Composer of the Week
533 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★ - 219 ratingsBBC Radio 3's Composer Of The Week is a guide to composers and their music. The podcast is compiled from the week's programmes and published on Friday, it is only available in the UK.
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Episodes
Lassus
January 16, 2015 11:50 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MBDonald Macleod surveys the life and music of Orlande de Lassus, a cosmopolitan composer who became so famous he was known as 'the divine Orlando'.
Liszt
January 09, 2015 11:50 - 49 minutes - 44.9 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Franz Liszt with a rare opportunity to hear all 13 of his symphonic poems
Chabrier
January 02, 2015 11:50 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and music of Emmanuel Chabrier, a composer whose originality is acknowledged by leading voices of French music in the 20th century.
Vivaldi
December 26, 2014 11:50 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and music of Antonio Vivaldi, a Venetian priest, feted in his lifetime as both composer and violinist, yet destined to die in obscurity in faraway Vienna
Previn
December 19, 2014 11:50 - 1 hour - 83.5 MBIn conversation with Donald Macleod, celebrated conductor, composer, jazz performer and classical pianist Andre Previn discusses his remarkable life and music
Schumann
December 12, 2014 12:00 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and music of Robert Schumann, focusing on the literary influences that helped shape his work
Schumann
December 12, 2014 12:00 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and music of Robert Schumann, focusing on the literary influences that helped shape his work
Lord Berners
December 05, 2014 11:50 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and music of the colourful and eccentric British composer Lord Berners. While he behaved as a very English gentleman, his compositions had a distinctive European slant.
Falla
November 28, 2014 11:50 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Spanish composer Manuel de Falla
Mozart
November 14, 2014 11:50 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBDonald Macleod explores five key years of Mozart's life and presents five of his chamber works for solo wind and strings
Mozart
November 14, 2014 11:50 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBDonald Macleod explores five key years of Mozart's life and presents five of his chamber works for solo wind and strings
Stradella
November 07, 2014 11:50 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MBDonald Macleod on the music of Alessandro Stradella. Highly respected and successful, he wrote in all genres: oratorios, cantatas, theatre music, opera seria, songs, and sacred and instrumental music
Khachaturian
October 31, 2014 11:50 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Aram Khachaturian, a composer whose colourful scores led him to be dubbed the 'Rubens of Russian Music'
Debussy
October 17, 2014 10:40 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBDonald Macleod explores a less celebrated, but important, area of Debussy's output - his chamber works
Brahms Experience- Johannes Brahms
October 10, 2014 10:40 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBExploring the friendship between Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann, who would become a lifelong friend, critic and inspiration
Dyson
October 03, 2014 10:40 - 1 hour - 66.1 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and music of George Dyson, celebrated composer, broadcaster, teacher and author of the first manual on hand grenade use
Panufnik
September 26, 2014 10:50 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBDonald Macleod celebrates the life and music of Warsaw-born composer Andrzej Panufnik
Donizetti
September 19, 2014 10:50 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Gaetano Donizetti, who composed almost 70 operas in 19th-century Italy
Rameau
September 12, 2014 10:50 - 1 hour - 62.7 MBDonald Macleod is joined by Professor Graham Sadler to celebrate the work of one of the greatest figures in French musical history, composer and theorist Jean-Philippe Rameau
Stravinsky
August 08, 2014 10:50 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBDonald Macleod explores Igor Stravinsky's life and work up to the end of World War I, introducing rarely-heard and early compositions
Cole Porter
August 01, 2014 10:40 - 1 hour - 71.4 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Cole Porter, one of the most famous Broadway composers of his time. His achievements include a catalogue of witty, sophisticated and sometimes risque songs
Janacek
July 25, 2014 10:50 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MBDonald Macleod celebrates the life and music of Leos Janacek. Known primarily as a folklorist and teacher, he didn't achieve international recognition as a composer until he was into his sixties
Janacek
July 25, 2014 10:50 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MBDonald Macleod celebrates the life and music of Leos Janacek. Known primarily as a folklorist and teacher, he didn't achieve international recognition as a composer until he was into his sixties
Dittersdorf
July 18, 2014 10:50 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MBDonald Macleod on the life and music of Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, a composer whose concertos, operas, string quartets and over 100 symphonies made him a rival to Haydn in the late 18th century.
