The Early Music Show

Primarily remembered today as the teacher of Handel, the German musician FW Zachow was a renowned composer in his own right. In the first of a weekend of early music shows exploring some of his music, Lucie Skeaping explores his life and influence on Handel's music alongside a variety of Zachow's works.

Lucie Skeaping presents a programme featuring music by one of the most engaging and important Venetian composers, Giovanni Gabrieli, who died in August 400 years ago in 1612. Gabrieli spent his life working in Venice and held the esteemed position of organist at both St. Marks and San Rocco, so some of the musicians and singers must have worked in both establishments too. It is unclear exactly what compositions Gabrieli wrote specifically for the Scuole di San Rocco, but there are some interesting clues left to us by the English traveller Thomas Coryat (featured in yesterday's Early Music Show). Lucie Skeaping introduces a selection of Giovanni Gabrieli's music including the 10-part 'Jubilate Deo' from his Symphoniae Sacrae, 'In Ecclesiis' in 14 parts, and some instrumental works including canzonas and the Sonata con tre violini.

A journey through the multi-faceted solo keyboard music that the 18th Century Jean-Philippe Rameau composed in his long career, introduced by Lucie Skeaping.Rameau's first compositions were for the harpsichord and throughout his life he produced a rich and varied collection of short works for the instrument, many of which represent some of the greatest solo keyboard music of the French Baroque. Some of the pieces are dances; others are explorations of compositional and keyboard techniques; while others again are "character pieces" with colourful titles such as "The Wild", "The Lame" and "The Indifferent".Lucie Skeaping looks back over the music, explaining a little about the ideas and background to the pieces, and introduces a range of recordings from Sophie Yates, Christophe Rousset, Celine Frisch and Alexandre Tharaud amongst others.

Catherine Bott looks at the tradition of music making pre-1700 in Wales with a feature on the 17th century Robert ap Huw manuscript - one of the most important collections of Welsh early music. With contributions from Bangor University's Sally Harper, and harpists Bill Taylor and Paul Dooley.

Lucie Skeaping explores the Abbey of St Gall, its role in the development of medieval chant, and how one of the Abbey's most famous sons - a young monk named "Notker the Stammerer" - came to write a revolutionary kind of music there.

Lucie Skeaping presents a profile of the 16th Century German composer Michael Praetorius, most famous for his many Lutheran chorales and song arrangements, and for his compendium of more than 300 instrumental dances: "Terpsichore". Music includes recordings by David Munrow's Early Music Consort of London, Paul van Nevel's Huelgas Ensemble and Philip Pickett's New London Consort.First broadcast in June 2012.

"Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains" - words made famous by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. But Rousseau was more than just a writer of philosophy. He was also a keen composer and musician; amongst his musical output are seven operas. He also wrote about music and at times earned his living as a music copyist. Catherine Bott explores his intriguing musical life in the week of the 300th anniversary of his birth.

Catherine Bott talks to Owen Rees about the musical legacy of King Joao IV of Portugal and the so-called Golden Age of Portuguese polyphony. In 1578, the young king of Portugal, Sebastian led an ill-considered crusade against the Moors of Morocco. He was routed at the battle of Alcazar-Quivir and disappeared without trace, leaving his succession and the fate of his nation on a knife-edge. Of the six claimants to the Portuguese monarchy, the most powerful was Philip II of Spain, whose invading army conquered the country in 1581. Neither Philip nor his two successors acknowledged Portugal's cultural or ethnic independence and treated her as nothing more than a province of Spain. Portugal's considerable foreign revenue enriched the Spanish treasury, while her dominance in trade and sea power was successfully challenged by the English and the Dutch, thus loosening her grip on her colonies in Africa, Asia and South America. This period of external domination and subsequent economic decline lasted for nearly 60 years until the Portuguese nobility reached the end of its tether and led a revolt against their oppressors in 1640, as a result of which, the Duke of Braganza was declared the new and rightful king of Portugal and the Algarves. One of King Joao IV's first actions was to lead his countrymen in a protracted war of restoration against the Spanish, whose armies were finally driven out of Portuguese lands after four more years of fierce fighting. Joao o Restaurador - John the Restorer - was not just a successful troop-leader, though. He was also a generous supporter of the arts, and a considerably talented musician and composer himself. And, by the time of his death in 1656 he had amassed the biggest music library in the world.

