The week ahead on Essential Classics – McCreesh, Minkowski, Barenboim & Brainteaser Boffins

Monday 23 December 2013, 16:01

Dominic Wells

Assistant Producer, Essential Classics

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Welcome to this special bumper Essential Classics Christmas Blog, where you can find out what’s coming up on the programme over the next two weeks. We’ve got musical delights from Paul McCreesh, Marc Minkowski and Daniel Barenboim; festive comedy from guests Sandi Toksvig and Tim Vine; and our Brainteaser Boffins have been working extra hard to test your wits over the holidays.

McCreesh, Minkowski & Barenboim

Paul McCreesh and Daniel Barenboim

Two wonderful conductors feature in Christmas week on Essential Classics. Paul McCreesh (above, left) and his superb Gabrieli Consort have recently released a new Christmas CD called ‘Incarnation’, featuring music both ancient and modern. We’ll be dipping into this - our CD of the Week - each day between 9am and 9:30, after which we’ll be including recordings by Marc Minkowski – our Artist of the Week. Hear him conduct Baroque music by Rameau, Handel and Charpentier; symphonies by Mozart (No. 40), Haydn (No. 94 ‘Surprise’) and Schubert (No. 3); and even Wagner on period instruments.

And we’ve yet another great conductor for you the following week, when all the Essential Choices at 11am will feature the great Daniel Barenboim (above, right). Hear him in works including Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 and Liszt’s Les Preludes.

Guests

Sandi Toksvig and Tim Vine

Our guest in Christmas week is the presenter, writer and comedian Sandi Toksvig. She talks to Rob Cowan about her life and career, and of course the music she’s chosen. And there’s more comedy in New Year week, as stand-up star Tim Vine talks to Sarah Walker. Those of you who enjoy The Flight of the Bumble Bee are in for a treat…

Brainteasers

Finally, don’t forget we’ll be continuing with our daily brainteasers, so if you have some time off over the next week, do write in with your answers. We did invite the Brainteaser Boffins to come into the studio to celebrate the New Year, but they’re intent on keeping hard at work (though it looks as if they’ve been rather distracted by the Christmas spirit recently).