Highlights - Saturday 28th March to Friday 3rd April

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 much loved melodies from across the genres and new releases including harpist Anne-Sophie Bertrand's new album Amalie's Cosmos which brings the listener on an evocative journey through the salons of 19th-century Europe. Join Claudia Saturday and Sunday from 4pm as she brings you the ultimate weekend playlist.

RTÉ lyric fm, Saturday 28th March, 4pm-6pm

OPERA NIGHT WITH PAUL HERRIOTT

The Metropolitan Opera New York presents Verdi's La Traviata

A beloved mainstay of the repertory, Verdi's great tragedy stirs the soul and breaks the heart like only opera can. The captivating Lisette Oropesa performs the touchstone soprano role of Violetta Valéry, the ill-fated Parisian courtesan fighting for love before her time runs out. Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer conjures a dreamy setting that matches the poetry and passion of the unforgettable score. Antonello Manacorda conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

RTÉ lyric fm, Saturday 28th March, 7pm-10pm

VOX NOSTRA WITH VLAD SMISHKEWYCH

Finishing off Early Music Month with a fifth Sunday in March, Vlad delves into a fine collection of recent (and not-so-recent but very excellent) releases of music including a gorgeous lute song recording featuring Ruby Hughes with lutenist Jonas Nordberg, solo lute by the acclaimed Nigel North, and the Newberry Consort with consort music from the Elizabethan period. All of this still keeps us in the spirit of a John Dowland 400th anniversary year as we remember the hottest singer-songwriter of the late 16th century. And speaking of anniversaries, we remember Johann Erasmus Kindermann, born this day in 1616, which would've made him 410 today. His music shares plenty stylistically with the more recognisable Johann Pachelbel, but we'll find there's also much that makes him stylistically unique. It's all part of a Sunday early music morning as we bid farewell to Early Music Month 2026.

RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 29th March, 7am-10am

THE LYRIC FEATURE

Saucy Mistress Boldface

Saucy Mistress Boldface is a peek through a Georgian window at life for women from 1746 to 1751 through a series of 221 letters from the Bishop Of Elphin to his only teenage daughter Alicia. We hear about music, fashions, lazy servants, exotic fruits and women's health.

Edward Synge Bishop of Elphin left his mark on Dublin through the street names of Synge Street and Bishop Street (now home to the National Archives). He also left his mark in the archives of Trinity College Dublin via a unique collection of letters to his daughter Alicia that he told her to keep as a manual for life - a how-to guide for spelling, grammar, managing servants, learning the harpsichord, staying healthy and conducting business. She was his only surviving child of six children and his wife also died before Alicia was a teenager. He is a doting father and addresses her in such an array of endearing terms including 'Huzzy', 'Mistress Boldface' and 'Dear Giddy Brat'.

This radio documentary harvests some of the sage advice in the letters with extracts read by actor Simon Coury as the Bishop. There are explanations of what the letters tell us about life for women in 18th century Ireland from Dr Jane Maxwell of Trinity College Dublin, Alex Ward from the National Museum of Ireland Collins Barracks Dr Triona O Hanlon who is an expert on Mercers Hospital music part books.

Music in the programme is played by the Irish Baroque Orchestra which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Narrated and produced by Angie Mezzetti
Sound Engineering Patrick Wall
Actor Simon Coury as Bishop Edward Synge

An Ocarina production funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland's Sound and Vision funding scheme from the television licence fee.

(First broadcast 4th April 2021)

RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 29th March, 6pm-7pm

VESPERTINE WITH ELLEN CRANITCH

There are 88 keys on a piano, and Nils Frahm had the brainwave to designate the 88th day of the year as World Piano Day. A feast of pianosity all over the globe, as musicians, composers and audiences celebrate the King of Instruments. Here on Vespertine we're joining the party by throwing a spotlight on a brand new piano concerto by Polish pianist and composer Hania Rani. Full of rich genre-bending texture and adventurous rhythm, it gets its world premiere in the U.S. this month, and you can hear the first studio recording with Hania herself as soloist.

RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 29th March, 9pm-12am

THE FULL SCORE WITH LIZ NOLAN

Our Full Score concert comes from the Galway Early Music Festival last summer. Resurgam is joined by the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, Malcolm Proud (organ) and Kristiina Watt (theorbo/lute) to perform Palestrina's music for the three great Roman basilicas of St Peter, St John Lateran and St Mary Major, including sonorous twelve-part motets with voices and instruments together. Also included are the 'Vergine' spiritual madrigals and instrumental ricercare. 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, Monday 30th March, 1pm-4pm

LORCAN MURRAY'S CLASSIC DRIVE

Classic Drive brings you the perfect musical soundtrack, including Lorcan's Pick of the Week: Martines: The Complete Keyboard Works from the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra. This album is the first complete modern recording of the surviving keyboard music of Marianna Martines (1744 - 1812) and includes four keyboard concertos, three sonatas and her Sinfonia in C major. And with news, weather and sports, Lorcan's with you all the way!

RTÉ lyric fm, Monday 30th March, 4pm-7pm

NIALL CARROLL’S CLASSICAL DAYTIME

Niall Carroll plays music from the heart of the classical repertoire with Sounds on Screen, a piece from either the big or the small screen at 11am, and at midday each day Niall chooses his Five of a Kind. This week we'll hear five overtures by Gioachino Rossini.

RTÉ lyric fm, Tuesday 31st March, 10am-1pm

THE FULL SCORE WITH LIZ NOLAN

Across European musical traditions, the period of Holy Week has given rise to some of the most important musical works in the history of the art form, seeking to encapsulate in music the dramatic events of Christ's Passion. It embraces not only classical music, but also ancient chant traditions and folk music. Today's Full Score concert celebrates Bulgarian composers of church music, Dobri Hristov and Angel Popkonstantinov, performed by the Mixed Choir of The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. 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 1st April, 1pm-4pm

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, Wednesday 1st April, 9pm-9.30pm

THE FULL SCORE WITH LIZ NOLAN

Today's Full Score concert comes to us via Vatican Radio. The Orchestra Nazionale Barocca dei Conservatori Italiani (National Baroque Orchestra of the Italian Conservatories), performed Alessandro Scarlatti's Stabat Mater in the Sala Assunta in the Vatican last November to mark the third centenary of his death (Naples 22nd October 1725). The work was composed by Scarlatti during his long stay in Naples, between 1723 and 1724, commissioned by the Confraternity of the Knights of the Virgin of Sorrows, who officiated the Holy Week rites in the Church of San Luigi, next to the Royal Palace.

The Orchestra Nazionale Barocca dei Conservatori Italiani is conducted by Ignazio Maria Schifani, with soloists Paola Valentina Molinari, soprano, and Chiara Brunello, contralto. 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, Thursday 2nd April, 1pm-4pm

AEDÍN IN THE AFTERNOON

Aedín features a really interesting new release entitled Willows from violinist Pekka Kuusisto and The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. The album also features American folk singer Sam Amidon, whose songs have been arranged for ensemble by Nico Muhly, as well as Caroline Shaw's Plan & Elevation, arranged for chamber orchestra. Stunning choral works today, including three settings of the Pie Jesu by three different composers. Jazzy gems from Samara Joy and Cormac McCarthy and great Irish tunes from Paul Brady, Cara Dillon, Conor Lenihan and Mary Black.

RTÉ lyric fm, Friday 3rd April, 1pm-4pm

RTÉ LYRIC LIVE WITH PAUL HERRIOTT

Paul Herriott brings us Dvořák's profoundly moving choral masterpiece for Good Friday with Czech music specialist Jiří Rožeň conducting National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, National Symphony Chorus Ireland and four exciting young soloists.

Dvořák: Stabat Mater

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Jiří Rožeň, conductor
Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, soprano
Niamh O'Sullivan, mezzo-soprano
Valentyn Dytiuk, tenor
Ashley Riches, bass
National Symphony Chorus Ireland
David Young chorus director

RTÉ lyric fm, Friday 3rd April, 7pm-10pm