Buxtehude
July 11, 2014 10:50 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Danish organist and composer Dietrich Buxtehude
Gurney
July 04, 2014 10:50 - 1 hour - 82.5 MBDonald Macleod is joined by Dr Kate Kennedy to explore the life and work of Ivor Gurney. Including works specially recorded for the series.
Strauss
June 13, 2014 10:50 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Richard Strauss
Weinberg
June 06, 2014 10:50 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBDonald Macleod and Martin Anderson explore the life and work of Mieczyslaw Weinberg
Berlioz
May 30, 2014 10:50 - 59 minutes - 54 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of quintessential romantic, Hector Berlioz
Monteverdi
May 23, 2014 10:50 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and music of Claudio Monteverdi
Monteverdi
May 23, 2014 10:50 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and music of Claudio Monteverdi
Grieg
May 16, 2014 10:50 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and music of Edvard Grieg, including five key works and the vast array of arrangements
Grieg
May 16, 2014 10:50 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and music of Edvard Grieg, including five key works and the vast array of arrangements
Hans Gal
May 09, 2014 10:50 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBDonald Macleod is joined by conductor, cellist and Gal expert Kenneth Woods to explore the life and prolific career of Hans Gal
Locatelli
April 04, 2014 10:50 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Pietro Locatelli. He became famous for his innovative, virtuosic playing which informed his music and challenged views of the violin's capabilities
Leopold Mozart
March 21, 2014 11:50 - 1 hour - 69.7 MBDonald Macleod is joined by Prof Cliff Eisen to explore the life and work of Wolfgang Mozart's father, Leopold. He was at the forefront of early symphonic writing and composed music across many forms
Mendelssohn
March 14, 2014 11:50 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBDonald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's formative years and the musical treasures they inspired
Mendelssohn
March 14, 2014 11:50 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBDonald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's formative years and the musical treasures they inspired
Franck
February 28, 2014 11:50 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Belgian composer Cesar Franck
Rossini
February 21, 2014 11:50 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and music of Gioachino Rossini, most successful composer of the early 19th century,
Mahler
February 14, 2014 11:50 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBDonald Macleod explores Mahler's childhood in Bohemia, where he was inspired by the sounds and songs of the countryside.
Mahler
February 14, 2014 11:50 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBDonald Macleod explores Mahler's childhood in Bohemia, where he was inspired by the sounds and songs of the countryside.
Taneyev
February 07, 2014 11:50 - 1 hour - 66.9 MBDonald Macleod is joined by Dr Anastasia Belina-Johnson to explore the life and music of Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev, a one-time child prodigy, who became an excellent pianist and a great composer.
Massenet
January 31, 2014 12:00 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of one of France's most spectaular operatic superstars, Jules Massenet.
Schubert
January 24, 2014 12:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Franz Schubert
Schubert
January 24, 2014 12:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Franz Schubert
Vienna on the Brink
January 10, 2014 11:50 - 1 hour - 70.7 MBDonald Macleod explores the music of Vienna, the most exciting cultural city in the world in the early 1900s and home of Mahler, Schoenberg and Freud.
The Sammartini Brothers
January 03, 2014 11:50 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBDonald Macleod explores the lives and music of Giuseppe and Giovanni Sammartini
Beethoven
December 27, 2013 11:50 - 1 hour - 60.1 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven, focusing on how he transformed the classical legacy of Haydn and Mozart
Beethoven
December 27, 2013 11:50 - 1 hour - 60.1 MBDonald Macleod explores the life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven, focusing on how he transformed the classical legacy of Haydn and Mozart