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Wednesday - Sarah Walker, plus Rob Cowan with Nicholas Parsons

With Sarah Walker. Including Five Reasons to Love Concert Overtures; Wagner: Lohengrin (excerpts); Artist of the Week: Leonard Bernstein conducting Mozart: Piano Concerto in B flat.

9am
A selection of music including '5 reasons to love... concert overtures'. Throughout the week Sarah explores how composers have created colourful pieces that might tell a dramatic narrative (Beethoven's Egmont), represent humour (Malcolm Arnold's A Grand, Grand Overture), depict the action or characters from Shakespeare's plays, and celebrate a historical anniversary.

9.30am
Take part in today's challenge: listen to the clues and identify the mystery music-related object.

10am
Rob talks to his guest, Nicholas Parsons. Actor, cabaret performer, stand-up comedian, panel show host and quizmaster, Nicholas has had a long and varied career in show business since he first started working in repertory theatre in the 1940s. He became a household name in the 1970s as the host of game show Sale of the Century, but is perhaps best known as the chairman of 91热爆 Radio 4's Just a Minute. Nicholas has chaired the hit comedy panel game since its inception in 1967 and hasn't missed a show in 48 years and over 900 performances. Nicholas will be talking about the seven decades he has spent working in radio, theatre and television, and sharing a selection of his favourite classical music every day at 10am.

10.30am NEW: Music in Time
Sarah places Music in Time as she travels back to the Romantic period. She discovers how Wagner's fascination with the Middle Ages brought his music-drama Lohengrin to life, and plays excerpts from the opera.

11am
Sarah's Artist of the Week is one of the most charismatic conductors of the 20th century, and one of the first American-born conductors to gain worldwide recognition. Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein's prodigious talent as a pianist coupled with lessons from composer Aaron Copland and conductor Fritz Reiner catapulted him into the limelight in the years following the Second World War. His Young People's Concerts for CBS were particularly influential in drawing people to classical music, and his work with the New York Philharmonic and other orchestras led to an international career. He performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 1989 as part of the celebrations marking the fall of the Berlin Wall. Throughout the week Sarah features a selection of Bernstein's glittering recordings.

Mozart
Piano Concerto in B flat major, K.450
Leonard Bernstein (piano/director)
Vienna Philharmonic.

3 hours

Music Played

  • Leonard Bernstein

    Alleluia (Mass)

    Singer: Adrienne Albert. Singer: Maeretha Stewart. Singer: June Magruder. Singer: Charles Magruder. Singer: John Mann. Singer: Elliott Williams. Orchestra: Orchestra. Conductor: Leonard Bernstein.
    • SONY.
  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

    Symphony in D major Wq.183`1

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Rebecca Miller.
    • SIGNUM.
  • Ernesto De Curtis

    Non ti scordar di me (Don鈥檛 forget me)

    Performer: Sergei Nakariakov. Performer: Vera Nakariakova.
    • WARNER CLASSICS.
  • 5 Reasons to Love... Concert Overtures

    • Felix Mendelssohn

      The Fair Melusine

      Orchestra: Orchestre symphonique de Montr茅al. Conductor: Charles Dutoit.
      • DECCA.
  • Anon.

    Balaju Jarocho

    Ensemble: Hesp猫rion XXI. Director: Jordi Savall.
    • ALIA VOX.
  • Franz Schmidt

    Intermezzo (Notre Dame)

    Orchestra: Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam. Conductor: Yakov Kreizberg.
    • PENTATONE.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Suite in E major, HWV430 鈥楾he Harmonious Blacksmith'

    Performer: Paul Nicholson.
    • HYPERION.
  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Anvil Chorus (Il trovatore)

    Choir: Chorus of La Scala, Milan. Orchestra: Orchestra of La Scala, Milan. Conductor: Riccardo Muti.
    • EMI.
  • Nicholas Parsons' Choice No. 1

    • Dmitry Shostakovich

      I. Allegro (Symphony No.9 in E flat major, Op.70)

      Orchestra: Mariinsky Orchestra. Conductor: Valery Gergiev.
      • MARIINSKY.
  • Nicholas Parsons' Choice No.2

    • Dmitri Shostakovich

      II. Andante (Piano Concerto No.2 in F major, Op.102)

      Performer: Alexander Melnikov. Orchestra: Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Teodor Currentzis.
      • HARMONIA MUNDI.
  • Joseph Haydn

    Notturno no.5 in C major, H.2.29

    Ensemble: Mozzafiato. Ensemble: L鈥橝rchibudelli.
    • Sony.
  • Music in Time: Romantic

    • Richard Wagner

      Lohengrin (Prelude Act 1)

      Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Georg Solti.
      • DG.
    • Richard Wagner

      'Mein lieber Schwan' (Lohengrin, Act 4)

      Singer: Siegfried Jerusalem. Singer: Cheryl Studer. Singer: Kurt Moll. Singer: Waltraud Meier. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Georg Solti.
      • DG.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen (Cantata No 82)

    Singer: Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. Orchestra: Orchestra of Emmanuel Music. Conductor: Craig Smith.
    • Nonesuch Records.
  • Artist of the Week: Leonard Bernstein

    • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

      Piano Concerto No.15 in B flat major, K.450

      Performer: Leonard Bernstein. Director: Leonard Bernstein. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic.
      • DECCA.
  • Rebecca Clarke

    Morpheus

    Performer: Philip Dukes. Performer: Sophia Rahman.
    • NAXOS.
  • Edvard Grieg

    Holberg Suite, Op. 40

    Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
    • Decca.

Mystery Object

Answer: Anvil

Broadcast

  • Wed 14 Oct 2015 09:00

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