Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Donald Macleod looks into 󲹳ܰé's married life and his encounters with the music of Richard Wagner.

Donald Macleod looks into 󲹳ܰé's married life and his encounters with the music of Richard Wagner.

Gabriel 󲹳ܰé’s story begins during the second half of the 19th century, when the musical world was dominated by the heavily romantic voices of composers like Wagner, Brahms and Liszt. 󲹳ܰé became a key protagonist in a musical revolution that opened audiences’ ears to new modes of expression - modern, refined and utterly French. As a composer, and as a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, he left a huge legacy on the music of the 20th century. This week Donald Macleod explores some of the many turning points in 󲹳ܰé’s career, and how those events affected his life and his art.

Gabriel 󲹳ܰé was often asked by the megastar singer, Pauline Viardot, to turn his attention to opera, and he set off to experience the greatest operas of his day. He commented that Wagner’s music made him ‘weary with admiration’ but he never became a total devotee of the Wagner cult. In 1883, 󲹳ܰé married to Marie Fremiet. Their liaison seems to have begun by 󲹳ܰé pulling Marie’s name out of a hat! Their life quickly settled into a comfortable routine but it soon must have been obvious to Marie that she would have to play a subsidiary role in her husband’s world.

Gabriel 󲹳ܰé and André Messager
Souvenirs de Bayreuth
Jean-Philippe Collard, piano
Bruno Rigutto, piano

󲹳ܰé
Piano Quartet No 1 in C minor, Op 15
Hermitage String Trio
Kathryn Stott, piano

Ballade in F sharp, Op 19
Kathryn Stott, piano

Les roses d’lspahan, Op 39 No 4
Olga Peretyatko, soprano
Basel Symphony Orchestra
Ivor Bolton, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock for 91ȱ Wales

59 minutes

Music Played

  • Gabriel 󲹳ܰé

    Souvenirs de Bayreuth

    Performer: Jean‐Philippe Collard. Performer: Bruno Rigutto.
    • EMI : CDZ-762688-2.
    • EMI.
    • 23.
  • Gabriel 󲹳ܰé

    Piano Quartet No 1 in C minor, Op 15

    Performer: Kathryn Stott. Ensemble: Hermitage String Trio.
    • CHANDOS : CHAN-10582.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 1.
  • Gabriel 󲹳ܰé

    Ballade in F sharp major, Op 19

    Performer: Kathryn Stott.
    • HYPERION : CDA-66911.
    • HYPERION.
    • 14.
  • Gabriel 󲹳ܰé

    Les roses d'lspahan, Op 39, No 4

    Singer: Olga Peretyatko. Orchestra: Basel Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Ivor Bolton.
    • SONY : 19075818582.
    • SONY.
    • 7.

Broadcasts

  • Tue 18 May 2021 12:00
  • Tue 10 Oct 2023 12:00

Beethoven Unleashed – the box set

Beethoven Unleashed – the box set

The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems

Composers A to Z

Composers A to Z

Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod’s best stories from the last 20 years

Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem

What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?

A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...

The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.

Composer Help Page

Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.