Music Matters

In This Programme

Sir John Drummond
Sir John Drummond, once Controller of Radio 3, the Proms and director of the Edinburgh Festival, died earlier this week. His decade in charge of the Proms, from 1986-1995 was the summit of a career in the arts, from running BBC Two's arts output to writing books about Diaghilev. He had a larger than life character, but he rarely compromised on his artistic vision. Famously, his final Last Night of the Proms presented a new piece by Harrison Birtwistle, Panic, that upset many Prommers and TV viewers. We'll be hearing from John Drummond in his own words.

Radio 3 dedicates the BBC Symphony Orchestra concert celebrating the 60 th anniversary of the Third Programme on the 29 th September to the memory of Sir John Drummond.


Riccardo Chailly
Riccardo Chailly is a conductor who has done it all: he transformed the repertoire and reputation of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam during sixteen years in charge there, and he's one of the most sought after maestros in concert halls and opera houses the world over. He now runs the oldest orchestra in the world: the Gewandhaus in Leipzig , an ensemble that counts Felix Mendelssohn as one of its previous conductors, and in a city whose musical heritage goes all the way back to Johann Sebastian Bach. He's known for his radical programmes, so how does he deal with the venerable traditions of the Leipzig orchestra? There are other challenges, too, since he's also running the opera house in the city. But there's a catch. Where the orchestra is world famous, the opera house is in serious need of support, and cash. Chailly tell Tom how he feels about the funding situation, and issues an ultimatum to his paymasters in Leipzig .

Riccardo Chailly conducts the orchestra of La Scala, Milan on tour in the UK in October.


Daniele Gatti and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Another Italian conductor, and another institution with financial problems: Daniele Gatti has spent 10 years with the orchestra, and even though it celebrates is 60th birthday this season, the orchestra still has a battle on its hands. Gatti tells Tom about his vision for the future of the orchestra, and players past and present including leader Clio Gould, trumpet player David Mason and violinist Kevin Duffy look back on the glories of the RPO, which began when Thomas Beecham set up the orchestra in 1946.

The RPO celebrate their 60 th birthday on the 15 th September at the Royal Albert Hall with a performance of Mahler Symphony no.8 conducted by Gatti and with the Soprano Gillian Keith.


Peter and the Wolf
Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf turns 70 this year. It still inspires children and introduces them to the mechanics of the symphony orchestra. The Philharmonia give the premiere of a new animated version of the piece in a couple of weeks, but that's just the latest in the hundreds of different versions of the piece. Peter and the Wolf has had a stellar cast of narrators over the years, from Sean Connery to David Bowie. Tom has been talking to Angela Rippon, Floella Benjamin, and Richard Baker about how they deal with performances of the piece. But there's another side to Peter and the Wolf: Noëlle Mann will be telling Tom that Prokofiev's music has a serious, symphonic side, and that the piece has a lot to tell us about Soviet life in 1936.

More information about the new film of Peter and the Wolf can be found here .

Music Matters

Episode and Playlist Information

• 15 Oct 06 Grieg
• 8 Oct 06 Deborah Warner
• 1 October 2006
• 24 Sep 06 Steve Reich at 70
• 10 Sept 06
• 9 July 2006
• 2 July 2006
• 18 June 2006

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