Classical Music Playlist, March 17, 2025
Grace Williams (1906-1977) | photo: Grace Williams estate
Ireland has perhaps contributed more of its traditional music to world culture than it has classical music. One of the few exceptions is composer Hamilton Harty (1879-1941), yet some of his compositions include traditional Irish tunes. For a 1904 festival of composition for which a prize was to be awarded to a work that made use of traditional Irish airs, Harty entered his "An Irish Symphony" that included such tunes and won. It’s today's Midday Masterpiece.
This Women's History Month CapRadio highlights a different woman in music each weekday. Today's classical spotlight is on Grace Williams.
- Welsh composer Grace Williams (1906 – 1977) studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1926 with composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (no relation).
- The first of her two symphonies was the first symphony by a Welsh composer.
- She also composed religious, opera, orchestral, chamber and vocal works.
- Williams was also the first British woman to score a feature film, in 1948.
- She is considered to have brought Wales to the world through her music inspired by Welsh culture, landscapes and the sea.
6:00 a.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto in G minor BWV 1056
Amsterdam Bach Solisten; Thomas Zehetmair, conductor Thomas Zehetmair, violin
6:11 a.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 16 in G major Opus 31/1
Richard Goode, piano
6:35 a.m.
Grace Williams
Sea Sketches: V. Calm Sea in Summer
English Chamber Orchestra; David Atherton, conductor
6:42 a.m.
Ignaz Moscheles
Recollections of Ireland Opus 69
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra; Howard Shelley, conductor Howard Shelley, piano
6:59 a.m.
Engelbert Humperdinck
HANSEL UND GRETEL Overture
London Symphony Orchestra; Andre Previn, conductor
7:09 a.m.
Antonin Dvorak
Symphonic Variations Opus 78
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Jiri Belohlavek, conductor
7:33 a.m.
Percy Grainger
Irish Tune from County Derry (Danny Boy)
Dallas Wind Symphony; Jerry Junkin, conductor
7:39 a.m.
Hamilton Harty
John Field Suite
Ulster Orchestra; Bryden Thomson, conductor
8:00 a.m.
Johannes Brahms
Academic Festival Overture Opus 80
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Riccardo Chailly, conductor
8:12 a.m.
John Field
Piano Concerto No. 2 in Ab major
Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras, conductor John O'Conor, piano
8:47 a.m.
Grace Williams
Hiraeth for Harp
Sandrine Chatron, harp
8:52 a.m.
Camille Saint-Saens
Symphony No. 3 "Organ": Finale in C minor Opus 78
Boston Symphony Orchestra; Charles Munch, conductor Berj Zamkochian, organ
9:02 a.m.
Franz Schubert
Nocturne (Notturno for Piano Trio) in Eb major Opus 148 D 897
Takacs Quartet Andreas Haefliger, piano
9:14 a.m.
Franz Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 94 "Surprise" in G major
Heidelberg Symphony; Thomas Fey, conductor
9:41 a.m.
Grace Williams
Carillons, for oboe and orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra; Sir Charles Groves, conductor Anthony Camden, oboe
9:54 a.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Rondo Alla Turca (from Piano Sonata No. 11) in A major
Mitsuko Uchida, piano
10:00 a.m.
Johannes Brahms
Piano Trio No. 2 in C major Opus 87
Beaux Arts Trio
10:29 a.m.
Phil Rosheger
Good Luck Waltz
David Russell, guitar
10:33 a.m.
Charles Stanford
Irish Rhapsody No. 4 in A minor Opus 141
Ulster Orchestra; Vernon Handley, conductor
10:52 a.m.
Ethel Smyth
Serenade in D: II. Scherzo. Allegro vivace in D major
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra; Odaline de la Martinez, conductor Tasmin Little, violin; John Lenehan, piano
11:00 a.m.
Hamilton Harty
Piano Concerto in B minor
Ulster Orchestra; Takuo Yuasa, conductor Peter Donohoe, piano
11:31 a.m.
Claude Debussy
Arabesque No. 1 in E major
Yolanda Kondonassis, harp
11:37 a.m.
