Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Thursday - Rob Cowan with Rainer Hersch

With Rob Cowan. Including Five Reasons to Love Toccatas; Music in Time: the In Nomine; Artist of the Week: Philharmonia Orchestra in Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 2 in C minor.

9am
A selection of music including '5 Reasons to Love... Toccatas'. The Toccata takes its name from the Italian verb 'toccare' - to touch - and is most closely associated with keyboard music. Throughout the week Rob explores this virtuosic form, showcasing its level of invention and adaptability. With examples ranging from Bach's evergreen Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV565 to Toccatas by Prokofiev and Vaughan Williams, Rob offers a ringside view of pieces designed to show off the dexterity of their players.

9.30am
Take part in our daily music-related challenge: listen to the clues and identify the mystery person.

10am
This week's guest is the conductor and comedian Rainer Hersch. Famous for combining his musical skills with stand-up comedy, Rainer has performed in comedy clubs around the world, making numerous appearances at the Edinburgh Festival and putting on comedy-concert series at London's Southbank Centre. He has presented comedy concert programmes with orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the St Petersburg Philharmonic, and made a documentary series, 'All The Right Notes, Not Necessarily in the Right Order' for 91热爆 Radio 4. Rainer will be sharing a selection of his favourite classical music, every day at 10am.

10.30am
Rob places Music in Time. The spotlight is on the Renaissance as Rob investigates why the In Nomine was a favourite form for English composers of the period.

11am
Rob's Artist of the Week is the Philharmonia Orchestra, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Founded by Walter Legge in 1945, the Philharmonia quickly became associated with many of the great classical artists of the 20th century. Throughout the week Rob showcases performances by the orchestra's principal and guest conductors.

Tchaikovsky
Symphony No.2 in C minor, Op.17 'Little Russian'
Philharmonia Orchestra
Riccardo Muti (conductor).

3 hours

Music Played

  • Giovanni Battista Martini

    Toccata

    Music Arranger: Marie鈥怌laire Alain. Performer: H氓kan Hardenberger. Performer: Simon Preston.
    • DG.
  • Hans Christian Lumbye

    Amelie Waltz

    Orchestra: Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Giordano Bellincampi.
    • NAXOS.
  • 5 REASONS TO LOVE... TOCCATAS

    • Johann Sebastian Bach

      Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565

      Performer: Carlo Curley.
      • DECCA.
  • Anon.

    Cachua

    Performer: Jordi Savall. Ensemble: Hesp猫rion XXI.
    • ALIA VOX.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Bagatelle in G minor, Op.126 no.2

    Performer: Stephen Kovacevich.
    • Beethoven: Bagatelles for Piano: Kovacevich.
    • Philips.
    • 20.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Dopo notte (Ariodante)

    Singer: Magdalena Ko啪en谩. Orchestra: Venice Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Andrea Marcon.
    • ARCHIV.
  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Danse macabre

    Performer: Kyung-wha Chung. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Dutoit.
    • DECCA.
  • Frederick Delius

    Irmelin (Prelude)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: John Barbirolli.
    • EMI.
  • Judith Weir

    Ave Regina Caelorum

    Choir: Choir of Merton College, Oxford. Conductor: Benjamin Nicholas.
    • The Marian Collection.
    • Delphian.
    • 1.
  • RAINER HERSCH'S CHOICE NO. 1

    • Franz Schubert

      An die Musik, D.547

      Singer: Dietrich Fischer鈥怐ieskau. Performer: Gerald Moore.
      • DG.
  • RAINER HERSCH'S CHOICE NO. 2

    • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

      'Madamina, il catalogo 猫 questo' (Don Giovanni)

      Singer: Samuel Ramey. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Riccardo Muti.
      • EMI.
  • RAINER HERSCH'S CHOICE NO. 3

    • Charles Trenet

      La Mer

      • EMI.
  • Ferdinand H茅rold

    Zampa (Overture)

    Orchestra: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Conductor: Ernest Ansermet.
    • Decca.
  • MUSIC IN TIME: RENAISSANCE

    • Christopher Tye

      In nomine 脿 5, 'Crye'

      Ensemble: Fretwork.
      • In Nomine - English music for concort of viols.
      • AMON RA.
      • 2.
  • Franz Liszt

    Prometheus

    Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Bernard Haitink.
    • PHILIPS.
  • Jean鈥怭hilippe Rameau

    Prologue (Hippolyte et Aricie)

    Orchestra: La Petite Bande. Director: Sigiswald Kuijken.
    • DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI.
  • ARTISTS OF THE WEEK: PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA

    • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Symphony No.2 in C minor, Op.17, 鈥楲ittle Russian鈥

      Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Muti.
      • EMI.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Brandenburg Concerto No.1 in F major, BWV1046

    Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Benjamin Britten.
    • DECCA.

Mystery Person

Answer: Frederick Delius

Broadcast

  • Thu 5 Nov 2015 09:00

Our Classical Century

Our Classical Century

Radio 3 explores 100 key musical moments that shaped us, from 1918 to the present day.

Time Travellers: the podcast

Time Travellers: the podcast

Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough presents quirky tales gathered from the corners of history.