Composer of the Week
Exploring the life and works of composers. Get in touch... [email protected] Call: 03700 100 300
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153 items available
Aaron Copland
Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Aaron Copland through five key relationships
Addinsell and Coward
Donald Macleod explores the music of Richard Addinsell and his contemporary Noel Coward
Albert Roussel (1869-1937)
Donald Macleod explores the life and music of the French composer Albert Roussel
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Alessandro Scarlatti
Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of polymath composer Alexander Borodin
Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)
Donald Macleod celebrates the work of Alfred Schnittke, the USSR's last great composer
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
Donald Macleod explores the music of Amy Beach, the first truly 'American' composer
Andre Campra (1660-1744)
Donald Macleod and William Christie explore the life and work of Andre Campra
Anton Bruckner
The life and works of the 19th century Austrian composer, famous for his grand symphonies
Anton Webern
Donald Macleod explores the life and works of Anton Webern
Antonin Dvorak
Donald Macleod gives a full account of Dvorak's famous stay in America from 1892 to 1895
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
Donald Macleod explores Dvorak's long and frustrating career in opera
Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)
Donald Macleod surveys the life and music of Antonio Salieri
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Donald Macleod explores Vivaldi's large and little-heard musical catalogue
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
Donald Macleod explores the life and glittering career of Arcangelo Corelli
Arnold Schoenberg
Donald Macleod explores Schoenberg's position as an outsider and musical innovator
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Donald Macloed explores the life and music of Argentinian composer player Astor Piazzolla
Bach in Cothen
Donald Macleod explores Bach's six years in service at the court of Cothen
Bach in Weimar
Donald Macleod charts the time Bach spent working at the ducal court in Weimar
Bebop
Donald Macleod and special guest Geoffrey Smith explore the jazz mode of bebop
Bela Bartok (1881-1945)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Hungarian composer and pianist Bela Bartok
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Donald Macleod on two influences in Britten's music: Suffolk and his partner Peter Pears
Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975)
The fascinating life story of Bernard Herrmann, Hitchcock's musical collaborator
Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959)
Donald Macleod explores the 20th century Czech composer who embraced the avant-garde
Carl Maria von Weber
Donald Macleod explores Weber's instrumental works
Carl Nielsen (1865-1931)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Carl Nielsen, Denmark's most famous composer.
Carl Orff (1895-1982)
Donald Macleod and Michael Kater unravel the complex life and work of Carl Orff
Cecile Chaminade and Augusta Holmes
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Cecile Chaminade and Augusta Holmes
Charles Ives
Donald Macleod explores the work of the 20th century modernist American composer
Charles Mingus
Donald Macleod and biographer Brian Priestley explore the life and music of Charles Mingus
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Donald Macleod explores the 18th century German composer, famous for Orfeo ed Euridice
Claude Debussy
Donald Macleod examines the life and work of Claude Debussy
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Donald Macleod visits Venice for this special series
Composer of the Week
Angela Hewitt plays a selection from Francois Couperin's Pieces de clavecin.
Court of King James I/VI
Donald Macleod explores the music of James' era through five key points in his reign
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of prolific French composer Darius Milhaud
Drottningholm
Donald Macleod explores the history and music connected with the Drottningholm Opera House
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Donald Macleod explores the life of the Norwegian composer who was much-loved in Britain
Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Stephen Johnson joins Donald Macleod to explore the landscapes that inspired Edward Elgar
Einojuhani Rautavaara (b.1928)
Donald Macleod presents a survey of the music of Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara
Eric Coates
Donald Mcleod explores the life and works of the British composer Eric Coates
Erik Satie (1866-1925)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of the engimatic composer Erik Satie
Ernest John Moeran (1894-1950)
Donald Macleod explores the work of 'Jack' Moeran, known for his collecting of folk music
Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn (1809-1847 and 1805-1847)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of sibling prodigies Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Felix Mendelssohn
Francesco Cavalli
Donald Macleod explores the life and music of unsung baroque hero Francesco Cavalli
Francois Couperin
Donald Macleod explores the life and works of Couperin le Grand
Franz Liszt
Donald Macleod explores the five different aspects of Liszt as a musical personality
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Donald Macleod explores the highly productive 'Indian summer' of Schubert's final years
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Donald Macleod on the influence of Schubert's friends and lifestyle on his music
Franz Waxman
Donald Macleod explores the early life of Hollywood composer Franz Waxman
Frederick Delius
Donald Macleod charts the life and music of Frederick Delius
Fryderyk Chopin
Donald Macleod introduces music and stories from the life of Fryderyk Chopin
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Donald Macleod explores Chopin's highly creative final years, spent at his lover's retreat
Gabriel Faure
Donald Macleod explores Faure's songs and chamber music, discovering some forgotten gems
Gabriel Faure (1845-1924)
Donald Macleod charts the life and work of Gabriel Faure, with biographer Jessica Duchen
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of prolific Italian composer Donizetti
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Donald Macleod on the life and work of Telemann, the baroque era's most prolific composer.
