This Classical Life BBC Radio 3

Jess Gillam is joined by Italian-American violinist Francesca Dego to swap some of their favourite music. Francesca has played everywhere from Wigmore Hall to Lincoln Centre New York, and her latest recording of Brahms and Busoni violin concertos with BBC Symphony Orchestra and conductor Dalia Stasevska is out now via Chandos.
Today Francesca has brought along music from neglected Finnish composer Helvi Leiviskä and a fiendish 12-tone work from Schoenberg, while I’ve chosen David Bowie’s swansong.
PLAYLIST:
GIOACHINO ROSSINI – ‘Una voce poco fa’ (Il barbiere di Siviglia: Act 1) [Teresa Berganza (mezzo soprano), London Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Gibson (conductor)]
PETER MAXWELL DAVIES – Farewell to Stromness [Richard Casey (piano)]
HELVI LEIVISKA – Orchestral Suite No 2, Op 11 (2nd mvt, Humoresque) [Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Dalia Stasevska (conductor)]
DAVID BOWIE - Lazarus
JOHANNES BRAHMS – Concerto for violin and cello in A minor, Op 102 (2nd mvt, Andante) [Salvatore Accardo (violinist), Heinrich Schiff (cello), Kurt Masur (conductor), Gewandhausorchester]
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG – Phantasy for violin and piano [Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin), Joonas Ahonen (piano)]
LANKUM – Wild Rover
Produced by Rachel Gill.

Jess Gillam and tenor Alessandro Fisher share the music they love.
Alessandro Fisher is a former member of the BBC New Generation Artist scheme, and a Kathleen Ferrier award winner: a versatile performer equally at home in baroque and romantic opera, or song. His choices today include barbershop quartet, brass band music, and the voice of Fritz Wunderlich. Jess has chosen music by Coleman Hawkins and multi-BRIT Award winner Raye.
Playlist:
Schubert: An die Musik, D 547 - Fritz Wunderlich (tenor), Hubert Gisen (piano)
Coleman Hawkins Quartet: Love Song from ‘Apache’
Fucik: Florentiner March - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
Schubert: Wandrer’s Nachtlied, D 768 - Kian Soltani (cello), Aaron Pilsan (piano)
Crossroads Barbershop Quartet: That Lucky Old Sun (just rolls around heaven all day)
Paul Mealor: Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal - Tenebrae, Nigel Short (conductor)
Alain Romans: Quel temps fait-il à Paris (M Hulot’s Holiday)
Raye: Worth It

Jess Gillam swaps music with pianist James Baillieu, including works by Mozart, Bach, and Ella Fitzgerald.
Pianist James Baillieu has worked with musicians including Lise Davidsen, Timothy Ridout and Pretty Yende, and has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Vienna Musikverein. He is also Senior Professor of Ensemble Piano and a Fellow at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He’s brought Martha Argerich playing Schumann and a classic Bob Dylan song, while Jess's choices include Mahler and Goldfrapp.
PLAYLIST:
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART – “Signori, di fuori” (Le nozze de Figaro: Act 2, Scene 9) [Lorenzo Regazzo (bass), Simon Keenlyside (baritone), Patrizia Ciofi (sop), Véronique Gens (sop), Concerto Köln, René Jacobs (cond)]
JOHN ADAMS – Hallelujah Junction (1st mvt) [Nicolas Hodges (piano), Rolf Hind (piano)]
BOB DYLAN – Blowin’ in the Wind
GUSTAV MAHLER – Symphony No 5 in C sharp minor (4th mvt, Adagietto) [Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel (cond)]
JUAN TIZOL/DUKE ELLINGTON/IRVING MILLS – Caravan [Ella Fitzgerald (singer), Duke Ellington and his Orchestra]
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH – Cello Suite No 2 in D minor, BWV 1008 (4th mvt, Sarabande) [Yo-Yo Ma (cello)]
ROBERT SCHUMANN - Von fremden Ländern und Menschen (Kinderszenen, Op 15: No 1) [Martha Argerich (piano)]
GOLDFRAPP – Lovely Head
Produced by Rachel Gill.

Jess Gillam and soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha share their favourite tracks.
South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha was the winner of the Song Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2021 and is a current BBC New Generation Artist. She’s brought a track from iconic South African artist Miriam Makeba and Maria Callas singing a prayer from Verdi’s Otello, and Jess has picked a dance of death from Saint-Saens and jazz from Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker.
PLAYLIST:
MAHALIA JACKSON– If I Can Help Somebody
CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS – Danse macabre, Op 40 [Luben Yordandoff (violin), Orchestre de Paris, Daniel Barenboim (cond)]
GIUSEPPE VERDI – Ave Maria (Otello: Act 4) [Maria Callas (sop), Orchestre de la Société Des Concerts Du Conservatoire, Nicola Rescigno (cond)]
HENRY PURCELL – Music for a While (Oedipus, Z 583) [Martin Fröst (clarinet), Sebastien Dube (double bass)]
MIRIAM MAKEBA – The Click Song
JIMMY MCHUGH/DOROTHY FIELDS– Don’t Blame Me (Live) [Charlie Parker Quintet]
DOMENICO CIMAROSA – Sonata No 42 in D minor, arr Ólafsson [Víkingur Ólafsson (piano)]
VINCENZO BELLINI – Mira, O Norma (Norma) [Joan Sutherland (sop), Montserrat Caballé (sop), Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Richard Bonynge]
Produced by Rachel Gill

Jess Gillam swaps favourite music with pianist Keelan Carew, and between them they put together a boundary-pushing playlist with songs by Kurt Weill and Nat King Cole - pianistic fireworks by Busoni and Chopin, orchestral fireworks by Shostakovich and some classic Japanese jazz fusion by Casiopea.
Playlist:
KURT WEILL: Der Abschiedsbrief [Teresa Stratus (sop), Kurt Weill (piano)]
SHOSTAKOVICH: Festive Overture [Philharmonia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy (cond)]
CASIOPEA: Swear [Album: Mint Jams]
MAURIZIO CAZZATI: Ciaccona [L'Arpeggiata, Christina Pluhar]
CHOPIN: Ballade no.1 in G minor, op 23 [Vladimir Horowitz (piano)]
MEERNAA: Good Luck [Album: Strange Life]
BUSONI: Piano Concerto in C major, op.39 – iv. All Italiana, Tarantella [Kirill Gerstein (piano), Boston Symphony Orchestra]
NAT KING COLE: When I Fall in Love

Jess Gillam meets violist Jordan Bak to share some of their favourite music.
Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak is a proud new music advocate – he’s performed world premieres of works by composers including Kaija Saariaho and Augusta Read Thomas. His debut album IMPULSE was released in 2022 and he’s performed with orchestras including London Mozart Players. His musical picks include works by Florence Price, reggae singer Koffee, and Benjamin Britten, whilst Jess has chosen a classic Radiohead track and Stokowski’s take on Bach.
PLAYLIST:
FLORENCE PRICE – String Quartet No 2 in A minor (3rd mvt, Juba) [Catalyst Quartet]
FANNY MENDELSSOHN - Schluss [Heather Schmidt (piano)]
PALACE – Live Well
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH, ARR LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI – Passacaglia And Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 [Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor)]
KOFFEE – Toast
RADIOHEAD – House of Cards
BENJAMIN BRITTEN – Night Piece “Notturno” [Stephen Hough (piano)]