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91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic Presents...

Jarvis Cocker and the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic weave tales of insomnia and nocturnal visions with music from Bach, Rachmaninov and others - alongside a performance from Jarvis himself.

To mark the winter solstice, a chance to hear a programme first broadcast on 91Èȱ¬ Radio 4 on 1st October in which Jarvis Cocker brought his award winning series Wireless Nights to Salford, forming part of this year's 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic Presents... series, a celebration of orchestral music in its many different forms.

In front of a studio audience, Jarvis Cocker and the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic weave tales of insomnia, nocturnal inspirations and dark imaginings from the world of classical music - against the backdrop of a President embroiled in the Vietnam War. There's also a special performance from Jarvis himself.

Jarvis tells stories of an insomniac German Count who supposedly had Bach compose his Goldberg Variations as a sleeping aid, and a wired President Nixon listening to Rachmaninov in the small hours when he felt the urge to go on a bizarre excursion in the presidential limo.

He also conjures up music that came in dreams and revelations – from Stravinsky's wild visions in the Rite of Spring to Schumann's once forgotten Violin Concerto, which apparently re-emerged during a séance many years after the composer's death.

Maxime Tortelier conducts the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic led by Yuri Torchinsky. Anthony Marwood plays solo violin and Peter Donohoe plays solo piano.

First broadcast on 91Èȱ¬ Radio 4 and repeated on 6 Music to mark the Winter Solstice.

Producers: Laurence Grissell and Neil McCarthy

Available now

30 minutes

Last on

Wed 24 May 2023 01:00

Music Played

  • Jarvis Cocker, 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic & Maxime Tortelier (conductor)

    Black Night (arr. Fiona Brice)

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Aria from Goldberg Variations

    Performer: Peter Donohoe (piano).
  • Igor Stravinsky

    Rite of Spring, Dance of the Adolescents

    Performer: 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic. Performer: Maxime Tortelier (conductor).
  • Robert Schumann

    Violin Concerto (2nd movt)

    Performer: Anthony Marwood (violin). Performer: 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic. Performer: Maxime Tortelier (conductor).
  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    3rd Piano Concerto (1st movt)

    Performer: Peter Donohoe (piano). Performer: 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic. Performer: Maxime Tortelier (conductor).
  • Jarvis Cocker, 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic & Maxime Tortelier (conductor)

    End of the Night (arr. Fiona Brice)

Broadcasts

  • Mon 13 Oct 2014 23:00
  • Sun 21 Dec 2014 01:00
  • Christmas Day 2014 22:00
  • Wed 24 May 2023 01:00

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