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Handel in London: 5 Musical Walks. Donald Macleod explores the London Handel lived in
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Donald Macleod presents a survey of Handel's career, as documented by his first biographer
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Donald Macleod explores Handel oratorios, covering famous ones and other lesser-known ones
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Donald Macleod focuses on Handel the borrower of his own and others' music
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Giacomo Puccini
Gioachino Rossini
Donald Macleod introduces the life and music of the Italian composer who wrote 39 operas
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643)
Donald Macleod sets Girolamo Frescobaldi's music in the context of his times
Giuseppe Verdi
Donald Macleod looks at some of the personalities who helped Verdi achieve success
Giuseppe Verdi
Donald Macleod explores the operas of Verdi
Gustav Mahler
Donald Macleod surveys Mahler's last years, marked by both misfortune and personal success
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Donald Macleod explores Mahler's early years, and links between his symphonies and poetry
Gyorgy Ligeti (1923-2006)
Donald Macleod and composer George Benjamin explore the music of Ligeti
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Donald Macleod discusses the music of Hector Berlioz with John Eliot Gardiner
Heinrich Schutz
Donald Macleod explores the work of German composer Heinrich Schutz
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Exploring Villa-Lobos's life by looking at the places that were important to him
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Donald Macleod and leading Purcell scholar Bruce Wood explore Purcell's life and work
Herbert Howells
Donald Macleod maps Howells's compositional roots
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Donald Macleod explores the final part of Stravinsky's life, spent in America
Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909)
Donald Macleod explores Isaac Albeniz's piano music - in original and adapted form
Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745)
Donald Macleod traces Jan Zelenka's career at the opulent court of Dresden
Jean Sibelius
Donald Macleod commemorates the 50th anniversary of Finnish composer Sibelius's death
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Donald Macleod explores the life and works of French Baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau
Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)
Donald Macleod introduces music and stories from the life of Johann Christian Bach
Johann Pachelbel
Donald Macleod looks at the life and music of this little-known German composer
Johann Sebastian Bach
Donald Macleod looks at five decades of Bach's music
Johannes Brahms
Donald Macleod explores Brahms's body of chamber and instrumental works
John Ireland (1879-1962)
Donald Macleod explores the music and life of the British composer John Ireland
John McCabe (1939- )
Donald Macleod introduces performances with British composer and pianist John McCabe
John Rutter (b.1945)
Donald Macleod talks to Britain's most famous producer of carols, John Rutter
John Tavener (1944-)
Donald Macleod explore the life and work of maverick British composer John Tavener
John Woolrich
John Woolrich explains what drew him to composing, and his interest the music of the past
Jonathan Harvey (1939-)
Donald Macleod explores the music of Jonathan Harvey, in the company of the composer
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Life and work of Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, focusing on his often neglected operas
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Joseph Haydn, a Radio 3 Composer of the Year
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Donald Macleod investigates many aspects of Haydn's turbulent personality
Kurt Weill (1900-1950)
Donald Macleod explores the life of controversial German composer Kurt Weill
Leonard Bernstein
Donald Macleod explores Bernstein's life and work - as a conductor and performer
Leos Janacek (1854-1928)
Donald Macleod explores the brilliant, tempestuous last five years of the life of Janacek.
