Centre of the Universe
Donald Macleod explores the incredible impact of the Congress of Vienna on the city鈥檚 fortunes. Meanwhile, Schubert is falling in love.
Donald Macleod explores the incredible impact of the Congress of Vienna on the city鈥檚 fortunes. Meanwhile, Schubert is falling in love.
Of all Europe鈥檚 major cities, perhaps Vienna is the one with the reputation as the most comfortable, the most sophisticated, and the most musical. In fact, has any other city been home to so many great composers as Vienna? Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, and Salieri all spent their best years working there. Yet none of those starry names was born in the city, none were true Viennese. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod explores Vienna through the lens of arguably the greatest home grown composer the city has ever produced 鈥� Franz Schubert 鈥� a man whose short life spanned a crucial period in Austrian history, a time of crisis and much change. In his company we鈥檒l explore Vienna鈥檚 churches and theatres, its parks, coffee houses and taverns, and also glimpse the darker side of the city too 鈥� the excesses of Europe鈥檚 aristocracy and the all seeing eyes of Vienna鈥檚 secret police.
In Tuesday鈥檚 programme, as Austria started to recover from the impact of Napoleonic wars, Donald explores the incredible Congress of Vienna which reignited the city鈥檚 fortunes. Hundreds of dignitaries and aristocracy from across the continent descended upon Vienna. For Schubert it must have felt like he was in the centre of the Universe, even if he wasn鈥檛 involved in the accompanying music making. However, there were other important matters for the budding composer at this point 鈥� he was falling in love.
6 Moment Musicaux, Op 94, D780 (No 3 in F min)
David Fray, piano
Mass No 1 in F Major, D105 (Gloria)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Wiener S盲ngerknaben,
Chorus Viennensis
Bruno Weil, conductor
Grande Marche Funebre, D859
Christoph Eschenbach, Justus Frantz, piano
Symphony No 2 in B flat Major, D125 (4th mvt,Presto)
B鈥橰ock Orchestra
Ren茅 Jacobs, conductor
Rosamunde, D797 (No 5 ,Entracte No 3 in B flat Major: Andantino)
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Claudio Abbado, conductor
Licht und Liebe, D352
Janet Baker, Mezzo Soprano
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone
Gerald Moore, piano
Produced by Sam Phillips ford 麻豆社 Audio Wales and West
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