Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Part 1 | 20101004 | Presented by Penny Gore. Mahler and Nature. Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth's Magic Horn) is a collection of German folk poetry made in the early nineteenth century, and was a key source of inspiration for Mahler throughout his life, touching on the poems' themes of Nature and Boyhood Wonder, recalling Mahler's own childhood in Bohemia and his own ideas of Nature set against the sophisicated industrial and intellectual background of Hapsburg Vienna. Today Anne Sophie von Otter, Hakan Hagegard and Thomas Hampson sing some of Mahler's settings of poems from Das Knaben Wunderhorn, with the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado and Riccardo Chailly. Interspersed with other 'Nature' related pieces - Beethoven's 'Pastoral' symphony with it's musical thunderstorm, and Dvorak's 8th Symphony - his sunny evocation of the Bohemian countryside - both performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. 2.00pm Weber: Overture to Der Freischutz BBC Symphony Orchestra Michal Dworzynski, conductor 2.10pm Mahler: Selection from Des Knaben Wunderhorn Anne Sophie von Otter, mezzo soprano Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Claudio Abbado, conductor 2.30pm Beethoven: Symphony No.6 in F (Op.68) 'Pastoral Ilan Volkov, conductor 3.30pm Dvorak: Symphony No.8 in G (Op.88) Garry Walker, conductor 4.25pm Hakan Hagegard, baritone Riccardo Chailly, conductor. Music inspired by nature, including excerpts from Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn. |
| 02 | Part 2 | 20101005 | Presented by Penny Gore. Mahler's Third Symphony is shot through with the influence of 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn' and its references to Nature and childhood. In 1995 the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam staged a Festival: 'Gustav Mahler: the world listens' at which all the symphonies were programmed. Today it is the turn of the Third Symphony written in 1896 and performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink with contralto soloist Jard van Nes. 2.00pm Weber: Overture to Oberon Dresden State Orchestra Neeme Jarvi, conductor 2.20pm Mahler: Symphony No.3 in D minor Jard van Nes, contralto Women of the Netherlands Radio Choir Boy's Choir from St.Bavo Cathedral, Haarlem Bernard Haitink, conductor 3.50pm JB Foerster: Violin Concerto in C minor (Op.88) Ivan Zenaty, violin Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Jiri Belohlavek, conductor. Penny Gore presents Mahler's Third Symphony, performed by the Vienna Philharmonic. |
| 03 | Part 3 | 20101006 | Featuring at 2pm, a live concert by the BBC Singers on a theme of Mahler and Nature including music by Dvorak, Smetana, Mahler, Berg and Strauss. There's more nature themed music by Dvorak, his symphonic poem 'A Hero's Song', whose premiere was conducted by Mahler. Then there's Benjamin Britten's arrangement of the second movement from Mahler's 3rd Symphony 'What the flowers tell me', and more Mahler songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn. 'Tales from Vienna Woods' BBC Singers 'Live' from St. Paul's, Knightsbridge, conducted by James Morgan and introduced by Richard Coles, including: Mahler arr. Gottwald: Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen Dvorak: In Nature's Realm Strauss: 7 Lieder (1880) Smetana: Sbory trojhlasne 3pm Dvorak: A Hero's Song (Op.111) BBC Symphony Orchestra Jiri Belohlavek, conductor Mahler arr. Britten: What the wild flowers tell me Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Jaap van Zweden, conductor. The BBC Singers perform Dvorak, Smetana, Strauss, Webern, Berg at St Pauls, Knightsbridge. |
| 04 | Part 4 | 20101008 | Penny Gore closes this week dedicated to Mahler and Nature with his 4th Symphony, which was the culmination of his fascination with the folk poetry collection 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn'. Before then the week's theme continues with Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony, Webern's Im Sommerwind and Zemlinsky's Op.13 orchestral songs. 2pm Weber: Euryanthe Overture French National Orchestra Daniele Gatti, conductor 2.10pm Strauss: An Alpine Symphony Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra Daniel Harding, conductor 3pm Webern: Im Sommerwind BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Donald Runnicles, conductor Zemlinsky: Songs Op.13 Dagmar Peckova, soprano Prague Symphony Orchestra Jiri Belohlavek, conductor 4pm Mahler: Symphony No.4 Barbara Bonney, soprano Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Riccardo Muti, conductor. Penny Gore with music on the theme of Mahler and nature, including Mahler's Symphony No 4. |