captured live in performance at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw in 2016, there’s a new recording of Kreisler’s Liebesleid, and a lesser- heard serenade written on Dvořák’s recommendation. Gioachino Rossini The Barber of Seville – Overture Rinaldo Alessandrini conducts the Concerto Italian Franz Schubert Symphony No.5 in B-flat major D.485 John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique Felix Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor Opus 25 Jan Lisiecki directs the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Josef Suk Serenade for Strings Opus 6 Jiri Belohlavek conducts the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Fritz Kreisler Liebesleid Violin: Charlie SIem Piano: Itamar Golan Francois Devienne Flute Concerto No.13 in D major Opus Post. Patrick Gallois directs the Swedish Chamber Orchestra from the flute 7 WEDNESDAY 24TH MARCH 8pm to 10pm: THE CLASSIC FM CONCERT with JOHN SUCHET: THE BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS AT 300 On 24th March 1721, exactly 300 years ago, Bach wrote to the Margrave of Brandenburg, offering what he called his “little talents which Heaven has given me for music” via a collection of six works.