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Thursday - Sarah Walker with Leanne Benjamin

Essential Classics

With Sarah Walker. Including Five Reasons to Love British Film Music; Recording Rewind; Artist of the Week: Emma Kirkby; Sarah's Essential Choice: Smetana: String Quartet No 2.

Discover definitive recordings of the greatest classical music with your trusted guide, Sarah Walker. She's joined by former principal ballerina at the Royal Ballet Leanne Benjamin

9am
A selection of music including '5 Reasons to Love'...British film music. This week Sarah champions an art form that has seen contributions from leading and neglected British composers of the 20th century, from Vaughan Williams to William Walton. It's a genre that often struggles to be taken seriously, perhaps because in its most perfect form it's hidden from view, the audience not noticing that it brings colour to a black-and-white classic, or highlights emotional moods and landscapes, surreptitiously setting the scene.

9.30am
Recording Rewind. Take part in our daily musical challenge: identify a piece of music played backwards.

10am
Sarah's guest this week is Leanne Benjamin, former principal ballerina at the Royal Ballet. Leanne shares a selection of the music she danced to during her career, discussing her memories of choreographer Kenneth MacMillan and offering a personal insight into the world of a ballet dancer.

10.30am
This week Sarah's featured artist is Emma Kirkby, one of the world's most renowned early music specialists, noted for her pure, crystal-like tone and vocal agility. Sarah showcases her repertoire including Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate, Purcell's Evening Hymn and Dowland's songs.

11am
Sarah's Essential Choice
Smetana
String Quartet No.2 'Intimate letters'
Talich Quartet.

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3 hours

Last on

Thu 15 Jan 2015 09:00

BBC Radio 3

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Moritz Moszkowski

Spanish Dance Op.12 No.3
Conductor: Ataúlfo Argenta. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra.
- DECCA.
Schubert

Sonatina for violin and piano in D major, D.384
Performer: Martin Helmchen. Performer: Julia Fischer.
- PENTATONE CLASSICS.
5 Reasons to love... British Film Music
- Luigi Boccherini
  
  String Quintet in E major, Op.11 No.5 (Minuet)
  Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
  
  Royal Classics.
Carl Maria von Weber

Euryanthe (Overture)
Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Herbert von Karajan.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: EMMA KIRKBY
- Henry Purcell
  
  An Evening Hymn
  Performer: Christopher Hogwood. Performer: Anthony Rooley. Singer: Emma Kirkby.
  
  DECCA.
César Franck

Prelude, Fugue and Variations, Op 18
Performer: Alexis Weissenberg.
- EMI.
Dmitry Shostakovich

Romance (The Gadfly)
Performer: Alexander Kerr. Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.
- DECCA.
Dmitry Shostakovich

The Waltz from Moscow-Cherymushki
Orchestra: The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.
LEANNE BENJAMIN'S CHOICE NO. 1
- Giacomo Meyerbeer
  
  Les Patineurs: Entrée
  Orchestra: National Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Richard Bonynge.
  
  DECCA.
LEANNE BENJAMIN'S CHOICE NO. 2
- Francis Poulenc
  
  Organ Concerto (conclusion)
  Performer: Ian Tracey. Conductor: Yan Pascal Tortelier. Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic.
  
  CHANDOS.
LEANNE BENJAMIN'S CHOICE NO. 3
- Igor Stravinsky
  
  The Firebird (extracts)
  Orchestra: Columbia Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Igor Stravinsky.
  
  SONY CLASSICAL.
Antonín Dvořák

Slavonic Dance in A major, Op 46 No 5
Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Rafael Kubelík.
- DG.
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: EMMA KIRKBY
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  
  Exsultate jubilate, K.165/158a (Salzburg Version)
  Singer: Emma Kirkby. Orchestra: Academy of Ancient Music. Conductor: Christopher Hogwood.
  
  L’OISEAU LYRE.
Emmanuel Chabrier

Suite Pastorale
Conductor: Paul Paray. Orchestra: Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
- MERCURY.
Essential Choice
- Bedrich Smetana
  
  String Quartet No.2 in D minor
  Ensemble: Talichovo kvarteto.
  
  CALLIOPE.
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: EMMA KIRKBY
- Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
  
  Stabat Mater
  Singer: Emma Kirkby. Singer: James Bowman. Orchestra: Academy of Ancient Music. Conductor: Christopher Hogwood.
  
  DECCA.