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Friday - Rob Cowan with Janet Suzman

With Rob Cowan. Including My Favourite Operatic Overtures; Music in Time: Dunstable; Artist of the Week: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, featured in Schubert's Schwanengesang (selection).

9am
My favourite... operatic overtures. Rob chooses some of his favourite operatic overtures from the Classical and Romantic periods, putting the spotlight on pieces including Chabrier's Gwendoline, Weber's Der Freischutz and Borodin's Prince Igor.

9.30am
Take part in today's musical challenge: trace the classical theme behind a well-known song.

10am
Rob's guest is the actress and director Janet Suzman. Janet has appeared on stage at the Royal Shakespeare Company in roles ranging from Beatrice and Kate to Ophelia and Lavinia, as well as a critically acclaimed Cleopatra. She became known on the big screen for her performance as Tsarina Alexandra in the Academy Award winning film Nicholas and Alexandra. In her native South Africa Janet has directed Brecht, Chekhov and Shakespeare, and here in the UK has recently turned to directing opera. Janet will be sharing a selection of her favourite classical music, including works by Purcell, Brahms, and Donizetti, every day at 10am.

10:30am
Music in Time: Medieval
Rob places Music in Time. Today the spotlight turns to the Medieval period and one of the most influential English composers from this time: Dunstable.

11am
Rob's artist of the week is the baritone, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Celebrated as one of the finest lieder interpreters of all time, Fischer-Dieskau left a considerable recording legacy that has influenced generations of singers. Throughout the week Rob focuses specifically on the baritone's lieder skills, with song cycles by Beethoven, Brahms and Mahler, as well as selections of songs by Schubert and Wolf.

Schubert
Schwanengesang (selection)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano).

3 hours

Music Played

  • Franz Schubert

    Liebesbotschaft (Schwanengesang, D 957)

    Performer: Gerald Moore. Singer: Dietrich Fischer‐Dieskau.
    • DG.
  • My favourite... operatic overtures

    • Carl Maria von Weber

      Der Freischütz (Overture)

      Orchestra: Staatskapelle Dresden. Conductor: Carlos Kleiber.
      • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Alexander von Zemlinsky

    Humoreske

    Ensemble: Les Vents Français.
    • French Music for Winds.
    • WARNER.
    • 7.
  • Bedrich Smetana

    Sarka (Ma Vlast)

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Rafael Kubelík.
    • Smetana: Ma Vlast (My Country): Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Belohlavek.
    • Supraphon.
    • 3.
  • Peteris Vasks

    Gramata cellam (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Sol Gabetta. Singer: Sol Gabetta.
    • SONY.
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Tuba Concerto in F minor

    Performer: Patrick Harrild. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Bryden Thomson.
    • Vaughan Williams: The 9 Symphonies: LSO, Bryden Thomson.
    • Chandos.
    • 12.
  • Jacques Offenbach

    Barcarolle (Gaîté parisienne)

    Orchestrator: Manuel Rosenthal. Orchestra: Boston Pops Orchestra. Conductor: Arthur Fiedler.
    • RCA.
  • Janet Suzman's Choice No. 1

    • John Dowland

      Langton's Galliard

      Performer: Nigel North.
      • NAXOS.
  • Janet Suzman's Choice No. 2

    • Ravi Shankar

      Karnataki (Raga Kirvani)

      Performer: Nodu Mullick.
      • BGO.
  • Rob's Choice for Janet Suzman

    • Ludwig van Beethoven

      O welche Lust (Fidelio)

      Singer: Juan Sebastián Acosta. Singer: Levente Pall. Choir: Arnold Schoenberg Chor. Orchestra: Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Orchestra: Lucerne Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.
      • DECCA.
  • Camille Saint‐Saëns

    Allegro appassionato, Op 43

    Performer: Alban Gerhardt. Performer: Cécile Licad.
    • HYPERION.
  • John Dunstable

    Preco preheminencie

    Choir: Orlando Consort.
    • METRONOME.
  • John Dunstable

    Albanus roseo rutilat

    Choir: Orlando Consort.
    • METRONOME.
  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    The Snow Maiden Suite

    Orchestra: Russian National Orchestra. Conductor: Mikhail Pletnev.
    • PENTATONE.
  • Artist of the Week: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

    • Franz Schubert

      Ständchen (Schwanengesang, D 957)

      Singer: Dietrich Fischer‐Dieskau. Performer: Gerald Moore.
      • DG.
    • Franz Schubert

      Abschied (Schwanengesang, D 957)

      Performer: Gerald Moore. Singer: Dietrich Fischer‐Dieskau.
      • DG.
    • Franz Schubert

      Der Doppelgänger (Schwanengesang, D 957)

      Performer: Gerald Moore. Singer: Dietrich Fischer‐Dieskau.
      • DG.
  • Maurice Ravel

    Rapsodie Espagnole: Feria

  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony No 81 in G major

    Orchestra: Accademia Bizantina. Conductor: Ottavio Dantone.
    • DECCA.
  • Richard Strauss

    Wiegenlied, Op 41 No 1

    Singer: Jessye Norman. Orchestra: Gewandhaus Orchestra. Conductor: Kurt Masur.
    • PHILIPS.

Classical Roots

Answer: 'Please Don't Go' is based on the Barcarolle from Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann

The music played:

Offenbach/Jackie Rae/Les Reed
'Please Don’t Go'
Donald Peers (vocals)
EMI

Broadcast

  • Fri 29 Apr 2016 09:00

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