Christmas on Classic FM: explore our 2024 radio schedule highlights

10 December 2024, 08:30 | Updated: 10 December 2024, 17:53

Classic FM is The Home of Christmas Music. Picture: Classic FM

By Classic FM

@ClassicFM

Join us for a joyful Christmas filled with carol concerts and special festive programmes on Classic FM – the home of Christmas music. 

From carol concerts to special interview broadcasts, explore highlights from across our Christmas radio schedule below.

1. Classic FM at the Christmas Movies with Jonathan Ross

   7pm-9pm | Friday 20 & Saturday 21 December

   On Friday, Jonathan celebrates iconic and much-loved movie music from The Grinch (James Horner), Die Hard (Michael Kamen), The Snowman and the Snowdog (Ilan Eshkeri, Andy Burrows) and Elf (John Debney).

   The following night, Jonathan features festive favourites including The Holiday (Hans Zimmer), The Polar Express (Alan Silvestri) and Love Actually (Craig Armstrong). He also includes new releases in the cinema for Christmas week, including Mufasa, scored by Dave Metzger and Lin-Manuel Miranda and The End by Joshua Schmidt and Joshua Oppenheimer.

2. Choirs at Christmas with Lloyd Griffith

   9pm-10pm | Friday 20 December

   Join actor, comedian and former chorister Lloyd Griffith for the final episode in his brand new Classic FM series, ‘Choirs at Christmas’. Lloyd celebrates the great festive singing tradition with favourite Advent carols, and draws back the curtain with his own experiences of what it’s like to sing in a choir at this time of year.

3. Christmas Ballet Classics with Charlotte Hawkins

   9pm-10pm | Saturday 21 December

   Join Charlotte Hawkins for a special pirouette through the wonderful world of ballet music. You will hear musical highlights from several of the most popular Christmas productions including The Nutcracker and Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, Cinderella by Prokofiev, and Howard Blake’s The Snowman.

4. National Youth Voices at Christmas with Zeb Soanes

   9pm-10pm | Sunday 22 December

   Two of the country’s great youth ensembles join forces for this celebration of Christmas, hosted by Zeb Soanes. Sinfonia Smith Square and National Youth Voices perform beautifully festive music, including Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols from St. John’s Smith Square.

5. Aled Jones narrates The Snowman

   5.30pm-6pm | Tuesday 24 December

   A staple of Christmas Eve on Classic FM, Aled Jones narrates the timeless story of The Snowman, accompanied by Howard Blake’s wonderful music.

   

   'Walking In The Air' by Aled Jones and star treble Malakai M Bayoh

6. Carols from St Paul’s Knightsbridge

   6pm-7pm | Tuesday 24 December

   A magical evening of carols from one of the most beautiful churches in the heart of London, with festive readings from Dolly Alderton, Elizabeth Hurley, Dame Harriet Walter and Rob Brydon.

7. Christmas Eve at Gavin & Stacey’s with Joanna Gosling

   7pm-8pm | Tuesday 24 December

   The writers and stars of the hit TV series – Ruth Jones and James Corden – join Joanna Gosling for a special one-off programme on Classic FM. Ruth and James, who play the characters Nessa and Smithy in Gavin & Stacey, choose their favourite carols, share their Christmas traditions, and give a sneak preview of the last ever episode of the popular British sitcom.

   

   Ruth Jones and James Corden as Nessa and Smithy in Gavin & Stacey. Picture: Alamy

8. Christmas from St Martin’s with Zeb Soanes

   8pm-10pm | Tuesday 24 December

   Zeb Soanes presents an evening of festive favourites, including ‘Once in Royal David’s City’, ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’, and ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’, performed by St Martin’s Voices and the congregation of St Martin in the Fields in London’s Trafalgar Square.

9. Classic FM Christmas Breakfast with Aled Jones

   6am-10am | Wednesday 25 December

   Aled invites you to join him for three hours of carols and seasonal favourites, providing the perfect way to wake up this Christmas. As well as playing lots of well-known festive music, Aled also invites you to get in touch to tell him how you’re spending Christmas morning...

