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Half an hour of the finest classical music

Half and hour of back-to-back classical music, including Vivaldi's depiction of summer thunder storms, Holst's take on the planet Venus, and an Irish lullaby from Rebecca Clarke.

30 minutes of back-to-back classical music to help ease into the evening. Today's eclectic mix begins with Dvorak's love letter to his fatherland with the Romance from the Czech Suite. Vivaldi vividly conjures up a summer storm in his famous concerto, and there's a swirling waltz for strings from Takemitsu's score to a rather gruesome horror film. Rachmaninov at his most romantic is performed by Lang Lang, there's a haunting Irish lullaby by Rebecca Clarke, the shimmering Sanctus from Fauré's Requiem, and one of J.S. Bach's most beautiful instrumental sinfonias from his cantata "Actus Tragicus".

Producer: Helen Garrison

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29 days left to listen

30 minutes

Last on

Yesterday 19:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Antonín Dvořák

    Czech suite Op.39 (Romance)

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Libor Pešek.
    • Dvorak: American Suite, Czech Suite; Overtures and Tone Poems.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 104.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Violin Concerto in G minor, RV 315, 'Summer' (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Performer: Christian Curnyn. Performer: Ruth Crouch. Performer: Catherine Rimer. Performer: Thomas Dunford. Performer: Jan Waterfield. Director: Christian Curnyn. Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
    • Nicola Benedetti: Italia.
    • Decca.
    • 17.

  • George Gershwin

    Oh, lady, be good (The George Gershwin Songbook)

    Performer: Richard Rodney Bennett.
    • Gershwin/Kern etc: That certain feeling: Richard Rodney Bennett.
    • CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE.

  • Toru Takemitsu

    Face of Another: Waltz

    Conductor: Marin Alsop. Orchestra: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
    • TAKEMITSU: Orchestral Works.
    • Naxos.
    • 3.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Andante Cantabile from Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, arr. Korepanova for solo piano

    Performer: Lang Lang.
    • Piano Book 2.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 9.

  • Rebecca Clarke

    Lullaby on an Ancient Irish Tune

    Performer: Philip Dukes. Performer: Sophia Rahman.
    • NAXOS.

  • Gustav Holst

    The Planets, Op. 32, H. 125: II. Venus, the Bringer of Peace

    Orchestra: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Litton.
    • Holst: The Planets, Op. 32 - Elgar: Enigma Variations, Op. 36.
    • BIS.
    • 202.

  • Gabriel Fauré

    Requiem, Op.48 (Sanctus)

    Choir: The Sixteen. Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • Mozart: Vespers and Faure: Requiem.
    • Coro.
    • 10.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Cantata, BWV 106 'Actus Tragicus': Sonatina

    Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • SOLI DEO GLORIA.

Broadcast

  • Yesterday 19:00
    BBC Radio 3

Music to help you focus

Music to help you focus

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