Episodes
| Episode | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20081027 | Presented by Louise Fryer. The focus on Messiaen's music in the context of significant themes in French music history continues with a selection of French opera and ballet performances, including a whistlestop tour through the last four hundred years of music. Lully: Persee (excerpts) Stephanie d'Oustrac (mezzo-soprano) Le Concert Spirituel Alice Pierot (director) Offenbach: Tyrolienne (La Belle Helene) Michael Schade (tenor) Wiener Virtuosen Berlioz: (Overture) Les Francs-juges BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Ilan Volkov (conductor) Charpentier: Medee (excerpts) Adolphe Adam: Giselle (excerpts from Act 2) BBC Concert Orchestra Barry Wordsworth (conductor) Bizet: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Carmen) Jonas Kaufmann (tenor) Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon National Orchestra Michael Schonwandt (conductor) Massenet: Manon (excerpts) Nathalie Dessay (soprano) Chabrier: Fete polonaise (Le Roi malgre lui) Ulster Orchestra Jean-Luc Tingaud (conductor) Francois Colin de Blamont: Egine (Les fetes de Thetis) Egine - La Seine Stephanie Pochon (soprano) Thetis - Caroline Mutel (soprano) Sisyphe - Arnaud Marzorati (baritone) Jupiter/Mercure - Jean-Sebastien Bou (baritone) Les Nouveaux Caracteres Sebastien d'Herin (director/harpsichord) Debussy: Jeux Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra Jukka-Pekka Saraste (conductor). A focus on French opera and ballet, with music by Lully, Offenbach, Berlioz and Bizet. |
| 02 | 20081028 | Presented by Louise Fryer. A series celebrating 100 years since the birth of Messiaen, with a focus on his music in context of French opera and ballet. As part of a full repeat of a celebrated 2008 Prom by Netherlands Opera, the programme features the first act of Messiaen's only opera, an epic vision of the life of St Francis of Assisi. Rameau: Zoroastre (excerpt) Veronique Gens (soprano) Les Talens Lyriques Christophe Rousset (director) Delibes: Coppelia (excerpts) BBC Concert Orchestra Barry Wordsworth (conductor) Messager: Les deux pigeons (excerpt from Act 1) Dukas: La Peri BBC Symphony Orchestra Martyn Brabbins (conductor) Ravel: La valse BBC National Orchestra of Wales Jac van Steen (conductor) Milhaud: La creation du monde Ulster Orchestra Jean-Luc Tingaud (conductor) Messiaen: Saint Francois d'Assise (Act 1) Saint Francis - Rodney Gilfry (baritone) Angel - Heidi Grant Murphy (soprano) Leper - Hubert Delamboye (tenor) Brother Masseo - Charles Workman (baritone) Brother Leo - Henk Neven (baritone) Brother Elias - Donald Kaasch (tenor) Brother Bernard - Armand Arapian (baritone) Brother Sylvester - Jan Willem Baljet (baritone) Brother Rufus - Andre Morsch (baritone) Chorus of the Netherlands Opera The Hague Philharmonic Orchestra Ingo Metzmacher (conductor). A focus on French opera and ballet, with Act 1 of Messiaen's Saint Francis of Assisi. |
| 03 | 20081029 | Presented by Louise Fryer. Part of a series celebrating 100 years since the birth of Messiaen, with a focus on his music in context of French opera and ballet. As part of a repeat of a celebrated 2008 Prom by Netherlands Opera, the programme features the second act of Messiaen's only opera, which culminates in the famous scene of his sermon to the birds, whose songs are depicted by a large orchestra. Messiaen: Saint Francois d'Assise (Act 2) Saint Francis - Rodney Gilfry (baritone) Angel - Heidi Grant Murphy (soprano) Leper - Hubert Delamboye (tenor) Brother Masseo - Charles Workman (baritone) Brother Leo - Henk Neven (baritone) Brother Elias - Donald Kaasch (tenor) Brother Bernard - Armand Arapian (baritone) Brother Sylvester - Jan Willem Baljet (baritone) Brother Rufus - Andre Morsch (baritone) Chorus of the Netherlands Opera The Hague Philharmonic Orchestra Ingo Metzmacher (conductor). A focus on French opera and ballet, with the second act of Messiaen's St Francis of Assisi |
