Friday 3 February 1pm … in Anniversary Salutations, programmer James Nightingale pays tribute to two performers. Feodor Chaliapin, born 150 years ago, was the son of peasants and destined to become a cobbler until a chance meeting set him on the path to becoming ‘perhaps the most legendary operatic bass in history’. Joseph Szigeti, who died 50 years ago, was a pupil of the celebrated virtuoso Jeno Hubay, and is represented here in works by Bartok, Stravinsky and Mozart.
Saturday 4 February 10am … in Centres Of Music, programmer Elaine Siversen introduces us to an eclectic array of alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. As well as Mahler, Dvorak and Vaughan Williams, we hear Australian composer Richard Mills, noted film and television composer Debbie Wiseman, and Robert Farnon, a light music composer and arranger nicknamed ‘the guv’nor’ by Frank Sinatra.
Tuesday 7 February 2pm … in Only Rosettes, programmer Ron Walledge begins a series of programs where the selected works have been awarded a Rosette (for ‘special illumination, magic, a spiritual quality, or even outstanding production values’) in the Penguin guide to recorded music. This program includes Alfred Brendel playing Mozart’s Piano concerto no 20,Janet Baker singing Elgar’s Sea pictures, and the Vienna Octet performing Schubert.