Lucie Skeaping presents a programme exploring JS Bach's musical ancestors. Music by some of JS Bach's sons is often heard these days, but today, Lucie traces the Bach family tree back to his great-great grandfather, Veit Bach, who was a baker in Wechmar and whose son Johann in turn produced 3 musical sons. The programme includes motets and instrumental music by some of the composers in this great musical dynasty.

When Queen Elizabeth came to the throne in 1952 it sparked a wave of creative interest in the first Queen Elizabeth and her times. Catherine Bott looks at how this coincided with the work of the early music movement in this country. In particular she looks at the work of some of the great early music pioneers of the time such as Thurston Dart, Robert Donington and Walter Bergmann.

Catherine Bott presents a programme to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the pioneering countertenor, Alfred Deller, who was born May 31st 1912. Catherine is joined in the studio by 3 countertenors, James Bowman, Robin Blaze and Alfred's son Mark, to discuss some of the many facets of Alfred's art. They play a selection of Alfred's many recordings dating from the 1950s, including some from the early days of Alfred's Deller Consort, one of his most important contributions to the early music movement. Catherine and Mark also chat about Stour Music, the Festival which Alfred founded and which celebrates its 50th anniversary this June. Music in the programme includes lute songs by Dowland and Campion, a scene from Handel's opera Orlando, and the 50 year old recording of father and son, Alfred and Mark, singing Purcell's Sound the Trumpet.

Lucie Skeaping presents a focus on the "stylus fantasticus" genre of programmatic music which flourished in Bohemia during the 17th Century. It was the style favoured by the Bishop of Olomouc-Kromeriz, in what's now the Czech Republic. An enormously sociable fellow - and also a Prince - he spent his summers entertaining friends and relations in the fabulous Kromeriz Castle where he laid on for them lavish feasts, plays, ballets and concerts. The root of the music was the ground-breaking toccatas by the Venetian organist & composer Claudio Merulo, and through him, other keyboard composers such as Girolamo Frescobaldi and Johann Jakob Froberger who took the style further. The stylus fantasticus or "fantasy style" developed under the Prince Bishop's patronage and was perfect for the light-hearted summer entertainments at the Kromeriz Castle parties. The most famous practitioner of the "stylus fantsaticus" was Heinrich Biber, whose colourful "Battalia" invokes a military encampment by means of trumpet and drum motifs - full of imagination and wit. We hear eight drunken musketeers singing their native songs, officers engaging in elegant fencing, horses and cavalry, a battle complete with trumpet flourishes and shots, and finally the lament of the wounded musketeers.

In the month of 450th anniversary of the composer's birth, Catherine Bott explores the extensive vocal compositions of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, known as the "Orpheus of Amsterdam". Although perhaps best known for his keyboard works, Sweelinck wrote over 250 vocal works and, surprisingly for a composer so associated with his homeland, none of these settings are in his native tongue. Instead, the language which predominates in his vocal output is French.

Thomas Gainsborough had a deep love of music and many of his portraits include musical themes. He was himself a keen amateur player of the gamba and he had many musicians as friends, and feautured them as subjects for his portraits. Catherine Bott meets art historian and author of several books on the artist, Michael Rosenthal of Warwick University, for an exploration of what the Gainsborough portraits tell us about the role of music in the late 18th Century. The programme includes comment about Gainsborough's portraits of Karl Friedrich Abel; Johann Christian Bach; and the Linley family, as well as paintings of some notable amateurs from the English gentry such as William Wollaston and the redoubtable Anne Ford.

Lucie Skeaping presents a profile of music in Prague - a political, cultural and economic focus of central Europe for more than 1100 years, and home to composers such as Brixi, Regnart, Myslivecek and Brentner; as well as many famous musical visitors like Machaut, Mozart and Gluck.First broadcast in April 2012.

Lucie Skeaping presents a profile of the Renaissance wind ensemble Piffaro, based in Philadelphia. This wonderfully colourful, virtuosic ensemble have been together for over 25 years. During the programme Lucie talks to the two artistic directors, Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken about their work. The music in the programme is from the ensemble's many recordings, using a wide variety of instruments and repertoire, and includes arrangements of French chansons and Flemish dances, and music inspired by the ensemble's recent trip to Bolivia.