10. Christmas Day Requests with Anne-Marie Minhall

    10am-1pm | Wednesday 25 December

    Every Christmas morning, Anne-Marie Minhall turns Classic FM over to you for your requests and dedications. Anne-Marie is particularly keen to hear from anyone for whom Christmas 2024 will be extra-special. The perfect backdrop as you prepare the dinner, unwrap presents or simply sit back and relax...

    Text in with your request on 61812, message on WhatsApp 03457 49 1812, email here, or post your request on social media by tagging @classicfm. You can also submit your request via Amazon Alexa by saying “Alexa, send a comment to Classic FM”.

11. The Nation’s Favourite Carol with Alexander Armstrong

    1pm-3pm, Wednesday 25 December

    Every year, we ask you to vote for your best-loved Christmas carol – and on Christmas Day afternoon, Alexander Armstrong counts down this year’s top 30.

    Last year ‘O Holy Night’ took the crown as the nation’s number one carol for the eighth time. Will it remain there for the ninth year in a row, or will it be displaced by another favourite?

    Read more: Vote for The Nation’s Favourite Carol 2024

    

    Malakai Bayoh sings a stunning ‘O Holy Night’ duet with Aled Jones | Classic FM

12. Christmas at Buckingham Palace with Alan Titchmarsh

    3pm-4.45pm, Wednesday 25 December

    Following His Majesty The King’s Christmas Message, Alan Titchmarsh presents a very special programme of carols and festive music recorded live at Buckingham Palace. Listen behind closed doors to a carol service held in the grand surroundings of the palace ballroom, held to thank members of the Royal Household for their work throughout the year.

    Once again, Classic FM has been given exclusive access to record the event, which features the Choir of the Chapel Royal performing a selection of traditional seasonal carols, alongside members of the palace staff giving readings to tell the Christmas story.

13. The Christmas Story with Stephen Fry

    4.45pm-5pm, Wednesday 25 December

    Stephen Fry narrates a retelling of the nativity accompanied by a sweeping filmic soundtrack composed by Thomas Hewitt Jones and performed by the Scottish Session Orchestra. The story culminates in performance of ‘Silent Night’ sung by the Choral Scholars of St Martin in the Fields.

14. The Very Young Person’s Guide to Christmas Carols with Tim Lihoreau

    5pm-7pm, Wednesday 25 December

    Tim Lihoreau presents a very special programme, perfect to introduce families and children to the wonder of Christmas music. Put on your mittens and follow our heroes as they discover some of the greatest carols of all time, including ‘Silent Night’, ‘Good King Wenceslas’ and ‘Carol of the Bells’.

    
    

    

    The Very Young Persons Guide to Christmas Carols. Picture: Classic FM and DK

15. The King’s Foundation Carol Service

    7pm-8pm, Wednesday 25 December

    John Brunning presents a traditional carol service from St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge, featuring festive readings, alongside a selection of classic carols and seasonal music. Performances come from Carly Paoli, Opera Prelude and musicians from the National Piping Centre.

16. One Piece Why with Dan Walker

    4pm-7pm, Thursday 26 December

    Dan Walker presents a special programme based on the popular Classic FM Breakfast feature, where famous voices and Classic FM listeners share the one piece of classical music that they would choose to share with someone.

    Famous Classic FM fans choosing their favourites include Richard Hammond, Alexandra Burke, Ruth Jones, Tim Minchin and Richard Osman.

17. A Symphony of Science with Brian Cox

    7pm-9pm | Thursday 26, Friday 27, Saturday 28 December

    A chance to revisit the fascinating series broadcast on Classic FM earlier in the year, where the physicist musician and broadcaster explores the links between his two favourite subjects: science and classical music.

    In this first programme, Brian explains why Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.2 is currently 15 billion miles away from Earth, discovers Haydn’s comic opera about the moon, and features a piece of music by Handel that may well have been inspired by his witnessing of an eclipse.

