Composer of the Week BBC Radio 3

Donald Macleod explores the key influences and music of Edvard Greig.
Donald Macleod looks at the people and places that had a significant impact on Edvard Grieg’s life and work, meeting Norwegian fiddlers, folksong collectors and nationalist firebrands along the way. From Henrik Ibsen, who commissioned Grieg to write his most famous work, to the composer's wife Nina, for whom he wrote all his songs, this week Donald explores the key influences on the composer’s outlook and development.
Music Featured:
Holberg Suite: I. Praeludium
Symphonic Dances (3rd & 4th mvts)
Piano Concerto No 1 (2nd & 3rd mvts)
Peer Gynt Suite No 1
Lyric Pieces Book 1: IV Elves’ Dance
Violin Sonata No 1 in F major (3rd mvt)
In Autumn
Funeral March for Richard Nordraak (arr for orch by Johan Halvorsen)
Ballade
Hjertets melodier: III Jeg Elsker Deg
6 Songs, Op 25 (No 2, En Svane & No 4, IV Med en Vanlilje)
Violin Sonata No 2 (3rd mvt)
Piano Concerto No 1 (1st mvt)
6 Songs Op 39 (No 4, Millom Rosor)
6 Songs Op 39 (No 5 Veng en ung Hustrus Bare) arr. for choir
6 Songs Op 48 (No 4, Zur Rozenheit & No 6, Ein Traum)
Two Elegaic Melodies
Springar after Kristian Lund
Album Leaves, Op 28 (No 4)
String Quartet Op 27 (3rd & 4th mvts)
The Mountain Thrall
12 Melodies Op 33 (No 9)
19 Norwegian Folk Tunes Op 66 (excerpts)
Norwegian Dances, Op 35 (Nos 3 & 4)
Lyric Pieces Op 43 (No 3, In my homeland)
Violin Sonata No 3 (1st mvt)
Wedding Day at Troldhaugen
Peer Gynt Suite No 2
Haugtussa (Nos 6-8)
Stimmungen Op 73
Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Megan Jones for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001y2c0
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Johannes Brahms, the bearded and magisterial Romantic composer, could certainly do grandeur when required. But really, he was more interested in what music meant in ordinary life - how it can whisper, joke and console. He was a man who tried to find a place to belong all his life, wrote for the people closest to him, and that fondness is writ large in his music. This week, Kate Molleson focuses on Brahms at home, revealing the subtle sides of this sometimes brawny composer – the tender heart behind the famous beard - through the music he wrote for himself and his friends to play.
Music Featured:
Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op 52a No 1
Ballade in G minor, Op 118 No 2
Sandmännchen WoO 31, No 4 (Children’s Folk Songs)
Scherzo in E flat minor, Op 4
An die Nachtigall, Op 46 No 4
Vier Gesänge für Frauenchor, Op 17
Piano Quartet No 1 in G minor Op 25 (3rd mvt – Andante)
Einförmig ist der Liebe Gram, Op 113 No 13
Sonata in C major (4th mvt)
FAE Sonata (3rd mvt – Scherzo)
Piano Trio, Op 8 (3rd mvt – Adagio)
Geistliches Lied, Op 30
Intermezzo, Op 117 No 2
Sextet No 2 (1st mvt – Allegro non troppo)
Waltz in A flat
Six Quartets, Op 112 (No 1, Sehnsucht)
Piano Quartet No 2 in A major (3rd mvt – Scherzo)
Ein Deutsches Requiem: Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen; Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit
Geistliches Wiegenlied
Piano Concerto No 2 (3rd mvt - Andante)
Wiegenlied, Op 49 No 4
Romance in F major, Op 118 No 5
String Quintet in F (1st movement)
Wie Melodien zieht es mir; Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer
Violin Sonata in A major (1st mvt)
Clarinet Quintet (1st movement)
Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op 52: Ein kleiner hübscher Vogel
Hungarian Dance in D major, WoO1 No 18
Wo ist ein so herrlich Volk, Op 109 No 3
Denn es gehet dem Mennschen (Serious Songs, Op 121 No 1)
Intermezzo in E flat major, Op 117 No 1
Intermezzo in B minor, Op 119 No 1
Piano Trio No 1 (1st mvt – Allegro con brio)
Double Concerto for violin and cello (2nd mvt – Adagio)
Intermezzo in A major, Op 118 No 2
Presented by Kate Molleson
Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xvy4
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Donald Macleod follows Mozart and his family on an ambitious European adventure.
When Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was just seven years old, he and his family set out on an epic journey. Their goal: to travel through Europe and become famous; bringing their awesomely talented children to concert halls, homes and royal palaces across Germany, Belgium, France, Britain, the Netherlands and Switzerland. At the start of their trip, young Wolfgang could already perform and improvise better than most adults. By the time they returned home, three and a half years later, he’d grown into a fully-fledged composer of sonatas, symphonies and arias. This week, Donald Macleod accompanies the Mozart family on their musical marathon and invites us to follow their many scrapes and adventures.
Music Featured:
Allegro in F major, K 1c
Exsultate, jubilate, K 165, 1. Exsultate, jubilate
Quartet for Oboe, Violin, Viola and Cello in F Major, K 370
Misericordias Domini in D Minor, K 222
Violin Concerto No 4 in D major, K 218
Symphony in C, K 208/102, (1st mvt)
Allegro in C Major, K 6
Piano Concerto No 17 in G major, K 453 (2nd mvt)
Mass in C, K 317 'Coronation Mass' (Credo & Agnus Dei)
Violin Sonata No 1 in C Major, K 6
Sonata No 14, K 29 (1st mvt)
Divertimento in F, K 138
Va, dal furor portata, K 21
Symphony No 1 in E flat major, K 16
Flute Sonata in C major, K 14
Violin Sonata No 8 in F major, K 13 (1st mvt)
String Quartet No. 3 in G major, K 156 (2nd mvt)
Sonata for Piano duet in C major, K 521 (2nd & 3rd mvts)
Symphony No 4 in D major, K 19
Mass in C minor, K 427 'Great': (VI Qui tollis; VII Quoniam; VIII Jesu Christe)
Symphony No 7a in G, K Anh 221 (K45a) 'Alte Lambacher': (3rd mvt)
Gallimathias musicum K 32 (excerpts)
Piano Sonata No 16 in C, K 545
Violin Sonata in C, K 28
Symphony No 5 in B flat, K 22
Clarinet Concerto in A, K 622 (2nd & 3rd mvts)
Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Mozart's Grand Tour https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xmlr
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Charles Villiers Stanford. With Jeremy Dibble
Marking the centenary of his death, Composer of the Week explores the remarkable life and music of Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. Stanford was one of the leading musicians of his generation and, along with Parry and Mackenzie, he was one of the main protagonists in Britain’s musical renaissance at the end of the 19th century. Born in Dublin, Stanford rose to the very top of the British music scene, as both a conductor and composer. He also maintained strong links to Germany, following his studies in Leipzig and Berlin. Stanford’s works were popular in Europe, as well as Britain, with conductors such as Hans Richter promoting his music. Today, Stanford is largely remembered for his sacred works, however his prolific output covers most genres and he had a particular passion for opera. He was an influential teacher at the Royal College of Music and Cambridge University; many future musical luminaries passed through his classes, including Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Rebecca Clarke and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Stanford was a tremendous force for good in British music, and in honour of his contribution to British culture, his ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey close to the remains of Henry Purcell. This week, Donald Macleod is joined by Stanford biographer, Jeremy Dibble to explore Stanford life and music.
