Music Matters

2 April 2006

Sunday 2 April 2006 17:45-18:30 (Radio 3)

With Petroc Trelawny.

As a new production of Offenbach's La Belle Helene opens at English National Opera, a look at Offenbach's place in French culture with soprano Dame Felicity Lott and translator Kit Hesketh-Harvey.

Plus, an interview with the Mexican tenor Rolando Villazon.

Duration:

45 minutes

In this programme

La Belle Helene
Jacques Offenbach's operetta, La Belle Helene opened in Paris in 1864. Loosely based on the classical tale of the ravishingly beautiful Helen of Troy, the work also satirises the decline of Second Empire France and was an instant hit. English National Opera's new production of this work stars Felicity Lott in the title role, with Emmanuel Joel conducting and they explain their view of the piece. But how does this 19 th Century French work translate for a 21st Century English audience? Kit Hesketh-Harvey has translated Henri Meilhac and Lodovic Halevy's original libretto and he joins Petroc alongside the writer, critic and broadcaster Patrick O'Connor to debate the question of translating this story.

English National Opera : 3rd April - 18th May. London stage premiere of production originally created for Theatre du Chatelet, Paris.


Rolando Villazon
The Mexican tenor, Rolando Villazon, has taken the operatic world by storm. He has already sung four roles at Covent Garden, having made his debut with the company two years ago in Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann . The Met audiences in New York have dubbed him 'the new Domingo' - it's a hard act to follow. However, he dismisses such comparisons and reveals himself to have a voice all of his own as he talks about his unlikely career path. In fact, he takes nothing in his career for granted, having considered becoming a priest and drawing for a profession before eventually succumbing to the opera stage.

Rolando Villazon is currently singing the role of Lensky in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at the Royal Opera House, which you can hear on Opera on 3 on 13 th May.


London International String Quartet Week
In 1979, Richard Sotnick, the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, gave his city a cultural boost with the first ever Portsmouth International String Quartet Competition. Yehudi Menuhin was Artistic Director until his death in 1999, and the competition takes place every 3 years, with a spectacular inaugural year in which the Takacs Quartet took first prize and the Endellion Quartet won the audience prize. The event moved to London in 1992 and this year marks the tenth Competition. Petroc talks with the Pavao Quartet who are taking part in this year's competition to find out about their hopes and fears. Richard Sotnick explains his original vision for the Competition, and Gabor Takacs-Nagy talks about the privilege of leading the winning quartet in the first ever competition.

The final of the London International String Quartet Competition takes place at Wigmore Hall on 9 th April and you can hear it on Performance on 3 on 12 th April.
The winning quartet will also be performing on In Tune on Monday 10 th April


John White
The British composer, John White, celebrates his 70 th Birthday next week at Wilton's Music Hall in London. 46 of his 152 piano sonatas will be performed, including 18 world premieres. However, White makes no secret of his troubled relationship with the musical establishment - he abandoned formal composition several times to work in the theatre, design for Harrods and to be an office manager for Bulmers Cider. He also played in Cornelius Cardew's Scratch Orchestra. Cardew was White's chief collaborator for many years, until a notorious falling out on stage in a Liverpool concert hall.

Music Matters

Episode and Playlist Information

• 21 May 2006
• 14 May 2006
• 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

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