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Composer Eric Whitacre on sopranos and synthesisers

Tom Service talks to composer Eric Whitacre about his new album 'Eternity in an Hour', which combines choral music, electronica and synthesisers.

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

Tom's guest is the Grammy Award-winning composer Eric Whitacre whose new album 'Eternity in an Hour' combines his first love of electronica and synthesisers with choral music. He talks to Tom about the new recording and how his life has been shaped by a transformative moment when he sang Mozart’s Requiem in a choir for the first time.

Tom also talks to the American countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo who, as well as a career in performance, is now the general director and president of Opera Philadelphia. He chats to Tom about his new album and book which explore how his voice led him to become a leader and how there’s a little bit countertenor in all of us.

Our focus on Creators continues with Suzi Digby, founder and conductor of the ORA Singers who are celebrating their 10th anniversary this weekend with the performance of their 100th new commission. We find out how the first decade of the group has panned out and, after successfully hitting their target of 100 commissions in 10 years, what's next.

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3 hours

Music Played

  • Johannes Brahms

    Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op.45)

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Choir: Arnold Schoenberg Chor. Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
    • Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45.
    • RCA Red Seal.
    • 4.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Violin Concerto in B flat major, RV 383a (arranged for recorder)

    Performer: Thomas Triesschijn. Music Arranger: Thomas Triesschijn. Ensemble: The Counterpoints.
    • Challenge Classics.
  • Fredrik Sjölin

    Naja's Waltz

    Ensemble: Danish String Quartet.
    • ECM.
  • Franz Liszt

    Les Jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Este

    Performer: Imogen Cooper.
    • Le temps perdu.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 12.
  • Richard Strauss

    Violin Concerto in D minor (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Alena Baeva. Orchestra: The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Conductor: Paavo Järvi.
    • Alpha Classics.
  • Claude Debussy

    La cathédrale engloutie (Preludes arranged for Orchestra)

    Orchestrator: Colin Matthews. Conductor: Mark Elder. Orchestra: Hallé.
    • Colin Matthews: The Debussy Preludes & Postlude.
    • Halle Concerts Society.
    • 24.
  • Antoine Reicha

    Wind Quintet in E minor (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Belfiato Quintet.
    • Supraphon.
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir

    Baer

    Performer: Hildur Guðnadóttir. Orchestra: German Symphony Orchestra Berlin. Conductor: Robert Ames.
    • Guðnadóttir: Bær (Version for Orchestra).
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 1.
  • Trad.

    Old Sir Simon The King

    Music Arranger: David McGuinness. Singer: Olivia Chaney. Singer: Jim Moray. Ensemble: Concerto Caledonia. Director: David McGuinness.
    • DELPHIAN.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No 36 'Linz' (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Il Pomo d’Oro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.
    • Mozart: Symphony No. 36 in C Major, K. 425: IV. Presto.
    • Aparté.
    • 1.
  • Eric Whitacre

    To See A World (Eternity in an Hour)

    Performer: Emma Denton. Choir: Eric Whitacre Singers.
    • Eternity in an Hour.
    • Decca.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Kyrie (Requiem in D minor, K 626)

    Ensemble: Dunedin Consort. Director: John Butt.
    • Mozart Requiem Reconstruction of first performance.
    • LINN.
    • 19.
  • Eric Whitacre

    Go, lovely rose (3 Flower Songs)

    Choir: Polyphony. Conductor: Stephen Layton.
    • Cloudburst and other choral works.
    • HYPERION.
    • 5.
  • Eric Whitacre

    And Eternity (Eternity in an Hour)

    Performer: Emma Denton. Choir: Eric Whitacre Singers.
    • Eternity in an Hour.
    • Decca.
  • Eric Whitacre

    In a Wild Flower (Eternity in an Hour)

    Performer: Emma Denton. Choir: Eric Whitacre Singers.
    • Eternity in an Hour.
    • Decca.
  • Antonín Dvořák

    Slavonic Dance in G minor, Op 46 No 8

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek.
    • Dvorák: Slavonic Dances Opp. 46 & 72.
    • Decca.
    • 8.
  • Franz Schubert

    Grand Duo, D574 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Julia Fischer. Performer: Martin Helmchen.
    • Schubert Complete Works for Violin and Piano, Vol. 2.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 1.
  • Guy Barker

    Altoona Express (from Wood on the Tracks)

    Ensemble: Cellophonics.
    • Somm.
  • Harrison Birtwistle

    Sleep Song

    Performer: Sean Shibe.
    • Vesper.
    • PENTATONE.
  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Song without words, Op. 19 No.3

    Performer: Bertrand Chamayou.
    • Felix Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 3.
  • Johann Friedrich Fasch

    Quartet in B flat major for 2 oboes, bassoon and continuo (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Ensemble Marsyas.
    • LINN.
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus

    Conductor: Andrew Manze. Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Vaughan Williams: Orchestral works.
    • PM Classics Ltd..
    • 2.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Gelido in Ogni Vena (Il Farnace)

    Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Conductor: Dan Schlosberg.
    • Nonesuch.
  • Bob Crewe

    Walk Like a Man

    Composer: Bob Gaudio. Music Arranger: Frankie Valli. Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Conductor: Dan Schlosberg.
    • Nonesuch.
  • John Madara

    You Don't Own Me

    Composer: David White. Music Arranger: Daniel Schlosberg. Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Conductor: Daniel Schlosberg.
    • Nonesuch.
  • Osvaldo Golijov

    Laika

    Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Conductor: Dan Schlosberg.
    • Nonesuch.
  • Claudio Monteverdi

    Lasciatemi morire (Lamento d'Arianna)

    Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Conductor: Dan Schlosberg.
    • Nonesuch.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Crudel! perché finora farmi languir così? (Le nozze di Figaro)

    Singer: Anthony Roth Costanzo. Conductor: Dan Schlosberg.
    • Nonesuch.
  • Alexander Scriabin

    Piano Concerto in F sharp minorOp.20 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Kirill Gerstein. Orchestra: Oslo Philharmonic. Conductor: Vasily Petrenko.
    • LAWO.
  • Francesco Corradini

    Baile de las máscaras

    Orchestra: Concerto Köln. Conductor: Pablo Heras‐Casado.
    • El Maestro Farinelli.
    • Archiv Produktion.
    • 10.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Clarinet Sonata in E flat major Op.120`2 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Michael Collins. Performer: Michael McHale.
    • CHANDOS.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Egmont, Op 84 (Overture)

    Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
    • Teldec.

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