Music Featured:
The Bluebird, Op 119 No 3 (excerpt)
Three Intermezzi, Op 13 No 1 (Allegretto scherzando)
The Resurrection, Op 5
Symphony No 1 (Scherzo)
The Veiled Prophet (Act 2 Love Duet)
Service in B flat major, Op 10 (Magnificat)
Symphony No 2 ‘Elegiac’ (Lento espressivo)
To the Rose, Op 19 No 3
Piano Trio No 1, Op 35 (Allegretto con moto)
Elegiac Ode, Op 21 (The night, in silence, under many a star)
The Lord is my Shepherd
Symphony No 3, Op 28 “Irish” (Allegro molto Vivace)
Piano Quintet in D minor, Op 25 (Allegro risoluto)
A Child’s Garland of Songs, Op 30 No 9 (My ship and me)
The Clown’s Song from Twelfth Night’, Op 65 No 3
Six Irish Fantasies, Op 54 No 3 (Jig)
Symphony No 5, Op 56 ‘L’Allegro ed il Pensieroso’ (Andante molto tranquillo)
Shamus O’Brien, Op 61 (Act 2 Captain Trevor’s Song)
Requiem, Op 63 (Agnus Dei et Lux aeterna)
Te Deum, Op 66 (Judex crederis)
Ten Dances, Old and New, Op 58 No 1 (Valse)
Songs of the Sea, Op 91 No 3 (Devon, O Devon, in wind and rain)
Magnificat in G, Op 81
String Quartet No 4 in G minor, Op 99 (Allegro molto vivace)
Stabat Mater, Op 96 (Virgo virginum praeclara)
String Quintet No 2 in C minor, Op 86 (Andante)
A Song of Hope, Op 113 No 3
Six Songs from ‘The Glens of Antrim’, Op 174 No 2 (The sailor man)
String Quartet No 7 in C minor, Op 166 (Allegro molto)
Irish Rhapsody No 4, Op 141 (The Fisherman of Loch Neagh and What he Saw)
An Irish Idyll in Six Miniatures, Op 77 No 2 (The Fairy Lough)
Mass Via Victrix, Op 173 (Agnus Dei)
How beauteous are their feet
Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xdr0
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Donald Macleod explores the lives and music of uncle and nephew Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli
Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli share a name that dominated Venetian music during the late 16th and early 17th century. Both uncle and nephew were organists and composers, and their music was linked inextricably with the exceptional city in which they lived and worked. From the organ loft of St Mark’s Basilica to the resplendent palazzos of merchants and noblemen, they provided the soundtrack to Venice’s golden age, with its numerous feast days and celebrations. But together, they would also pioneer an ambitious way of writing choral music - playing with texture and architecture– that would eventually echo beyond the Venetian waterways and profoundly affect the music of the future.
Music Featured:
Andrea Gabrieli: Benedictus dominus Deus sabbaoth
Andrea Gabrieli: Fantasia allegra del duodecima toni
Andrea Gabrieli: Hor chel nel suo ben seno; Vaghi augelletti; Angel del terzo ciel; O suave a mio cor
Andrea Gabrieli: Aria della battaglia
Andrea Gabrieli: Laudate dominum omnes gentes a 5; Laudate Dominum in sanctis eius a 10;
Giovanni Gabrieli: O magnum mysterium
Andrea Gabrieli: Ricercar del settimo tuono
Giovanni Gabrieli: Deus qui beatum Marcum
Andrea Gabrieli: Sancta et immaculata; Laetare Jerusalem
Andrea Gabrieli: Maria Magdalenae et altera Maria; Maria stabat ad monumentum
Andrea Gabrieli: Kyrie a 5; Christe a 8; Kyrie a 12; Gloria a 16
Giovanni Gabrieli: Exaudi me domine a 16
Giovanni Gabrieli: Hic est filius Dei (arr. Timothy Higgins) a 18
Giovanni Gabrieli: Hodie Christus natus est
Giovanni Gabrieli: Sonata pian e forte
Giovanni Gabrieli: Udite, chiari e generosi figli
Andrea Gabrieli: Psalmi Davidici, Psalmo 31:Beati quórum remissae; Delictum meum cognitum tibi feci; Tu es refugium meum a tribulatione; In camo et fraeno
Giovanni Gabrieli: Audite príncipes
Giovanni Gabrieli: Litaniae Beatae Mariae Virginis
Andrea Gabrieli: O salutaris hostia
Giovanni Gabrieli: Cantate Domino a 8
Giovanni Gabrieli: Sonata con tre violini - XXI
Giovanni Gabrieli: Timor et tremor
Giovanni Gabrieli: Jubilate Deo
