Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Nelson Mass

Christian Curnyn and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales perform Chaos from Rebel's Les Élémens, selections from Purcell's King Arthur and Haydn's Mass in D minor, 'Nelson Mass'.

Baroque specialist Christian Curnyn joins the BBC National Orchestra of Wales to conduct three works that all take a degree of inspiration from battles. We begin with arguably the first ever battle, the chaos that reined before the creation of the world, as depicted by pioneering French composer, Jean-Féry Rebel. His Chaos became the opening movement to his work Les Élémens, which goes on to portray the creation of the universe from out of his pandemoniac dissonance. Purcell's King Arthur follows, a work that depicts the battles between the Britons, led by King Arthur, and the invading Saxons, rather than using Arthurian legend. Tonight we'll hear selections chosen from that stage work by our conductor, Christian Curnyn. The concert concludes with Haydn's 11th mass that he later subtitled a "Mass for troubled times", but quickly became known publicly as the Nelson Mass, in relation to the military leader. It was written during the Napoleonic wars, prior to Nelson's victory, and possibly gained its popular title after Haydn performed the mass in the presence of Nelson, some five years before the battle of Trafalgar, and Nelson was greatly moved by the piece.

Presented live from BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff by Ian Skelly.

7.30pm
Rebel: Chaos (Les Élémens)
Purcell: King Arthur (selections)

8.10pm
Interval Music

8.30pm
Haydn: Mass No 11 in D minor, Hob XXII/11 (Nelson Mass)

Anna Dennis (soprano)
Rupert Charlesworth (tenor)
Edward Hawkins (bass)
Hilary Summers (contralto)
BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales
Christian Curnyn (conductor)

2 hours, 28 minutes

Last on

Thu 6 Apr 2023 19:30
BBC Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Anastasia Kobekina plays Brahms and Schumann at Wigmore Hall

Next

Easter at King's

See all episodes from Radio 3 in Concert

Recipes

See all recipes from Nelson Mass

Music Played

  • Jean‐Féry Rebel

    "Chaos" from Les Élémens

    Orchestra: BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Christian Curnyn.

  • Henry Purcell

    King Arthur (selections)

    Orchestra: BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Christian Curnyn. Choir: BBC National Chorus of Wales.

  • Rosy Wertheim

    Three Preludes for 'Lancelot'

    Performer: Ursula Schoch. Performer: Ásdís Valdimarsdóttir. Performer: Eleonore Pameijer.

  • John Dunstable

    Preco preheminencie / Precursor premittitur / Inter natos mulierum

    Choir: The Binchois Consort. Conductor: Andrew Kirkman.

  • Clément Janequin

    La Guerre (La bataille de Marignan)

    Ensemble: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Mass No 11 in D minor, 'Nelson Mass'

    Singer: Anna Dennis. Singer: Hilary Summers. Singer: Rupert Charlesworth. Singer: Edward Hawkins. Orchestra: BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Choir: BBC National Chorus of Wales. Conductor: Christian Curnyn.

  • Thomas Tallis

    Lamentations of Jeremiah (1st lesson)

    Choir: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. Conductor: Philip Ledger.
    • Music for Holy Week.
    • Warner Classics.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    O Mensch, bewein', dein' Sünde gross, BWV.622

    Performer: Stephen Cleobury.
    • King's College Cambridge.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Prelude and Fugue in C minor, Op 37 No 1

    Performer: Stephen Cleobury.
    • Organ Favourites from King's College, Cambridge.
    • ALTO.

Broadcast

  • Thu 6 Apr 2023 19:30
    BBC Radio 3