Lord Berners
Donald Macleod explores the life and music of the eccentric British composer Lord Berners
Louis Spohr (1784-1859)
Donald Macleod reassesses the reputation of Louis Spohr
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
An exploration of the last 12 years of Beethoven's career
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Donald Macleod on key years in Beethoven's life, as he was affected by different crises
Manuel de Falla
Donald Macleod explores de Falla's life - his early days to his retirement in Argentina
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Donald Macleod explores the music Ravel wrote in connection with the people around him
Michael Haydn
Donald Macleod explores the works of Michael Haydn
Miklos Rozsa (1907-1995) and Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957)
Donald Macleod explores the music of two film composers of Hollywood's Golden Age
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839-1881)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of the radical composer Modest Mussorgsky
Monteverdi to Rossini - Italian Opera
Donald Macleod on two centuries and more of Italian opera, from Monteverdi to Rossini
Moritz Moszkowski (1854-1925)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of the now largely forgotten Moritz Moszkowski
Music at Versailles
Donald Macleod explores the music that was performed at the Palace of Versailles
Nicolay Yakovlevich Myaskovksy (1881-1950)
Donald Macleod explores the life and works of composer and music critic Nicolay Myaskovsky
Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov
Ole Bull (1810-1880)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Norwegian composer and violinist Ole Bull
Olivier Messiaen
Donald Macleod and biographer Nigel Simeone explore the live and work of Olivier Messiaen
Opera-Comique
Donald Macleod is joined by academic Karen Henson explore the world of the Opera-Comique
Osvaldo Golijov
Donald Macleod meets a composer whose diverse background has given him a distinct sound
Paul Hindemith
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Paul Hindemith, charting his rise and fall
Purcell's Contemporaries
Donald Macleod introduces the composers of Restoration England
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Donald Macleod looks at the years 1876 to 1890 in Tchaikovsky's life and music
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Donald Macleod investigates a little-known 'lost decade' in Tchaikovsky's life
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Donald Macleod surveys Vaughan Williams's operas, a neglected area of his work
Reinhold Gliere (1875-1956)
Donald Macleod and Gerard McBurney chart Reinhold Gliere's life and career
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Donald Macleod discusses the life and work of Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Donald Macleod explores the music and stories from five distinct years of Strauss's life
Richard Wagner
Donald Macleod explores the life and controversial music of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Donald Macleod explores the dark sides of the ground-breaking composer Richard Wagner
Robert Schumann
Donald Macleod charts the relationship between Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Romantic composer Robert Schumann
Russian Opera
Donald Macleod explores the rich tradition of Russian opera, from Glinka to Schnittke
Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Donald Macleod tells the story of the real Samuel Barber
Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876)
Donald Macleod presents a portrait of organist and composer Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Scott Joplin (1867-1917)
Donald Macleod looks at the African-American composer, a pioneer of the ragtime style
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Donald Macleod explores Prokofiev's music for stage and screen
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Donald Macleod on the life of the Russian composer, a late champion of the Romantic style
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov
Sibelius - The Rest is Silence? (The Years 1925-1957)
Donald Macleod explores the mythology surrounding the last decades of Sibelius's life
Sir Granville Bantock (1868-1945)
Donald Macleod and musicologist Lewis Foreman on the early 20th century British composer
Spanish Baroque (1600-1750)
Donald Macleod uncovers the little-known musical treasures of 17th and 18th-century Spain.
Stamitz
Donald Macleod tells the story of Johann Stamitz and his two sons, Carl and Anton
Stephen Sondheim (1930-)
Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim joins Donald Macleod to discuss his life and work
Steve Reich (b.1936)
Donald Macleod talks to one of the world's most celebrated living composers, Steve Reich
The MacDowell Colony (1907-)
Donald Macleod explores the MacDowell Colony, founded in 1907 by Edward MacDowell
The Neapolitan Golden Age
Donald Macleod explores the music of Neapolitan composers of the 17th and 18th centuries
Thomas Arne (1710-1778)
Donald Macleod explores the colourful life and work of Thomas Arne
Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Tudor composer and organist Thomas Tallis
Tomas Luis de Victoria
Donald Macleod is joined by Jeremy Summerly to explore the life and works of Victoria
Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni (1671-1750/51)
Donald Macleod explores the life and somewhat neglected work of Albinoni
Verismo
Donald Macleod and Italian opera expert Roger Parker explore the influence of verismo
Vincent d'Indy
Donald Macleod on the music and life of a man celebrated for his composing and teaching
William Alwyn
Donald Macleod explores the range of music Alwyn created in his long and prolific career
William Byrd (1543-1623)
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Elizabethan composer William Byrd
William Walton (1902-1983)
Donald Macleod explores the many sides to William Walton's life and music
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Donald Macleod explores the life and works of Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Donald Macleod on Mozart's Vienna Years, which saw creative triumph and personal tragedy
Zoltan Kodaly (1882-1967)
Donald Macleod explores the music of Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly