Episode 1

Louise Fryer presents a week featuring two of Germany's finest orchestras, the NDR (North German Radio) Symphony Orchestra from Hamburg and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra - both sister ensembles to the BBC's own performing groups.

During the week you can hear a daily Mozart concerto or symphony from Hamburg, and a daily Nordic Symphony: two each from Sibelius and Nielsen. Plus the likes of Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Shostakovich and even a couple of British pieces (by Delius and Britten). Monday's programme introduces the NDR Symphony Orchestra, and Tuesday's programme the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra - with a special focus on some of the intriguingly different repertoire and interesting musical juxtapositions that Chief Conductor Paavo Järvi likes to explore with the orchestra.

Our Thursday Opera Matinee comes from the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester: Gianandrea Noseda brings to a close his decade as Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic with a concert performance of Verdi's last great tragic opera, Otello - starring Clifton Forbis and Barbara Frittoli as the ill-starred Shakespearean lovers Othello and Desdemona, and Lado Ataneli as their nemesis Iago. You can also hear Noseda on Wednesday, conducting Mahler's First Symphony in Frankfurt.

Today's programme features the NDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christoph Eschenbach and John Storgards in a closely-woven musical tapestry: the first symphonies of bothTchaikovsky and a composer he greatly influenced, Sibelius; plus a favourite symphony by one of Tchaikovsky's own favourite composers, Mozart; and two takes on the best-loved of all Shakespeare's tragedies, Romeo and Juliet - from Delius and Tchaikovsky.