Episodes
| Series | Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Experimenting | 20181002 | All this week, Donald Macleod is in conversation with Thea Musgrave as the Scottish born composer celebrates her 90th birthday. In this programme she discusses her early experiments with electronic techniques as well as her long friendships with musicians such as oboist Nicholas Daniel, horn player Barry Tuckwell and conductor Colin Davis. She explains how she developed a form of music that she describes as dramatic abstract, where she experiments with spatial configurations of players and acoustic possibilities. Niobe for oboe and pre-recorded tape Nicholas Daniel, oboe Concerto for horn and orchestra Barry Tuckwell, horn Scottish National Orchestra Thea Musgrave, conductor Wild Winter I Red Byrd Fretwork Presenter: Donald Macleod Producer: Rosie Boulton for BBC Wales Donald Macleod and Thea Musgrave discuss her early electronic techniques and spatial ideas |
| 2018 | From Scotland To Paris | 20181001 | All this week, Donald Macleod is in conversation with Thea Musgrave as the composer celebrates her 90th Birthday. Born just outside Edinburgh, Thea developed as a musician but went to study medicine at Edinburgh University before realising that she must pursue a life in music. A composition prize took her to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger who spotted her real potential. Back in Britain, Thea started to be noticed and get commissions. A dream about a subversive clarinettist led to a crucial commission from the CBSO for a ground breaking Concerto for Orchestra. In 1970 she was offered the post of Guest Professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara and has lived and made her life as a composer in the States ever since. Driving in the Highlands (Excursions for piano duet) Malcolm Williamson, piano Thea Musgrave, piano Four Madrigals Florilegium Chamber Choir JoAnn Rice, conductor Rorate Coeli (1973) Impromptu for flute and oboe Douglas Whittaker, flute Janet Craxton, oboe Scottish National Orchestra Alexander Gibson, conductor Presenter: Donald Macleod Producer: Rosie Boulton for BBC Wales Thea considers her musical roots as she celebrates her 90th birthday |
| 2018 | Happy Birthday! | 20181005 | All this week, Donald Macleod is in conversation with Thea Musgrave as the Scottish born composer celebrates her 90th birthday. In this final programme, Thea talks about the continuing pleasure she still derives from composing. Also, the on-going friendships she has with players, especially with the percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and the oboist Nicholas Daniel. And she describes the speech she made on recently winning the classical music prize at this year's Ivor Novello Awards, about the vitally important part that music plays in all of our lives. On the Underground, Set 1: Sometimes New York Virtuoso Singers Harold Rosenbaum, conductor Songs for a Winter's Evening Lisa Milne, soprano BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Osmo Vanska, conductor Two's Company - a concerto for percussion and orchestra Dame Evelyn Glennie, percussion Nicholas Daniel, oboe BBC Symphony Orchestra Jiri Belohlavek, conductor Presenter: Donald Macleod Producer: Rosie Boulton for BBC Wales Donald Macleod and Thea Musgrave reflect on her long life of happy music making |
| 2018 | Poetry And Pictures | 20181004 | All this week, Donald Macleod is in conversation with Thea Musgrave as the Scottish born composer celebrates her 90th birthday. Donald Macleod talks with Thea about setting poems she read on the Tube, revealing her sense of fun and playfulness. And they also discuss the importance of visual art in Thea's life and imagination, leading to significant compositions inspired by Edward Hopper and J. M. W. Turner. On the Underground, Set 2: The Strange and the Exotic New York Virtuoso Singers Harold Rosenbaum, conductor Night Windows for oboe and piano Nicholas Daniel, oboe Huw Watkins, piano Turbulent Landscapes for orchestra BBC Symphony Orchestra Osmo Vanska, conductor Presenter: Donald Macleod Producer: Rosie Boulton for BBC Wales Donald Macleod and Thea Musgrave on her works inspired by Edward Hopper and JMW Turner |
| 2018 | Teaching | 20181003 | All this week, Donald Macleod is in conversation with Thea Musgrave as the Scottish born composer celebrates her 90th birthday. Apart from Harrison Birtwistle, among living British composers, Thea has written more operas than anyone else. These include works about Mary Queen of Scots, American abolitionist and former slave Harriet Tubman, and Sim n Bol퀀var. In this programme, Thea discusses her operas and also her teaching. Donald questions her about her teaching style: how did she go about teaching someone else to compose and asks would she actively encourage someone to be a composer? The Peace Chorus (Mary Queen of Scots, Act 1) Ashley Putnam, soprano Jake Gardner, baritone Jon Garrison, tenor Virginia Opera Association Peter Mark, conductor The Seasons Scottish Chamber Orchestra Nicholas Kraemer, conductor Helios - Concerto for oboe and orchestra Nicholas Daniel, oboe Presenter: Donald Macleod Producer: Rosie Boulton for BBC Wales Donald Macleod asks Thea Musgrave whether she would encourage someone to be a composer |