An exploration of early music, looking at early developments in musical performance and composition in Britain and abroad. UK only: please note that not all episodes are podcast.
Lucie Skeaping meets the singer-songwriters of 13th century northern France, in conversation with medieval vocal music experts Joseph Mason and Meghan Quinlan. The trouveres were the northern cousins of the more famous troubadours, and their songs cover the gamut from courtly love to religious devotion via the Crusades and political and personal conflicts.
Hannah French chats to conductor Stephen Rice about his Oxford-based choir The Brabant Ensemble which celebrates its silver anniversary in 2023. Stephen chooses some of his favourite recordings from the group's first 25 years, including music by Pierre de Manchicourt, Nicolas Gombert, Jacobus Clemens non Papa, Cristobal de Morales, Orlando Lassus, Jean Mouton, Francisco Guerrero, Giovanni da Palestrina, Josquin des Prez, Robert Parsons, Antoine de Fevin and Jacquet of Mantua.
Hannah French leafs through a book of 100 exhibits exploring Renaissance music history, in conversation with its editors Vincenzo Borghetti and Tim Shephard. Links to images of the exhibits they discuss: Venus (Florence, c. 1464): www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1845-0825-467 Plato charming the wild animals by his music (Lahore, 1595): https://imagesonline.bl.uk/asset/1355 The Whole Booke of Psalmes (London, 1627): bit.ly/3ITG3Xi Chansonnier of Margaret of Austria (?Mechelen, c. 1515/2...
Lucie Skeaping charts the history of German art song from its beginnings with the 12th-century Minnesänger through to the Renaissance in the 1500s, with music by Tannhäuser, Walther von Vogelweide, Oswald von Wolkenstein and Heinrich Isaac.
On the first anniversary of the passing of Clare Salaman, Lucie Skeaping celebrates her life and work. Clare founded The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments, and championed rare and exotic instruments including the trumpet marine. With archive of Clare herself and contributions from fellow practitioners from the world of early music including Rachel Podger.
2023 marks the 400th anniversary of English composer William Byrd - often hailed as one of the finest of the European late Renaissance. Hannah French will explore his influence with the vocal ensemble Stile Antico, including music from their newly released recording.
Hannah French celebrates the 40th birthday of the choir and period instrument orchestra Gabrieli, in conversation with their founder and Artistic Director Paul McCreesh. Including a visit to Coventry Cathedral, the penultimate stop on Gabrieli's winter tour of eight cathedrals performing a Christmas programme of music by Praetorius with teenagers from local schools as part of their ambitious commitment to working with young people, Gabrieli Roar.
Lucie Skeaping is joined by three members of His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts to mark the ensemble's 40th anniversary this year, including some of their favourite recordings from those four decades.
Hannah French is in Germany to mark the 40th anniversary of one of Europe’s most successful early music ensembles - the Akademie für alte Musik Berlin. Founded in 1982 in what was then East Berlin, the Akademie has blossomed into a Grammy award-winning outfit that tours worldwide and enjoys a reputation to match. Hannah will be talking to the ensemble’s general manager Uwe Schneider, long-standing oboist Xenia Löffler, founder member and concert master Bernhard Forck and one of the ensemble’s em...
Hannah French chats to the Dunedin Consort's artistic director John Butt in the ensemble's 25th anniversary year, and John chooses some of his favourite recordings from their discography.
Lucie Skeaping is joined by Professor Magnus Williamson of Newcastle University to explore the life & music of 16th Century composer Robert Parsons, who died 450 years ago this year, at the young age of 37.
Hannah French explores the major recording series the Vivaldi Edition, in conversation with its artistic director Susan Orlando. At 68 discs so far - the 69th will be out on Friday - the Edition is one of the biggest recording projects of the 21st century and aims to release every note of music in the manuscripts Vivaldi had with him when he died in 1741. Vivaldi Edition website: https://vivaldiedition.net
Hannah French presents a tribute to the extraordinary musician, linguist and founder of Joglaresa - Belinda Sykes - who died last year. With contributions from friends and colleagues, and tracks from her many recordings.
John Blanke was a trumpet player of African descent employed by the English Kings Henry VII and Henry VIII in the early 1500s. He's the only black person of the Tudor period for whom we have both a name and a picture – in the Westminster Tournament Roll of 1511, currently on display at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool – but he was by no means the only person of African heritage living in England at that time. Lucie Skeaping uncovers the life and world of John Blanke and the music he would hav...
Radio 3's New Generation Baroque Ensemble - Ensemble Molière - play Lully, Couperin and Telemann, showcasing the coming together of French and Italian musical tastes in the late 18th century, known as the 'Réunion des goûts'. Presented by Hannah French.
Hannah French is in Cambridge exploring links between Handel and the city...which he never visited! She's joined by The Fitzwilliam Museum's Dr Suzanne Reynolds, Handel aficionado Dr Ruth Smith and Emeritus Professor Iain Fenlon to look at a number of treasured items of Handel memorabilia. She'll also be chatting to Cambridge Handel Opera Company's Julian Perkins ahead of their forthcoming production of Tamerlano.
