Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

The Lark Ascending

Clemens Schuldt, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Jennifer Pike pair Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending with a Deborah Pritchard premiere inspired by east European larks.

The BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Clemens Schuldt, and violinist Jennifer Pike pair Vaughan Williams's icon with a Deborah Pritchard premiere inspired by east-European larks.

In the shadow of the First World War, Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending sounded like a vision of peace. Deborah Pritchard’s Calandra evokes the same spirit in a 21st century context; it’s specially written for the radiant tone and poetic insight of soloist Jennifer Pike.

Calandra, says Pritchard represents a different kind of lark – “an Eastern European lark, symbolic of freedom, ascending without borders”. Like Vaughan Williams, Pritchard is responding to her time; but music can deal with turbulence as well as serenity and guest conductor Clemens Schuldt frames these two idylls with Britten’s volcanic Sinfonia da Requiem – a protest against the inhumanity of World War Two – and Strauss’s musical fantasy of triumph rising from the darkest tragedy. Strong emotions; ravishing sounds.

Presented by Hannah French
Live from the Barbican Concert Hall, London

Benjamin Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem
Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending

20.00 Interval

Deborah Pritchard: Calandra (BBC commission: world premiere)
Richard Strauss: Death and Transfiguration

Jennifer Pike (violin)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Clemens Schuldt (conductor)

2 hours, 28 minutes

Last on

Fri 9 Dec 2022 19:30
BBC Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

BBC Singers with Abel Selaocoe

Next

Nielsen and Bruckner from the Berlin Philharmonic

See all episodes from Radio 3 in Concert

Recipes

See all recipes from The Lark Ascending

Music Played

  • Benjamin Britten

    Sinfonia da Requiem Op.20

    Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Clemens Schuldt.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    The Lark Ascending

    Performer: Jennifer Pike. Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Clemens Schuldt.

  • James McMillan

    O Radiant Dawn

    Choir: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • Coro : COR16146.
    • Coro.
    • 5.

  • James McMillan

    Lux Aeterna

    Choir: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • Coro.

  • Irene Poldowski

    Tango

    Performer: Jennifer Pike. Performer: Peter Limonov.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Rest

    Choir: Gabrieli Consort & Players. Conductor: Paul McCreesh.
    • SIGNUM.

  • Deborah Pritchard

    Calandra (World premiere)

    Performer: Jennifer Pike. Conductor: Clemens Schuldt. Ensemble: BBC Symphony Orchestra.

  • Richard Strauss

    "Tod und Verklarung (Death and Transfiguration) Op.24"

    Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Clemens Schuldt.

  • Einojuhani Rautavaara

    Die Liebenden - I - Liebes-Lied

    Performer: Cecilia Zilliacus. Performer: John Storgårds. Performer: Vladimir Mendelssohn. Performer: Jan-Erik Gustafsson. Performer: Duncan McTier. Singer: Marcus Ullmann.
    • A Century of Finnish Chamber Music.
    • Ondine.
    • 10.

  • Einojuhani Rautavaara

    Die Liebenden - ii - Der Schauende

    Performer: Cecilia Zilliacus. Performer: John Storgårds. Performer: Vladimir Mendelssohn. Performer: Jan-Erik Gustafsson. Performer: Duncan McTier. Singer: Marcus Ullmann.
    • A Century of Finnish Chamber Music.
    • Ondine.
    • 11.

  • Einojuhani Rautavaara

    Die Liebenden - iii - Die Liebende

    Performer: Cecilia Zilliacus. Performer: John Storgårds. Performer: Vladimir Mendelssohn. Performer: Jan-Erik Gustafsson. Performer: Duncan McTier. Singer: Marcus Ullmann.
    • A Century of Finnish Chamber Music.
    • Ondine.
    • 12.

  • Ernst Mielck

    Konzertstuck in D Major, Op. 8

    Performer: John Storgårds. Performer: Sakari Oramo. Orchestra: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
    • Ondine.

Broadcast

  • Fri 9 Dec 2022 19:30
    BBC Radio 3