Giovanni Battista Guarini's Il Pastor Fido was one of the most famous plays of the 17th Century and 300 years ago London saw the premiere of Handel's Opera based on Guarini's text. However, Handel was far from the first to use this play as inspiration for his music. Il Pastor Fido had already sparked the imaginations of numerous composers. Catherine Bott explores the play and some of it's musical offsprings, including music by Monterverdi, Schütz and and Sigismondo d'India.Handel's "Il Pastor Fido" is one of the featured works at this year's London Handel Festival which runs from 15th March to 24th April.

Concluding the Early Music Show’s journey through the musical alphabet with the letters N-Z. Presented by Lucie Skeaping, Catherine Bott and Andrew Manze. This podcast contains lewd lyrics and bawdy ballads.

A whistle-stop tour of the alphabet according to Early Music, presented by Lucie Skeaping, Andrew Manze and Catherine Bott. In Part 1, the letters A-M.

After his time working for Prince Leopold of Anhalt in Cöthen, Johann Sebastian Bach took a substantial drop in salary and public standing to work as Cantor in Leipzig. The role primarily involved teaching at St Thomas School, but also meant that Bach was responsible for the music in the German town's four churches. Lucie Skeaping takes a closer look at Bach's time in the German town, where Bach remained from 1723 until his death in 1750.

Catherine Bott talks to harpist Andrew-Lawrence King about Catalan soprano and early music specialist Montserrat Figueras, who passed away late last year. Featuring some of the best of her many recordings.

Lucie Skeaping traces the history and development of the dance-based form, from its origins in Iberian street music to the great organ works by Bach. The word passacaglia derives from the Spanish 'pasar' and 'calle' - meaning 'to walk' and 'street'. The musical form probably originated as music performed whilst promenading, most likely with a guitar. With the rise in popularity of the 5 string Spanish guitar, the passacaglia quickly crossed Europe and was readily adopted into song, instrumental music and even into the theatre. Repertoire in the programme includes music from an opera by Lully, Monteverdi's lament par excellence "Lamento della Ninfa" and one of Bach's greatest works for organ.

Lucie Skeaping presents the first of two programmes this weekend, looking at the "Golden Age" of Polish music. The programme includes sacred works and lute miniatures by composers including Bartłomej Pękiel, Franciszek Lilius, Mikołaj Zieleński & Wojciech Długoraj as well as music by some of the Italian masters brought to Poland in the 17th Century by King Sigismund Augustus II.In tomorrow's programme, there are highlights from a concert given at the 2011 Lufthansa Festival by Retrospect and Matthew Halls, with contributions from Polish expert Adrian Thomas.

Catherine Bott explores the life and music of the Spanish prodigy Francisco Guerrero, who worked in Spain and Portugal, and had a series of eventful trips abroad, including a journey to the Holy Land. He became one of the most renowned composers of the Spanish "Golden Age of Polyphony" alongside Victoria and Morales and his music remained popular for hundreds of years.

Catherine Bott explores the history of the Hanseatic League and the impact that it had for music from the 13th to the 18th centuries among the towns and ports around the Baltic. This programme provides the background to one of the main themes of this year's Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music, highlights from which will feature in the Early Music Show over the next two weeks.

Catherine Bott visits Lincoln to explore what it would have been like to be in a cathedral choir in the days of the "Father of English Music" William Byrd. Was the life of a 16th-century chorister so different to that of a 21st-century one?

Lucie Skeaping talks to musicologist Berta Joncus about the one of the 18th Century's colourful characters, the soprano Kitty Clive. Clive was born in London in the early 18th century, and rose to become London's top singer and comic actress, and a celebrity in her day. Berta Joncus is currently writing a book about Kitty Clive, and how she fascinated audiences for decades. The programme includes music she made famous, including Arne's 'Rule Britannia', and also music written for her by Handel.First broadcast in January 2012.

A keen flautist himself, Frederich II of Prussia also patronised and employed some of the finest composers of the age. In the week of the 300th anniversary of his birth, Lucie Skeaping explores the musicians of Frederick the Great's court, including music by Agricola, Quantz, CPE Bach, Fasch, Graun and Frederick himself.

Lucie Skeaping presents a programme of music by members of the Ferrabosco family, Alfonso I and II - father and son. They were a family of Italian musicians who worked in England for many years at the Elizabethan court. Repertoire in the programme includes fantasias for viols performed by Phantasm, a setting of the Lamentations, and song settings of poems by John Donne and Ben Johnson.

Upon his death, the great English composer William Byrd was acclaimed as the "father of Musick". But what was his musical legacy? Catherine Bott explores the lives and music of some of the great composer's students, featuring music from Thomas Tomkins, Peter Philips, Thomas Morley and John Bull.