    

    Professor Brian Cox explains how black holes 'compose music' | Classic FM

18. Rivals with Mariella Frostrup

    9pm-10pm | Thursday 26, Friday 27, Saturday 28 December

    Inspired by the hit Disney+ series – an adaptation of the book Rivals by Jilly Cooper – the renowned broadcaster, journalist, author Mariella Frostrup presents a very special series on Classic FM about rivalry in classical music.

    In this first programme you’ll hear about the much-documented rivalry between Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but was it actually true? And recordings by Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi who were turned into hostile enemies by their admirers and the press.

19. Pet Classics with Katie Breathwick and Karthi Gnanasegaram

    7pm-1am | Tuesday 31 December

    Following the huge success of Classic FM’s programmes for pets and pet owners on Bonfire Night, join Katie for a special programme designed with furry, feathered and scaly listeners in mind. Katie has three hours of the most soothing music to calm and relax anxious animals, while the New Year’s celebrations and fireworks are in full swing.

    Then, as firework displays continue across the country and clocks strike midnight in celebration of a new year, join Karthi Gnanasegaram from 10pm for continued Pet Classics into the early hours.

20. New Year’s Day at the Movies

    10am-5pm | Wednesday 1 January

    Aled Jones kicks off a blockbuster soundtrack for New Year’s Day – nothing but the greatest film music all day, with iconic soundtracks with several world-famous film stars popping up through the day to introduce the music. If you are looking for an ultimate soundtrack to start the new year, this is it...

    Taking the baton at 2pm, Jonathan Ross continues the blockbuster soundtrack day, which is also simulcast on Classic FM Movies, our non-stop film music station.

21. Middle Earth and More: Favourites of Richard Armitage

    5pm-7pm | Wednesday 1 January

    10 years since the final Hobbit film hit cinemas, Richard Armitage makes his radio presenting debut on Classic FM. Richard, who played the character Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth epic, features music from the trilogy alongside his personal soundtrack favourites – including ‘Princess Leia’s Theme’ from Star Wars by John Williams, Mica Levi’s music for Jackie, The Hours by Philip Glass, The Mission by Ennio Morricone, and Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber used memorably in Platoon.

The Christmas Song Jazzy Piano with Sheet Music by Sangah Noona

8,028 views Dec 7, 2024

The Christmas Song Jazzy Piano with Sheet Music by Sangah Noona Sheet Music: https://www.musicnotes.com/l/c5cKQ

Wonderland Skies - Connie Talbot (Music Video)

93,495 views Premiered Dec 5, 2024

Wonderland Skies is now available to stream on all platforms! Listen here: http://linktr.ee/Connie607 Merry Christmas! It has been so exciting writing, recording and filming Wonderland Skies... I have loved every second, and I am so grateful for all the love and support for this song so far, thank you so much. This song was written about that magical festival feeling that we tend to lose as we get older. I actually lost that quite quickly as I grew up quickly in the music industry as a child. It wasn't until my nieces and nephew were born, that I was able to live Christmas through their eyes and the excitement came back! I will revisit this song every Christmas and it will be lovely to feel that emotion and nod to my younger self every year. I'll also cherish making this video completely independently and having my nieces and nephew feature in this vision come to life! Thank you so much again for your support. I hope this songs means something to you, the way it does for me. My heart is always full with gratitude with your love and support... which makes me feel like "WE'LL HAVE A GOOD CHRISTMAS THIS TIME" :) Stream Wonderland Skies: http://linktr.ee/Connie607 Follow Here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialcon... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConnieTalbot... X (Twitter): https://x.com/ConnieTalbot?ref_src=tw... Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@conniestiktok... Lyrics: Wish I could see the world, The way you do Everything bathed in a ray of golden light When it's cold and grey, You always say Hey aren't we lucky, Thank goodness we're alive It's been a tough year, I've cried a few tears Nothing's gone quite like it should But We'll have a good Christmas this time I'll see it all through your pretty eyes Snowflakes will fall From Wonderland Skies You've made it my business To have a good Christmas this time I'm not the festive type I never count down the days But you make me feel like the tree could go up in May Singing silent night, In the candle light It's a miracle how you can make me feel this way It's been a tough year, I've cried a few tears Nothing's gone quite like it should But we'll have a good Christmas this time I'll see it all through your pretty eyes Snowflakes will fall From Wonderland Skies You've made it my business To have a good Christmas this time Oh, through your pretty eyes Oh, I see Wonderland Skies At least in my mind... We'll have a good Christmas this time I'll see it all through your pretty eyes Snowflakes will fall From Wonderland Skies You've made it my business To have a good Christmas this time.

