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Violinist Alena Baeva with sublime Beethoven in the studio

Tom Service with the perfect classical soundtrack for the weekend. With an exclusive session from violinist Alena Baeva, plus harpist Lavinia Meijer chats about her new album.

Tom Service with guests, stories and the perfect classical soundtrack for the weekend!

Described as ​“a magnetic presence”, violinist Alena Baeva is Tom's guest this morning. She brings her violin to the studio with pianist Vadym Kholodenko to perform exclusively for Saturday Morning pieces from their brand-new Beethoven album and chat about why his music is as urgent now as ever.

The inaugural exhibition at V&A East opens today and "Music is Black: A British Story" celebrates Black British music’s essential role in our cultural landscape. Tom takes a trip to see it in the company of composer Errollyn Wallen, the Master of the King's Music - the first composer of colour to hold this role. Together they look round some of the incredible riches the new exhibition has to show!

And our focus on Creators continues with the brilliant harpist Lavinia Meijer. She talks to Tom about her new release 'Unfolding Lines' remakes music by Bach, Scarlatti and Handel for the harp. She chats about some of the joys and challenges of arranging them, why the harp is not just for romance and why you need to work on your muscles to play the instrument.

22 days left to listen

3 hours

Last on

Last Saturday09:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Antonín Dvořák

    String quartet no.12 in F major Op.96 'American' (4th mvt)

    Ensemble: Escher String Quartet.
    • Dvořák: String Quartet No. 12 - Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1 - Borodin: Str.
    • BIS.
    • 104.

  • François Couperin

    Les baricades mistérieuses (Pieces de clavecin - ordre no. 6)

    Music Arranger: Thomas Adès. Orchestra: Aurora Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Collon.
    • Insomnia.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 2.

  • Francis Poulenc

    Concerto in D minor for 2 pianos (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Louis Lortie. Performer: Hélène Mercier. Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Poulenc: Concertos for Piano.
    • Chandos.
    • 112.

  • Trad.

    Guayabo Zarandeao

    Singer: Luciana Mancini. Ensemble: L’Arpeggiata. Conductor: Christina Pluhar.
    • Traditional: Guayabo Zarandeao.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 1.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony no.104 in D major H.1.104 'London' (1st mvt)

    Orchestra: Accademia Bizantina. Conductor: Ottavio Dantone.
    • Hdb Sonus.

  • Arno Babajanian

    Piano trio in F sharp minor (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Vadim Gluzman. Performer: Johannes Moser. Performer: Yevgeny Sudbin.
    • Tchaikovsky, Schnittke & Babajanian: Works for Piano Trio.
    • BIS.
    • 202.

  • Allison Loggins-Hull

    Grit. Grace. Glory. (Quip)

    Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra. Conductor: Franz Welser‐Möst.
    • Cleveland.

  • Joe Hisaishi

    My Neighbour Totoro (Theme)

    Orchestra: Orchestra.
    • Studio Ghibli Japan.

  • Gabriel Fauré

    Requiem Op.48 (Agnus Dei)

    Choir: Accentus. Orchestra: Orchestre national de France. Conductor: Laurence Equilbey.
    • Naive.

  • Domenico Scarlatti

    Sonata in C major, Kk.72

    Performer: Alexandre Tharaud.
    • D. Scarlatti: Sonatas: Alexandre Tharaud.
    • Virgin Classics.
    • 10.

  • Arnold Bax

    Tintagel

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
    • Holst: The Planets – Bax: Tintagel.
    • LSO Live.
    • 8.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Violin sonata in E flat major Op.12 no.3 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Alena Baeva. Performer: Vadym Kholodenko.
    • BBC recording.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Violin sonata in A major Op.30 no.1 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Alena Baeva. Performer: Vadym Kholodenko.
    • BBC recording.

  • Henryk Mikołaj Górecki

    Totus Tuus

    Choir: Collegium Vocale Gent. Conductor: Michael Deltchev.
    • Collegium Vocale: Beyound The Eastern Wind.
    • Danacord Records.
    • 1.

  • Dorothy Howell

    Humoresque

    Orchestra: BBC Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Rebecca Miller.
    • Dorothy Howell Orchestral Works.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 101.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Alborada del gracioso (Miroirs)

    Performer: Seong‐Jin Cho.
    • Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Works and Concertos.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Gustav Mahler

    Symphony no.6 in A minor (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Semyon Bychkov.
    • Gustav Mahler: Symphonies 1-9.
    • PENTATONE.

  • Errollyn Wallen

    Dances for Orchestra (Dance I)

    Orchestra: BBC Concert Orchestra. Conductor: John Andrews.
    • Errollyn Wallen: Orchestral Works.
    • Resonus Classics.
    • 1.

  • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

    Scenes from Hiawatha - overture Op.30`3

    Orchestra: BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.
    • CHANDOS.

  • George Botsford

    Black and White Rag

    Performer: Winifred Atwell.
    • Living Era.

  • Errollyn Wallen

    Dances for Orchestra (Dance II)

    Orchestra: BBC Concert Orchestra. Conductor: John Andrews.
    • Errollyn Wallen: Orchestral Works.
    • Resonus Classics.
    • 2.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony no.39 in E flat major K.543 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Potsdam Chamber Academy. Conductor: Antonello Manacorda.
    • Mozart Symphonies Nos. 39, 40, 41.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 4.

  • Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla

    A siolo flasiquiyo

    Choir: La Capella Reial de Catalunya. Ensemble: Hespèrion XXI. Conductor: Jordi Savall.
    • Villancicos y danzas criollas 1550-1750: Hesperion XXI/Savall.
    • Alia Vox.
    • 12.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Prelude in E major BWV.878

    Performer: Lavinia Meijer.
    • Unfolding Lines.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 9.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Fugue in C sharp major BWV.848

    Performer: Lavinia Meijer.
    • Unfolding Lines.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 4.

  • Philip Glass

    Koyaanisqatsi

    Performer: Lavinia Meijer.
    • The Glass Effect (The Music of Philip Glass & Others).
    • Masterworks.
    • 1.

  • Domenico Scarlatti

    Sonata in E major Kk.380

    Performer: Lavinia Meijer.
    • Unfolding Lines.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 12.

  • Michael Daugherty

    Metropolis Symphony (Oh, Lois!)

    Orchestra: Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Giancarlo Guerrero.
    • Michael Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony & Deus ex Machina.
    • Naxos.
    • 4.

  • Frédéric Chopin

    Nocturne in E minor Op.72 no.1

    Performer: Benjamin Grosvenor.
    • Discover Generation Classical.
    • DG CD.
    • 2.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Symphony no.4 in A major Op.90 'Italian' (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras‐Casado.
    • Harmonia Mundi.

Broadcast

  • Last Saturday09:00
    BBC Radio 3