Evoking life working in coal mines and the accompanying fictional and real-life dramas. 
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Henze's Operas
As the music of Hans Werner Henze takes over London’s Barbican Centre for a weekend, Tom explores the 83 year-old German composer’s most recent opera, Phaedra, which was premiered in Berlin in 2007 and now receives its first UK performance – its mythical story of rebirth mirroring Henze’s own experience having written the work’s two acts either side of a major illness.
Tom talks to the conductor Michael Boder, tenor John Mark Ainsley and critic Shirley Apthorp about the range of human experience which Henze encapsulates in his music, and why he is possibly the greatest living opera composer.
Photo: Phaedra in Berlin 2007 (c) Ruth Walz -
Mahler's Symphonies
At the start of Gustav Mahler’s anniversary year (2010 marks 150 years since his birth) Norman Lebrecht, author of a new book on the composer to be published this year, considers why Mahler matters today.
And Tom finds out about a Mahler focus at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall: a complete symphony cycle shared between the BBC Philharmonic, Hallé and Manchester Camerata including new works specially commissioned for each concert in the series. Conductors Gianandrea Noseda and Mark Elder share their thoughts about the symphonies and two of the featured composers, Kurt Schwertsik and Bushra El Turk, talk about the Mahler inspiration in their music. -
Concerto for Beatboxer and Orchestra
Shlomo is a beatbox vocal artist who is used to pushing the boundaries of his art-form. As an artist in residence at London’s Southbank Centre, his latest project sees him collaborating on a Concerto for Beatboxer and Orchestra with composer Anna Meredith – who was recently announced as RPS and PRS Composer in the House with Sinfonia Viva.
In a rehearsal room at the Southbank, with Shlomo seeing his almost-finished solo part for the first time, Tom asks them both about the inspiration behind the project and what they hope to achieve, and tries out some beatboxing himself.
Photo (c) Gemma Riggs -
Concerto for Beatboxer and Orchestra
Sorry, you must enable Javascript to display media contentShlomo and musicians experiment in a workshop for the Concerto for Beatboxer and Orchestra
Video by Gemma Riggs
Broadcasts
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BBC Radio 3Sat 16 Jan 2010 12:15 BBC Radio 3
Podcast
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Music Matters
The latest news on classical music. Interviews with key UK and international performers, composers,...
