Once Upon A Time... Music from Eastern Europe

As part of the BBC's 'Once Upon a Time...' week, Elizabeth Alker introduces music inspired by the fairy tale with a focus on Eastern Europe and the writings of Alexander Afanasyev and the Russian fairy tale. Also in today's programme further highlights from lutenist Thomas Dunford recorded specially for the programme at LSO St. Luke's. Including:

Mikhaïl Glinka
Overture – Ruslan & Lyudmila
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Yan Pascal Tortelier (conductor)

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Suite from 'The Tale of Tsar Saltan', Op. 57
Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Budapest
Domonkos Héja (conductor)

From LSO St. Luke’s - Thomas Dunford and Friends:
Johann Sebastian Bach
Chaconne in D minor
Thomas Dunford (lute)

Ludwig van Beethoven
7 Variations on ‘Bei Männern’ from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, WoO. 46
Anastasia Kobekina (cello)
Elisabeth Brauss (piano)

Igor Stravinsky
Firebird Suite (1919)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Alpesh Chauhan (conductor)

From LSO St. Luke’s - Thomas Dunford and Friends:
John Dowland
King of Denmark's Galliard
Can She Excuse My Wrongs
Thomas Dunford (lute/voice)

Benjamin Britten
Lachrymae, Reflections of a song by Dowland, Op. 48
Ryszard Groblewski (viola)
Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Duncan Ward (conductor)

Stanislaw Moniuszko
Fantasy Overture - Bajka (Fairy Tale)
Munich Radio Orchestra
Mihhail Gerts (conductor)

Josef Suk
Pohadka (Fairy Tale), Op. 16
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Jakub Hrusa (conductor)

The BBC’s ‘Once Upon a Time…’ week celebrates fairytales and storytelling in partnership with the British Library. On BBC Radio 3 Edith Bowman explores fairytales and fantasy in 'Sound of Cinema', actors Pearce Quigley and Lydia Wilson delve into the worlds of princesses, frogs, and spells in 'Words & Music', Sara Mohr-Pietsch charts a course to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf in 'Music Map', and Elizabeth Alker presents music inspired by enchanted lands, magical creatures, and timeless tales, in 'Classical Live' and 'Unclassified'. Just search ‘Once Upon a Time…’ in BBC Sounds. The British Library’s major new exhibition Fairy Tales runs from 27th March – 23rd August 2026.