Classical music is packed with weird and wonderful musical terminology. Steve Wright speaks to author and critic Jessica Duchen about the meaning and stories behind some of music’s most common terms.

 

This episode is sponsored by Bang & Olufsen.

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The uplifting sound of the horn, particularly in an orchestral setting, is familiar to audiences worldwide – but how do you play this wonderful instrument? Charlotte Smith interviews former London Symphony, London Philharmonic and current Royal Opera House principal horn David Pyatt, who takes her through her first horn lesson.

 

This episode is sponsored by Bang & Olufsen.

 

Musical excerpts:

Brahms Symphony No. 1

London Symphony Orchestra/Jonathan Pasternack

Naxos 8.572448 (2011)

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.572448

 

Franz Strauss Nocturno for Horn and Piano, Op 7 from David Pyatt Recital

David Pyatt (horn); Martin Jones (piano)

Erato 9029534229 (1998)

https://www.warnerclassics.com/release/recital-horn-works

 

Interview recorded at the Royal Academy of Music, London: https://www.ram.ac.uk

Student horn loaned with kind permission by Paxman Musical Instruments, London: https://www.paxman.co.uk

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Classical film scores have given us some of the most recognisable music ever written – and film screenings with a live orchestral soundtrack in the concert hall are increasingly popular. But where do you start when writing a soundtrack and how do you capture that magic? Michael Beek speaks to British film composer Anne Dudley.

 

This episode is sponsored by Bang & Olufsen.

 

Musical Excerpt:

Anne Dudley ‘Main Title’ from Elle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The Chamber Orchestra of London/Anne Dudley

Sony Classical 88985361012 (2017)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elle-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack/dp/B01KJ331FS

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Smoking and alcohol are definite no-nos, but what else can you do to ensure your singing voice is in top condition? Jeremy Pound speaks to Olivia Sparkhall, author of A Young Person’s Guide to Vocal Health, to find out.

 

This episode is sponsored by Bang & Olufsen.

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Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending consistently tops polls as Britain’s favourite classical work, but what is the source of its enduring popularity? Steve Wright interviews writer and broadcaster Andrew Green about his Lark Ascending/Skylark recordings project for the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society, in collaboration with the Wildlife Sound Recording Society and British Library’s Wildlife and Environmental Sounds Collection.

 

This episode is sponsored by Bang & Olufsen.

 

Musical Excerpt:

Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending

Tamsin Waley-Cohen (violin); Orchestra of the Swan/David Curtis

Signum Classics SIGCD399 (2014)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vaughan-Williams-Ascending-Concerto-Serenade-Introduction/dp/B00N7CM1U0

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The life of a performing musician isn’t easy. There are multiple mental health challenges, including performance nerves, and a sometimes-overwhelming sense of competition and judgement. Charlotte Smith interviews cellist and former BBC Young Musician winner Laura van der Heijden about how she copes with these pressures.

 

This episode is sponsored by Bang & Olufsen.

 

Musical excerpt:

Lili Boulanger Reflets from album Path to the Moon

Laura van der Heijden (cello); Jâms Coleman (piano)

Chandos CHAN20274 (2024)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Path-Moon-Laura-Heijden-Coleman/dp/B0CQ6YZXRM/

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Opera is a bit like Marmite… you either love it or hate it. But can an opera cynic learn to love this intense art form? Michael Beek chats to star soprano and opera advocate Danielle de Niese.

 

This episode is sponsored by Bang & Olufsen.

 

Musical excerpt:

Mozart ‘L’amerò, sarò costane’ from Il re Pastore

Danielle de Niese (soprano); Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Charles Mackerras

Decca 478 1511 (2009)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Arias-Danielle-Niese/dp/B0027T5L4C

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To the uninitiated, the conductor can seem superfluous – simply waving their arms in the air while the orchestra does the hard work. But the art of conducting is fundamental to a great orchestra’s sound and identity. Jeremy Pound speaks to BBC Symphony Orchestra principal conductor Sakari Oramo about this mysterious vocation.

This episode is sponsored by Bang & Olufsen.

 

Musical Excerpt

Dora Pejacevic Symphony, Op. 41 – IV. Allegro Appassionato (opening)

BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sakari Oramo

Chandos CHAN 5299

https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%205299

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The team from BBC Music Magazine demystify the world of classical music through down-to-earth discussion and lively interviews. Want to know what an orchestral conductor actually does? Or how to write an effective soundtrack? Then this is the podcast for you!

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This week, we chat to the multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Cosmo Sheldrake from his home in Dorset. True to form, he recorded his side of the conversation outdoors in the countryside, so there are quite a few birds and woodland creatures keeping us company throughout this episode. He explains how he records the most intimate, low-level sounds of animals, fungi, rain and even tree sap, and how he goes about recontextualising them in his music. He also tells us all about his musical childhood with his mother, who was trained in Mongolian overtone chanting and who had previously lived and travelled with the pioneering electronic composer Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Links:

Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake https://www.amazon.co.uk/Entangled-Life-Worlds-Change-Futures/dp/B084T51RCY/

The Mystic Spiral: Journey of the Soul by Jill Purce https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mystic-Spiral-Journey-Soul-Imagination/dp/0500810052

Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History of the World’s Music by Dust to Digital https://dust-digital.com/pages/excavated-shellac-an-alternate-history-of-the-world-s-music-1907-1967-tracklist

Smithsonian Folkways (ethnographic recordings and folk from around the world) https://folkways.si.edu/

Listen to all the music featured in this episode on our Spotify playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZoAZxQIlWVfH1dsiP5GAV?si=a1187808f9334992

Music featured:

Cuckoo Song (Cosmo Sheldrake, Wake Up Calls)

Teo (Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain)

Wriggle (Cosmo Sheldrake, The Much Much How How and I)

Rich (Cosmo Sheldrake, Pelicans We)

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