Lucie Skeaping looks at the life and works of the composer and teacher Nicola Porpora, whose early career was overshadowed by the successes of Alessandro Scarlatti in his native Naples.

Lucie Skeaping's thoughts turn to Marc Antoine Charpentier who wrote some of the most engaging Christmas music of the French Baroque including the celebrated Messe de Minuit - a midnight mass for Christmas Eve based on popular French carols.A remarkably gifted composer from the reign of Louis XIV, Charpentier spent much of his life pushed into the shadows by the all-powerful and controlling Jean-Baptiste Lully. Much of his life was spent in the service of Mlle de Guise and for the Jesuit College in Paris for whom he wrote many of his wonderful Christmas pieces inspired by popular French carols.

Lucie Skeaping explores the history of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, founded in 1500. Lucie talks to two Past Masters, Paul Campion and Richard Crewdson. Richard has written a book, "Apollo's Swan and Lyre", which charts the history of the Musicians' Company. The programme looks back to the roots of the organisation, which provided protection for professional musicians in the City of London, and the Act of Incorporation of the Company in the 17th Century. The programme explores the world of London's medieval minstrels, and the guild's relationship between the Royal Household and the City Waits.

Guillaume de Machaut was one of the greatest composers and poets of the Middle Ages and Le Voir Dit is one of his most extraordinary works. Containing 9,094 lines of verse and 8 musical settings, it tells the tale of a blossoming love between the elderly Machaut and a young admirer: Péronne d' Armentières. Catherine Bott explores Machaut's "The True Story".

A profile of Maria Bárbara, the Portuguese Infanta and Spanish Queen, and the muse of Domenico Scarlatti, on the 300th anniversary of her birth. Catherine Bott looks back on the life of one Europe's most musically talented royal figures, the inspirational Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa (4 December 1711 - 27 August 1758), whose gifts as a keyboard player and great love for music inspired Domenico Scarlatti to devote the best part of his life serving her and prompted him to compose at least 550 sonatas for her to play.Maria Bárbara's name often appears alongside Scarlatti's when talking about his music, but little is usually said about her, her court and her times. Catherine Bott takes the three hundredth anniversary of her birth to review the Scarlatti story from a different perspective.

Lucie Skeaping presents a programme about the 18thC Scottish composer James Oswald, who rose from humble beginnings in Fife to be the official chamber music composer to George III. The programme includes recordings by Concerto Caledonia, soprano Catherine Bott, tenor Iain Paton, the Broadside Band and guitarist Rob MacKillop.

Lucie Skeaping explores the life and extraordinary music of Salamone Rossi, a 17th-century Jewish composer based in Mantua. He wrote a collection of psalms and motets in Hebrew, for the Synagogue, drawing on the Italian polyphonic style of composition employed by the Christian Church. In a period of intense anti-Semitism, when the Jewish community in Italy were required by law to wear on their clothing a yellow 'badge of shame', Rossi's musical skills were highly regarded by the Mantuan court. His collection was not only the first of its kind; it would also remain unique for more than two hundred years.First broadcast 19/11/2011.

As part of Radio 3's month long celebration of Symphony, the Early Music Show traces the early history. Catherine Bott reflects on the trail-blazing work of the pioneering symphonists of the 18th century such as Sammartini, the Stamitz family, Holzbauer, JC Bach, Monn and Wagenseil.The 18th century saw a creative explosion in the development of instrumental music and in particular, one of the great innovations of the century was the orchestral symphony. Many of its origins can be traced to Italy but it quickly became a pan European phenomenon with every major cultural centre boasting its own symphonist or "school" of symphony composers, each of which was bursting with its own creative reponses to this new and exciting kind of music.As part of the BBC "Symphony" season, Catherine Bott reflects on some of the major pioneering figures in the development of the symphony, casting her net across many of Europe's major cities - from Milan to Mannheim, Hamburg and Dresden, Paris, Berlin, London and Vienna. The programme considers some of the novel innovations that were introduced into the symphony as the century progressed and by dwelling on some of the music of lesser known composers it provides a context for the musical world that we've come to associate with Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Many of the symphonists featured in this programme can also be heard in complete performances across the following week on Radio 3's Afternoon on 3.

