Friday - Rob Cowan with Nicholas Hytner
Discover definitive recordings of classical music with your trusted guide, Rob Cowan. His guest is highly acclaimed theatre, opera and film director Nicholas Hytner.
9²¹³¾â€¯
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 - listen to the clues and identify a mystery musical object.
10am
Rob's guest this week is the highly acclaimed theatre, opera and film director Nicholas Hytner. Until recently Nicholas was Director of the National Theatre, a role he held for nearly 12 years. He began his directing career in the opera house as an assistant at English National Opera, where he went on to lead productions of Wagner, Handel and Mozart. In 1989 he directed the first production of Miss Saigon in the West End and soon afterwards began his long association with the National Theatre. At the National, Nicholas directed the original theatre production of Alan Bennett's The History Boys before directing the much-loved film adaptation. This was by no means his first or last collaboration with Bennett; he directed both the stage and film productions of Bennett's The Madness of George III and The Lady in the Van. As well as discussing his work as a director, Nicholas shares his passion for classical music, choosing a selection of his favourite works by composers including Monteverdi, Sibelius and Britten.
10.30
Music on Location: Rome
Rob visits Rome through the eyes of Tchaikovsky; the composer wrote his Capriccio italien whilst on a visit to this ancient city.
11am
Rob's Proms Artist of the Week is the Scottish pianist Steven Osborne. Osborne is publicly acknowledged as one of the great pianists of his generation; in 2013 he was named Instrumentalist of the Year by The Royal Philharmonic Society and he is the recipient of two Gramophone awards. Osborne has given concerto performances and recitals around the world and is a regular at the 91Èȱ¬ Proms; this year he is giving the premiere of a new piano concerto by Julian Anderson with the 91Èȱ¬ Scottish Symphony Orchestra (91Èȱ¬SSO). Osborne has a long-term relationship with the 91Èȱ¬SSO and this week Rob has chosen their recordings of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major, Britten's Piano Concerto in D major, Stravinsky's Concerto for piano and wind instruments, and Manuel de Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain. We'll also hear Osborne's award-winning recording of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
Falla
Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Steven Osborne (piano)
91Èȱ¬ Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ludovic Morlot (conductor)
Producer SUSAN KENYON.
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Music Played
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Bagatelle in C minor WoO.52 for piano
Performer: Steven Osborne.- HYPERION.
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Frederick Delius
Over the Hills and Far Away
Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Thomas Beecham.- EMI.
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Frederick Delius
On Craig Dhu (An Impression of Nature)
Choir: Carice Singers. Conductor: George Parris.- NAXOS.
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Johannes Brahms
Scherzo in C minor, WoO 2 (F.A.E. Sonata)
Performer: Augustin Dumay. Performer: Louis Lortie.- ONYX.
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Giovanni Gabrieli
Canzon per sonar a 4 [1608]
Ensemble: Philip Jones Brass Ensemble.- DECCA.
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Franz Schubert
Galopp and 8 ecossaises D.735 for piano: Galop in G major
Orchestrator: Bruno Maderna. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.- DG.
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Charles Martin Loeffler
The Pool
Ensemble: London Conchord Ensemble.- CHAMPS HILL RECORDS.
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Ralph Vaughan Williams
Tuba Concerto in F minor
Performer: Patrick Harrild. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Bryden Thomson.- Vaughan Williams: The 9 Symphonies: LSO, Bryden Thomson.
- Chandos.
- 12.
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Nicholas Hytner's First Choice
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George Frideric Handel
Serse: Ombra mai fu
Singer: Anne Murray. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.- Great Handel Arias.
- Forlane.
- 005.
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Nicholas Hytner's Second Choice
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Richard Rodgers
Little Girl Blue
Singer: Nina Simone.- CHARLY.
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Rob Cowan's Personal Shopper Choice for Nicholas Hytner
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The Magic Flute: "Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön"
Singer: Joseph Schmidt. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Berlin Städtische Oper. Conductor: Selmar Meyrowitz.- TELDEC.
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Georg Frideric Handel
Lascia Ch'Io Czardas
Music Arranger: Adam Summerhayes. Ensemble: Red Priest.- RED PRIEST RECORDINGS.
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Music on Location: Rome
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Capriccio Italien, Op 45
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Kenneth Alwyn.- Decca.
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Thomas Tomkins
Ut-re-mi-fa-so-la
Ensemble: Fretwork.- HARMONIA MUNDI.
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Paul Simon
91Èȱ¬less
Composer: Joseph Shabalala. Choir: Ladysmith Black Mambazo.- UNIVERSAL MUSIC TV.
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Proms Artist of the Week: Steven Osborne
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Manuel de Falla
Nights in the Gardens of Spain 
Performer: Steven Osborne. Orchestra: 91Èȱ¬ Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Ludovic Morlot.- HYPERION.
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Franz Schubert
Piano Trio in B flat major, D 898
Ensemble: Sukovo trio.- WARNER APEX.
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William Mathias
Let the people praise thee, O Lord Op.87
Performer: Andrew Lucas. Choir: St Paul's Cathedral Choir. Conductor: John (u.k.) Scott.- HYPERION : SPCC200-0.
- HYPERION.
- 5.
Musical Challenge: Mystery Object
Broadcast
- Fri 28 Jul 2017 09:0091Èȱ¬ Radio 3