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The Austrian conductor Herbert Von Karajan, whilst one of the most prolific recording artists of the twentieth-century, remains an enigma, and there continues to be controversy over both his relationship with the Nazi party and his music-making. 25 years after Karajan鈥檚 death, the award-winning film-maker John Bridcut has produced a feature-length profile of the man for 麻豆社 Four, interviewing musicians who worked with him including Sir Neville Marriner, Nikolaus Harnoncourt and James Galway, and using archive footage of the conductor at work. Tom asks John Bridcut what drew him to the controversial musician, and the writer and broadcaster Stephen Johnson previews the film.

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On Saturday 29th November, London's Wigmore Hall celebrates the viola from the Baroque to the present day, Tom talks about the place of the instrument in classical music today with two of the players taking part, Tabea Zimmermann and Garth Knox, and with the violist and composer Brett Dean who has recently taken up the position of Artist-in-Association with the 麻豆社 Symphony Orchestra, and will be performing his Viola Concerto in London in 2015. Music Matters also visits the workshop of Cremona-trained luthier Martin Sonnenberg to find out more about the peculiarities of this central member of the string family.

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During his lifetime, the sounds of Handel鈥檚 music reached from court to theatre, echoed in cathedrals, and filled crowded taverns, but the man himself鈥攌nown to most as the composer of聽Messiah鈥攔emains something of a mystery.聽Ellen T. Harris, Professor of Music at MIT and the author of a new book, speaks to Tom about exploring the life and music of Handel through the perspective of his friends and society around him in 18th century London 鈥� from his financial and legal affairs to religion and politics.

The countertenor Robin Blaze and musicologist Tess Knighton join Tom to review the book.

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Radio 3 Sunday Feature -聽