This Classical Life – Details, episodes & analysis

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This Classical Life

BBC Radio 3

Music

Frequency: 1 episode/10d. Total Eps: 176

Jess Gillam hosts the music show for people who like classical and other stuff too. Music, eclectic playlists and chat, with a new guest every week.

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🇬🇧 Great Britain - music
25/08/2026
#95
🇩🇪 Germany - music
08/07/2026
#88
🇨🇦 Canada - music
10/09/2025
#99
🇨🇦 Canada - music
09/09/2025
#53

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Score global : 43%

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Jess Gillam with... Francesca Dego

Tuesday, April 2, 2024 • Duration 27:53

Jess Gillam is joined by Italian-American violinist Francesca Dego to swap some of their favourite music. Francesca has played everywhere from Wigmore Hall to Lincoln Centre New York, and her latest recording of Brahms and Busoni violin concertos with BBC Symphony Orchestra and conductor Dalia Stasevska is out now via Chandos. Today Francesca has brought along music from neglected Finnish composer Helvi Leiviskä and a fiendish 12-tone work from Schoenberg, while I’ve chosen David Bowie’s swansong.

PLAYLIST:

GIOACHINO ROSSINI – ‘Una voce poco fa’ (Il barbiere di Siviglia: Act 1) [Teresa Berganza (mezzo soprano), London Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Gibson (conductor)] PETER MAXWELL DAVIES – Farewell to Stromness [Richard Casey (piano)] HELVI LEIVISKA – Orchestral Suite No 2, Op 11 (2nd mvt, Humoresque) [Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Dalia Stasevska (conductor)] DAVID BOWIE - Lazarus JOHANNES BRAHMS – Concerto for violin and cello in A minor, Op 102 (2nd mvt, Andante) [Salvatore Accardo (violinist), Heinrich Schiff (cello), Kurt Masur (conductor), Gewandhausorchester] ARNOLD SCHOENBERG – Phantasy for violin and piano [Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin), Joonas Ahonen (piano)] LANKUM – Wild Rover

Produced by Rachel Gill.

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Jess Gillam with... Alessandro Fisher

Saturday, March 23, 2024 • Duration 24:13

Jess Gillam and tenor Alessandro Fisher share the music they love.

Alessandro Fisher is a former member of the BBC New Generation Artist scheme, and a Kathleen Ferrier award winner: a versatile performer equally at home in baroque and romantic opera, or song. His choices today include barbershop quartet, brass band music, and the voice of Fritz Wunderlich. Jess has chosen music by Coleman Hawkins and multi-BRIT Award winner Raye.

Playlist: Schubert: An die Musik, D 547 - Fritz Wunderlich (tenor), Hubert Gisen (piano) Coleman Hawkins Quartet: Love Song from ‘Apache’ Fucik: Florentiner March - Grimethorpe Colliery Band Schubert: Wandrer’s Nachtlied, D 768 - Kian Soltani (cello), Aaron Pilsan (piano) Crossroads Barbershop Quartet: That Lucky Old Sun (just rolls around heaven all day) Paul Mealor: Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal - Tenebrae, Nigel Short (conductor) Alain Romans: Quel temps fait-il à Paris (M Hulot’s Holiday) Raye: Worth It

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Jess Gillam with... Laura Cannell

Saturday, December 30, 2023 • Duration 27:03

Jess Gillam shares music with composer Laura Cannell, including a sublime Biber Requiem, new music by Kenya Grace, traditional Norwegian fiddle music and a Memphis Soul Stew!

Playlist: Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No. 1; first movement [Vladimir Ashkenazy, London Symphony Orchestra, Lorin Maazel] Kenya Grace - Strangers John Mackey – Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Wind Ensemble [ Timothy McAllister, ASU Wind Ensemble] Sven Nyhus – Fanitullen (The Devil's Dance) Domenico Scarlatti – Sonata in F minor, K. 466 [Vladimir Horowitz] Tarquinio Merula - Ciaccona [His Majesty’s Sackbuts and Cornetts] King Curtis – Memphis Soul Stew Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber - Requiem in F minor - Dies Irae [Gabrieli Consort, Paul McCreesh]

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Jess Gillam with... Bridget Kibbey

Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Duration 01:17:00

Jess Gillam and harpist Bridget Kibbey share the music they love. Greek saxophonist Alegros Gramma takes us to Morocco while Chick Corea is in Spain. Sol Gabetta plays Haydn, Martha Argerich plays Ravel plus we hear Sophie Hutchings, Portishead, Rachmaninov AND Beethoven's iconic fifth Symphony.

