Pictured: The National Symphony Orchestra performs a modern re-telling of the St. John Passion in an Irish Premiere by James MacMillan this Good Friday, 18th April on RTÉ lyric Live with Paul Herriott
CULTURE FILE PRESENTS: THE COMFORT ZONE
Luke Clancy and Colm Tóibín plus a new guest each week light out for the territories, culture-wise.
A Soundsdoable production for RTÉ lyric fm
Produced and presented by Luke Clancy
Associate producer: Niamh Daly
Subscribe to the podcasts available each Friday and Wednesday
RTÉ lyric fm, Saturday 12th April, 6.30pm-7pm
OPERA NIGHT WITH PAUL HERRIOTT
The Metropolitan Opera, New York presents Mozart's Die Zauberflote
Simon McBurney's uproarious full-length German-language production of Mozart's beloved fable-with its ingenious theatrical concoction of projections, puppetry, and special effects-returns to the Met stage following its celebrated 2023 premiere. Tenor Ben Bliss and soprano Golda Schultz are the noble lovers Tamino and Pamina, and baritone Thomas Oliemans repeats his animated portrayal of the outlandish bird catcher Papageno. Soprano Kathryn Lewek reprises her hair-raising turn as the Queen of the Night, Stephen Milling is the priest Sarastro, and Evan Rogister conducts.
RTÉ lyric fm, Saturday 12th April, 7pm-10pm
Photo: Karen Almond | Met Opera
WEEKEND CLASSICS WITH CLAUDIA BOYLE
Soprano Claudia Boyle sets the mood for a relaxing weekend. Whether you are catching up on things, chilling out or enjoying leisure activities, unwind to some of the world's most beautiful classical music. Claudia promises lots of treats on the show including her Musical Menu where she looks at Classical Music connections with food and drink; she will have many musical greats on the show (excluding herself!) in Divas and Divos. There will be something for the little ones in the house in Claudia's Kids' Classics plus the show will be topped off with new releases and much loved melodies from across the genres. Join Claudia Saturday and Sunday from 4pm as she brings you the ultimate weekend playlist.
RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 13th April, 4pm-6pm
THE LYRIC FEATURE
Feather & Flock
Anja Murray and Brían Mac Gloinn present this six-part series delving in to the ways of six iconic native Irish birds. Each episode combines ecology, folklore and history to uncover the incredible lives and journeys of these wild creatures. A key theme is conservation, and we hear from those who are at the forefront in ensuring that these bird's songs will continue to be heard. Each programme is soundtracked with immersive on location recordings, avian themed folk and traditional music and an original composition from Brían Mac Gloinn. The series was the winner of the Best Factual Series at the 2024 IMRO Irish Radio Awards.
Episode 4: Skylark
Skylark is a charismatic bird of open ground and the uplands, widely celebrated for their impressive singing ability. In this episode, ecologist Anja Murray and musician Brían Mac Gloinn begin with the Skylarks' fame in poetry, with poet Martin Dyar. The pair also get an insight into the fascinating science of birdsong with John Quinn, behavioural ecologist in UCC, and the physiology that allows these birds to produce such an impressive range of sounds and complexity of song. To compare the way songbirds and traditional singers learn their songs, we hear from Tríona Ní Shíocháin of NUIG about creative transmission and the Irish singing tradition. The role of Skylark in traditional songs and folklore is discussed with Ríonach Uí Ógáin, former director of the National Folklore Collection.
A team of musical collaborators feature in this episode too: The Lark in the Morning is sung by Brían & Diarmuid Mac Gloinn; tunes by uilleann piper Emmett Gill; and Brían also premieres a new song written especially for this episode.
Presenters: Anja Murray and Brían Mac Gloinn
Produced by: Anja Murray
Original score and songs by Brían Mac Gloinn
Sound Design & Editing: Brían Mac Gloinn
Series Producer: Eoin O Kelly
Production Co-Ordinator: Michael O'Kane
(First broadcast 27th October 2024)
RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 13th April, 6pm-7pm
THE FULL SCORE WITH LIZ NOLAN
Our Full Score concert today is almost symbolic: the established romantics and fellow composers Strauss, Wagner and Bruch gather around the musical portrait of the controversial ancient female figure Salomé, whom Mel Bonis portrays as an impetuous, passionate but also deeply torn character who struggles with the world. Mel Bonis (actually Mélanie Hélène Bonis) had a hard time making her way as a composer in a musical world dominated by men. Highly musically gifted, she received little support from her family but was encouraged by César Franck. She studied with Ernest Guiraud at the Paris Conservatory; one of her fellow students was Claude Debussy. She won numerous prizes and was nevertheless forced by her parents to abandon her studies and enter into a marriage of convenience. Liz Nolan presents a showcase of unabridged musical masterworks, featuring live recordings of Irish and international performers, plus selections from the latest CD releases.
