Kate Molleson sheds light on the forgotten composer, Silvestre Revueltas Silvestre Revueltas was a blazingly energetic and politically charged musician, a whirlwind of a composer who lived through a time of great political and creative upheaval in Mexico. The French writer André Breton was stunned when he visited the country and found not one unified identity, but many strikingly different cultures existing side by side with all of their clashing values, creeds, and customs. This kaleidoscopic and sometimes jarring world is the musical universe of Revueltas, one of a generation of artists who ..read more

Donald Macleod shines a light on charming and often enigmatic composer, Thomas Linley Jnr English composer, Thomas Linley the Younger was destined to become one of the brightest musical stars of eighteenth century. No less a person than Mozart, who was also a personal friend, hailed him as a ‘true genius’. Even so, Linley’s life was troubled. He and his siblings were ruthlessly driven by their ambitious father. He saw his beloved sister become fodder for the celebrity-hungry gossip mongers of the British press and must have wondered if he might be next. He was forced to navigate a dangerous at ..read more

Donald Macleod explores key figures in Richard Strauss’s life This week, Donald Macleod explores key figures in the life of Richard Strauss, including his librettist, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, his “domineering and difficult, yet devoted” wife, the soprano Pauline de Ahna, his “frenemy” Gustav Mahler as well as Strauss’s uncomfortably close relationship with the High Command of the Third Reich. Donald also examines the larger-than-life characters that populated the world of the composer’s imagination. Music Featured: Der Rosenkavalier, Op 59 (Act 1, Introduction) Le bourgeois gentilhomme, suite fo ..read more

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of American composer, Lou Harrison Lou Silver Harrison was an American, multi-faceted composer who died in 2003. In his music he explored a synthesis of Asian and Western influences, just intonation, and writing for percussion ensemble. He also involved himself in the arts as a performer, dancer, instrument maker, critic, puppeteer, poet, painter and much more. Harrison’s interest in Asian cultures began when he was very young, and remained a significant influence on his work for the rest of his life He enjoyed working with Gamelan percussion and inst ..read more

Kate Molleson explores five windows onto Dvořák’s soul Antonín Dvořák was one of the most heartfelt tunesmiths in classical music - a man who not only brought the sound of Czech folklore to the world, but also had an indelible impact on the musical nationhood of America. As a character he was sometimes shy, sometimes melancholy, routinely homesick and deeply passionate. This week, Kate Molleson explores five windows onto Dvořák’s soul, aspects of life that were really central to his convictions and his music. Music Featured: Gypsy Songs Op 55 No 4: Songs my mother taught me (arr. for cellos by ..read more

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Orlando Gibbons Orlando Gibbons’s life throws a light on the political turbulence affecting Britain in the early 17th century. As King James VI and I struggled to establish the concept of British identity, his court was blessed with one of England’s most talented musicians of the time, Orlando Gibbons. Music Featured: The Silver Swan O clap your hands Out of the Deep A Fancy (for Double Organ) Behold, thou hast made my days We praise thee, O Father What Is Our life? I am the resurrection Hosanna to the Son of David How art thou thralled Farewell all ..read more

Donald Macleod & Dr Jennifer Martyn explore the remarkable, tragic story of gifted violinist and composer, Amanda Maier Amanda Maier was one of the 19th century’s most brilliant musicians, yet whose story was almost lost to history. Born in the small Swedish town of Landskrona, her virtuoso talent at the violin saw her rise to become one of Europe’s most in-demand performers: giving private and public concerts of major works by Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Bruch, as well as her own dazzling compositions. Maier was a friend of Grieg, Brahms, Clara Schumann and Ethel Smyth and her music was revi ..read more

Donald Macleod surveys the life and music of Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov This week, Donald Macleod traverses the dramatic and vivid musical landscapes of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: a vital, fascinating, and perhaps under-appreciated figure in the evolution of the canon of western art music. His life alone was extraordinary: beginning as a cadet in the Tsar’s navy, it ended soon after the tumult of the 1905 revolution; the prospect of far greater upheaval, national and international, looming. Music Featured: Flight of the Bumblebee The Tsar of Sultan Suite, Op 57 (3rd mvt, The Three ..read more

Kate Molleson sets out so show us why Elizabeth Maconchy deserves much more of our attention Elizabeth Maconchy is surely the greatest composer of string quartets ever to emerge in the British Isles; and yet her music is often ignored in favour of lesser works by more famous British composers. So says Maconchy’s biographer, Erica Siegel, who joins Kate Molleson to explore the life and works of this key figure in Britain and Ireland’s musical story. Across the week, Kate and Erica set out to show us why Maconchy deserves much more of our attention. We’ll hear stories of personal crises, public ..read more

In 1773, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach sat down to record his life story. He’d been asked to write it down for a new book on German music and it made him one of the first composers to produce an autobiography. This week, Donald Macleod follows the composer’s story, using Bach’s own account as his guide. Bach’s words provide fascinating insights into the things he considered most important but it’s possible that what he chose to leave out is even more revealing. Music Featured: L'Aly Rupalich, Wq 117 No 27 Symphony for Strings and Continuo in G major, Wq 182 No 1 Fantasia for keyboard in C major, W ..read more