Ladies of Soul 2017 | Don't Let The Sun Go Down

Berget Lewis, Candy Dulfer, Edsilia Rombley and Trijntje Oosterhuis are the Ladies of Soul. The Dutch supergroup pays tribute to their favorite pop- and soul music and is returning with their annual liveshow in the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. The ladies are accompanied by a top notch live band and surprising local and international guest artists like Billy Ocean, En Vogue, Sheila E, Oleta Adams, JT Taylor (former lead singer Kool & The Gang), and in 2025 they will be joined on stage by Sister Sledge, Robin S. and the voice of Rose Royce - Gwen Dickey. Subscribe to our channel right now and don’t miss another video: http://bit.ly/SubscribeLOS Want to find out more about the Ladies of Soul or come to one of our shows? We have more info up on our website: https://ladiesofsoul.nl/

Mozart: Concerto for piano and Orchestra (d-minor) K.466, Uchida

6,948,644 views Nov 11, 2012

6,948,644 views • Nov 11, 2012

Mitsuko Uchida, Piano & Conductor Camerata Salzburg 0:57 - Allegro 15:42 - Romance 24:38 - Allegro assai

The Blame Game – Musicians’ Excuses When Things Go Wrong

by Janet Horvath

Several years ago, I wrote an article entitled The Dog Ate My Music- Excuses for Not Practicing.

Those of us who are musicians have tried these excuses with varying success; teachers have heard them all. Just like in other professions, musicians can be guilty of procrastinating.

After several months, once we do our dedicated practising and have put in the long, sometimes frustrating hours, our recital, concert, audition, and competition are upon us. What could possibly go wrong? Despite our best efforts, something does. These may be out of our control, like a distracting noise in the hall, terrible chairs, poor lighting, an out-of-tune piano to play with; and some not, like going to the wrong hall, arriving at the wrong time, or forgetting your music, your shoulder rest, your mouthpiece, your shoes, your glasses, or your pants. While we’re playing, no matter the hours of practice, we might have a memory slip, miss a passage, or lose our place in the music. When things happen, musicians once again come up with ingenious excuses, otherwise called the Blame Game.

How many times have we been challenged, if not foiled, by our surroundings? I’ll never forget the recital I played in a historical hall in Rome, most often used for theatrical productions. I had to make my way through a thick, dark blue velvet curtain behind which, was a minefield of stage sets, piles of wood, props, tinsel, and dust. Once I was able to negotiate getting onto the stage, snagging my dress in an exposed nail, I might add, I was alarmed to find that the rake or slope of the stage was at an incline that made me woozy. It may have helped to improve with the illusion of perspective and increase the sight lines for spectators, but once I staggered to my seat, the chair and me on the seat kept sliding forward, especially whenever I played forte. You can imagine the result in a piece like Brahms Sonata for Cello and Piano in F major Op. 99, which begins very loudly and with passion. 

Performance anxiety can often get the better of us. Some musicians are not plagued by nerves, while it undoes others (and we are so jealous of them.) That subject is quite another story.

The following excuses are ever-present in the musician’s world. (For novices, there are some notes at the end of the article.)

I shouldn’t have had that double cappuccino.

I was too hungry to concentrate.

I had the flu. That’s why my bow was shaking.

The chair was too low/high.

The stand was too low/high.

The lighting was too dim/blinding.

We are quick to blame the instrument itself:

My instrument is too small/too big.

My chin rest is too low/too high.

I forgot my shoulder rest. I had to use my shoe! (violinists).

It was the reed again. It cracked and quacked (1) (oboe players).

My strings are too high off the fingerboard. I can hardly press them down (cellists).

My strings are old/cheap/false/unraveling (all strings and harp).

My bridge is warped.

My mouthpiece got stuck. (2)

My instrument is a piece of crap (all).

Someone set up the instrument all wrong! (even a novice will notice that the strings should be over the bridge not under!)

And in the case of cellists – the woes of the endpin

The endpin is warped. (3)

My end pin slipped because my rock stop/puck/strap slipped!

My endpin was too low. When I started, I tightened it as hard as I could but it s-l-o-w-l-y descended while I was playing.

It was a wolf tone. It sounded like my outboard motor. (4)

We might blame the bow or bowings:

You want how many notes or beats in one bow (or one breath!)? How long do you think my bow is? Tristan und Isolde by Wagner is a case in point. 

Something is wrong with my bow!

My bow is warped.

My bow needs to be re-haired.

I need darker rosin.

Carbon fiber bows are so unresponsive.

Or the music:

This edition sucks.

It was hand scribed. What do they expect?

Kalmus!

The editor put in strange and terrible fingerings/bowings.

The page turns were impossible.

Too many leger lines! (5)

We can always resort to blaming the conductor and/or the composer:

Why did the conductor choose this piece?

What was the conductor thinking? That was an unplayable tempo.

Didn’t the conductor conduct 4 in a 3/4 bar?

The conductor got lost.

The conductor can’t conduct his/her way out of a paper bag.

The conductor glared at me.

The composer doesn’t know anything about the cello, the string family, or likely failed music theory and composition.

The composer must think we have a degree in calculus and algebra to figure out these rhythms.

When we are really piqued and need an excuse right away, we impulsively blame our stand-partner:

I missed that passage because of my stand-partner. He/she:

Didn’t get the page over fast enough.

Put the stand too far away, too high/low.

Put his/her fingerings in the part, and I couldn’t see mine.

Was singing along, and he/she has a terrible voice.

Was playing out of tune, out of rhythm, got lost, swayed too much, screwed up the bowings.

Or we can always blame the weather or travel

I got caught in the rain.

It was the jetlag.

And if these don’t work. Here are a few on an ascending scale of desperation

I usually play better.

I practised so much I almost died!

I sounded great at home.

I blame my parents.

I blame my therapist!

A swarm of termites has moved in!!

(And when all else fails)

It was the viola section’s fault. (With apologies to my amazing viola playing colleagues such as Julian Rachlin on viola in Resurrection of the Viola Player.) (6) 

These are some insights into life as a musician. Jokes aside, those of us in the business know playing a musical instrument takes practice, tremendous discipline, focus, and dedication. The preparation for each concert can take months if not years, and attaining excellence is a lifetime quest. Deep down, we truly acknowledge that there are no excuses. Musicians never want to let down our audiences, our teachers, or ourselves, so we continue to pursue excellence and strive for that impeccable performance. But even more important, we endeavor to play with enough panache to move our audiences and fool them into thinking it was effortless!

Notes:

(1) A reed is used by the clarinet, oboe, English horn, and bassoon players. Many musicians carve their own reeds out of cane. Reed making is a fine art and can take years to learn as the reed is directly responsible for the response, sound quality, ease of playing, and playing in tune. Yet sometimes they might only last a few minutes as they can easily chip or crack but well-cared for, they can last 2-3 weeks depending also on how much the musician is playing. But they can sound like a QUACK!

(2) The mouthpiece of brass instruments can become stuck in the receiver. This can be caused by playing with too much pressure, when the player forgets to clean the moisture from the mouthpiece, or when the player forgets to take out the mouthpiece after playing. If it becomes stuck, it is essential to use the specially designed tool to remove it— a mouthpiece puller, that will separate the mouthpiece from the receiver without damage to the mouthpiece or pipe. Brass players call wrong notes CLAMS!