Playlist: Beethoven – Symphony No.5 in C minor, Op.67; I. Allegro con brio (London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati) Sophie Hutchings - Elysian Days Alegros Gramma – Mousaka Bari Bari (Traditional Gnawa) Haydn – Concerto no. 1 in C major H.7b.1; III. Allegro molto (Sol Gabetta (cello), Kammerorchester Basel, Sergio Ciomei) Portishead – Roads Ravel – Jeux d’eau, M.30 (Martha Argerich - piano) Chick Corea - Spain Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2 In C minor Op.18; II. Adagio sostenuto (Vladimir Ashkenazy - piano), London Symphony Orchestra, Andre Previn)

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Jess Gillam with... Toby Young

Saturday, July 17, 2021 • Duration 29:22

Jess Gillam chats to composer and producer Toby Young about the music they love. With sparkling chamber music by Paul Hindemith, a heartbreakling aria by Henry Purcell, plus we'll dip into Motown with the Four Tops and spend some time with glorious choral music from Carlo Gesualdo.

Playlist:

Carlo Gesualdo – Ecce vidimus eum, Responsories from 1st Nocturn (The King's Singers) Four Tops - Bernadette Paul Hindemith - Kammermusik Op.24 No.1 for 12 instruments (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly) Henry Purcell - When I am laid in earth, from Act III of Dido and Aeneas (Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev) Tigran Hamasyan – Ancient Observer Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, Yo-Yo Ma – Your Coffee is a Disaster Keeno – Nocturne Giuseppe Verdi - Anvil Chorus, from Il Trovatore (Choir and Orchestra of la Scala, Milan, Riccardo Muti)

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Jess Gillam with... Zeynep Özsuca

Saturday, June 26, 2021 • Duration 27:14

Jess Gillam and pianist Zeynep Özsuca talk about the music they love. With music by Robert Schumann, Handel, Stevie Wonder and Woodkid.

Playlist: Robert Schumann - Piano Quintet in E flat Major, Op.44; I. Allegro brillante (Jerusalem Quartet and Alexander Melnikov) Woodkid - Iron Brahms - Symphony no. 3 (Op.90) in F major, 3rd movement; Poco allegretto (Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Daniel Harding) Joby Talbot - Ink Dark Moon; III. Allegro vigoroso (Milos, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Ben Gernon) Stevie Wonder - Ebony Eyes Bach - Prelude and Fugue in E minor from Book 1 No. 10 BWV 855 (András Schiff) Handel - Rinaldo, HWV 7a / Act 2 "Lascia ch'io pianga" (Magdalena Kozena, Venice Baroque Orchestra, conductor Andrea Marcon) Ferde Grofe - Grand Canyon Suite: Sunset (Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra, Felix Slatkin)

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Jess Gillam with... AyseDeniz Gokcin

Saturday, June 19, 2021 • Duration 28:26

Jess Gillam is joined by composer and pianist AyseDeniz Gokcin to share the music they love. With passionate and romantic music by Rachmaninov, Chopin and Brahms, the celestial and other worldly sounds of Jennifer Higdon’s Blue Cathedral and Max Richter’s Journey CP1919, plus the powerful empowering force that is Beyonce.

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Jess Gillam with...William Thomas

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 • Duration 28:27

Jess Gillam and opera singer William Thomas share the music that love, from Bach to Billy Joel.

Today we played:

Oscar Peterson – C Jam Blues (Oscar Peterson (Piano), Ray Brown (Double Bass), Ed Thigpen (Drums)) Bernstein – Rumble From West Side Story (Studio Orchestra, Johhny Green) Bach – Ich Habe Genug Bwv 82 No.1 : Aria ‘Ich Habe Genug‘ (Hans Hotter (Bass-Baritone), Geraint Jones (Organ), Sidney Sutcliffe (Oboe), Philharmonia Orchestra, Anthony Bernard) Nitin Sawney – Broken Skin Elgar – Symphony No. 1 In A Flat Op. 55 3rd Mvt Adagio (Sir George Solti, London Philharmonic Orchestra) Michael Nyman - Chasing Sheep Best Left To Shepherds (Michael Nyman Band) Billy Joel – And So It Goes Eric Whitacre – The Seal Lullaby (The Eric Whitacre Singers)

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Jess Gillam with... Eve-Marie Caravassilis

Wednesday, June 9, 2021 • Duration 28:44

Jess Gillam talks to cellist Eve-Marie Caravassilis about the music that the love, from Handel to Gnarls Barkley.

Today we played:

Handel: Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, HWV46a "Tu del Ciel ministro eletto" (Julia Lezhneva (soprano), Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini) Max Richter: moth-like stars Pt. 14 (Max Richter (piano), Ben Russell (violin), Yuki Numata (violin), Caleb Burhans (viola), Clarice Jensen (cello), Brian Snow (cello)) Rodriguez: Crucify your mind Vivaldi: Concerto for 2 oboes in D minor RV 535 (John Abberger and Washington McClain (oboes), Tafelmusik, Jeanne Lamon) Josephine Baker: J’ai deux amours Gnarls Barkley: Crazy Dvorak: Rondo Op. 94 (Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello), BBC SO, Jiri Belohlavek)

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Jess Gillam with... Anna Tsybuleva

Saturday, May 29, 2021 • Duration 29:44

Jess Gillam and pianist Anna Tsybuleva talk about the music they love - with works by Vivaldi, Led Zeppelin, Beethoven and Penguin Cafe Orchestra.

This Classical Life – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

This Classical Life – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify