大象传媒

Louise Fryer launches a month of programmes on Radio 3, Essential Symphony. Complementing the 大象传媒4 series "Symphony" which was started yesterday evening - and including every note of every Symphony featured in the television series.

Between today and Friday 2 December, Afternoon on 3 will broadcast the 大象传媒's orchestras playing more than sixty Symphonies - running through the history of the form from the early eighteenth to the early twenty-first centuries. Early highlights of the series will be Haydn and Mozart - you can hear at least one Symphony by each of them every weekday until 10 November, including Mozart's last four great Symphonies - and a complete cycle of Beethoven Symphonies (9 to 18 November), including on Tuesday 15 November a recreation of the notorious concert in Vienna in 1808 at which Beethoven premiered his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, his Fourth Piano Concerto... and a few other things besides. That programme will feature both the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies performed live by the 大象传媒 National Orchestra of Wales and 大象传媒 Philharmonic, who'll each be contributing three live concerts to the Afternoon on 3 series in November; the Ulster Orchestra too will be performing live.

Guests in the Afternoon on 3 studio during the series will include conductors Mark Elder and Edward Gardner, and actor Simon Russell Beale (presenter of "Symphony" for 大象传媒4). Players from the 大象传媒 orchestras will reveal the secrets of the "Symphony from where I sit", and you can also hear about the orchestras' learning and outreach projects focussing on favourite Symphonies - starting today with the 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra and Beethoven.

The 大象传媒 Philharmonic and John Storgards - soon to become their Principal Guest Conductor - start the Afternoon on 3 series in style, live in concert at MediaCity, Salford, with three great Symphonies from the eighteenth and twentieth centuries. And during the interval there's a chance to hear from two of the very earliest of all symphony composers - one Italian, one German.

Other Symphony programmes on Radio 3 include CD Review's Building a Library survey starting on 5th November with John Deathridge on Beethoven Symphony no 6, Saturday Classics with Simon Russell Beale starting on 5th November, Radio 3's Symphony Guide with Suzy Klein and Tom Service in Essential Classics starting on 7th November and available as a podcast. Symphony Question Time with Sue Perkins and Tom Service starting on 9th November.