Music Matters

12 March 2006

Sunday 12 March 2006 17:45-18:30 (Radio 3)

The BBC Concert Orchestra celebrates film score composer Bernard Herrmann's brilliant, yet often turbulent relationship with Alfred Hitchcock. Petroc Trelawny investigates how Herrmann redefined the relationship between image and sound.

Plus a look at Tchaikovsky's masterpiece Eugene Onegin, as a new production is staged at the Royal Opera House.

Duration:

45 minutes

In this programme

Bernard Herrmann
Best remembered for his scores to pictures like 'Psycho' and 'Vertigo' Bernard Herrmann was often an angry man. He fell out with Alfred Hitchcock, just as he had with his first collaborator, Orson Welles. He was an Anglophile and introduced the music of Bax and Vaughan Williams to the United States . Petroc spoke to the American Joel McNeely who conducts a programme of Herrmann's music at the Barbican on Friday. We'll also hear from Norma Herrmann, his widow.

The BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Joel McNeely, in a concert of Hermann's music at the Barbican 17th March 06


Eugene Onegin
When Tchaikovsky agreed to set Pushkin's Eugene Onegin as an opera, he knew he was taking on a major responsibility. The famous verse novel could be quoted by most Russians. It's a major part of their cultural heritage. Petroc met with Steven Pimlott who directs Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the title role of the new production at the Royal Opera House. You can hear Eugene Onegin at the Royal Opera House from the 16th March until the 8 th April. BBC Radio 3 will broadcast the production on the 13th May 2006.


Harry Christophers
Harry Christophers founded The Sixteen for a one-off concert at Oxford University . That was nearly 30 years ago and this month sees the start of The Sixteen's latest 'Choral Pilgrimage', a tour around 18 UK venues - principally great cathedrals and churches. Next month sees the launch of a new album called 'Ikon'. Petroc met with Harry Christopher's to discuss the choirs mix of the commercial and the arcane.

For more information on The Sixteen visit their website.


Shostakovich Quartets
Radio 3 began its week long broadcast of the complete Shostakovich this afternoon. Between 1938 and 1974, Dmitri Shostakovich wrote 15 quartets and these along with Bartok's quartets represent one of the seminal achievements in Twentieth Century chamber music. In the 1970s the Fitzwilliam Quartet gave the Western premieres of the last three quartets and persuaded the aging composer to come to England for the concerts. They tell us about their meeting with Shostakovich on the platform of York train station. And we'll also hear from the Emerson Quartet.

The complete Shostakovich String Quartet cycle continues on BBC Radio 3
tomorrow evening and for the rest of next week on Performance on 3 with the Avie and Jerusalem Quartets

Music Matters

Episode and Playlist Information

• 7 May 2006
• 23 Apr 06 English Music Day
• 16 April 2006
• 9 April 2006
• 2 April 2006
• 19 March 2006
• 12 March 2006
• 5 March 2006
• 19 February 2006
• 5 February 2006

Music Matters pages