Górecki and Albinoni

Donald Macleod explores more of the greatest “one-hit wonders” in classical music.

Donald Macleod explores two more of classical music’s “one-hit wonders”, including the strange story behind the work for which Tomaso Albinoni is famous today!

Classical music is littered with composers who are famous for just a single piece of music. In a special week of Composer of the Week programmes, Donald Macleod is joined by Berlin Philharmonic horn player Sarah Willis to explore ten of these composers and examine episodes from their lives, alongside their compositions – both their popular hits and some of their less familiar music. They also try to isolate why certain works have captured the popular imagination of audiences around the world.

In today's programme, Donald and Sarah explore the life of the composer of one of the best-selling pieces of contemporary music ever – Henryk Górecki and his Third Symphony. They also piece together the strange story behind the work for which Tomaso Albinoni is famous today!

Górecki: Symphony No 3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs),1st Mvt.
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Krzysztof Penderecki, Conductor

Górecki: Little Requiem for a Certain Polka, Op 66, 3rd Mvt.
Anna Gorecka, Piano
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
Antoni Wit, Conductor

Górecki: Symphony No 3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs), 2nd Mvt.
Dawn Upshaw, soprano
London Sinfonietta
David Zinman, Conductor)

Górecki: Miserere
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, Conductor

Albinoni: Overture to Zenobia
Charivari Agréable
Simon Desbruslais, Trumpet
Stephen Pedder, violin
Kah-Ming Ng, conductor

Albinoni (compl. Giazotto): Adagio in G minor
Berlin Philharmonic
Herbert von Karajan, Conductor

Albinoni: Concerto in B flat major for oboe and strings
Albinoni: Concerto in F major for oboe and strings
Paul Dombrecht, Oboe
Il Fondamento Ensemble

Produced by Sam Phillips, for BBC Wales