BBC National Orchestra Of Wales - Musical Firsts [Afternoon Concert]

Penny opens with a concert given last month at BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff, home of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the first of a season looking back on past premieres and BBC commissions. Principal Guest conductor Jac van Steen conducts two orchestral masterpieces from twentieth century Russia, and David Matthews joins Penny live in the studio to introduce his cello concerto, 'Concerto in Azzurro'. It was premiered by this orchestra in 2002, and here receives its first performance in Wales, with the exciting young soloist Guy Johnston, himself a past BBC Young Musician of the Year.

David also talks to Penny about his 6th symphony, heard here for the first time in a brand new recording. The symphony was premiered at the Proms in 2007 to great critical acclaim, and takes its theme from Vaughan Williams hymn tune 'Down Ampney' - often sung to the words 'Come down, O love divine'. The same hymn tune also underpins a new work from Australian composer Paul Stanhope, which received its UK premiere with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival in 2009. These two works from different sides of the world are joined together by a performance of Vaughan Williams own 'Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis', given in the building for which it was written, Gloucester Cathedral.

Stravinsky: Symphony in three movements

Jac van Steen (conductor)

2.25pm

David Matthews: Concerto in Azzurro (Op.87)

Guy Johnston (cello)

Prokofiev: Symphony no. 3 in C minor (Op. 44)

3.35pm

Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis for double string orchestra

Richard Hickox (conductor)

3.55pm

David Matthews: Symphony no. 6 (Op.100)

Paul Stanhope: Fantasia on a theme of Vaughan Williams for orchestra

Andre de Ridder (conductor).

BBC NOW in Stravinsky, David Matthews, Prokofiev, Vaughan Williams and Paul Stanhope.

A quartet of works all influenced by the sea opens today's programme. 'Sneaker Wave' was written for the 2004 Proms by Joby Talbot, who is also a distinguished writer of film and TV scores, as well as arranging for pop musicians from Ute Lemper to Tom Jones. Joby brings the full force of the orchestra crashing down to portray this massive wall of water, including, in this performance, the mighty Albert Hall organ.

Welsh composer Grace Williams made her home on the coast, just outside Cardiff, overlooking the Bristol Channel. Her evocative Sea Sketches were premiered in 1947 at the BBC studios in Cardiff, and have become a familiar favourite of Welsh orchestral music ever since.

Michael Berkeley first heard the haunting sound of whales singing as they 'bubble net' as part of a Radio 4 programme 'World on the Move'. This unique song moved him to incorporate a recording in his recent commission for BBC NOW - 'Gabriel's Lament'. Today Penny also hears from the producer, Joe Stevens, about this remarkable underwater vocal talent.

Julian Philips wrote his seascape for the orchestra a decade ago, and it was soon championed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Afternoon on 3 closes with a concert featuring the first broadcast of 'Taliesin', the final work composed by Alun Hoddinott, who for over half a century was at the heart of Welsh musical life. Penny is joined by Swansea Festival director Huw Tregelles Williams, to hear about the new piece, the composer and this remarkable concert from the 2009 festival, featuring the orchestra's Associate Guest Conductor Francois-Xavier Roth. The French conductor is joined by his organist father Daniel, in the final work today, the ever-popular Organ Symphony by Saint-Saens.

Joby Talbot: Sneaker Wave

David Childs (euphonium)

Grant Llewellyn (conductor)

Grace Williams: Sea Sketches

Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano)

Tadaaki Otaka (conductor)

Michael Berkerley: Gabriel's Lament

BBC National Chorus of Wales

Thierry Fischer (conductor)

3pm

Julian Philips: Strange seas for orchestra

3.30pm

Berlioz: Le Carnaval Romain - Overture (Op.9)

Francois-Xavier Roth (conductor)

Alun Hoddinott: Taliesin

4.10pm

Debussy: Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune

Saint-Saens: Symphony no. 3 in C minor 'Organ symphony' (Op. 78)

Daniel Roth (organ)

Francois-Xavier Roth (conductor).

