This Classical Life

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Jess Gillam with... Laura Snowden Aug 06, 2022

Show notes

Jess's guest this week is the guitarist and composer Laura Snowden. They meet in the TCL studio for a listening party which revels in the beauty of John Tavener's choral music; unwraps a piece for guitar by the Australian composer and synesthete Phillip Houghton during which explores the range of sounds possible to obtain from the instrument; pauses in the sound world of Laurie Anderson, and follows Berlioz's musical journey into psychedelia.

Playlist: John Tavener: The Lamb (Tenebrae, Nigel Short, conductor) Burt Bacharach/Hal David: I say a little prayer (Aretha Franklin) Lauryn Hill: Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Lauryn Hill) Buxton/Ratcliffe/Kekaula: Good Luck (Basement Jaxx, Lisa Kekaula) Laurie Anderson: O Superman (Laurie Anderson) Trad (Bulgarian): Bučimiš (Avi Avital, mandolin, Itamar Doari, percussion) Phillip Houghton: Wave Radiance (Los Angeles Guitar Quartet) Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14 - V Dream of a witches' Sabbath (Orchestre de Paris, Charles Munch, conductor)

Jess Gillam with... Riopy Jul 16, 2022

Show notes

Jess's guest this week is the French-born British pianist and composer Riopy. They meet in the TCL studio for a listening party including Debussy's Clair de Lune, a new concerto by Marius Neset for saxophone, the Gotan Project's driving anthem to Buenos Aires, and epic organ music by Bach.

Playlist: Müller/Makaroff/Solal: Santa Maria del Buen Ayre (Gotan Project) Marius Neset: Manmade - Saxophone Concerto: Mvt II Edison (Marius Neset, saxophone, Bergen Phliharmonic, Edward Gardner, conductor) Claude Debussy: Clair de Lune (Khatia Buniatishvili, piano) Arvo Pärt (arr. Eduard Wesly) : Summa for reed quintet (Calefax Reed Quintet) Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Souvenirs d'Andalousie - Op.22 (Alan Marks, piano) Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 543:1 – Prelude (Karl Richter, organ) Josh Tillman: Chloë (Father John Misty) Andrew John Hozier-Byrne: Nina Cried Power (Hozier ft. Mavis Staples)

Jess Gillam with... Max Ruisi Jul 09, 2022

Show notes

Jess's guest this week is the cellist Max Ruisi, artistic director of the 12 Ensemble, a "revolutionary string orchestra". They meet in the TCL studio for a listening party including a beautiful lament by Monteverdi, a bird-themed string quartet by Haydn, mesmerising music for solo oboe by Britten, and tracks from Cosmo Sheldrake and Herbie Hancock.

Playlist: Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No. 3; 1st mvt (Martha Argerich, Berlin Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado) Monteverdi - Lamento della Ninfa (Anna Prohaska, Arcangelo) Bartok - 6 Romanian Dances (Avi Avital, Pottsdam Chamber Academy) Elena Tonra (arr. Josephine Stephenson) - The Dazzler (Ex:Re, Josephine Stephenson, 12 Ensemble) Haydn - String Quartet in C major Op.33 No.3 “The Bird”; 3rd mvt (London Haydn Quartet) Cosmo Sheldrake - Come Along (from The Much Much How How and I) Britten - 6 Metamorphoses after Ovid (Francois Leleux, oboe) Herbie Hancock - Dolphin Dance (from Dedication)

Jess Gillam with... Lavinia Meijer Jun 25, 2022

Show notes

Harpist Lavinia Meijer has worked with an impressive list of people, including Philip Glass, Iggy Pop and Patty Smith, she joins Jess Gillam this week to chat about the music they can't get enough of. Lavinia is declaring her love for the bagpipes with a track by The Chieftains, we’ve two stunning concertos from Unsuk Chin and Korngold, re-worked film music by Peter Gabriel plus Stravinsky, Alabama Shakes and a very famous Waltz!

Playlist: Johann Strauss II - An der schönen, blauen Donau, Op. 314 [Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan] Peter Gabriel - With this Love The Chieftains - The Humours of Carolan Debussy – Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in G Major, L. 3: Third Movement [Andre Previn (piano), Julie Rosenfeld (violin), Gary Hoffman (cello)] Unsuk Chin - Violin Concerto; Movement I [Viviane Hagner (violin), Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Kent Nagano] Korngold - Cello Concerto in C Major, Op.37; I. Allegro moderato, ma con fuoco [Edgar Moreau (cello), Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Michael Sanderling]

Jess Gillam with... Maya Youssef Jun 18, 2022

Show notes

Jess Gillam is joined by Qanun player Maya Youssef for a listening party of some of the music they love the most. Jess brings some spine-tingling violin by Philip Glass and an absolute classic by Peter Gabriel, while Maya shares an earworm by Dvorak, and like all good parties it all ends with a little studio dance session to tracks by Toufic Farroukh and Hooverphonic