Richard Strauss: Don Juan, Op. 20
Max Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26
Grazyna Bacewicz: Polish Caprice
Mel Bonis: Salomé Op. 100/2, from 'Trois femmes de légende'
Richard Strauss: Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24
Richard Wagner: Overture to 'Tannhäuser'
WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne
Bomsori Kim, violin
Cristian Macelaru, conductor
RTÉ lyric fm, Monday 14th April, 1pm-4pm
THE FULL SCORE WITH LIZ NOLAN
Ailish Tynan joins Wicklow pianist Fiachra Garvey in today's Full Score concert from the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival for a wide-ranging programme that sets unforgettable Romantic songs by Schubert, Schumann and Strauss and popular songs by Barber and Herbert Hughes,
alongside music inspired by the sensual and evocative poetry of James Joyce, W.B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney. Liz Nolan presents a showcase of unabridged musical masterworks, featuring live recordings of Irish and international performers, plus selections from the latest CD releases.
RTÉ lyric fm, Tuesday 15th April, 1pm-4pm
LORCAN MURRAY'S CLASSIC DRIVE
Let Lorcan bring you the perfect soundtrack on Classic Drive. Tune in all this week for a feast of music, including Jean-Yves Thibaudet's new album 'Khachaturian', recorded live with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. News, weather and sports updates and tips for what's on where you are. For one and all, Lorcan's with you all the way!
RTÉ lyric fm, Tuesday 15th April, 4pm-7pm
THE FULL SCORE WITH LIZ NOLAN
In March 1742, a somewhat shadowy figure known as 'Mr Charles the Hungarian' travels to Dublin, where Handel mania is raging. Mr Charles, an entrepreneur in heart and soul, sees this as a great opportunity and organises a concert in Smock Alley Theatre with a pro-gramme that mainly consists of Handel's music. In our Full Score concert today from the Musica Antiqua Festival in Bruges, Peter Whelan and the Irish Baroque Orchestra reconstruct this evening. Performing various colourful solos - some for instruments that were new to Ireland at the time we'll hear music by Handel, Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Adolf Hasse. Liz Nolan presents a showcase of unabridged musical masterworks, featuring live recordings of Irish and international performers, plus selections from the latest CD releases.
RTÉ lyric fm, Wednesday 16th April, 1pm-4pm
THE FULL SCORE WITH LIZ NOLAN
We have a real treat lined up for our Full Score Spring Lunchtime Concert live from Studio 1 in the RTÉ Radio Centre as Finghin Collins joins the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for a performance of Chopin's 2nd Piano Concerto. Known for his clarity and musicality, Collins will bring fresh insight to this iconic work, balancing technical precision with emotional depth. Liz Nolan presents a showcase of unabridged musical masterworks, featuring live recordings of Irish and international performers, plus selections from the latest CD releases.
Liszt: Les préludes
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Stephen Bell, conductor
Finghin Collins piano
RTÉ lyric fm, Thursday 17th April, 1pm-4pm
AEDÍN IN THE AFTERNOON
Aedín features a selection of recordings from siblings, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason ahead of their Dublin concert next week. Three beautiful recordings of In Paradisum (Into Paradise) from the requiems of Gabriel Fauré and Karl Jenkins as well as a stunning setting by Eimear Quinn. Plus, tunes from recent Folk Award winners, Landless, Alannah Thornburgh and John Spillane.
RTÉ lyric fm, Friday 18th April, 1pm-4pm
RTÉ LYRIC LIVE WITH PAUL HERRIOTT
This Good Friday, Paul Herriott brings us echoes of Latin motets, Gregorian chant, Bach chorales and Scottish folk accents in a striking, modern re-telling of the St. John Passion in an Irish Premiere by James MacMillan.
National Symphony Orchestra
David Hill (conductor)
Christopher Purves (baritone)
National Symphony Chorus
David Young (choral director)
Chamber Choir Ireland
Paul Hillier (choral director)
James MacMillan St. John Passion (Irish Premiere)
RTÉ lyric fm, Friday 18th April, 7pm-9pm
VESPERTINE WITH ELLEN CRANITCH
Paul Simon's 'American Tune' is a gem. A meditation on the American experience, it has strong resonance today, more than fifty years after its release. The tune itself is a 16th century Lutheran hymn and is most associated with J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion. This Good Friday we'll hear version from Allen Toussaint, Bugge Wesseltoft, Kjetil Bjerkestrand, Rhiannon Giddens and some extracts from the magnificent Passion itself.
RTÉ lyric fm, Friday 18th April, 10pm-1am