The Early Music discovers the origins of Symphony, as part of Radio 3's month long celebration. We all know what is now called a Symphony, but the term has had many varied uses. Lucie Skeaping tracks down the origins of the Symphonie and encounters medieval hurdy-gurdys, spinets and virginals, a tale that the dulcimer is as old as the Bible and a royal wedding, not to mention a whole host of overtures, interludes, sonatas, canzonas and concertos.

Catherine Bott talks to scholar, musicologist and conductor Andrew Parrott about the complex process of reconstructions, including his most recent project: the reconstruction of JS Bach's Trauer-Music (Funeral Music). This work was composed in 1728 when Bach's patron, Prince Leopold of Cöthen, suddenly died at the age of 33, but the score has almost completely disappeared. Andrew talks to Catherine about how he reconstructed this work through various clues in other of Bach's works, and plays music from his new recording with his Taverner Consort and Players.

Catherine Bott explores the musical legacy of King Dinis I of Portugal. He was a remarkable man, born in the year 1261, and ruled Portugal for 46 years during which time he consolidated both his country's economy and its frontiers, limiting the powers of the aristocracy and resolving conflicts in the church. He was known for his wisdom, prudence and passion for justice, and not only was his court a refuge for poets and minstrels from all over the Iberian peninsula and beyond, he also joined them with his own poetry and music.

Lucie Skeaping explores the life and musical passions of one of the most important and influential women of the Italian Renaissance, Isabella d'Este. Featuring music from, amongst others, Ockeghem, Josquin, Cara and Tromboncino.First broadcast in October 2011.

Catherine Bott takes a look at the Wode Psalter, a hugely significant collection of part books that give a fascinating insight into Scottish music-making in the 16th Century.The collection was initially the work of Thomas Wode, a monk and cleric from St Andrews, who was commissioned to produce a series of harmonisations of psalm tunes for a protestant Scottish Psalter. Wode was more ambitious however, and he took it upon himself to gather as much of the music he then heard being played in Scotland, in the fear that otherwise music from the nation might be lost to us for ever. The highly decorative series of part books, which make up the Wode Collection, has been scattered across the world for centuries, but the books have recently been brought back together for a special exhibition at Edinburgh University. Catherine Bott visits the exhibition and is shown around by curator Dr Noel O'Regan. Music for the programme is taken from a recent recording of items from the Wode Collection by the Dunedin Consort.

In 1593 one of the great Tudor composers of keyboard music and vocal polyphony, Peter Philips found himself imprisoned in the Hague under allegations of being involved in a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth. In the composer's 450th anniversary year, Lucie Skeaping explores his life and work, and speculates on the allegations against him.

Lucie Skeaping examines the career and music of Shakespeare's regular musical collaborator, Robert Johnson, who famously created the music for The Tempest in 1611, as well as many other plays by the leading playwrights of his day.

King George III is now often remembered only as "the mad King", but he and his Queen Consort were passionate supporters of the arts and both loved music. In the second of two programmes, Catherine Bott continues her virtual tour of London, tracing the legacy of George's artistic patronage through his reign. Featuring music from Handel, Purcell and Steffani.

King George III is widely remembered as the British monarch who suffered a temporary, debilitating period of "madness" as depicted in the play and film by Alan Bennett, "The Madness of King George", but he was also a highly cultured man; he and his Queen Consort were passionate supporters of the arts and both loved music. In the first of two programmes, Catherine Bott begins a virtual tour of London to trace the legacy of George's artistic patronage through his reign. Featuring music from Handel, JC Bach and Mozart.

On the 300th anniversary of the birth of William Boyce, Lucie Skeaping and Jeremy Barlow explore some of the places in London where he lived and worked. Their journey takes them from a church in central London where he had his first job, to the public gardens in south London where his music was enjoyed by many.

Catherine Bott in conversation with the late Gustav Leonhardt: keyboardist, conductor, musicologist and teacher, who was one of the great pioneers of Early music.With great sadness, we learn of the death of Gustav Leonhardt on 16th January. In a change to the schedule, we repeat an interview that Catherine Bott recorded with him last year about his life in music, his great love of Bach and about a variety of Early music issues whilst featuring some of his many recordings, including music by JS Bach, Louis Couperin, and Sweelinck. This is the last interview that Gustav Leonhardt gave to the BBC.

Catherine Bott explores the history of the Collegium Musicum, the amateur music ensembles whose performances in Germany under such illustrious directors as Telemann and Bach paved the way for public concert series.First broadcast in August 2011.