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Composer Christopher Willis with a playlist that mixes the cosmic and the visceral

Film composer Christopher Willis reveals familiar and unfamiliar works in a new light, including clarinetty Mozart and glittering Richard Strauss.

Christopher Willis is an Emmy Award-winning composer, arranger, songwriter and pianist who created the soundtracks for The Death of Stalin, Lamya's Poem and The Personal History of David Copperfield, besides writing music for films including Winnie the Pooh, Shrek and the TV series Veep.

Christopher鈥檚 choices on Inside Music range far and wide. There's William Walton鈥檚 stunning score for the film Battle of Britain, whose influence he says you can hear all over the Star Wars movies. There鈥檚 a song by Irving Berlin that Ella Fitzgerald uses as a vehicle for having fun with other tunes. And an earthy, satisfying piece by JS Bach which Christopher says brings out the engineer in him.

Plus Haydn depicts the vast reaches of space.

A series in which each week a musician explores a selection of music - from the inside.

A Tandem Production for 91热爆 Radio 3

1 hour, 56 minutes

Music Played

  • George Bruns

    Nation on Wheels (Peoplemover)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: George Bruns.
    • WALT DISNEY RECORDS.
  • Jean鈥怭hilippe Rameau

    Air gracieux, tambourins (La Guirlande)

    Orchestra: Cappella Coloniensis. Conductor: William Christie.
    • ERATO.
  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    Waltz in C sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2

    Performer: Arthur Rubinstein.
    • RCA.
  • Christopher Willis

    David's Writings (The Personal History of David Copperfield)

    • MVKA.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581 (I. Allegro)

    Performer: J枚rg Widmann. Ensemble: Arcanto Quartett.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
  • William Walton

    Battle of Britain Suite (I. Spitfire Music - Battle in the Air)

    Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
    • CHANDOS.
  • Irving Berlin

    Blue Skies

    Singer: Ella Fitzgerald. Ensemble: Paul Weston and His Orchestra.
    • VERVE.
  • Joseph Haydn

    The Creation (I. Representation of Chaos)

    Orchestra: Concentus Musicus Wien. Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
    • DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat major, Op. 27 No. 1 (II. Allegro molto e vivace)

    Performer: Glenn Gould.
    • SONY.
  • Richard Strauss

    An Alpine Symphony, Op. 64 (excerpt)

    Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Mariss Jansons.
    • BR KLASSIK.
  • Steve Reich

    Electric Counterpoint (II. Slow)

    Performer: Pat Metheny. Performer: Steve Reich.
    • NONESUCH.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B flat major, BWV 1051 (III. Allegro)

    Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • SDG.
  • Franz Schubert

    String Quintet in C, D. 956 (II. Adagio)

    Performer: Heinrich Schiff. Ensemble: Hagen Quartett.
    • DG.
  • Igor Stravinsky

    Les Noces (excerpt)

    Choir: RIAS Chamber Choir. Ensemble: Ensemble Musikfabrik. Conductor: Daniel Reuss.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
  • Robert Schumann

    Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61 (II. Scherzo. Allegro vivace)

    Orchestra: Orchestra Mozart. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.
    • DG.
  • Domenico Scarlatti

    Sonata in F minor, K 466

    Performer: Vladimir Horowitz.
    • SONY.
  • Stevie Wonder

    I Can Only Be Me

    Music Arranger: Christopher Willis. Singer: Eva Cassidy. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra.
    • BRIX STREET RECORDS.

Broadcast

  • Sat 30 Sep 2023 13:00

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