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The perfect classical half hour

Take time out with a 30-minute soundscape of classical music from Ralph Vaughan Williams, Nadia Boulanger, William Grant Still, and Sergey Rachmaninov.

Take time out with a 30-minute soundscape of classical music.

This evening's mixtape begins with music from Ralph Vaughan Williams' first ever film score - the Prelude to '49th Parallel' from 1941. Rachmaninov and Vivaldi lead us into back-to-back female French composers Augusta Holmès and Nadia Boulanger. Gerald Finzi follows with a beautiful Bagatelle for clarinet and piano, before Charles Villiers Stanford takes us into the choral world with The Blue Bird. US composer William Grant Still closes the sequence by evoking a human soul entering 'heaven', or 'Summerland', played by Jeneba Kanneh-Mason.

Produced by Joe Blamey.

To listen on most smart speakers, just ask your smart speaker to "Play BBC Radio 3".

24 days left to listen

30 minutes

Last on

Last Monday19:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    The 49th Parallel (Prelude. Opening Titles)

    Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.
    • The Film Music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, Vol. 2.
    • Chandos.
    • 1.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Prelude in G major (Op 32, No 5)

    Performer: Jean-Baptiste Fonlupt.
    • Rachmaninov: Préludes.
    • La Dolce Volta.
    • 16.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Violin Concerto in G minor RV.331 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Giuliano Carmignola. Performer: Andrea Marcon. Orchestra: Venice Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Andrea Marcon.
    • Vivaldi: Concertos - Carmignola/Venice Baroque Orchestra/Marcon.
    • Deutsche Grammaphon.
    • 2.

  • Augusta Holmès

    Ludus pro patria: II. La Nuit et l'Amour

    Conductor: Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider. Orchestra: Orchestre national de Lyon.
    • Aux étoiles - French Symphonic Poems.
    • Bru Zane.
    • 7.

  • Nadia Boulanger

    Cantique (Arr. Vennart for saxophone & ensemble)

    Performer: Jess Gillam. Ensemble: Jess Gillam Ensemble.
    • N. Boulanger: Cantique (Arr. Vennart for Saxophone & Ensemble).
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 1.

  • Gerald Finzi

    5 Bagatelles for clarinet and piano, Op 23 (2nd mvt, Romance - Andante tranquilo)

    Performer: Emma Johnson. Performer: Malcolm Martineau.
    • The Essential Emma Johnson.
    • Decca (UMO).
    • 22.

  • Charles Villiers Stanford

    The Blue Bird (8 Partsongs Op.119)

    Choir: Tenebrae. Conductor: Nigel Short.
    • Music of the Spheres.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 15.

  • William Grant Still

    Summerland (3 Visions)

    Performer: Jeneba Kanneh‐Mason.
    • Fantasie.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 9.

Broadcast

  • Last Monday19:00
    BBC Radio 3

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Music to help you focus

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