(3) Cellists may jam the sharp end of the endpin into a wooden floor, making a hole, which doesn’t please stage-managers. There are several implements available to “hold” or anchor the spike/endpin in place. These range from pucks to straps. But sometimes these slip too! Carrying the cello should be enough, but chairs are often too low. Hence bringing a wedge seat cushion.

(4) The wolf is an undesirable phenomenon that occurs on some bowed string instruments, especially on the cello. When the pitch, often an F# on the G string, is played and it is closely related to a natural, resonant frequency of the instrument, the instrument will vibrate intensely. It can be difficult to control and can sound strange, like a stuttering or warbling. Some cellists resort to a wolf tone eliminator—a small metal tube with a screw mounted on one of the strings below the bridge. They don’t work reliably. I used to squeeze my cello with my knees to reduce the vibration of the instrument and this sometimes worked. But it can still sound like a howling WOLF!

(5) Leger line is used in western musical notation. They are short lines that extend above or below the staff, placed parallel to the lines of the staff, and equidistantly spaced to denote higher or lower notes beyond the staff. Try reading these with progressive glasses or when you haven’t had enough sleep!

(6) Tristan Schulze wrote “Resurrection of the Viola Player” to be played by Julian Rachlin on the viola. This is the very first piece that Julian ever played on the viola, and he had to learn it for memory because he did not know the viola cliff well enough at the time! With violinist and comedian Aleksey Igudesman, Daisy Jopling, violin, Tristan Schulze, cello.

The Magic of Mozart: The Viennese Piano Concertos

by Georg Predota, Interlude

The series of piano concertos Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed during his years in Vienna is undoubtedly his greatest achievement in instrumental music. The dozen piano concertos composed between February 1784 and December 1786 are works of the highest quality and originality. According to Maynard Solomon, “their artistry goes far beyond the concertos of his predecessors or his contemporaries in their scale, their thematic richness and their highly developed relationship between soloist and orchestra.”

Joseph Lange: Mozart at the keyboard (unfinished), 1789 (Mozart-Museum, Mozarts Geburtshaus)

Mozart essentially created a unique conception of the piano concerto as he was looking to solve the problem of how the thematic material is to be divided between the piano and the orchestra. In these later works, Mozart “strives to maintain an ideal balance between a symphony with occasional piano solos and a virtuoso piano fantasia with orchestral accompaniment.” Mozart’s solutions are non-formulaic as each concerto, although unmistakably resembling its siblings, is a thoroughly individual response.

The Viennese piano concertos are probably the most personal works Mozart ever conceived, as they were composed for his own public performances. As we commemorate Mozart’s death on 5 December, let us explore some of these most important works of their kind. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart sent his father the list of subscribers who paid an entrance fee of six gulden for three concerts at the Trattnerhof on 20 March 1784. “Here you have the list of all my subscribers,” he writes, “I have 30 subscribers more than Richter and Fischer combined. The first concert on March 17th went off very well. The hall was full to overflowing, and the new concerto I played won extraordinary applause. Everywhere I go, I hear praises of that concerto.”

The concerto in question was Mozart’s K. 449, and Mozart had gotten involved in subscription concerts via his colleague Franz Xaver Richter. Richter had rented a hall for six Saturday concerts, and the nobility subscribed. However, as Mozart writes, “they really did not want to attend unless I played. So Richter asked me to play. I promised him to play three times and then arranged three subscription concerts for myself, to which they all subscribed.”

Mozart suggested that K. 449 “is one of a quite peculiar kind,” and he called it a happy medium between what is too easy and too difficult. In fact, K. 499 is rather intimate chamber music with the “Allegro Vivace” exploring the tensions between the major and minor tonalities. An exquisitely expressive “Andantino” gives way to a dazzling rondo featuring much contrapuntal wizardry. 

The Piano Concerto No. 17, K. 453 is one of only two by Mozart to have been written for a player other than himself. In fact, it was written for his student Barbara Ployer, daughter of Gottfried Ignaz von Ployer, a Viennese emissary to the Salzburg court. Ployer was a fine pianist and she soon became one of Mozart’s favourite students. He also provided her with counterpoint instructions, and he asked her to come up with musical ideas of her own. Leopold Mozart was not impressed and wrote, “You want her to have ideas of her own—do you think everyone has your genius?”

