In his later years, Liszt increasingly pursued his favoured causes by using piano transcriptions of other composers' works; and his own symphonic poems appeared as transcriptions from the 1850s. In 1865 Liszt famously complained to Hans von Bülow that “I have better things to do with my time than transcribe, paraphrase, and illustrate, and from now…

“I feel that you will achieve your greatest triumphs in [the symphonic] genre for I consider you to have precisely the properties that make a great symphonic composer. This is my firm belief.” Thus wrote Jan Sibelius in 1914 to his former student Leevi Madetoja. Raymond Bisha presents supporting evidence for that foresight in extracts from Madetoja…

The musical partnership of pianists Anna Geniushene and Lukas Geniušas, both esteemed prize-winners of major international competitions, is not just a testament to their flourishing solo careers and a shared musical heritage and philosophy. It is a profound expression of their deep emotional connection, a bond that resonates in their performances a…

Joby Talbot has written music for several of Christopher Wheeldon's ballets including The Winter's Tale, the focus of this podcast, as well as Like Water for Chocolate and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In this podcast Joby talks about how he goes about composing music for a ballet and his ongoing collaboration with Christopher Wheeldon. The Opu…

This podcast introduces a recently released, diverse programme of works for guitar trio bound by the common thread of music inspired by stories from literature, stage or screen. Performed by the Volterra Project Trio, the album's seventeen tracks take us from the rhythmic exuberance and tragic beauty of Bernstein’s West Side Story to the evocative …

In his album liner notes Behzod Abduraimov writes: "I see this pairing as an opportunity to present two vastly different emotional and philosophical worlds within the same album. I want to offer listeners a striking contrast: the depth and complexity of Prokofiev’s world against Shor’s more lyrical and accessible approach. Each piece reflects diffe…

This project by Alon Sariel and the Kölner Akademie celebrates the versatility of the mandolin on the cusp of the classical period. However, the (hi)story of the mandolin in Vienna is surprisingly different from elsewhere in Europe, and in some cases we are still discovering new astonishing aspects. In contrast to the rest of Europe, Vienna seems t…

This podcast introduces two works by Karl Weigl (1881-1949), his Symphony No. 3 and the Symphonic Prelude to a Tragedy. Both were written at the beginning of the 1930s but then suffered from decades of neglect. Weigl drew on the sound world of late Romanticism, never abandoning this aesthetic in favour of more progressive contemporary trends. Happi…

Ronald Stevenson was a virtuoso pianist as well as being a prolific composer and arranger whose music is featured on a new album with pianist Peter Jablonski. In this podcast Peter Jablonski talks about his recent album of some of Stevenson's works, especially his arrangements for the piano of music by composers such as Britten, Purcell, Paderewski…

Conductor John Jeter has been central to the rediscovery and representation of Florence Price's orchestral works. In this podcast, he discusses with Raymond Bisha his latest recording of her piano concerto and her two violin concertos, the only works she composed in the genre. The early First Violin Concerto, with shades of Tchaikovsky and underton…

Lepo Sumera (1950–2000) was one of the most important figures in Estonian music following World War Two. He might also be considered one of the most important European symphonists during the last quarter of the 20th century, when he wrote his impressive series of six symphonies that embody imaginative orchestral colour and a skilful sense of struct…

In this podcast Raymond Bisha introduces an album of sacred choral music by Philip Stopford in which all the items were composed between 2013 and 2022 and are heard in their world premiere recordings. Beautifully crafted, memorable, colourful and deeply rooted in the Anglican tradition, Stopford's works are immediately attractive and widely admired…

Working amidst political and personal setbacks, Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-96) flourished as a composer, admired by Shostakovich and championed by the leading Soviet musicians of the day. His death in Moscow in 1996, however, went largely unnoticed. More happily, his extensive catalogue has recently secured an increasing number of performances and r…

In this podcast Skip Sempé introduces his new album of music by John Dowland and talks about the Renaissance orchestra and why it creates such a unique and beautiful sound. According to Sempé: "The idea of a ‘Renaissance Orchestra’ in which all the different instrumental consorts are brought together is the overlooked message of these sixteenth- an…

This podcast presents pianist Giorgio Koukl in conversation with Raymond Bisha at the end of a five-year project to rehabilitate the complete works for piano solo and duo by Vittorio Rieti (1898-1994). Virtually self-taught, Rieti went on to establish his composing credentials, becoming the only Italian composer, for example, to be invited to write…

Vol. 27 in the Naxos Music of Brazil series features music by César Guerra-Peixe (1914-1993). In this podcast, Raymond Bisha discusses the life and music of the composer, known as the 'Brazilian Bartók' on account of his ethnomusicological research, with conductor Neil Thomson. Describing Guerra-Peixe as an “extremely prolific, incredibly rounded, …

Raymond Bisha introduces the latest instalment in the Capriccio label's exploration of rarely performed or recorded symphonic works by Miklós Rózsa, outlining his maturation not only into one of the most successful film composers of all time, but also the creator of equally fine concert works. The album's programme comprises his Rhapsody for Cello,…

The GRAMMY Award-winning team of composer Michael Daugherty, conductor David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony returns with a new album comprising a set of remarkable works exploring associations with flight and space exploration, both tragic and triumphant. In this podcast, the composer explains the context and inspiration behind the three works…

Italian composer Goffredo Petrassi’s reputation was established in 1932 when his Partita (8.572411) won critical acclaim. Three years later he premiered the first of his eight Concertos for Orchestra which secured his reputation outside of Italy. Raymond Bisha delves into a new release of the first three of those concertos performed by the Orchestr…

Raymond Bisha introduces the third instalment of a collectable series of seven albums showcasing Ukraine-born composer Alexey Shor’s appealing personal style and superb craftsmanship. The programme features vivid portraits of literary figures for piano (Behzod Abduraimov) and orchestra (Kyiv Virtuosi), similarly an homage to Glinka, and a dazzling …

Born in 1986, Jake Runestad is a versatile and prolific young composer whose visceral music and charismatic personality have fostered a busy schedule of national and international commissions, residencies, workshops, and speaking engagements, enabling him to be one of the youngest full-time composers in the world. In this podcast he discusses with …

Notker Balbulus (c.840-912), also known as Notker of St Gall or Notker the Stammerer, was a renowned Benedictine monk at the Abbey of St Gall in Switzerland who made substantial contributions to both the music and literature of his time. In this podcast Michael Alan Anderson, musical director of Schola Antiqua of Chicago, explains to Raymond Bisha …

Since the 1970s, Brazilian conductor Isaac Karabtchevsky has steadfastly developed one of the most brilliant careers across the Brazilian and international music scenes, The Guardian in 2009 hailing him as one of Brazil's living icons. He's heard in this podcast In conversation with Raymond Bisha, discussing the music of fellow Brazilian icon, the …

American composer Daron Hagen talks about his cantata Everyone, Everywhere in conversation with Raymond Bisha. Composed In 2023 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Hagen found impetus in the contemporary political status of his own nation to recontextualise the declaration's dry language and enable him to conv…

A delightful collection of lute music from the courts of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I, played by Italian lutenist Elisa La Marca. This was a time of incredible cultural richness in England brought forth composers such as John Dowland and writers such as William Shakespeare. Because the lute was one of the favoured instruments in court during …