| 04 | 20081030 | Including: Gluck: J'ai perdu mon Eurydice Michael Schade (tenor) Wiener Virtuosen Gluck: Dance of the Furies; Dance of the Blessed Spirits Concerto Koln Louis Langree (director) Francois-Andre Danican Philidor: Transports, tourments jaloux... (Ernelinde) Monsigny: Il m'eut ete si doux de t'embrasser (Le deserteur) Gossec: Suite (Sabinus) Pierre-Yves Pruvot (baritone) Les Agremens Guy van Waas (director) Niccolo Piccinni: Qui, moi, le flatter?... Ah que je fus bien inspiree' (Didone) Antonio Sacchini: Je ne vous quitte point; Ballet final (Oedipe a Colone) Roberta Invernizzi (soprano) La Cappella della Pieta de' Turchini Antonio Florio (director) Johann Christoph Vogel: Overture (Demophon) Le Sueur: Dans ce peril certain... Cedons a mes remords... (La caverne) Rodolphe Kreutzer: L'aurore a dissipe les ombres...Charmant sejour, lieu solitaire...O mes enfants (La mort d'Abel) Ferdinando Paer: Ah! quel bonheur de pressentir sa gloire! (Le maitre de chapelle) Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture BBC NOW Thierry Fischer (conductor) Messiaen: Saint Francois d'Assise (Act 3) Saint Francis - Rodney Gilfry (baritone) Angel - Heidi Grant Murphy (soprano) Leper - Hubert Delamboye (tenor) Brother Masseo - Charles Workman (baritone) Brother Leo - Henk Neven (baritone) Brother Elias - Donald Kaasch (tenor) Brother Bernard - Armand Arapian (baritone) Brother Sylvester - Jan Willem Baljet (baritone) Brother Rufus - Andre Morsch (baritone) Chorus of Netherlands Opera Hague Philharmonic Ingo Metzmacher (conductor). A focus on French opera and ballet, with Act 3 of Messiaen's Saint Francis of Assisi. |
| 05 | 20081031 | Presented by Louise Fryer. Part of a series celebrating 100 years since the birth of Messiaen, with a focus on his music in context of French opera and ballet. With a selection of odd couples across the centuries, including Romeo and Juliet, Bacchus and the abandoned Ariadne, as well as Rameau's complete opera celebrating brotherly the love of Castor and Pollux. Rameau: Overture (Hippolyte et Aricie) Les Talens Lyriques Christophe Rousset (director) Gounod: Va, je t'ai pardonne...Nuit d'hymenee (Romeo et Juliette) Nathalie Dessay (soprano) Jonas Kaufmann (tenor) Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon National Orchestra Michael Schonwandt (conductor) Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane Suite No 2 BBC National Orchestra of Wales Walter Weller (conductor) Rameau: Castor et Pollux Castor - Finnur Bjarnasson (countertenor) Pollux - Henk Neven (baritone) Phoebe, a Spartan princess - Veronique Gens (soprano) Telaira, daughter of the Sun - Anna Maria Panzarella (soprano) First Athlete/Mercury/First Spartan - Anders J Dahlin (countertenor) High Priest of Jupiter - Thomas Oliemans (tenor) A Follower of Hebe/A Blessed Spirit/Cleone, Phoebe's confidante - Judith van Wanroij (soprano) Jupiter - Nicolas Teste (bass) Netherlands Opera Chorus (prepared by Martin Wright) Christophe Rousset (conductor). Focusing on French opera and ballet, with music by Rameau, Gounod and Roussel. |