Mozart monument in Vienna

The orchestration of this concerto is notable for the independence Mozart provided to the woodwinds. Clearly, Mozart could rely on a much higher standard of the orchestral winds than he had experienced in Salzburg. The prominence of the winds is dramatically demonstrated in the second movement, which opens with a serene theme in the strings that comes to a dramatic and operatic stop. This is followed by an extended episode in which the strings play backup for the solo flute, oboe, and bassoon.

The opening movement unfolds in a relaxed and almost casually expressive mood. One gorgeous melody seems to chase the next, and the contrasting theme ventures into unexpected tonal areas. Instead of the expected rondo, the finale presents five variations on a simple tune but then pauses and seemingly jumps into an entirely new movement. Barbara Ployer played the premiere in June 1784.

Mozart benefited artistically and financially from his subscription concerts. And he certainly enjoyed his time as the darling of the Viennese concert scene. The Piano Concerto No. 19 premiered in the spring of 1785, possibly one of the busiest periods of Mozart’s life as a performer. Leopold came for a ten-week visit and was struck by the level of activity. “Every day, there are concerts, and the whole time is given up to teaching, music, composing and so forth. Since my arrival, your brother’s fortepiano has been taken at least a dozen times to the theatre or some other house.”

As Alfred Brendel writes, “the first movement of K. 459 is remarkable; no other movement in the whole series of twenty-three piano concertos evinces such subordination on the part of the piano to the orchestra: purely solo passages are rare, and for much of time the solo instrument is occupied in providing an accompaniment to various sections of the orchestra, notably the woodwinds.” That opening movement, unusually, also relies entirely on one theme, a march-like melody that dominates proceedings.

The slow movement forgoes a development section and sounds like a close collaboration among the soloist, the strings and the winds. That dialogue between the instrumental forces culminates in a final coda. The sonata-rondo finale seems a fitting conclusion as it playfully takes us into the world of opera buffa. 

Mozart entered the Piano Concerto in D Minor, K. 466, in his new catalogue of compositions on 10th February 1785. It is the first of his piano concertos in the minor key. To be sure, the minor tonality adds a new dimension of high seriousness to the form, a mood immediately heard in the dramatic orchestral opening. The concerto is scored for trumpets and drums, as well as the now usual flute, pairs of oboes, bassoons and horns, with strings, and the violas divided.

Leopold Mozart was present at the premiere, and he wrote to his daughter, “We drove to Wolfgang’s first subscription concerto, at which a great many members of the aristocracy were present… Then we had a new and very fine concerto by Wolfgang, which the copyist was still copying when we arrived, and the rondo of which your brother did not even have time to play through as he had to supervise the copying.” Isn’t it amazing that in about three weeks, Mozart was able to write the most perfect and most passionate of concertos?

Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 autograph score

The D-minor concerto was a turning point as it was Mozart’s first “symphonic” concerto. The orchestra is given a completely equal position, and the wind parts become even more weighty. The sense of drama is evident in the large-scale orchestral introduction, and many of the piano parts would comfortably fit into an operatic seria. However, they are much more than just a beautiful melody. A noted performer writes, “Mozart probably found in D minor the threatening and demonic colouring he was looking for. A very personal statement!” 

Mozart completed his 21st Piano Concerto in C Major, K. 467, on 9 March 1785, exactly a month after the premiere of his first concerto in the minor key. Contrary to the dramatic narrative of K. 466, the C-Major Concerto is a work filled with humour that focuses on elegant simplicity. A critic reported that Mozart’s playing “captivated every listener and established Mozart as the greatest keyboard player of his day.” Leopold Mozart added that the work was “astonishingly difficult,” and it would be the last time that father and son would actually see each other.