Playlist: John Adams - Shaker Loops: i. Shaking and Trembling [Bournemouth SO/Marin Alsop (conductor)] Toufic Farroukh - Elhob ?! Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer JS Bach - Fuga in G minor, BWV1000 [Yasunori Imamura (lute)] Philip Glass - Violin Concerto, 2nd mvt [Gidon Kremer (violin), Vienna Philharmonic/Christoph von Dohnanyi (conductor)] Hooverphonic - 2 Wicky Dvorak - Symphony no.9 'From the New World' - 2nd mvt [Vienna Philharmonic/Herbert von Karajan (conductor)] Morten Schantz - Godspeed

Jess Gillam with... Plínio Fernandes Jun 11, 2022

Show notes

Jess is joined in the studio by Brazilian guitarist Plínio Fernandes to share the music they love. Plínio shares his Latin roots with Villa-Lobos, Albéniz and a beautiful duet by Elis Regina and Tom Jobim, and Jess offers up Bartok inspired Jazz from Stan Getz and Eddie Sauter, a fiendishly difficult concerto by John Adams and Scott Walker is lamenting the weather.

Playlist: Heitor Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4, W.424; IV. Danza [Michael Tilson Thomas, New World Symphony] Eddie Sauter / Stan Getz - I’m Late, I’m Late Beethoven - Bagatelles, Op. 33: V. Allegro, ma non troppo [Cristian Budu] Scott Walker - It’s Raining Today Isaac Albeniz - Suite espanola no. 1, Op.47; III. Sevilla [Julian Bream] John Adams - Saxophone Concerto; II. Molto vivo: a hard, driving pulse [Timothy McAllister (sax), St Louis Symphony, David Robertson] Elis Regina & Antônio Carlos Jobim - Águas de março Johann Sebastian Bach – O Jesu Christ, mein’s Lebens Licht Motet, BWV 118 [English Baroque Soloists, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner]

Jess Gillam with... Magdalena Hoffman Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

Jess Gillam and harpist Magdalena Hoffman meet online to share the music they love, with the revolutionary sound of Gil Scott-Heron, Portico Quartet, Nino Rota, Schumann and Esperanza Spalding.

Playlist: Gil Scott-Heron – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised Handel - Keyboard Suite No 1 (Set II) in B-flat Major, HWV 434 (trans. Wilhelm Kempff) - Roberto Cominati (piano) Schumann - Szenen aus Goethes Faust , WoO 3. Pt. VII Hier ist die Aussicht frei - Christian Gerhaher and BRSO Nino Rota - Trio for Flute, Violin and Piano; I. Allegro ma non troppo - Daishin Kashimoto (violin), Emmanuel Pahud (flute), Eric Le Sage (piano) Esperanza Spalding - Lest We Forget (blood) Charles-Valentin Alkan – 13 Prieres, Op. 64; No. 11. Andantino - Olivier Latry (organ) Portico Quartet - Youth Schubert - Piano Trio No. 2 E-Flat Major Op. 100 II. Andante (Trio Wanderer)

Jess Gillam with... Alison Balsom at the Hay Festival Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

Jess Gillam and trumpeter Alison Balsom are joined by a live audience at The Hay Festival to have a listening party of some of the music they love the most. Alison brings along one of their most beautiful tunes and outs herself as a Queen superfan, then shares the Miles Davis tune that brings her most joy. Meanwhile Jess shares an absolute banger by Piazzolla, an epic sax solo by Rachmaninov and a breathtaking performance by Nina Simone.

Playlist:

BACH: Brandenburg Concerto no.4 - 1st mvt (English Concert, Trevor Pinnock) DAVID BOWIE: Dollar Days (from Blackstar) MILES DAVIS: If I Were a Bell (Miles Davis Quintet) RACHMANINOV: Symphonic Dances, op. 45 - No.1 {Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nezet-Seguin) PIAZZOLLA: Histoire du Tango: Night Club 1960 (Astoria) QUEEN: Love of my Life (from A Night at the Opera) NINA SIMONE: Stars (Live at the Montreux Jazz festival) STRAVINSKY: The Firebird - finale (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle)

Jess Gillam with... Charlotte Politi May 21, 2022

Show notes

Jess chats with conductor Charlotte Politi about the music they both love, with a ballet by Tchaikovsky, an opera by Mozart, Isobel Waller-Bridge's Illuminations and a classic by The Supremes.

Playlist: Khachaturian – Masquerade – Ballet Suite: 1. Waltz [London Symphony Orchestra, Stanley Black] Mozart - Così fan tutte: 'Soave sia il vento' [Véronique Gens (soloist), Pietro Spagnoli (soloist), Bernarda Fink (soloist), Concerto Köln, René Jacobs] Isobel Waller-Bridge - Illuminations Billie Holiday - Blue Moon Modest Mussorgsky - A Night On The Bare Mountain [Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado] Rameau - Les Indes Galantes Ouverture [Jordi Savall, Le Concert Des Nations] The Supremes - You Keep Me Hangin' On Tchaikovsky – Sleeping Beauty, Op.66: No. 29c Adagio [The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Mark Ermler]

Jess Gillam with... Kunal Lahiry May 16, 2022

Show notes

Jess Gillam and pianist Kunal Lahiry have a listening party of tracks they love, including a seminal teenage memory involving Tori Amos, a Nirvana cover and an apple martini. Plus tracks by Orlando Weeks, epic choral music by Brahms and Yo-Yo Ma playing one of the most beautiful melodies ever written, Dvorak's Song to the Moon

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