Everything you Ever Wanted to Know about Classical Music - Sunday 2 February 2014

This week, Catherine asks - and tries to answer - the question, 'Is the guitar a serious classical instrument?'

Catherine Bott continues one of the biggest non-fiction series in the history of British radio, as she shines the spotlight on every area of classical music. 

From Jimi Hendrix to John Denver, from John Williams to Brian May, the guitar is associated with all sorts of famous musicians.  So tonight, Catherine asks, 'Is the guitar a serious classical instrument?'

She’ll explain the instrument's origins, and feature some great composers who have written for the instrument.  And she’ll also champion some of the world’s finest classical guitarists.

The show opens with music by the Italian lutenist Giovanni Paolo Foscarini, who compiled some of the first tutorial books for the guitar, and includes Rodrigo's evergreen Concierto de Aranjuez. Along the way there's guitar music to discover from Vivaldi, Gaspar Sanz, Tarrega, Villa Lobos - and some magical performances from the greats of the guitar, including Julian Bream, John Williams and Narciso Yepes.