Every weeknight from 8pm to 10pm, John Suchet presents ‘The Classic FM Concert’, a two-hour long programme featuring the finest recordings of the music you love, performed by orchestras, choirs and soloists from across the globe.
The exciting new evening show offers a mix of the very best classical music from Monday to Friday, and will play some of the featured symphonies and concertos in their entirety.
John showcases Korngold’s Violin Concerto, with a performance by Scottish soloist Nicola Benedetti, who revived interest in the work with her recording with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Kirill Karabits.
Written to defy his critics’ assumption that a film composer could not write a ‘serious’ piece, Korngold’s Violin Concerto was dedicated to Alma Mahler, the widow of his childhood mentor, Gustav, becoming an immediate hit in America.
Also in the programme, there’s a definitive recording of Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ symphony from the Staatskapelle Dresden, and David Fray plays Schubert.
Pietro Mascagni
Cavalleria Rusticana – Intermezzo
Giuseppe Sinopoli conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No.6 in F major Opus 68
(‘Pastoral’)
Colin Davis conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden
Franz Schubert
Moment Musicaux No.4
Piano: David Fray
John Ireland
A Downland Suite
David Curtis conducts the Orchestra for the Swan
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Violin Concerto in D major Opus 35
Violin: Nicola Benedetti
Kirill Karabits conducts the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Claude Debussy
Danse Profane
Harp: Xavier de Maistre
John shines the spotlight on a brand-new recording of Mendelssohn’s ‘Italian’ symphony from the Filarmonica della Scala conducted by Riccardo Chailly. Written by Mendelssohn while on a 10-month Grand Tour of Italy, it was inspired by the country’s natural beauty, culture and music. For this recording Chailly used Mendelssohn’s revised edition from several years later, which is even more dramatic.
Later, there’s a patriotic Sibelius favourite, Itzhak Perlman plays Bruch’s other violin concerto, and there’s a lesser-known Dvořák work inspired by a Slavic legend.
Leo Delibes
Coppelia – Mazurka
Kent Nagano conducts the Lyon Opera Orchestra
Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony No.4 in A major Opus 90
(‘Italian’)
Riccardo Chailly conducts the Filarmonica della Scala
Jean Sibelius
Karelia Suite Opus 11
Vladimir Ashkenazy conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra
Max Bruch
Violin Concerto No.2 in D minor Opus 44
Violin: Itzhak Perlman
Zubin Mehta conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Andante in C major for Flute & Orchestra
Flute: Sharon Bezaly
Juha Kangas conducts the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra
Antonin Dvořák
The Noon Witch Opus 108
Charles Mackerras conducts the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
John marks the start of June with a suitably sunny piece. Rodrigo’s Concierto Madrigal is based on the Renaissance madrigal ‘O felici occhi miei’ (O happy eyes of mine), and features two solo guitarists: in this recording the siblings Angel and Pepe Romero.
Elsewhere, there’s a new and critically acclaimed recording of Ravel’s Bolero from the Sinfonia of London and John Wilson, and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra play Tchaikovsky’s moving Symphony No.6.
Leonard Bernstein
Candide – Overture
Leonard Bernstein conducts the New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Maurice Ravel
Bolero
John Wilson conducts the Sinfonia of London
