French Week on the Classic FM Full Works Concert

Give the first week of September a Gallic flavour with our week-long musical journey through France. Monday 1 September - Friday 5 September, 8-10pm.

Jane Jones kicks off the month of September on the Full Works Concert with a week-long celebration of the finest French music and musicians. 

For these five evenings, Jane brings you some joie de vivre to counter any end of summer blues you might be feeling. 

GALLERY: Ten stunning views of France that inspired composers

This week's concerts:

Monday 1 September
Tonight, composers Bizet, Couperin and Ravel reveal the essence of French classical music through the ages - and there's a 70th birthday tribute to the conductor Leonard Slatkin.

Georges Bizet: L'Arlesienne Suite No.1
Les Musiciens du Louvre/Marc Minkowski 

Maurice Ravel: Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte
Lyon National Opera Orchestra/Leonard Slatkin

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Flute and Harp Concerto in C major K.299
Patrick Gallois/Fabrice Pierre/Swedish Chamber Orchestra

Francois Couperin: Les Baricades Misterieuses
David Greilsammer

Georges Bizet: Agnus Dei
Luciano Pavarotti/National Philharmonic Orchestra/Kurt Herbert Adler

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5 in E minor Opus 64
Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse/Tugan Sokhiev

Tuesday 2 September
Jane showcases some fine French performers who are now international stars, including the superb violinist Renaud Capucon, the tenor Roberto Alagna, and the thrilling organist Olivier Latry.

Hector Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture Opus 9
Paris Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim

Felix Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor Opus 64
Renaud Capucon/Mahler Chamber Orchestra/Daniel Harding

César Franck: Panis Angelicus
Roberto Alagna/Toulouse Capitole Orchestra/Michel Plasson

Louise Farrenc: Trio in E minor for Flute, Cello and Piano Opus 45
Emily Benyon/Daniel Esser/Sepp Grotenhuis

Camille Saint-Saens: Symphony No.3 in C minor Opus 78
Olivier Latry/Philadelphia Orchestra/Christoph Eschenbach
 

Wednesday 3rd September
One of Fauré’s loveliest works opens tonight’s Concert. Pascal Rogé plays Debussy’s Préludes Book 1 in its entirety, and Jane will celebrate a great French father-and-son partnership, Paul and Yan Pascal Tortelier.

Gabriel Fauré: Pavane Opus 50
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme Opus 33
Paul Tortelier/Royal Northern Sinfonia/Yan Pascal Tortelier 

Claude Debussy: Préludes Book 1
Piano: Pascal Rogé

George Frideric Handel: Concerto Grosso in G minor Opus 6 No.6
Les Arts Florissants/William Christie

Francois Adrien Boieldieu: Harp Concerto in C major
Lily Laskine/Jean-Francois Paillard Chamber Orchestra/Jean-Francois Paillard

Thursday 4th September
Discover another country that’s influenced top French composers and hear an award-winning performance of Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony from La Chambre Philharmonique.

Jacques Offenbach: Gaité Parisienne - suite
Boston Symphony Orchestra/Seiji Ozawa

Erik Satie: Trois Gnossiennes
John Lenehan

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.4 in B-flat major Opus 60
La Chambre Philharmonique/Emmanuel Krivine

Camille Saint-Saens: Prière for cello and piano in G major Op.158
Cello: Gautier Capucon
Piano: Frank Braley

Emmanuel Chabrier: Habanera
Orchestra of the Suisse Romande/Neeme Jarvi

Edouard Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole Opus 21
Maxim Vengerov/Philharmonia Orchestra/Antonio Pappano

Friday 5th September
Our French feast concludes with music by Delibes, Fauré and Arban. Jane also features two great French orchestras: the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France and the Orchestra of the Champs Elysees; and the violinist Philippe Graffin.

Jean-Baptiste Arban: The Carnival of Venice
Maurice André/Orchestre d’harmonie des gardiens de la paix de Paris/Claude Pichaureau

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Violin Concerto No.3 in G major K.216
Brabant Philharmonic Orchestra/Philippe Griffin

Leo Delibes: Les Filles de Cadiz 
Patricia Petibon/Lyon Opera Orchestra/Yves Abel

Gabriel Fauré: Dolly Suite Opus 56
Eric Le Sage/Alexandre Tharaud

Max Bruch: Kol Nidrei Opus 47
Truls Mork/Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France/Paavo Jarvi

Robert Schumann: Symphony No.2 in C major Opus 61
Orchestra of the Champs Elysees/Philippe Herreweghe