BBC NOW in Talbot, Grace Williams, M Berkeley, Berlioz, Hoddinott, Debussy, Saint-Saens.

Today Elin Manahan Thomas presents a live Afternoon on 3 concert from BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff. The orchestra is joined by conductor Martyn Brabbins to travel three contrasting musical landscapes.

Anthony Powers talks with Elin, looking back on his 1993 commission for the orchestra. They're joined by BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Mahan Esfahani for Poulenc's 'countryside' concerto for harpsichord, inspired by the eighteenth century entertainment of the French court at Versailles.

Copland's 1940s ballet score remains one of the quintessential American works of the twentieth century, with its perfect evocation of the pioneer spirit and the wide open spaces of the great outdoors.

Anthony Powers: Terrain

Martyn Brabbins (conductor)

2.30pm

Poulenc: Concert champetre for harpsichord (or piano) and orchestra

Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord)

Arthur Honegger: Concerto for cello and orchestra

Alban Gerhardt (cello)

Thierry Fischer (conductor)

3.20pm

Copland: Appalachian spring - ballet version for orchestra [1945]

Martyn Brabbins (conductor).

BBC National Orchestra of Wales in music by Anthony Powers, Poulenc, Honegger and Copland.

Today Penny introduces a brand new recording of Arthur Sullivan's 'Ivanhoe' - arguably the most important British opera from the nineteenth century. Based on the novel by Sir Walter Scott, dedicated to Queen Victoria - and written at her suggestion - Ivanhoe opened at the Royal English Opera House in January 1891 and ran for 155 consecutive performances. Since when its popularity has been somewhat less extravagant. When the performing materials were destroyed by fire in 1964, its fate seemed sealed.

Thanks largely to the indefatigable effort and boundless energy of the late Richard Hickox, a new recording has now been made of this legendary opera, a co-production between BBC Radio 3 and Chandos Records. With a young and starry cast of British opera talent, this tale of knights in shining armour, forbidden love and medieval merrymaking can finally be heard once again.

Arthur Sullivan: Ivanhoe [rev. 1895]

Toby Spence - Wilfred, Knight of Ivanhoe; Son of Cedric the Saxon (tenor)

Janice Watson - The Lady Rowena; Ward of Cedric (soprano)

Geraldine McGreevy - Rebecca; Daughter of Isaac of York (soprano)

Peter Rose - Cedric the Saxon; Thane of Rotherwood (bass)

Neal Davies - Richard Coeur-de-Lion; King of England disguised as the Black Knight (baritone)

Leigh Melrose - Isaac; the Jew of York (baritone)

Other roles sung by Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Matthew Brook, Stephen Gadd, James Rutherford, Andrew Staples and Peter Wedd

Adrian Partington Singers

David Lloyd-Jones (conductor).

BBC National Orchestra of Wales in a new recording of Arthur Sullivan's opera Ivanhoe.

Penny introduces a recent concert recorded at Bangor University last November, as part of the 125th anniversary celebrations. It opens with the most recent premiere given by the orchestra, from Resident Composer Guto Puw, 'Break the Stone' - a reference both to a Welsh folksong and the quarrying heritage of North Wales.

The final item in the week comes from one of the most memorable concerts of the orchestra's 2008-9 season at St. David's Hall in Cardiff, Mahler's mighty 7th Symphony, his Song of the Night.

Guto Puw: Overture: Torri'r Garreg

Garry Walker (conductor)

Haydn: Symphony No. 70 in D Major

2.40pm

William Mathias: Horn Concerto (Op. 93)

Tim Thorpe (horn)

3.10pm

James MacMillan: The World's Ransoming

Celia Craig (cor anglais)

Grant Llewellyn (conductor)

3.30pm

Mahler: Symphony no. 7

Kazushi Ono (conductor).

BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Guto Puw, Haydn, Mathias, MacMillan and Mahler.