Composer of the Week Podcast Folgen

This week, Donald Macleod explores Purcell’s work during his short life in the context of the turbulent times in which he lived. This was a period of intense political and social change, encompassing three different monarchies, the plague, the great fire of London, and the arrival of another deadly pandemic.Music featured:Blow up the trumpet in Sion, Z10 Welcome, vicegerent of the mighty king, Z340 Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei, Z135 Sonata a 4 No 4 in D minor, Z805 Theodosius, or The Force of Love, Z606 Morning Service in D, Z232: Te Deum Rejoice in the Lord alway, Z49 “Bell Anthem” Lord, What is Man? Z192, "A Divine Hymn" Thou wakeful shepherd, Z98 "A Morning Hymn" Now that the sun hath veiled his light, Z193, "An Evening Hymn on a Ground" Morning Service in D, Z232: Jubilate Deo I was glad when they said unto me, Z19 Now does the glorious day appear Z332 (opening chorus) Love’s goddess sure was blind, Z331 (excerpts) From hardy Climes and dangerous Toils of War Z325 (excerpts) March and Canzona in C minor, Z860 Dido and Aeneas, Z626 (excerpts) The Fairy Queen, Z629 (excerpts) The Indian Queen, Z630 (excerpts) King Arthur, Z628, "The British Worthy" (excerpts) The Prophetess, or The History of Dioclesian, Z629 (excerpt) Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary, Z. 860i Incassum Lesbia, incassum rogas, Z83 Play Music for Abdelazer (excerpts) From Rosy BowersPresented by Donald Macleod Produced by Iain ChambersFor full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Henry Purcell (1659-1695) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000x6k2And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of the 19th-century French singer, pianist, composer and influential society figure, Pauline Viardot. “When I want to do something, I do it in spite of water, fire, society, the whole world”, an indicator if ever there was one, of the inner steel of this week’s composer.Born in 1821, Pauline Viardot possessed an array of exceptional qualities. As one of the opera stars of her age, she was admired from Paris to St Petersburg as a sublime interpreter of Rossini, Bellini, Handel and Gluck. Beyond her incomparable voice, her twice weekly artistic salons were a high point in Parisian cultural life. She knew, and was admired by Chopin, George Sand, Delacroix, Liszt, Fauré, Tchaikovsky, and Saint-Saëns to name but a few. While having, according to Saint-Saëns, an unnecessarily modest view of her talent, she was also an accomplished composer. A talented linguist with five languages at her command, her compositions include a substantial body of songs, one or two instrumental works and a series of highly appealing operettas.This week Donald Macleod will be exploring different facets of her extraordinary life. We’ll be hearing from a range of Viardot’s compositions as well as some of the operatic roles she made famous. He’ll be examining her role in Parisian cultural circles, and her friendships with leading writers among them Charles Dickens, and in particular Ivan Turgenev, and composers such as Berlioz, Saint-Saens, Meyerbeer and Gounod, all of whom created roles specifically for her incredible voice.Music Featured:Les filles de Cadix Scène d’Hermione, Act IV: Je ne t’ai point (pas), Cruel? Manuel Garcia Snr: La figlia dell’aria: È non lo vedo…. Son regina Liszt: El Contrabandista Rondo Fantastique sur Un Thème Espagnol, S.252 Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia, Act 2, Don Basilio! Cosa veggo? …… briconi, birbanti Rossini: Otello, Act 3, Sc 1, Canzone del Salice: Assisa a pie d'un salice Madrid Hai luli Six Morceaux (I Romance; II Bohèmienne; III: Berceuse) Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Act 2, Ah! qual colpo inaspettato! Plainte d’amour (Mazurka in F sharp minor, Op 6, No 1) L’Oiselet (Mazurka Op 68, No 2) La Séparation (Mazurka no 14 in G minor Op 24, No 1) Rossini: La Cenerentola, Overture 3 Mörike Songs (no 1. In der Frühe; No 2. Nixe Binsefuss) Berçeuse-cosaque Golden glow of the mountain peaks Do not sing, my beauty, to me Rossini: Il barbiere di siviglia, Act 1, No 5,Una voce poco fa Le dernier sorcier, Act 1, No 1 Par ici; No 2 Chanson de Lelio; No 3 Romance de la Reine 12 songs of Pushkin, Fet and Turgenev (No 1, Tsvetok) 5 poems of Lermontov & Turgenev (No 1, Na zare) 10 poems of Pushkin, Lermontov, Koltsov, Tyutchev and Fet (No 3, Ya lyubila yego) 12 poems of Pushkin, Fet and Turgenev (No 4, Polunochnyye obrazy) Bellini: La sonnambula, Act 1 (excerpts) Évocation Le dernier sorcier, Act 2 Finale Gounod: Sapho, Act 3, O ma lyre immortelle…. Saint-Saens: Samson et Dalila, Act 1, Printemps qui commence (Dalila, The Old Hebrew) Meyerbeer: Le prophète, Act 5 Sc 2, 3 & 4 Fauré: Puisqu’ici-bas toutes âme Wagner: Tristan und Isolde, Act 2, O sink herneider, Nacht der liebe Brahms: Alto Rhapsody Violin Sonatina in A Minor (Allegro finale) Cendrillon (excerpts) Gluck, ed Berlioz: Orphée, Act 1, Sc 4, Amour, viens rendre à mon âmePresented by Donald Macleod Produced by Johannah SmithFor full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Pauline Viardot and Her Circle https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000wyscAnd you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Robert Simpson - once described as "Britain's most important composer since Vaughan Williams", and "one of the century's most powerful and original symphonists" - was a man of integrity, a champion of lesser-known composers, and a man who lived his own life by strict principles: pacifism, socialism and what he called "anti-pessimism". This week, in Simpson's centenary year, Donald Macleod looks back at the life and work of Robert Simpson - from his childhood in the Salvation Army, to his experiences as a conscientious objector during the Second World War. He explores Simpson's writings on music and on life, and his time working at the BBC, before his break from the Corporation and from this country. Along the way we'll hear from Simpson's considerable body of work, which included no fewer than 11 Symphonies and 15 String Quartets.Music Featured:Symphony No 4 (II. Presto) In Media Morte in Vita Sumus Energy (IV. Allegro molto; V. Presto vivo) Symphony No 6 (excerpt) Canzona for Brass Symphony No 1 (excerpt) String Quartet No 10 “for peace” (III. Molto Adagio) Symphony No 5 (Canone II – Adagio) Piano Sonata (III. Allegro Vivace) Allegro Deciso for String Orchestra The Four Temperaments (I. Scherzo (Sanguine); II. Intermezzo Allegro (Phlegmatic)) Symphony No 3 (II. Adagio – Andante – Allegretto) String Quartet No 6 (I. Adagio) Symphony No 8 (II. Scherzo) Michael Tippett, His Mystery Variations on a theme by Carl Nielsen Eppur si muove for organ (Ricercar) String Quartet No 13 (IV. Andante) Symphony No 9 (excerpt) Quintet for Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and String Trio (I. Adagio tranquillo) Symphony 7 (excerpt) VortexPresented by Donald Macleod Produced by Sam PhillipsFor full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Robert Simpson (1921-97) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000wkycAnd you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z