Grace Williams
Trumpet Concerto
London Symphony Orchestra; Sir Charles Groves, conductor Howard Snell, trumpet
11:52 a.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
THE MAGIC FLUTE: Overture (Die Zauberflote) K 620
Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras, conductor
12:00 p.m.
Antonio Vivaldi
Four Seasons: Winter (L'Inverno) in F minor Opus 8 RV 297
...and friends Janine Jansen, violin
12:10 p.m.
John Field
Nocturne No. 2 in C minor H 25
Alice Sara Ott, piano
12:14 p.m.
John C. Williams
When The Birds Return
Voces8; Barnaby Smith, conductor Xuefei Yang, guitar
12:21 p.m.
Aaron Copland
Appalachian Spring
New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor
12:48 p.m.
Antonin Dvorak
Symphony No. 8: IV. Finale in G major Opus 88
Los Angeles Philharmonic; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor Bruce Liu, piano
1:00 p.m.
Johann Strauss, Jr.
Artist's Life Opus 316 Kunstlerleben
Vienna State Opera Orchestra; Franz Bauer-Theussl, conductor
1:12 p.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major BWV 1046
European Brandenburg Ensemble; Trevor Pinnock, conductor
1:34 p.m.
Grace Williams
Penillion
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Sir Charles Groves, conductor
1:53 p.m.
Richard Wagner
DIE WALKURE: Ride of the Valkyries
Berlin Philharmonic; Klaus Tennstedt, conductor
2:00 p.m.
Hamilton Harty
Irish Symphony
Ulster Orchestra; Bryden Thomson, conductor
2:35 p.m.
John Field
Nocturne No. 1 in Eb major H 24
Alice Sara Ott, piano
2:41 p.m.
Charles Stanford
Irish Rhapsody No. 1 in D minor Opus 78
Ulster Orchestra; Vernon Handley, conductor
2:58 p.m.
TRADITIONAL
The Wexford Carol
London Chamber Orchestra; Christopher Warren-Green, conductor
3:04 p.m.
Grace Williams
Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes
Royal Ballet Sinfonia; Andrew Penny, conductor
3:17 p.m.
Samuel Barber
Violin Concerto Opus 14
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Hugh Wolff, conductor Hilary Hahn, violin
3:43 p.m.
Antonin Dvorak
Poetic Tone Pictures: I. Twilight Way Opus 85
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
3:52 p.m.
Gioachino Rossini
LA SCALA DI SETA (The Silken Ladder): Overture
Chamber Orchestra of Europe; Claudio Abbado, conductor
4:00 p.m.
Arcangelo Corelli
Concerto Grosso No. 11 in Bb major Opus 6
The English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, conductor
4:12 p.m.
Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished" in B minor D 759
Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras, conductor
4:40 p.m.
Frederic Chopin
Fantasie-impromptu in C# minor Opus 66
Bella Davidovich, piano
4:45 p.m.
Lucas Saboya
Zamba Negra (from Suite Ernestina)
Jose Antonio Escobar, guitar
4:51 p.m.
Johann Strauss, Jr.
DIE FLEDERMAUS Overture (The Bat)
Vienna State Opera Orchestra; Jascha Horenstein, conductor
5:01 p.m.
Antonio Rosetti
Concerto for horn in D minor C 38
Prague Chamber Orchestra Radek Baborak, horn
5:23 p.m.
Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Running Set
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; James Judd, conductor
5:31 p.m.
Grace Williams
Ballads
BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra; Vernon Handley, conductor
5:50 p.m.
Hamilton Harty
In Ireland
Ulster Orchestra; Bryden Thomson, conductor Colin Fleming, flute; Denise Kelly, harp
6:00 p.m.
Charles Stanford
Symphony No. 3 "Irish" in F minor
Ulster Orchestra; Vernon Handley, conductor
6:43 p.m.
Ricardo Castro
Plainte Opus 38/2
Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria (OSM) Jorge Federico Osorio, piano
6:48 p.m.
Ariel Ramirez
MISA CRIOLLA: II. Gloria
Zurich Chamber Orchestra; Daniel Hope, conductor Daniel Hope, violin; Palau de la Musica vocal quartet
6:55 p.m.
Bobby Hutcherson
Now
Los Angeles Philharmonic; Calvin Simmons, conductor Bobby Hutcherson, vibes