Lucie Skeaping celebrates the 450th anniversary of Thomas Tomkins's birth. He studied with William Byrd, was choirmaster at Worcester Cathedral and organist at the Chapel Royal. Born in 1572, his life spanned the end of the Tudor period, the beginning of the reign of the Stuarts and the execution of Charles I to whom he dedicated his Sad Pavan: for these distracted times. His music is still performed regularly in cathedrals, in particular his anthem When David Heard.
New York-based wine historian Ron Merlino joins Hannah once again to explore some of the music and wines associated with 18th-century Venice during Carnevale season, with a particular focus on the operas of Vivaldi - himself something of a wine connoisseur. Hannah will be tasting three red wine varieties - a Marzemino, a Refosco and an Amarone.
New York-based wine historian Ron Merlino joins Hannah French to explore the Carnevale season in Baroque Venice. There's music specifically associated with wine, and the wine trade - a mainstay of the 17th-century Venetian economy. Hannah will be tasting three white wine varieties intrinsically linked to music by Cavalli, Monteverdi, Pallavicino and Cesti.
Hannah French uncovers the amazing story of a 15th-century songbook rediscovered in 2014, in conversation with Professor Jane Alden of Wesleyan University. The Leuven Chansonnier, as it's become known, is only the size of a pack of playing cards, but it's beautifully decorated and packed full of the most popular French chansons of the day - plus 12 songs that until now were lost for 550 years. Photographs of the whole Leuven Chansonnier can be seen on the website of the Alamire Foundation here (...
Following his very public rift with long-term contributor Jean-Baptiste Lully, Molière turned to Marc-Antoine Charpentier to provide the incidental music for his last theatrical productions. As part of Radio 3's celebration of Molière's quatercentenary, Lucie Skeaping explores the music Charpentier composed for Molière's final theatre pieces, including the plays Le Malade imaginaire and Le Mariage forcé. This programme includes brand new recordings by Radio 3's recently inaugurated New Generatio...
Using the words of the favourite 19th-century English carol “Good King Wenceslas”, Hannah French explores the music, food and traditions of Christmas in Bohemia. “Good King Wenceslas looked out On the Feast of Stephen” The carol tells the story of the Bohemian king, Saint Wenceslaus I going on a journey and braving harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Saint Stephen. During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabl...
Hannah French seeks the real Lucrezia Borgia through the music she knew and loved, in conversation with Professor Laurie Stras of the University of Huddersfield. Lucrezia Borgia (1480-1519) has had an appallingly bad press, but pretty much everything we think we know about her is wrong: she may have been the pope's daughter - hardly her fault - but she almost certainly didn't do any of the really nasty things she's been accused of – incest, murder etc. The real Lucrezia was a highly skilled admi...
One of the most influential composers during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, Robert Fayrfax died 500 years ago this year. Lucie Skeaping is joined by Professor Magnus Williamson of Newcastle University to unpack the details of Fayrfax's life and his extraordinary music.
It’s that time of year isn’t it? Spooks and surprises lurking round every corner...In today’s Early Music Show, Hannah French is joined by Dr Clive McClelland of the University of Leeds to explore how 17th & 18th Century composers really frightened their audiences. Hide behind the sofa and cover your eyes with a cushion to protect yourself from scary music by Gluck, Handel, Cavalli, Rameau, Marais, Purcell, Locke, Haydn and Mozart.
Hannah French continues her series of programmes associated with the ancient Greek concept of the four elements – symbolic forces that inspired Renaissance and Baroque composers with the essences of creation out of chaos: earth, air, water, and today, fire. Today's programme focuses on all things fiery, with music by Vivaldi, Rameau, Araujo, Corette, Rebel and JS Bach.
Hannah French continues her series of programmes associated with the ancient Greek concept of the four elements - symbolic forces that inspired Renaissance and Baroque composers with the essences of creation out of chaos: earth, water, fire, and today air. Today's programme focuses on all things to do with the air and the wind, with music by Bach, Rameau, Monteverdi, Boyce, Marenzio, Rebel, Palestrina, Handel, Lully and Hildegard of Bingen.
Lutenist Paula Chateauneuf and historian Clare Clinton reflect on the history and music associated with the household of West Horsley Place in Surrey during the 16th and 17th centuries, with intriguing links to King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Walter Raleigh and even Guy Fawkes! The programme explores the Golden Age of English lute music, and includes pieces by John Dowland, Robert Johnson, Daniel Batchelar, Robert Jones, John Coprario, Richard Allison and Thomas Morley. Presented by Luci...
Ana Her celebrates the life and work of Italian composer Tomaso Albinoni, known for his operas and instrumental music, marking the 350th anniversary of his birth on 8 June 1671. It is thought that Albinoni wrote at least 50 operas, although few of them survive. His oboe concertos were the first of their type by an Italian composer to be published, and his instrumental music was admired by Bach, who wrote fugues based on Albinoni's works and also used them in his teaching.
At a time when our own freedoms are being restored, Lucie Skeaping explores the concept of liberty. Freedom from or freedom to? Do we want to be enchained by love? Or find release through that ultimate escape, death? What does classical myth tell us, and religious belief? All the big ideas are here, with music including Byrd, Barbara Strozzi and Handel.
