Welsh Festivals [Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert]

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Welsh Festivals: Beethoven And Rachmaninov

20181108

In today's roundup from three of Wales' summer music festivals Christopher Cook returns to the historic market town of Machynlleth, where a packed audience in the Tabernacle was treated to the Marmen Quartet and Beethoven's nod to Haydn in the third of the Opus 18 series of quartets. After that it's a final visit to the North Wales International Music Festival and St. Asaph Cathedral, where some figurative fireworks were lit, as Freddy Kempf put his stamp on Rachmaninov's virtuosic second set of Etudes Tableaux.

Beethoven: String Quartet in D, Op.18, no.3

Johannes Marmen, violin

Ricky Gore, violin

Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola

Steffan Morris. cello

Rachmaninov: Etudes Tableaux, Op.39

Freddy Kempf, piano

Beethoven's String Quartet in D, Op 18 No 3, and Rachmaninov's Etudes Tableaux, Op 39.

Welsh Festivals: Chopin And Britten

20181107

Christopher Cook introduces highlights from last Summer's Welsh Festivals. A great favourite with both audiences and performers alike, in the ancient setting of St. Asaph Cathedral at the North Wales International Music Festival, pianist Freddy Kempf put the piano through its paces in Chopin's Second Piano Sonata, which includes that rather famous funeral march. Then it's off to Presteigne Festival and St. Andrew's Church for a contrasting display of virtuosity from the Navarra String Quartet in Britten's profound and final contribution to string quartet literature.

Chopin: 2nd Piano Sonata, B flat minor

Freddy Kempf, piano

Britten: Third String Quartet

Navarra Quartet

Magnus Johnston, violin

Marijie Johnston, violin

Simone van der Giessen, viola

Brian O'Kane, cello

Chopin 'Funeral March' Sonata and Britten String Quartet No 3 in G at the Welsh Festivals.

Welsh Festivals: Ravel And Debussy

20181106

Wales hosts an abundance of music Festivals in some of the UK's most breathtaking settings. This week Christopher Cook introduces highlights from three of its Summer Festivals, all situated in locations of outstanding natural beauty. Later in the week we'll visit the pretty border town of Presteigne, but the series begins at the North Wales International Music Festival in St. Asaph where pianist Freddy Kempf enchanted audiences in its ancient cathedral with Ravel's homage to his baroque antecedent. After that we head to the historic town of Machynlleth for an evocatively drawn performance of Debussy's Quartet, given by the Marmen Quartet.

Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin

Freddy Kempf, piano

Debussy: String Quartet in G

Johannes Marmen, violin

Ricky Gore, violin

Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola

Steffan Morris. cello

Ravel and Debussy played by pianist Freddy Kempf and the Marmen String Quartet.

Welsh Festivals: Schubert And Brahms

20181109

Christopher Cook's final roundup from three of the summer's music festivals in Wales, takes us back to the pretty border town of Presteigne, where the Navarra Quartet began their programme in St. Andrew's Church with Schubert's string quartet fragment, the Quartettsatz and then we head over the Cambrian mountains to Machynlleth where the Marmen Quartet was joined by Rosalind Ventris and Marcin Sieniawski for one of Brahms's most glorious contributions to chamber music, his second string sextet.

Schubert: Quartettsatz in C minor, D.703

Magnus Johnston, violin

Marije Johnston, violin

Simone van der Giessen, viola

Brian O'Kane, cello

Brahms: String Quartet in G, Op.36

Johannes Marmen, violin

Ricky Gore, violin

Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola

Steffan Morris. cello

Rosalind Ventris, viola

Marcin Sieniawski, cello

Schubert's Quartettsatz, D703 and Brahms's String Sextet No 2 in G, Op 36.

20090915

Presented by Penny Gore.

A concert given at Gregynog Hall in Powys, featuring cantatas and arias from Handel and his contemporaries, performed by a British countertenor quickly making a name for himself on the international opera and recital scene - Iestyn Davies.

Iestyn Davies (countertenor)

Gary Cooper (harpsichord)

Handel: Cantata: Non puó mia musa, HWV 117

Babell: First set su temi favoriti dal Rinaldo di Handel

Handel: Aria: Cor ingrato (Rinaldo - Act 1)

A Scarlatti: Aria - Il Rosignolo

Handel: Chaconne in C; Cantata: Vedendo amor, HWV 175.

Iestyn Davies (countertenor), Gary Cooper (harpsichord) in Handel, Babell and A Scarlatti.

20150127

20151103 (R3)

This week's series celebrates the rich variety of music-making taking place at festivals all around Wales.

As well as being an area of outstanding beauty, Gower has a vibrant annual music festival.

At St. Andrew's Church, Newton the young Russian pianist, Pavel Kolesnikov, one of Radio 3's New Generation Artists, plays Beethoven's 'Moonlight' sonata and Scriabin, a composer with whom he feels a special affinity. Then it's off to Machynlleth, the seat of Owain Glyndwr's Welsh parliament in 1404, for a visit to this historic town's week-long annual music festival. At a concert given in the intimate setting of the Tabernacle, the Heath Quartet join Swedish pianist Bengt Forsberg for a Schumann's delightful Piano Quintet in E flat, written for and dedicated to his wife, the pianist Clara Wieck.

Beethoven: Piano Sonata no.14 in C sharp minor, Op.27 no.2 (Moonlight)

Scriabin: Sonata no.4 in F sharp major, Op.30

Pavel Kolesnikov, piano

Schumann: Piano Quintet in E flat,Op.44

Bengt Forsberg, piano.

Music by Beethoven, Scriabin and Schumann performed at festivals in Wales.

20150128

20151104 (R3)

Continuing this week's series from festivals around Wales, today's lunchtime concert comes from the picturesque border town of Presteigne, where a music festival has been flourishing for over 30 years. Marking this year's Polish theme, in a concert given in St. Andrew's Church, the Cavaleri Quartet's programme brings together Henryk Gorecki's vivid, folk-influenced String Quartet, Op.62 and a lesser known gem among Beethoven's String Quartets, his Op.74.

Henryk Gorecki: String Quartet no.1, Op.62 'Already it is Dusk

James MacMillan: Memento

Beethoven: String Quartet in E flat, Op.74 'Harp'.

Cavaleri Quartet.

The Cavalieri Quartet in Gorecki, MacMillan and Beethoven at 2014's Presteigne Festival.

Catrin Finch

20090916

Harpist Catrin Finch performs Bach's Goldberg Variations in the 2009 Lower Machen Festival

20090917

Presented by Penny Gore.

A recital given in the spectacular setting of St David's Cathedral on Wales' western peninsula, where pilgrimage and worship date back at least 800 years.

Natalie Clein (cello)

Bach: Suite No 1 for cello solo, BWV 1007; Suite No 3 for cello solo, BWV 1009

Kodaly: Sonata for cello solo, Op 8.

Natalie Clein (cello) in Bach: Suites Nos 1 and 3, plus Kodaly.

20150129

20151105 (R3)

A return to Gower Festival and St. Andrew's Church, Newton, for Schumann's Nachtstücke and Scriabin played by the brilliant young Russian pianist, now a Radio 3 New Generation Artist, Pavel Kolesnikov, and then on to Presteigne Festival for the world premiere performance of Hilary Tann's first string quartet, 'And the Snow did Lie', given by the Cavaleri Quartet in St. Andrew's Church. The Quartet is based on a series of lithographs created by Andre Bergeron which depict a Northern landscape. The images are available to look at via the radio 3 website.

Schumann: Nachtstücke, Op 23

Scriabin: Vers la flamme, Op 72

Pavel Kolesnikov, piano

Hilary Tann: And the Snow Did Lie

Cavaleri Quartet.

With the world premiere of Hilary Tann's String Quartet No 1. Plus Schumann and Scriabin.

20150130

20151106 (R3)

This series of visits to Festivals around Wales concludes at Machynlleth Festival.

Baritone Nigel Cliffe joins the Heath Quartet at the Tabernacle for Roxanna Panufnik's piece for baritone and string quartet, based around letters written during World War 1 from a young private at Ypres. Ahead of the anniversary celebrations later in the year, Swedish pianist Bengt Forsberg plays a short suite by Sibelius and the Heath Quartet play the last of Beethoven's Opus 18 string quartets.

Roxanna Panufnik: Private Joe for baritone and string quartet

Nigel Cliffe, baritone

3 Lyrical Pieces 'Kyllikki', Op41

Bengt Forsberg, piano

Beethoven: Quartet in C minor, Op18 no 4

Heath Quartet.

From 2014's Machynlleth Festival, music by Panufnik, Sibelius and Beethoven.

James Gilchrist And The Carducci Quartet

20090918

Presented by Penny Gore.

In a concert given at St Andrew's Church, Presteigne, James Gilchrist (tenor) and the Carducci Quartet perform two classic works for string quartet and a recent setting of a poem by Dylan Thomas.

Haydn: String Quartet in D, Op 20, No 4

Huw Watkins: In my craft or sullen art for tenor and string quartet

Janacek: String Quartet No 1.

James Gilchrist (tenor) and the Carducci Quartet in music by Haydn and Huw Watkins.

Presteigne Festival

20101008

Presteigne in Mid-Wales is the final stop in this week of highlights from music festivals across Wales. Featuring this year's quartet in residence, the Tippett Quartet, with pianist Tom Poster performing in the town's St. Andrew's Church.

Stravinsky: Three pieces for string quartet

Hugh Wood: String quartet no.3

Schumann: Piano quintet op.44.