Giovanni Gabrieli: Sonata a 22; Magnificat a 33
Giovanni Gabrieli: Sonata octavi toni a 12; Omnes gentes
Giovanni Gabrieli: Sacri di Giove augei, sacre Fenici
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon XXVIII a 8 “Sol sol la fa mi”
Giovanni Gabrieli:Buccinate in neomenio tuba
Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon per sonar primi toni a 10; Canzon a 4 “La Spiritata”; Canzon 3 a 6
Giovanni Gabrieli: Maria virgo a 10; Canzon in echo duodecimo toni; Hic est filius Dei
Giovanni Gabrieli: Quem vidistis pastores
Giovanni Gabrieli: In eclesiis
Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001x3y2
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone is cited as one of the most experimental and influential composers of all time, undoubtedly recognised as one of the world’s greatest ever composers of music for film. A legendary figure who over the course of his career won numerous awards, and accolades, his innovative soundworlds helped to define what film music could be for multiple genres of cinema. Morricone’s music extended far beyond the desert landscapes of Spaghetti Westerns, not just to other genres on the Silver Screen, but also into the worlds of pop music, and into the concert hall – where his study and composition of avant garde music gave him the techniques to experiment within his scores for film as well. Over the course of this week, following on the heels of the 2024 Academy Awards, Donald Macleod explores the incredible career of Ennio Morricone, a composer who quite astoundingly wrote over 500 scores for film and television, as well as over 100 classical works.
Music Featured:
Invenzione
The Ecstasy of Gold from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Party Prohibito from I malamondo
Musica per undici violini
Eduardo di Capua and Alfredo Mazzucchi: O sole mio (arr. Morricone)
Edoardo Nicolardi and Ernesto de Curtis: Voce e’notte (arr. Morricone)
Concerto for Orchestra
Scambio di prigionieri from A Fistful of Dollars
The Man with the Harmonica from Once Upon a Time in the West
Woody Guthrie: Pastures of Plenty (arr. Enrico Morricone)
The Trio (extended version) from The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Titles & A Fistful of Dollars (version 2) from A Fistful of Dollars
Sixty Seconds to What? & Main Theme from For a Few Dollars More
Requiem per un destino (Excerpt)
Main Title from The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Opening credits from Uccellacci e uccellini
Addio a Pier Paolo Passolini
Ostia from Pasolini, un delitto Italiano
Birth of a City & Finale from Once Upon a Time in the West
Suoni per Dino
Delirio Secondo from Un Tranquillo Posto Di Campagna
La Lucertola from Una Lucertola con la Pelle Di Donna
Silenzio nel caos from The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Four Flies on Velvet (take 6) from Four Flies on Grey Velvet
Deborah's Theme from Once Upon a Time in America
Cockeye’s Song & Once upon a time in America – theme from Sergio Leone Suite
Theme from Rampage
La classe operaia va in paradiso from The Working Class Goes to Heaven or Lulu the Tool
Fire from Days of Heaven
Humanity (Part 2) from The Thing
Four studies (Nos 1 & 2)
Bugsy
Cinema Paradiso
Miserere & Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission
Theme from The Untouchables
Voci dal silenzio (Excerpt)
Theme from Il Mercenario
Volti e fantasmi from La Migliore Offerta
’Ultima Diligenza di Red Rock from the Hateful Eight
On Earth as it is in Heaven from The Mission
Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Sam Phillips for BBC Audio Wales and West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Ennio Morricone (1928-2020) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001wyr0
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z