Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances from Sheffield

Linton Stephens brings you an afternoon of exclusive music-making, which includes a spotlight on the relationship between music and spirituality. To begin, Bach's church cantata Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben performed by the Collegium Vocale Ghent, pianist Kit Armstrong performing music which explores the religious culture of Elizabethan England, and the SWR Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart performing Dvořák's Othello overture, exploring implicit religious and moral themes. There are also excerpts from a concert by the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra in which Haydn’s Seven Last Words on the Cross is interspersed with Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder, juxtaposing Christ’s suffering with human grief and suggesting that art and religion may confer spiritual meaning on life.

Elsewhere in the programme, there is chamber music recorded at the Crucible, Sheffield. Pianists Ivana Gavric and Tim Horton join forces to perform Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances.

Johann Sebastian Bach
Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben, BWV 8
Collegium Vocale Ghent
Philippe Herreweghe (conductor)

Franz Liszt
Introduction, from 'The Legend of St. Elizabeth'
Kit Armstrong (piano)

Antonín Dvořák
Othello, Op. 93, concert overture
SWR Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart
Juraj Valčuha (conductor)

Gustav Mahler
Wenn dein Mütterlein
Johan Reuter (bass-baritone)
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Hossein Pishkar, conductor

Sergei Rachmaninov
Symphonic Dances
Ivana Gavric (piano)
Tim Horton (piano)

Joseph Haydn
Seven Last Words on the Cross: 5. Sonata 4: Largo
Johan Reuter (bass-baritone)
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Hossein Pishkar (conductor)

Joseph Haydn
Seven Last Words on the Cross 6. Sonata 5: Adagio
Johan Reuter (bass-baritone)
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Hossein Pishkar (conductor)

To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers), just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live".