The Tippett Quartet in Stravinsky, Hugh Wood and Schumann at 2010's Presteigne Festival.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
	Welsh Festivals: Beethoven And Rachmaninov	20181108		In today's roundup from three of Wales' summer music festivals Christopher Cook returns to the historic market town of Machynlleth, where a packed audience in the Tabernacle was treated to the Marmen Quartet and Beethoven's nod to Haydn in the third of the Opus 18 series of quartets. After that it's a final visit to the North Wales International Music Festival and St. Asaph Cathedral, where some figurative fireworks were lit, as Freddy Kempf put his stamp on Rachmaninov's virtuosic second set of Etudes Tableaux. Beethoven: String Quartet in D, Op.18, no.3 Johannes Marmen, violin Ricky Gore, violin Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola Steffan Morris. cello Rachmaninov: Etudes Tableaux, Op.39 Freddy Kempf, piano Beethoven's String Quartet in D, Op 18 No 3, and Rachmaninov's Etudes Tableaux, Op 39.
	Welsh Festivals: Chopin And Britten	20181107		Christopher Cook introduces highlights from last Summer's Welsh Festivals. A great favourite with both audiences and performers alike, in the ancient setting of St. Asaph Cathedral at the North Wales International Music Festival, pianist Freddy Kempf put the piano through its paces in Chopin's Second Piano Sonata, which includes that rather famous funeral march. Then it's off to Presteigne Festival and St. Andrew's Church for a contrasting display of virtuosity from the Navarra String Quartet in Britten's profound and final contribution to string quartet literature. Chopin: 2nd Piano Sonata, B flat minor Freddy Kempf, piano Britten: Third String Quartet Navarra Quartet Magnus Johnston, violin Marijie Johnston, violin Simone van der Giessen, viola Brian O'Kane, cello Chopin 'Funeral March' Sonata and Britten String Quartet No 3 in G at the Welsh Festivals.
	Welsh Festivals: Ravel And Debussy	20181106		Wales hosts an abundance of music Festivals in some of the UK's most breathtaking settings. This week Christopher Cook introduces highlights from three of its Summer Festivals, all situated in locations of outstanding natural beauty. Later in the week we'll visit the pretty border town of Presteigne, but the series begins at the North Wales International Music Festival in St. Asaph where pianist Freddy Kempf enchanted audiences in its ancient cathedral with Ravel's homage to his baroque antecedent. After that we head to the historic town of Machynlleth for an evocatively drawn performance of Debussy's Quartet, given by the Marmen Quartet. Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin Freddy Kempf, piano Debussy: String Quartet in G Johannes Marmen, violin Ricky Gore, violin Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola Steffan Morris. cello Ravel and Debussy played by pianist Freddy Kempf and the Marmen String Quartet.
	Welsh Festivals: Schubert And Brahms	20181109		Christopher Cook's final roundup from three of the summer's music festivals in Wales, takes us back to the pretty border town of Presteigne, where the Navarra Quartet began their programme in St. Andrew's Church with Schubert's string quartet fragment, the Quartettsatz and then we head over the Cambrian mountains to Machynlleth where the Marmen Quartet was joined by Rosalind Ventris and Marcin Sieniawski for one of Brahms's most glorious contributions to chamber music, his second string sextet. Schubert: Quartettsatz in C minor, D.703 Magnus Johnston, violin Marije Johnston, violin Simone van der Giessen, viola Brian O'Kane, cello Brahms: String Quartet in G, Op.36 Johannes Marmen, violin Ricky Gore, violin Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola Steffan Morris. cello Rosalind Ventris, viola Marcin Sieniawski, cello Schubert's Quartettsatz, D703 and Brahms's String Sextet No 2 in G, Op 36.
01		20090915		Presented by Penny Gore. A concert given at Gregynog Hall in Powys, featuring cantatas and arias from Handel and his contemporaries, performed by a British countertenor quickly making a name for himself on the international opera and recital scene - Iestyn Davies. Iestyn Davies (countertenor) Gary Cooper (harpsichord) Handel: Cantata: Non puó mia musa, HWV 117 Babell: First set su temi favoriti dal Rinaldo di Handel Handel: Aria: Cor ingrato (Rinaldo - Act 1) A Scarlatti: Aria - Il Rosignolo Handel: Chaconne in C; Cantata: Vedendo amor, HWV 175. Iestyn Davies (countertenor), Gary Cooper (harpsichord) in Handel, Babell and A Scarlatti.
