This Classical Life

Latest Episodes:

Jess Gillam with... Benjamin Appl Apr 23, 2022

Show notes

Jess Gillam and baritone Benjamin Appl share music they love - including tracks by Barbra Streisand and Thom Yorke, the tune of all tunes from Tchaikovsky violin concerto, a heartbreaker by Marlene Dietrich and Ben reveals his majestic side with a choral banger that he always takes on planes...

Jess Gillam with... Amalie Stalheim Apr 16, 2022

Show notes

Jess Gillam and cellist Amalie Stalheim share the music they love, including the soundtrack to Amalie's teenage years, two very different lullabies and a 'feel-good' sonata.

Playlist: Shostakovich - Jazz Suite No 2 - Dance 2 [Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Dmitry Yablonsky] Björk- Army of Me Mendelssohn – Cello Sonata No.2 in D Major, Op. 58: I. Allegro assai vivace [Steven Isserlis - cello, Melvyn Tan - piano] Joesef - Comedown Josef Suk - Serenade for Strings in E-flat major, Op. 6: IV. Allegro [Vienna Philharmonic, Clemens Krauss] Ella Fitzgerald – Summertime Icelandic Folk Song - Sleep for Mama (Vikingur Olafsson - piano) Fredrik Lindborg - Danny’s Dream

Jess Gillam with... Jakub Josef Orlinski Apr 09, 2022

Show notes

Jess Gillam and countertenor Jakub Josef Orlinski share some of the music they love, including saxophone music by John Harle, Andreas Scholl singing Handel, a slice of feelgood from Gregory Porter and some Polish rap from O.S.T.R.

Plus Jakub shares how he ended up becoming one of the world's biggest countertenors by drawing straws in his choir (and losing) and how his past as a skateboarder and breakdancer influenced the music he loves

Playlist: Gregory Porter - Everything You Touch is Gold John Harle - The Interpretation of Dreams [John Harle (sax), Doric Quartet, Sarah Leonard (voice)] O.S.T.R. - O robieniu bitów Aleksander Debicz - Recipe [Aleksander Debicz (piano), Lukasz Kuropaczewski (guitar)] Air - Playground Love Handel - Dove sei (from Rodelinda) [Andreas Scholl (countertenor), Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin] Joy Crookes - When You Were Mine

Jess Gillam with... Ella Jarman-Pinto Apr 03, 2022

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Jess Gillam and composer Ella Jarman-Pinto share the music they love, with life-affirming tunes from Anna Meredith, Flora Purim and Jungle. Beauty in simplicity from Howard Skempton and Luke Howard, fire passion and grit from Elizabeth Maconchy and a little moment of comfort from Johann Christian Bach.

Playlist: Anna Meredith – Sawbones Johann Christian Bach – Sonata No.5 in A Major, Op. 17, No. 5: I. Allegro [Daniil Trifonov, piano] Elizabeth Maconchy - Quartet for strings no. 1, 1st movement; Allegro feroce [Hanson String Quartet] Jungle - Keep Moving Howard Skempton - Lento [BBC Symphony Orchestra, Mark Wigglesworth] Alberto Iglesias - Los Vestidos Desgarrados Flora Purim – This Is Me Luke Howard - Portrait Gallery

Jess Gillam with... Esther Abrami Mar 28, 2022

Show notes

Jess Gillam and violinist Esther Abrami swap playlists, including a French-inspired movie score by Rachel Portman, Paris meets Beirut in jazz form by trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, a gorgeous Motown tribute to Otis Redding, and a classic French chanson reimagined by the one and only Jarvis Cocker.

Playlist:

Jonny Greenwood - House of Woodcock (from the Phantom Threads OST)

Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor, op.64 - 2nd mvt [Yehudi Menuhin (violin), Philharmonia Orchestra, Efrem Kurtz (conductor)]

Jarvis Cocker - Aline

Faure - Chanson d'amour, op.27 no.1 [Barbara Bonney (soprano), Warren Jones (piano)]

William Bell - Tribute to a King

Rachel Portman - Main title from 'Chocolat'

Christian Sinding - Rustle of Spring, op.32 no.3 [Christian Ihle Hadland (piano)]

Ibrahim Maalouf - Lily will Soon Be a Woman (live)

Jess Gillam with... Edgar Moreau Mar 26, 2022

Show notes

Jess Gillam and cellist Edgar Moreau share some of the music they love, with shimmering piano pieces by Debussy and Rachmaninov, and epic emotion from Serge Reggiani and Dusty Springfield. Abdullah Ibrahim is playing the soprano saxophone and Edgar takes us back to his very first orchestral experience with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.

