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75th Aldeburgh Festival: Steven Osborne and Judith Weir

Tom Service broadcasts live from the 75th Aldeburgh Festival where he talks to pianist Steven Osborne and composer Judith Weir. Plus music that captures Britten and the festival.

Tom Service brings celebrates the 75th Aldeburgh Festival live from Benjamin Britten's former home there, the Red House. He is joined by Steven Osborne, who plays exclusively on Britten's own piano, and he talks to the composer Judith Weir in The Archive, which houses Britten and Pears’ music manuscripts, papers, rare books and art collection. Tom introduces the music, sounds and places that captured Benjamin Britten's imagination, and he tells the stories of Snape Maltings and Aldeburgh since its inception in 1948.

0915
Tom Service talks to Sir Roger Wright about the Aldeburgh Festival in its 75th edition, and introduces an exclusive first play of a new recording of Imogen Holst’s Suite for Strings.

0940
Scottish pianist, Steven Osborne, plays Schubert and Judith Weir live on Britten’s own Steinway piano, in the Library at the Red House, and talks to Tom about his approach to both the piano and interpreting the music of composers like Schubert and Weir.

1030
Tom talks to Sophie Allen, Head of Community at Peter Pears Arts, about a new teacher training programme as part of Friday Afternoons, Britten's own programme for reaching out to young musicians both locally and nationally.

1100
With climate change, the landscape of Aldeburgh seems threatened, something which can be heard in Britten's music. Tom talks to Ian Rowlands of Siren Calling and the Aldeburgh-born sound artist, Lily Hunter Green, about how much can help impart the warnings of climate change.

1130
With Dame Judith Weir, Tom visits Christopher Hilton, the Head of Archive at the Red House, to find out about Britten's settings of Winter Words. Judith Weir also talks to Tom about her own connections to Britten's former home and how she composes.

3 hours

Music Played

  • Benjamin Britten

    Playful Pizzicato (Simple Symphony)

    Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Benjamin Britten.
    • Britten: The Young Person's Guide etc: LSO/ECO/Britten.
    • Decca.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Dances from The Oprichnik, TH 3

    Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Alpesh Chauhan.
    • Tchaikovsky Orchestral Works Vol. 2.
    • Chandos.
    • 2.
  • Lennox Berkeley

    Songs of the half-light, Op.65: II. Full Moon

    Performer: Sean Shibe. Singer: Robin Tritschler.
    • SIGNUM.
  • Imogen Holst

    Suite for Strings: IV. Jig

    Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Alice Farnham.
    • NMC.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No 38 in D major, K 504, 'Prague' (1st mvt)

    Conductor: René Jacobs. Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.
    • Mozart: Symphonies: Freiburger Barockorchester, René Jacobs.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Oh, when I was in love (On Wenlock Edge)

    Performer: Benjamin Britten. Singer: Peter Pears. Ensemble: Zorian String Quartet.
    • Decca.
  • Franz Schubert

    Moments musicaux, D.780: II. In A-flat major

    Performer: Steven Osborne.
  • Robert Schumann

    Genoveva (Overture)

    Orchestra: Orchestra Mozart. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.
    • DG.
  • John Rutter

    Gloria in excelsis Deo (Gloria)

    Choir: Polyphony. Orchestra: City of London Sinfonia. Ensemble: Wallace Collection. Performer: Andrew Lumsden. Conductor: Stephen Layton.
    • John Rutter: Gloria: Polyphony/City of London Sinfonia/Stephen Layton.
    • Hyperion.
    • 1.
  • Henry Purcell

    The Fairy Queen: Overture

    Ensemble: Les Nouveaux Caractères. Conductor: Sébastien d’Hérin.
    • Glossa.
  • Judith Weir

    Chorale for Steve

    Performer: Steven Osborne.
  • Hector Berlioz

    Les francs-juges, Op. 3, H. 23d: Overture (Live)

    Conductor: Sir Roger Norrington. Orchestra: Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra.
    • Berlioz: Works (Live).
    • SWR Classic.
    • 1.
  • Oliver Tarney

    Prayer to the Mother of God

    Choir: Marian Consort. Director: Rory McCleery.
    • LINN.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21: I. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio

    Conductor: Thomas Adès. Orchestra: Britten Sinfonia.
    • Beethoven: Complete Symphonies & Barry: Selected Works.
    • Signum Records.
    • 1.
  • Claude Debussy

    2 Romances: II. Les cloches, L. 66

    Performer: Natalie Dessay. Performer: Philippe Cassard.
    • Warner.
    • 190295712709.
  • Benjamin Britten

    Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes (Dawn)

    Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Chandos.
  • Franz Liszt

    La Campanella (6 Grandes études de Paganini, No 3 in G sharp minor)

    Performer: Daniil Trifonov.
    • Transcendental.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 8.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Cello Suite No.4 in E flat major, BWV.1010 (Sarabande)

    Performer: Alban Gerhardt.
    • Bach: Cello Suites.
    • Hyperion.
    • 4.
  • Benjamin Britten

    Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes (Dawn)

    Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Chandos.
  • Unsuk Chin

    Etude no.5, Toccata

    Performer: Clare Hammond.
    • Etude.
    • BIS.
    • 8.
  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony no.103 in E flat major 'Drum Roll' (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Les Musiciens du Louvre. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.
    • Haydn, 12 London Symphonies: Marc Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenobles.
    • Naive.
    • 8.
  • Benjamin Britten

    Winter Words, Op.52: III. Wagtail and Baby

    Performer: Benjamin Britten. Singer: Peter Pears.
  • Judith Weir

    Forest

    Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Martyn Brabbins.
    • New Music Collections, Vol. 3: Orchestral.
    • NMC Recordings.
    • 801.
  • Nick Martin

    Kołysanka [Lullaby]

    Performer: Daniel Pioro. Performer: Katherine Tinker.
    • Platoon.
  • Benjamin Britten

    Nocturne, Op.60: VIII. When most I wink, then do mine eyes see best

    Orchestra: Britten Sinfonia. Singer: Mark Padmore.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.

Broadcast

  • Sat 15 Jun 2024 09:00