Feb 2024

The Piano Tuner

This week Joanna and Stephen are joined by a very special guest, Stephen's personal piano tuner, David Widdicombe. From concert grands, upright 'domestics' and honkytonks, David has tuned them all. Having worked with the world's most prestigious piano makers, Steinway, for 3 deca ... Show More

19 m

Feb 2024

The Bohemians: Martinů & Janáček

This week we’re diving into two 'bohemian' heroes of classical music, Bohuslav Martinů and Leoš Janáček. Stephen remembers encountering the music of Martinů at Cambridge, and being confronted by ‘pure simple joy’ of it. From the lyricism of Martinů, we work back towards Janáček – ... Show More

34m 46s

Feb 2024

Women Composers, the "Ol' 55" and the wonders of 'The Trout'

Which note could the Maestro not live without? Where are all the female composers? And is there a better quintet going than Franz Schubert's Trout? In this mini episode Joanna puts your questions to the Maestro.

18m 19s

Jan 2013

Where Have We Come From...And Where Are We Going?

If you could ask BBC Radio 3 one question about music, what would it be? Sue Perkins and Tom Service are here to unravel everything you've ever wondered about music - but were too afraid to ask... Send YOUR questions to r3qt@bbc.co.uk, tweet with the hashtag #r3qt or post them on ... Show More

23m 3s

Jan 2023

Joanna Lumley and Stephen Barlow

Does music have the power to emotionally transport you? It certainly does for actress Joanna Lumley and composer Stephen Barlow. Married for nearly 40 years, they share a huge passion for classical music in particular. In this chat with Fearne, Joanna and Stephen explain how musi ... Show More

50m 55s

Jan 2021

History of Classical Music in 60 Minutes

Welcome to Season 7 of Sticky Notes! I'm often asked: “I want to get into classical music, but where do I start?” Today is my attempt to answer that question! Western Classical Music is an umbrella term that stretches over 1500 years of music, and there is an infinite variety to ... Show More

1h 3m

Nov 2019

When Pop and Classical Collide (with James Bennett II)

Once upon a time, classical music was pop, so today it's worth stepping back and asking: where does one genre stop and the other begin? Can classical ever be popular again? And why do only some classical tracks makes for good samples? Luckily James Bennett II of classical station ... Show More

1 h

Aug 2019

ICYMI: Why is 90s Pop so Bizarre?

Today we're revisiting an episode inspired by a pair of classic VH1 shows: “Behind the Music” and “Where Are They Now?” Our subjects are two songs representing the lunatic fringe of 90s culture, “Cotton Eyed Joe” and “How Bizarre.” In the course of our musicological investigation ... Show More

48m 30s

Apr 2023

My Top 25 Favorite Moments in Classical Music (Part 1)

What MAKES a moment in a piece of classical music? Sometimes it’s the result of careful pacing from a composer, the slow build to a powerful release. Sometimes it’s about surprise, a sudden explosion, or even a sudden extinguishing of sound. Sometimes it’s about a harmonic transi ... Show More

52m 28s

Oct 2022

The Knights reimagine the ideas of Beethoven and Tolstoy

The Knights — The Kreutzer Project (Avie) New Classical Tracks - The Knights by “Aren’t we all obsessed with time travel? Aren’t we all wanting to have dinner with that person that’s not alive anymore,” conductor of the Knights, Eric Jacobsen, asked when he fired up the time mach ... Show More

41m 16s

Jan 2024

The case of the missing vocals, and other listener questions

All throughout the year, Switched on Pop gets a litany of musical questions that need answering. To kick off 2024, hosts Charlie and Nate answer some of these questions live on air! From the renewed interest in Cass Elliot's "Make Your Own Kind of Music" to the lack of multi-part ... Show More

46m 4s

Modern Classical Music - Just For ‘Smart...