Presently, this concerto is known as the Elvira Madigan Concerto because the use of the second movement contributed strongly to the mood of the film of that name. The work opens quietly, with unison strings setting an opera buffa stage. There is an air of anticipation as the winds once again play an important role. They initiate little fanfare, double the strings, or even capture centre stage with melodic interjections. The soloist enters with new and independent ideas and then follows its own path.

Soloist and orchestra have a unique relationship here as both forces seem primarily concerned with their own material. As Donald Francis Tovey writes, “In no other concerto does Mozart carry so far the separation between the two… Mozart has succeeded in making the piano as capable a vehicle of his thought as the orchestra.” The dream-like and elegant second movement provides for a nocturnal atmosphere, while the concluding “Rondo” returns us to the opening mood. Mozart borrowed a theme from his concerto for Two Pianos, K. 365, and the entire movement is based on that witty tune with plenty of scope for soloists and the orchestra to show their brilliance. 

Mozart completed his Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488, on 2 March 1786. It was designed for use in a series of three subscription concerts that Mozart had arranged for part of the winter season. Simultaneously, Mozart was busy working on his first Italian opera for Vienna, Le nozze di Figaro. Yet, times had changed. Only three years earlier, the Viennese public had lavishly acclaimed the piano concertos by the young virtuoso; now, they sought musical entertainment elsewhere.

The concerts were not well subscribed, but Mozart nevertheless went ahead “believing that he could seduce the public with his unquenchable ability to come up with something new and tantalising.” K. 488 has remained popular and frequently performed as it creates a sense of weightlessness. And the role of the piano becomes even more versatile. It functions as a solo instrument and accompanies the orchestra, but it also integrates into the orchestra. In a sense, it functions as an orchestral instrument.

In his orchestration, Mozart replaced the bright-toned oboes with clarinets, providing a much darker colouration. This is particularly evident in the passionate and richly chromatic slow movement in the unusual key of F-sharp minor. However, the orchestration remains essentially intimate, as Mozart foregoes trumpets and drums. The chamber-music feeling of the first two movements is reinforced by active interchanges between the woodwinds. The soloist initiates an extensive rondo finale that has the character of a fast stretta, all ending in a buffo-like coda. 

The second piano concerto in the minor key, the Concerto in C-minor, K. 491, was completed on 14 March 1786. It is scored for clarinets and oboes, flutes, pairs of bassoons, horns, trumpets and drums, and strings. It opens with an ominous theme that Beethoven would subsequently use as the inspiration for his C-minor Piano Concerto. A sense of foreboding permeates the entire movement, disturbed only momentarily by the tranquillity of the second theme.

Piano Concerto C minor K. 491 by W. A. Mozart

The ”Larghetto” movement opens in the major key, and episodes are framed by the principle melody. However, the music is soon led into the minor key by the woodwind, and a ray of serenity returns us to the opening. Mozart concludes this masterwork with a set of variations.

Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595

Mozart completed the cycle of twelve Viennese concertos in December 1786. He waited almost 14 months to write another piano concerto, the so-called “Coronation.” Another three years passed before he brought this grand series to a close with the B-flat Major Concerto, K. 595. To scholars, this “work stands along, not only in terms of its chronological separation from the other piano concertos but because its content and character make it unique.” It is probably the most deeply personal of all Mozart concertos.

The clearly defined drama of the minor key concertos is replaced by what has been described as “a more personal notably resigned accent” and a feeling of “subdued gravity.” Mozart gave the premiere on 4 March 1791, and it was the last such appearance before the Viennese public. Alfred Einstein wrote, “it was not in the Requiem that Mozart said his last word… but in this work, which belongs to a species in which he also said his greatest.”

Maria Callas sings "Casta Diva" (Bellini: Norma, Act 1)

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The great Maria Callas performs an aria from her signature role, Bellini's druid priestess Norma, with the Orchestre de l'Opera National de Paris and Georges Sebastian. Recorded live at the Palais Garnier on the 19th of December 1958, this concert marked the soprano's debut at the Paris Opera, a major social event for Parisians and for which Callas donned her most elegant couture and a million dollars' worth of jewelry.