Playlist: Debussy - Suite bergamasque for piano: Clair de lune Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano)

Offenbach - Harmonies des bois, Op. 76; No. 3 Les Larmes de Jacqueline Mischa Maisky (cello), Dania Hovora (piano)

Abdullah Ibrahim - Ishmael Abdullah Ibrahim (soprano saxophone), Cecil McBee (double bass), Roy Brooks (drums)

Serge Reggiani - Ma fille

Bremer/McCoy - Ordet

Rachmaninov - Suite No 1 op 5 Fantaisie Tableaux, Barcarolle Martha Argerich, Alexandre Rabinovitch (piano)

Dusty Springfield – You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me

Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64; II. Andante cantabile… Berliner Philharmoniker, Kirill Petrenko

Jess Gillam with... Anna Meredith Mar 05, 2022

Show notes

In a special show for International Women's Day, Jess sits down with composer Anna Meredith to share some of their favourite tracks by female artists - from lush strings by Bjork and Hildur Guðnadóttir via heartbreakers from FKA Twigs and the Shirelles, to a brand new banger by composer/producer Carmel Smickersgill

Playlist

Bjork: Stonemilker Meredith Monk: Ellis Island FKA Twigs: cellophane Hildur Guðnadóttir: Folk faer andlit Carmel Smickersgill: Thinking Louise Farrenc: Nonet, op.38 - 3rd mvt (Consortium Classicum) Emily Hall: Eternity (Olivia Chaney) The Shirelles: Will you Still Love me Tomorrow

Jess Gillam with... Joseph Havlat Mar 04, 2022

Show notes

Jess Gillam swaps mixtapes with pianist and composer Joseph Havlat, with tracks by Nick Drake and Mike Oldfield, a Romantic classic by Tchaikovsky and a toe tapping early folk tune.

Playlist:

Trad - Kathryn Oggie [Baltimore Consort] Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture [Czech Philharmonic, Semyon Bychkov (conductor)] Nigel Westlake - Shards of Jaisalmer [Grigoryan Brothers] Nick Drake - Saturday Sun Mike Oldfield - Incantations (pt 4) Punch Brothers - All Ashore Schumann - Traumerei, op.15 no.7 [Martha Argerich (piano)] The Dream Academy - Life in a Northern Town

Jess Gillam with... Laufey Feb 12, 2022

Show notes

Jess swaps favourite tracks with singer, songwriter and cellist Laufey, from silky jazz piano from Bill Evans and virtuosic fireworks in Sibelius Violin Concerto to Joe Cocker covering The Beatles.

Playlist: Bill Evans - Like Someone in Love Shara Worden - From the Invisible to the Visible Ravel - Pavane pour un enfant defunte (Louis Lortie (piano)) Joe Cocker - With a Little Help from my Friends Sibelius - Violin Concerto, 3rd mvt (Hilary Hahn (violin), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Esa‐Pekka Salonen (conductor)) Chet Baker - While My Lady Sleeps Shostakovich - Cello Concerto, 1st mvt (Sol Gabetta (cello), Munich Philharmonic, Lorin Maazel (conductor)) Tsegue Maryam Guebrou – Homesickness, pt 2

Jess Gillam with... Sebastian Plano Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

Jess Gillam talks to Argentinian composer Sebastian Plano about the music they love, including Villa-Lobos and an army of cellos taking on Bach, synth wizard Vangelis conjuring up the sound of Antarctica, the soulful voices of Mercedes Sosa and Lianne La Havas, plus a real tearjerker from Elgar.

Playlist: Rossini - William Tell – Overture [Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan] Mercedes Sosa - Alfonsina y el mar Ryuichi Sakamoto - Amore Vangelis - Theme from Antarctica Jóhann Jóhannsson - Flight from the City Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras No.1. Introduction Lianne La Havas - Bittersweet Elgar - Variations on an original theme, Op 36 “Enigma”: 9 Nimrod (Adagio) [BBC Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein]

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