01		20150127	20151103 (R3)	This week's series celebrates the rich variety of music-making taking place at festivals all around Wales. As well as being an area of outstanding beauty, Gower has a vibrant annual music festival. At St. Andrew's Church, Newton the young Russian pianist, Pavel Kolesnikov, one of Radio 3's New Generation Artists, plays Beethoven's 'Moonlight' sonata and Scriabin, a composer with whom he feels a special affinity. Then it's off to Machynlleth, the seat of Owain Glyndwr's Welsh parliament in 1404, for a visit to this historic town's week-long annual music festival. At a concert given in the intimate setting of the Tabernacle, the Heath Quartet join Swedish pianist Bengt Forsberg for a Schumann's delightful Piano Quintet in E flat, written for and dedicated to his wife, the pianist Clara Wieck. Beethoven: Piano Sonata no.14 in C sharp minor, Op.27 no.2 (Moonlight) Scriabin: Sonata no.4 in F sharp major, Op.30 Pavel Kolesnikov, piano Schumann: Piano Quintet in E flat,Op.44 Bengt Forsberg, piano. Music by Beethoven, Scriabin and Schumann performed at festivals in Wales.
02		20150128	20151104 (R3)	Continuing this week's series from festivals around Wales, today's lunchtime concert comes from the picturesque border town of Presteigne, where a music festival has been flourishing for over 30 years. Marking this year's Polish theme, in a concert given in St. Andrew's Church, the Cavaleri Quartet's programme brings together Henryk Gorecki's vivid, folk-influenced String Quartet, Op.62 and a lesser known gem among Beethoven's String Quartets, his Op.74. Henryk Gorecki: String Quartet no.1, Op.62 'Already it is Dusk James MacMillan: Memento Beethoven: String Quartet in E flat, Op.74 'Harp'. Cavaleri Quartet. The Cavalieri Quartet in Gorecki, MacMillan and Beethoven at 2014's Presteigne Festival.
02	Catrin Finch	20090916		Harpist Catrin Finch performs Bach's Goldberg Variations in the 2009 Lower Machen Festival
03		20090917		Presented by Penny Gore. A recital given in the spectacular setting of St David's Cathedral on Wales' western peninsula, where pilgrimage and worship date back at least 800 years. Natalie Clein (cello) Bach: Suite No 1 for cello solo, BWV 1007; Suite No 3 for cello solo, BWV 1009 Kodaly: Sonata for cello solo, Op 8. Natalie Clein (cello) in Bach: Suites Nos 1 and 3, plus Kodaly.
03		20150129	20151105 (R3)	A return to Gower Festival and St. Andrew's Church, Newton, for Schumann's Nachtstücke and Scriabin played by the brilliant young Russian pianist, now a Radio 3 New Generation Artist, Pavel Kolesnikov, and then on to Presteigne Festival for the world premiere performance of Hilary Tann's first string quartet, 'And the Snow did Lie', given by the Cavaleri Quartet in St. Andrew's Church. The Quartet is based on a series of lithographs created by Andre Bergeron which depict a Northern landscape. The images are available to look at via the radio 3 website. Schumann: Nachtstücke, Op 23 Scriabin: Vers la flamme, Op 72 Pavel Kolesnikov, piano Hilary Tann: And the Snow Did Lie Cavaleri Quartet. With the world premiere of Hilary Tann's String Quartet No 1. Plus Schumann and Scriabin.
04		20150130	20151106 (R3)	This series of visits to Festivals around Wales concludes at Machynlleth Festival. Baritone Nigel Cliffe joins the Heath Quartet at the Tabernacle for Roxanna Panufnik's piece for baritone and string quartet, based around letters written during World War 1 from a young private at Ypres. Ahead of the anniversary celebrations later in the year, Swedish pianist Bengt Forsberg plays a short suite by Sibelius and the Heath Quartet play the last of Beethoven's Opus 18 string quartets. Roxanna Panufnik: Private Joe for baritone and string quartet Nigel Cliffe, baritone 3 Lyrical Pieces 'Kyllikki', Op41 Bengt Forsberg, piano Beethoven: Quartet in C minor, Op18 no 4 Heath Quartet. From 2014's Machynlleth Festival, music by Panufnik, Sibelius and Beethoven.
04	James Gilchrist And The Carducci Quartet	20090918		Presented by Penny Gore. In a concert given at St Andrew's Church, Presteigne, James Gilchrist (tenor) and the Carducci Quartet perform two classic works for string quartet and a recent setting of a poem by Dylan Thomas. Haydn: String Quartet in D, Op 20, No 4 Huw Watkins: In my craft or sullen art for tenor and string quartet Janacek: String Quartet No 1. James Gilchrist (tenor) and the Carducci Quartet in music by Haydn and Huw Watkins.
04	Presteigne Festival	20101008		Presteigne in Mid-Wales is the final stop in this week of highlights from music festivals across Wales. Featuring this year's quartet in residence, the Tippett Quartet, with pianist Tom Poster performing in the town's St. Andrew's Church. Stravinsky: Three pieces for string quartet Hugh Wood: String quartet no.3 Schumann: Piano quintet op.44. The Tippett Quartet in Stravinsky, Hugh Wood and Schumann at 2010's Presteigne Festival.