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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How do musicians cope with pressure?

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!

Music

Music Commentary

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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What do musical terms really mean?

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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How do you play the French horn?

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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How do you write a film soundtrack?

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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How do you look after your voice?

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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How do musicians cope with pressure?

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