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Episode details

Radio 3,09 Apr 2026,134 mins

Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Radio 3 in Concert

Available for 29 days

Take a time-trip with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and conductor Kazuki Yamada as three composers transplant music from the past into new, radical environments. In Hindemith’s Metamorphosis, the nineteenth century sounds of Weber are hurled, kicking and sometimes howling, into the modern era. Rachmaninov riffs on a beautiful melody from the 1800s, examining it from 24 angles, with renowned Argentine pianist Nelson Goerner as the soloist. Bartók’s exhilarating Concerto for Orchestra honours the folk music of his native Hungary while giving the spotlight to almost every instrument of the modern orchestra. Paul Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis of themes by Carl Maria von Weber Sergei Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Interval Béla Bartók Concerto for Orchestra Nelson Goerner (piano) City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Kazuki Yamada (conductor) Broadcast live from Symphony Hall in Birmingham and presented by Linton Stephens. To listen on most smart speakers, just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert".

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Tracklist

  1. Track
    Artist
  2. 1.
    Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
    Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
    Paul Hindemith
  3. 2.
    Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
    Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
    Sergey Rachmaninov
  4. 3.
    Intermezzo in A major Op. 118 No. 2
    Intermezzo in A major Op. 118 No. 2
    Johannes Brahms