Kate Molleson navigates through the personal and professional struggles of Gustav Mahler

Gustav Mahler: brilliant, fiery and tyrannical – leader of some the most prestigious musical institutions of his era – fought battles his whole life. He clashed with his colleagues, scrapped with critics and wrestled endlessly with his own desires and ambitions. This week, Kate Molleson navigates us through his many personal and professional struggles, and follows Mahler to the countryside hideaways where he sought (not always successfully) to escape the drama of his everyday life. Here, among the lakes and mountains, Mahler also found space to compose and he poured the whole world into his music in all its ugliness, mundanity and transcendent beauty.

Music Featured:

Symphony No 3 (excerpts)

Presented by Kate Molleson

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00291fh

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Between new sounds and old songs, Kate Molleson shares the story of Ruth Crawford-Seeger

Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953) had multiple lives. As Ruth, she was an aspiring poet and teacher, who longed to become a mother. Crawford the composer wrote some of the most daring pages of 20th-century American music, granting her a place among the group of the 'Ultra-Modernists'. And, as the matriarch of the Seeger dynasty, she collected and arranged countless pieces from treasures of the folk tradition. With Kate Molleson, discover the extraordinary life and work of a major American composer, in a story of creative experimentations, of family bonds, and most of all, of joy in music-making, accompanied by the memories of Crawford's daughter and folk legend, Peggy Seeger.

Music Featured:

Little Waltz

Presented by Kate Molleson

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0028k1v

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Donald Macleod dives into the life and music of Maurice Ravel

Music featured:

Jeux d'eau

Presented by Donald Macleod

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00288rx

Donald Macleod delves into the lives and music of The Turkish Five

In 1923 the Turkish Republic came into being. On the agenda for the founding father and first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatȗrk, was the aim to develop a new Turkish musical language, and to disassociate culturally with the Ottoman past. This new musical culture would be a blend of traditional Turkish music, in combination with Western classical music.

A group of composers known as the Turkish Five were pioneers in this movement to form a synthesis between East and West. They included Cemal Reşit Rey (1904-1985), Ulvi Cemal Erkin (1906-1972), Hasan Ferit Alnar (1906-1978), Ahmet Adnan Saygun (1907-1991) and Necil Kâzim Akses (1908-1999). The Turkish Five became hugely influential in their home country as composers, teachers, conductors and artistic directors, and also became well known abroad, receiving many honours.

This week, Donald Macleod is joined by Prof. Mine Doğantan-Dack and Dr. Emre Araci to delve into the impact these composers had on the music in the Turkish Republic.

Music featured:

Ulvi Cemal Erkin:

Ahmet Adnan Saygun:

Necil Kâzim Akses:

Cemal Reşit Rey:

Hasan Ferit Alnar:

Presented by Donald Macleod

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for The Turkish Five https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002822p

Donald Macleod explores the early years in Benjamin Britten's creative story

Benjamin Britten was one of the most influential British composers of the 20th century, with celebrated works such as 'Peter Grimes', 'Friday Afternoons' or 'A Simple Symphony'. Music infused his very first moments in life and he started to develop his musical instincts from a very early age. Many of his future masterpieces can be traced back to the inspiration of his youth. This week, Donald Macleod explores these crucial early years in Britten's creative story, from his birth under the star of St Cecilia to his departure for America at 25 years old.

Music featured:

Hymn to St Cecilia, Op 27

Presented by Donald Macleod

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027tjp

Curtain-up on the life of 19th-century opera star Giacomo Meyerbeer, with Donald Macleod

With smash hits including 'Robert le diable', 'Les Huguenots' and 'Le Prophète', Giacomo Meyerbeer was one of the most performed composers on the 19th-century stages: (re)discover the celebrated King of Grand Opera, in his own quasi-operatic life of sparkling successes, plot twists and travelling adventures, but also of prejudice and hardship.

Music Featured:

Robert le diable (excerpts)

Presented by Donald Macleod

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027bqw

Composer of the Week marks 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz with a series commemorating some of the musical voices that were silenced by the atrocities of the Second World War. This week, Donald Macleod focuses on the penultimate destination of these musicians, the Nazi concentration camp at Terezin, and the incredible story of creative resistance in the face of unthinkable adversity and persecution which unfolded there.

Music Featured:

Gideon Klein:

Viktor Ullmann:

Hans Krása:

Pavel Haas:

Ilse Weber: Kleines Wiegenlied

Presented by Donald Macleod

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Voices of Terezin https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002756y

Donald Macleod delves into the life and music of Imogen Holst

Imogen Holst was a significant part of the British classical music scene during the twentieth century. Daughter of Gustav Holst, Imogen was raised in an artistic environment, and her early aspirations were to be a dancer. However, after studying at the Royal College of Music, Imogen Holst went on to be prominent as a composer, conductor, writer on music, teacher, administrator and artistic director. She also worked as an amanuensis to Benjamin Britten. Throughout this exceptionally busy career, including establishing the Purcell Singers, Imogen Holst continued to compose and wrote many works from choral pieces and folksong arrangements, to concertos and string quartets. Her considerable output as a composer is only just beginning to be appreciated.

Music Featured:

Agnus Dei (Mass in A minor)

Presented by Donald Macleod

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Imogen Holst (1907-1984) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0026wsv

Donald Macleod delves into the life and music of Michel Legrand

Michel Legrand is best known for creating the soundtracks for over 200 films, including The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Thomas Crown Affair and The Go-Between. But he had an insatiable creative spirit that led him into the world of theatre, ballet, opera and more.

Donald is joined by theatre director and composer Jeremy Sams, who recalls collaborating with Legrand on the Broadway musical Amour - and avoiding going to restaurants with him.

Music Featured:

Les Moulins de Mon Coeur

Michel & Melissa at Work

Presented by Donald Macleod

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Michel Legrand (1932-2019) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0026kjg

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Donald Macleod explores Vienna in the company of Franz Schubert

Of all Europe’s major cities, perhaps Vienna is the one with the reputation as the most comfortable, the most sophisticated, and the most musical. In fact, has any other city been home to so many great composers as Vienna? Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, and Salieri all spent their best years working there. Yet none of those starry names was born in the city, none were true Viennese. This week, Donald Macleod explores Vienna through the lens of arguably the greatest home grown composer the city has ever produced – Franz Schubert – a man whose short life spanned a crucial period in Austrian history, a time of crisis and much change. In his company we’ll explore Vienna’s churches and theatres, its parks, coffee houses and taverns, and also glimpse the darker side of the city too – the excesses of Europe’s aristocracy and the all seeing eyes of Vienna’s secret police.

Music Featured:

“Kupelwieser” Waltz in G flat Major, D Anh I/14

Presented by Donald Macleod

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Schubert and Vienna https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0026800

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z