Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Friday - Rob Cowan with Mike Figgis

With Rob Cowan. Including Musical challenge; Music on Location: Vladimir Horowitz; Artist of the Week: Solomon Cutner, featured performing Schubert's Piano Sonata in A, D664.

9am
Rob sets the tone and mood of the day's programme with a range of music to intrigue, surprise and entertain.

9.30
Take part in today's musical challenge: can you remember the television show or film that featured this piece of classical music?

10am
Rob's guest this week is the film director, writer, photographer and composer Mike Figgis. Mike is best known as the director of films such as Leaving Las Vegas and Internal Affairs, but he came to film after many years in music and theatre. He plays the piano, guitar and trumpet and has played and recorded with various bands in London and France, including a 'free jazz' group. For a decade Mike was a member of the People Show, a long-running experimental theatre group based in London, and has directed operas for the Manchester International Music Festival and English National Opera. As well as discussing his life and work, Mike shares some of his favourite classical music throughout the week by composers including Ives, Zelenka and Schubert.

10.30
Music on Location: New York
Rob returns to a very memorable concert given by the pianist Vladimir Horowitz at Carnegie Hall on 23rd April, 1951.

11am
Rob's featured artist is one of Britain's greatest pianists, Solomon Cutner - known to audiences simply as Solomon. He rose from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of his profession, and was en route to recording all of Beethoven's piano sonatas when tragedy struck; he suffered a severe stroke, and for the next 32 years Solomon the pianist was forced to become Solomon the concert-goer and listener. Solomon was a prime example of the notion that less is more; his reading of Beethoven's 'Waldstein' Sonata is perfectly proportioned, his Liszt and Chopin compelling but never sentimental, his Schubert abundantly lyrical, while in chamber music - especially with the cellist Gregor Piatigorsky - Solomon was the ideal duo partner. His performances are dignified and musically persuasive making his recordings well worth revisiting.

Schubert
Piano Sonata in A major, D.664
Solomon (piano).

3 hours

Last on

Fri 7 Jul 2017 09:00
91热爆 Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Thursday - Rob Cowan with Mike Figgis

Next

Monday - Sarah Walker with Wasfi Kani

See all episodes from Essential Classics

Music Played

  • Arthur Honegger

    Pacific 231

    Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Louis Fr茅maux.
    • WARNER.

  • Tom谩s Luis de Victoria

    Quem Vidistis, Pastores

    Choir: Nordic Voices.
    • CHACONNE.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op.56a

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Antonio Pedrotti.
    • SUPRAPHON.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Meine Seele h枚rt im Sehen HWV 207

    Singer: Marie Friederike Sch枚der. Orchestra: Batsdorfer Hofkapelle.
    • ACCENT.

  • Johann Strauss II

    Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.114

    Ensemble: Boskovsky Ensemble. Conductor: Willi Boskovsky.
    • DECCA ELOQUENCE.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Gaspard de la Nuit: II. Le gibet

    Performer: Bertrand Chamayou.
    • ERATO.

  • Rosey Chan

    Adagio for Planet Earth

    Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Paul Watkins.

  • Thomas Ad猫s

    Polaris: Voyage for Orchestra (conclusion)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Thomas Ad猫s.
    • LSO LIVE.

  • Gy枚rgy Ligeti

    The Cuckoo in the Pear-Tree

    Choir: The King鈥檚 Singers.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Piano Sonata in E flat, Hob XVI.52

    Performer: Vladimir Horowitz.
    • SONY.

  • Donald Swann

    Margate 1940

    Singer: Roderick Williams. Performer: Christopher Glynn.
    • HYPERION.

  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Polonaise in E flat major, B.100

    Orchestra: Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Antal Dor谩ti.
    • Dvorak: Slavonic Dances etc.: RPO/Detroit SO/Dorati.
    • Decca.
    • 15.

  • Franz Schubert

    Piano Sonata in A major, D 664

    Performer: Solomon.
    • TESTAMENT.

  • John Sheppard

    Verbum caro factum est

    Ensemble: Stile Antico.
    • Puer Natus Est, Tudor Music For Advent and Christmas: Stile Antico.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 12.

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Symphony No.9 in E flat, Op.70

    Orchestra: State Academic Symphony Orchestra of The Russian Federation. Conductor: David Oistrakh.
    • RUSSIAN DISC.

Musical Challenge: Imperfect Harmony

The two pieces being played simultaneously were Shostakovich's String Quartet No.8 in C minor, Op.110 & Ravel's 'Le Gibet' from Gaspard de la Nuit.

Broadcast

  • Fri 7 Jul 2017 09:00
    91热爆 Radio 3

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.