Monday, August 26, 2002     0900

Composer of the Week

Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864)

'It was as if I were bewitched in a magic garden'. Jakob Meyer Beer was a child of prodigious musical talent. By the time he was eleven, he was playing Mozart piano concertos in public, and was hailed as the greatest pianist in Berlin. But what he really wanted was a career as a composer of operas.

In 1816, disillusioned by his lack of success in Berlin, he took the advice of Antonio Salieri and set off for Verona. There, he fell in love with Italy, changed his name and had his first success: Romilda e Costanza.

Donald Macleod tells the story of the emergence of the man whose music would be at the heart of nineteenth century operatic life.

Music includes:

Basta dir ch'io sono amante
Ning Liang (mezzo), Ilmo Ranta (piano)

Clarinet Quintet
Dieter Klocker (clarinet), Philharmonia Quartett Berlin

Gli amori di Teolinda (extract)
Julia Varady (soprano), Jorg Fadle (clarinet)
RIAS Kammerchor, Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/ Gerd Albrecht

Che barbaro tormento (Romilda e Costanza)
Bronwen Mills (Costanza), Anne Mason (Romilda), Chris Merritt (Teobaldo)
Philharmonia Orchestra/ David Parry

Tuesday, August 27, 2002         0900

Composer Of The Week

Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791 - 1864)

The Italian opera-going public adored Meyerbeer, hailing each of his operas as even greater than the last.

Donald Macleod uncovers the stories of Meyerbeer's life in Italy, leading up to his first international success, Il Crociato in Egitto, which was performed as far afield as Constantinople, Havana and Rio de Janeiro.

Music includes:

Gli amori di Teolinda: Introduction
Radio Symphonie Orchester Berlin/Gerd Albrecht

Emma di Resburgo: Di gioja, di pace
Emma ...... Bronwen Mills
Edemondo ...... Diana Montague
Norcesto ...... Paul Nilon
Olfredo ...... Geoffrey Dolton
Donaldo ...... Harry Nichol
Etelia ...... Maria Bovino
Philharmonia Orchestra/David Parry

Margherita d'Anjou: Quel parlar! Quellaria incerta
Carlo Belmonte ...... Geoffrey Dolton
Riccardo Duca di Glocester ...... Alastair Miles
Michele Gamautte ...... Russell Smythe
Philharmonia Orchestra/David Parry

Il Crociato in Egitto: Act 2 Extract
Palmide ...... Yvonne Kenny
Aladino ...... Ian Platt
Felicia ...... Della Jones
Armando ...... Diana Montague
Adriano ...... Bruce Ford
Osmino ...... Ugo Benelli
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/David Parry  

Wednesday, August 28, 2002         0900

Composer Of The Week

Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791 - 1864)

Meyerbeer's reputation today rests on operas commissioned for the Paris Opéra. His dominance there would eventually result in his being the most frequently performed composer during the nineteenth century. Donald Macleod describes Meyerbeer's arrival in Paris, his intoxication with the city, and his first great success there: Robert le Diable.

Music includes:

Komm
Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo)
Melvyn Tan (fortepiano)

Le Poète Mourant
Glenn Chambers (baritone)
Kenneth Weiss (piano - Erard 1837)

Robert Le Diable Act 3 Scene 7
Giorgio Surian (Bertram)
Warren Mok (Robert)
Bratislava Chamber Choir
Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia
Renato Palumbo (conductor)

Robert Le Diable Act 5 (extract)
Annalisa Raspagliosi (Alice)
Giorgio Surian (Bertram)
Warren Mok (Robert)
Bratislava Chamber Choir
Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia
Renato Palumbo (conductor)

Thursday, August 29, 2002         0900

Composer Of The Week

Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791 - 1864)

Along with the rest of Paris, Richard Wagner adored Meyerbeer. And Meyerbeer reciprocated the affection, offering advice on the score of Rienzi, and using his influence on Wagner's behalf at the opera houses of Berlin and Dresden. But when Wagner didn't achieve the success he thought he deserved in Paris, things soon turned sour and Wagner unleashed a stream of anti-semitic invective at his erstwhile friend and benefactor. Donald Macleod tells the story of the volatile relationship between the two composers.

Music includes:

Overture (Les Huguenots)
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Richard Bonynge (conductor)

Act 4 extract (Les Huguenots)
Gabriel Bacquier (Saint-Bris)
Martina Arroyo (Valentine)
Anastasios Vrenios (Raoul)
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Richard Bonynge (conductor)

Valse and Redowa (Le Prophète)
Radio-Philharmonie Hannover des NDR
Michail Jurowski (conductor)

Act 4 extract (Le Prophète)
Marilyn Horne (Fidès)
Margheruta Rinaldi (Berthe)
Orchestra Sinfonica della Radio Televisione Italiana
Henry Lewis (conductor)

Friday, August 30, 2002         0900

Composer Of The Week

Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791 - 1864)

With Donald Macleod.

At the Paris Opéra, Meyerbeer reigned supreme. But when he turned his attentions to its sister theatre, eyebrows were raised amongst French composers, who saw the Opéra Comique as very much their patch. Nevertheless, and in spite of the critics, the music of Meyerbeer thrilled the public as much as ever.

Donald Macleod describes Meyerbeer's last great successes, including the posthumous L'Africaine.

Music includes:

L'Etoile du Nord: Drinking Chorus
Wexford Festival Chorus
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland/Wladimir Jurowski

Dinorah: Act 2 extract
Goatherd ...... Della Jones
Dinorah ...... Deborah Cook
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
Philharmonia Orchestra/James Judd

L'Africaine: Act 3 extract
Don Pedro ...... Alexander Malta
Ines ...... Evelyn Brunner
Vasco ...... Giorgio Casellato-Lambert
Don Alvar ...... Donald Grobe
Nelusko ...... Sherrill Milnes
Selika ...... Martina Arroyo
Chorus and Orchestra of Bavarian Radio/Gerd Albrecht